Single planet PI manufacturing bad; multi planet PI good

The title is way too simplistic, but it is still right.

I have been very busy in real life, and both my gaming time as well as my blogging time have both suffered.  Firstly with tax reporting (work related, not personal), and then having the mixed fortune of being on a tropical island with poor internet connectivity.   I spent some of the time running away from slow moving coconut crabs called Uga. I wanted to put him into the pot.  He had other ideas.  Those claws can cut coconuts.  I want him far away from my feet while he is trying to escape.

The final score : Pot 1, Uga 0.

I have been 'discussing' on Reddit http://www.reddit.com/r/Eve/comments/1xoq13/planet_factories/ what to do with surplus Polytextiles.

I have ceased making Polytextiles.  The idea of taking 7k of component mats to produce 6k of saleable product is one I have difficulty with.

I like making Industrial fibres.  With a consistent price of low 500's (and consider selling in Amarr if Jita is too low) it is one of the better selling products.

I also like making Oxidizing Compounds, with a price per unit of high 400's, and gas planets are generally more plentiful than temperate ones. 

My standard Oxidizing Planet has the following configuration, on a command center 4 pilot has :

• 1 extractor control unit centered around a concentration of reactive gas
• 5 extractor heads
• 1 launchpad
• 3 factories

AND

• 1 extractor control unit centered around a different concentration of reactive gas
• 5 extractor heads
• 1 lauchpad
• 2 factories (depending on pilot skill and size of planet)

The only link between these two sets is via the customs office.


The layout of the Gas planet producing Oxidising compound will look something like :

Summary

Top

Bottom

For most situations, your Industrial fibers temperate planet will most likely have difficulty supporting more than 12 extractor heads, and even that many will be hard.

Instead, I have many planets set up with:

• 1 extractor control unit
• 10 extractor heads
• 1 storage unit
• 5 basic factories (+/- depending on the availability of raw resource, influenced by extraction times)
• 1 launchpad
• Filled out with advanced factories.

 The flight route is something like :

• POS -> Deep Safe -> Gas tactical -> Gas Customs office and pick up Oxidising Compound 
• Deep Safe -> Temperate tactical -> Temperate Customs office, and drop off Oxidising Compound, picking up Polyaramids -> POS.

For the effort of mixing product from 2 planets, I am making Polyaramids; selling for roughly 10k per unit.  The single planet alternative of Polytextiles sells for roughly 5k.  Both of these take the same amount of effort to transport out of your system.

I am yet to find any PI system that does not have Gas planets.  There are far fewer Temperate planets.

For those that love the simplicity of single planet Polytextiles, please continue to do so.  It even makes some sense for absent mains that only return to their PI system every 6 weeks or so, that refresh their PI remotely.  Just be aware that you are leaving 1/2 the possible ISK on the table by doing so.  I will sell into the value added market.