Carebear ranch goes Planet Side! Yeah P.I. BABY!

So it seems everyone is talking about PI. You're not cool unless you blog about the awesome new industrial past time that Tyrannis delivered. So not to be left out of the cool kid club here comes my bit on PI.

***PvP People skip this and go shoot each other***

Let's start with saying I started to skill day 1 towards PI. I am currently into the long haul for Interplanetary Consolidation 5 so I can get me my 6th Command Center. As of right now I've got 5 colonies cranking away on highsec planets producing P1 and some P2 commodities.
Let's take a look at the planet types I have going and what they are currently churning out.

Planet 1 is a nice Lava planet

It produces Transmitters and Construction blocks as well as some left over plasmoids , Toxic Metals, and silicone. I was recently able to add 2 extra extractors and basic processor by nesting my links better. Here is a before and after shot to show you how you can squeeze more out of your CC's CPU and PWG.

Planet 2 is a Ocean planet

It produces all the P1 products I can wring out of it. I actually built this colony last and nested the living daylights out of the links to get 14 extractors, 5 basic processors and a launch pad running off one Adv CC. I'd love to be able to get one more extractor, but sadly at 99.37% CPU this goose is cooked. Perhaps in 52 days I'll get me an Elite CC and make it work but for now this works.

Planet 3 is a Storm Planet

Ok so this was my second attempt at a PI colony and boy does it suck. The first problem is the resources are scattered to the seven winds. The long links kill any chance I have of getting any meaningful levels of output from this planet. It does produce all 5 of the planets P1 items but with only one extractor per processor and set at 96hour extract cycles. It truly does suck. Once the current extracts are done. I'll rip the links a new arse and try and squeeze at least 5 more extractors out of this ADV CC, wish me luck. This is NOT a good colony layout.

Planet 4 is a barren

It was my FIRST ever colony and to be honest it shows. The links are inefficient and the CC placement could have been better to avoid the links to both hemispheres. It's not all bad as It does produce all 5 of the planets P1's and two P2 products mechanical parts and nanites. At some point I'll come back here and nest all the bad links and squeeze out some more extractors. I look at it now compared to my last planet and boy have I got a better understanding of link nesting and CC placement. Here is the one that got me hooked.

Planet 5 is a Gas planet

It was one of the last ones I did and I am not happy with it. I am getting 4/5 of the systems P1 items out of it (5 is one I can get elsewhere). I have the most efficient links I can and I can only squeeze 12 extractors and 4 basic processors out of the deal. It's not a bad planet but I would like all 5 P1 items

Planet 6 will be a temperate

It will extract only 1 P1 item from the planet itself but what it will have is all the advanced and high tech processors I need to make P3 and P4 products. It will not exist for another 26 days so I cannot show you a pretty picture of it or comment on its efficiency. That is another post all together next month.

So what tips can I offer to folks?

1: Scan down all your P0 items and place your CC in the best spot to get them all with at least 3 extractors.

2: Nest your links up to 5 hops (I think you can do 6) and upgrade if you really need to.

3: Set your extractions for 23 hours. With tree extractors you will keep a basic processor happy and busy

4: Use a launch pad - It's just plain simpler and a little less risky. Also it lets you go both ways... ;)

5: A good plan will go a long way. Try to build backwards from the launch pad. Get the first processors and extractors built and then add more extractors until you max out on power grid on your CC.

Handy dandy links:

https://spreadsheets.google.com/lv?key=t3wAXA82wbqy1eLqD4lwqAw&f=true&gid=0

http://www.eve-ivy.com/wiki/index.php?title=Planetary_Interaction#Skills

So if you're still awake after my riveting mandatory post on P.I. feel free to flame my colonies, throw beer cans, try to figure out where to gank me, and have some bloody fun with PI. Even a diehard combat pilot can build himself his Nanite repair paste with a few planets and a daily click or two. NOW if ONLY CCP would do some think like this for manual mining.... OK no rants today!

Cheers

EVE SOB