MgT HG2e PDF page 61 Manufacturing Plant Advanced Clarification needed

[snrdg121408]

Hello again all,

I'm not sure of what the text means for the Advanced Manufacturing Plant is saying:

"At TL 10, advanced technology doubles the amount of goods produced by a plant while halving the crew, while TL 13 plants produce triple the amount of goods while quartering the crew needed."

The Manufacturing Plant Table shows the following

Advanced TL 10; Plant per ton of Good 25 tons; Power 2; Crew: 1 per 2 tons; Cost MCr0.4

Con someone please clarify what the entry means.

 

[PsiTraveller]

I think Advanced Plant and advanced technology create a confusing situation.

I think the correct reading would be as follows
1: Ignore the Advanced plant entry when looking at the Manufacturing Plant Table, take Basic Plant as an example

TL 7 Uses 10 tons of Plant to produce 1 ton of goods and has 1 Crew per 5 tons of Plant, so 2 Crew

At TL 10 the advanced technology would allow a Basic Plant to produce 2 tons of Goods for the 10 tons of Plant and needing 1 Crew per 10 tons of plant.
At TL 13 the Basic Plant would produce 3 tons of goods for 10 tons of plant, and Crew would drop to 1 crew for 20 tons of plant, which is a quarter of the original 1 per 5 tons.

The same doubling of production and halving of crew would apply to the Specialist and Agricultural Manufacturing Plants on the Table at TL 10 and then the additional bonus at TL 13.

I doubt it would apply to the Advanced Plant, since that plant is only available starting at TL 10. You might want to let the Advanced Plant double production at TL 13. Giving a slight production increase due to advancing Tech level.

That is how I read it anyway.

 

[AnotherDilbert]

As far as I can see the Manufacturing Plant table describes what is produced (see Goods table), the technology modifiers describe how it is manufactured, as PsiTraveller says.

I doubt it would apply to the Advanced Plant, since that plant is only available starting at TL 10. You might want to let the Advanced Plant double production at TL 13. Giving a slight production increase due to advancing Tech level.

Being a bit more literal minded, I would use the rules exactly as stated. Plants producing advanced goods become available at TL10, and immediately use advanced technology to double productivity.

Example: A TL10 plant producing Advanced goods (25 Dt produces 1 Dt goods) is using Advanced technology (so 25 Dt produces 2 Dt goods). Using TL13 technology it would produce 3 Dt goods per day.

 

[snrdg121408]

Morning AnotherDilbert and PsiTraveller,

Thank you both for clearing up what "At TL 10, advance technology doubles the amount of goods produced by a plant while halving the crew needed, while TL 13 plants produce triple the amount of goods while quartering the crew needed."

I think I would have understood the text better had the writer included something like "A basic manufacturing plant at TL10 using advanced technology...".

 

[PsiTraveller]

I am glad you wrote that about Advanced Plants AnotherDilbert. I used the same math in my TAS module, but wanted to wait and see if someone else agreed with me. Thanks for proving Cunninghams Law again. Woot!