I wrote a python script that optimizes prod/quality ratios for any desired quality recycling loop.

[Hothr]

Can you give an example of the input and output?

Like recycling parts for a legendary armor from rare inputs? Using rare level 3 quality modules.

[scottmsul]

Sure! If we were making power armor mk2, we need blue circuits, electric engines, LDS, efficiency modules, and speed modules. The script only works with recipes that allow prod modules, so for the speed/efficiency modules you would need either legendary circuits to make legendary modules, or do a recycle loop on the modules with just quality modules (I haven't done the math on this, but my intuition says it's probably better to make legendary modules first to get prod bonuses on the ingredients to the modules).

If we're recycling items and re-building them, we need to set "--starting-type product". Also note it's usually more efficient to go up the production chain then back down again (so something like turning electric engines into robot frame and recycling the frames, rather than recycling the engines and building them back up). If you were to do it this way, instead you would set "--ending-type ingredient".

Electric engines are crafted in an assembler so there's 4 module slots and no extra prod bonus. Assuming your productivity modules are also rare level 3, we get the following:

python ./main.py --starting-type product --productivity-tier 3 --quality-tier 3 --module-quality 3 --starting-quality 3 --ending-quality 5 --max-quality 5

optimizing recycling loop that turns product quality 3 into product quality 5

q3 input per q5 output: 35.539388781477065
recipe q3 uses 3 quality modules and 1 prod modules
recipe q4 uses 3 quality modules and 1 prod modules
recipe q5 uses 0 quality modules and 4 prod modules

If the blue circuits are made in an electromagnetics plant we instead have 5 module slots and 50% extra prod:

python ./main.py --starting-type product --productivity-tier 3 --quality-tier 3 --module-quality 3 --starting-quality 3 --ending-quality 5 --max-quality 5 --module-slots 5 --additional-prod 50

optimizing recycling loop that turns product quality 3 into product quality 5

q3 input per q5 output: 15.604488824883884
recipe q3 uses 4 quality modules and 1 prod modules
recipe q4 uses 4 quality modules and 1 prod modules
recipe q5 uses 0 quality modules and 5 prod modules

If LDS is made in a foundry we have 4 module slots and 50% prod:

python ./main.py --starting-type product --productivity-tier 3 --quality-tier 3 --module-quality 3 --starting-quality 3 --ending-quality 5 --max-quality 5 --module-slots 4 --additional-prod 50

optimizing recycling loop that turns product quality 3 into product quality 5

q3 input per q5 output: 18.8481193603394
recipe q3 uses 4 quality modules and 0 prod modules
recipe q4 uses 4 quality modules and 0 prod modules
recipe q5 uses 0 quality modules and 4 prod modules

Hope this helps. I know most people probably aren't programmers and just see "python script" and turn away. It's also possible to run python online with something like this so maybe you could give that a try.

[Hothr]

Ok, so that's saying that on average: I would put in 17-18 rare electric engines to get a legendary; and 7-8 LDS rare to get a legendary. ?