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I like the changes to require mineral catalyst for sorting that only requires crushed ore, crystal catalyst for sorting that requires chunks, and hybrid catalyst for the rest.

I don't like the early sorting methods that produces multiple ores and slag. I try to switch to the slag-less, single-ore sorting methods as soon as possible.

My question is this -- in the new setup with mineral/crystal/hybrid catalysts, is it possible to use these methods EXCLUSIVELY?

I'm certainly making enough crushed stone to make all the mineral sludge I need for mineral catalyst. That's not the problem.

I'm worried I'm not making enough crystal catalyst to feed the sorting processes that require chunks -- let alone gem production down the line (when I need gems to make modules).

I'm having a hard time doing the math. But basically I need to know if each time I create chunks and sort them, am I creating enough geodes to melt down to crystal seedlings to make enough crystal catalyst to run those same sorters again in an endless loop.

Or will I need some old fashioned hydro refining and sorting (creating slag, which I don't like, and multiple ores, which I don't like) to get enough geodes?

I think it's looking like NO.

The sorting process consumes one crystal catalyst takes 4 chunks. Each time you make 2 chunks you have a 50% chance of getting a geode, so on average 4 chunks equals 1 geode produced.

So that's 1 crystal catalyst consumed, and one geode created. It looks like the math will be easier if I do units of 5, so 5 catalysts create 5 geodes, on average.

5 geodes make 20 crystal slurry, which makes 20 crystal seedlings. (one-to-one ratio)

Making a single crystal catalyst takes 12.5 crystal seedlings.

So our 5 crystal catalysts would need to produce 62.5 crystal seedlings in order to pay for themselves, but they only produce 20.

Unless I screwed up my math, this is a HUGE rate of diminishing returns. Every time I run catalysts through the system, they're reduced to 1/3 of their original number.

Can anybody verify that I did my math correctly?

Is there another route I didn't notice? I'm seeing a way to grind geodes into crystal dust, which I don't remember from before. I'll investigate that.

I'll be sorely disappointed if there's no way to exclusively use catalyst sorting. I really liked having the ability to produce only the exact ores of each type I wanted, and I figured the higher level of tech and difficulty in construction would be considered sufficient cost for this power. Otherwise I'll need to go back to storing warehouses full of ores I'm not using...

LOL. Never mind. I just found the recipe to turn heavy mud water into infinite geodes in a washing plant.

NameLips wrote:LOL. Never mind. I just found the recipe to turn heavy mud water into infinite geodes in a washing plant.

Thanks... i never would came to the idea you can create the crystals out of nothing... saved my life. SInce there is no way to destroy unwanted ores... the only real way is to use the true sorting..

What I do is to use the circuit network only switch to catalyst sorting when there is an imbalance of pure ores in storage and to use mixed sorting otherwise (and build up catalyst).