Dev Blog: Starbase Changes for Crius

It's been a while since I was able to find the time to post.  Since this topic is all about the Industrialist, I figured its a good time write up a post.

CCP has released the newest information on POS changes for Crius.  You can find CCP Ytterbium's post here: Starbase Changes for Crius.  Back when Crius was actually Kronos (or at least the industrial changes from Kronos), CCP announced some major changes to the refining system.  Transforming minerals into modules to transport across space (taking up much less volume than the minerals themselves) and then refining it for zero loss will no longer be viable.  

Here are some of the changes announced for POS owners/users

Regarding the "Reprocessing Arrays"

The Reprocessing Array can be placed anywhere, where as the Intensive Reprocessing Array needs to be in 0.4 space or less.  Looking at the other specs, everything looks the same, so not sure if the Intensive Array is redundant.  According to CCP Ytterbium, reprocessing is "instant".  It no longer takes time to reprocess (like it did in the past).  Player skills WILL be taken into account when using the arrays.  Ore, Ice and Gas Cloud items can be mixed in the reprocessing array.  Modules cannot be moved into reprocessing arrays.

Regarding the "Compression Arrays"

Compression Arrays can be placed anywhere.  I believe when first announced, they were going to be restricted to low sec and lower.  That is not the case.  Compression only requires 100 units of ore which equals 1 unit of compressed ore.  Compression blueprints are no longer required and will be removed.

The ratios of volume have been tweek'd so that the end ratio didn't change.  In the example given, 100 units of Veldspar, compressed will go from 10m3 to 0.2m3.  Due to the reprocessing changes, using a compression array will make moving massive amounts of minerals easier.  This makes "module compression" obsolete.  The compression will also be instantaneous.  No need to wait for the array to process.  

Regarding Lab Usage

Manufacturing and Science slots will disappear.  There was some concern in the past that only the NPC stations were undergoing this change.  According to the blog post, this change does encompass player owned stations.  One change that can impact the industrial player immensely is that you can no longer remote install jobs into a POS from an NPC station.  This means that you need to have the blueprint in the lab IN THE POS.  You CAN remotely "start" the job if the blueprint is already in the POS.

Regarding Assembly Arrays

There won't be any manufacturing line slots, so you can have as many jobs going as can fit (volume-wise) in the structure.  One of the cool things is that multiple like-modules will have an effect on some factors.  There will be a stacking bonus for POS modules.  Here are a few examples:

• Medium Ship, Advanced Medium Ship and Subsystem Assembly (will be the group) and each module after the first one will give you a 2% boost to cost reduction, but to a max of 26%.
• Laboratory (group) will have a 1.5% cost reduction upto a max of 22.5%

Regarding POS Anchoring

Newly formed corps will need to wait 7 days before being able to install a POS at a moon.   As far as I know, the requirement for security / faction standing will no longer be relevant.  

There are some other details in the Dev Blog, so if you want to view them, check it out here: Starbase Changes for Crius.

I can't wait.