Mine a Planet wiki: Fleet Cycle Comparator

Collect inputs from one complete run

The comparator begins with observations, not a built-in Mine a Planet rate. Record the number of active drones, the value shown for one drone load or the equivalent value you can consistently read, the visible cargo cap if there is one, the seconds required for a complete cycle, and any multiplier explicitly displayed in your server. Use a normal run rather than the largest result you have ever seen. If a field is hidden or ambiguous, leave it out or label it unknown instead of filling it from another player's screenshot. The tool is useful only when every input belongs to the same planet, fleet state, and observation window.

Use the visible formula and keep its meaning narrow

The owned calculator uses a transparent estimate: hourly value equals active drones multiplied by the smaller of observed load value or visible cargo, multiplied by 3,600 divided by measured cycle seconds, then multiplied by a visible bonus. The smaller-of rule prevents the estimate from crediting value beyond a cargo limit you entered. This is arithmetic applied to your observations; it is not the game's source code. If the game displays one combined fleet load instead of a per-drone load, do not multiply it by drone count again. Label the input correctly and adapt the worksheet so you do not double-count the same value.

Build a baseline scenario before testing an upgrade

Save the first scenario with a date, planet, drone count, and short note about any event or bonus. Run enough cycles to choose a representative load and duration. Averages work when the results are stable; a median can be safer when a rare roll makes one run unusually large. The baseline should answer three questions: how much visible value returns per cycle, how long the full cycle takes, and whether cargo truncates the load. Do not compare a normal baseline with an event-boosted result. If conditions change between samples, create a second baseline rather than pretending both measurements describe the same fleet.

Test mining power without changing travel or cargo

Use a mining-power scenario when drones spend most of the cycle working at the planet. Change only the visible mining-related input or upgrade in the game, then repeat the same planet and fleet observation. In the worksheet, keep drone count, cargo, bonus, and route stable. The result should be evaluated through cycle duration and repeatable returned value, not through the upgrade's name. A shorter productive phase may improve hourly output even when load value stays similar. If the measured duration does not change across several runs, the upgrade may not be the current bottleneck, or the effect may be too small to distinguish from ordinary timing noise.

Test travel speed or cargo with the correct outcome

Use a travel-speed scenario when movement dominates the timer. The expected signal is a shorter complete cycle while the same fleet and planet remain comparable. Use a cargo scenario when visible loads repeatedly reach capacity; the expected signal is a larger usable load without an offsetting slowdown. Do not assume that more cargo is always best, because a larger capacity adds little when mining or travel ends the cycle first. Likewise, a faster return does not solve a fleet that spends nearly all its time drilling. The comparator should direct the next experiment by showing which change improves the whole cycle, not by ranking upgrade labels in isolation.

Interpret the estimate and know when to discard it

Choose the scenario that improves a repeatable outcome under matched conditions: higher hourly estimate, higher usable load, or a shorter cycle with no hidden tradeoff. When two results are close, collect more samples before spending heavily. Discard the comparison if a planet evolved, a temporary bonus changed, a drone was added or removed, or the update altered the interface during testing. Never turn the worksheet into a universal ore, drone, or Luck table. Its job is to help one player compare two visible fleet states. After any major progression change, archive the old result and start again so the tool remains anchored to what the current server actually shows.

What this guide does not assume

The formula is a transparent planning estimate derived from player inputs. It does not know hidden Luck, roll, rarity, ore, evolution, or server-side production formulas and must not be presented as an exact simulator.

Refresh trigger: Refresh when the specialist calculator formula changes, the official listing changes the fleet categories, or first-hand evidence shows a different load, cargo, bonus, or cycle interpretation.

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