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Factories? How?, What? etc.

Factories? How?, What? etc. Factories - build bits and bobs yourself.

There are several parts to the new update

1) Factories can only be built on planets.

2) Build a factory. They cost different amounts in different places so shop around to find the best deal. Ok so it's not cheap, but you can possibly make a lot of money off it, so stop complaining about the cost already! ;) The first link you'll need is off the details page, down the bottom right hand corner, underneath the warehouse link (if you have it)

3) Transfer cargo to and from your own factory. This is via the cargo screen when you are docked at a planet.

4) And for those who haven't noticed (or use screen readers) the cargo screen has changed as well. From here you can now transfer cargo between your ship, warehouse and factory. Which direction you transfer in is determined by the drop down box. You can also dump cargo from here, as before.

The "warehouse" and "factory" headings (if you have them, because you won't if you don't have a warehouse or factory at this planet) are links to the warehouse and factory screen.

5) Buying and selling at other players factories. At a planet with any factories other than your own, you will have a new link in the left nav bar which links to a page with all of the factories belong to other players at that planet, along with details of what they are buying and selling (currently producing)

So make some money buying and selling other players goods and selling or buying at markets. It's simple!

6) Your factory production. There are 2 different pages for your own factories. First there is a link in the left nav to list "my factories" this lists all of your factories. If you are at a planet that has one of your own factories on it there will also be a link underneath the planet name to take you to that factory. The same link exists from the details page once you have purchased your factory.

7) Setting up production. Each factory can only produce 1 item at a time. You set the item being produced and the price you want to sell it at in the top part of the screen. Setting the produced item will also list you the items that need to be purchased to build that item, down the bottom of the screen.

Your factory automatically come with space for 50 containers of items. If you want to buy more simply fill in the box and click the increase button, selling space is similar (refunded at half the price you paid for them)

But to make your factory produce anything you need workers :)

And they don't come cheap, in fact they are paid by the hour, so make sure you don't employ too many at once!! Worker costs also depend on the item being produced. The more expensive the item, the higher the cost. Oh and you can only employ up to a maximum of 100 workers.

The amount of workers you employ also determines how many containers per hour of you production item you build. Again the more expensive the item, the less per hour you'll build, and the production rates per item are listed here : Worker Production Rates

8) The safe. You need to deposit money into your safe to pay the players that sell you items. And any money made from selling your produced goods will also be deposited back into your safe. Workers wages are also paid from your safe. If you don't have enough money to pay them, nothing will be produced.

9) You will also need to set up maximum stock amounts of each item that players will be selling to you and a price that you will give them to the item, otherwise no one will be able to sell you things. Although you can still transfer cargo to your factory yourself from the cargo page.

10) Factories cannot create any item that is saleable to the planet the factory is on.

11) Factory owners pay workers less money per tick if there are not enough source materials to produce the manufactured item

12) Those lazy workers. If the factory owner is docked at the planet where the factory is, the workers work harder. Much harder in fact.

Each tick you remain at that planet, your factory will produce 150% more goods than normal (giving 250% total production), but for the same hourly wage.

13) Final note - 1 factory per player per planet...