Efficiency Modules

[Ancient Oldie]

I allways wondered about those.

Is there any viable usecase for them? When you don't get enough power, why not build extra powerstations?

[Hedning]

You can place them in miners to drastically lower your total pollution. Miners are a major pollution producer without them.
They are also used in crafting other things, like the spidertron.

[Ancient Oldie]

Publicado originalmente por Hedning:

You can place them in miners to drastically lower your total pollution. Miners are a major pollution producer without them.
They are also used in crafting other things, like the spidertron.

Never thought about the miners, thx.

I started a game recently, after a long break, didn't play with the spidertron yet.(shame on me) I didn't know they were used for that.

[Hedning]

Yes, and you will want several spidertrons late game, so you do need some efficiency module production. Hand crafting will get annoying. Still no where near the amount you need the other modules.

Also putting them in miners are pretty much personal preference. You don't have to care about pollution since biter nests will convert pollution into a form that can be removed by flamers and lasers. I sometimes do it and sometimes not.

[Solark]

Publicado originalmente por Hedning:

Also putting them in miners are pretty much personal preference. You don't have to care about pollution since biter nests will convert pollution into a form that can be removed by flamers and lasers. I sometimes do it and sometimes not.

Aside from the pollution, it makes those ore deposits the miners are on "last longer," by producing more ore per ore mined.

[SteddyNCC78339]

Later on in the game they, and speed modules, can be installed in beacons which will transmit the effects of any modules installed in them to any structures within the area of influence of the beacon so there is that as well.

[Hedning]

Publicado originalmente por Solark:

Aside from the pollution, it makes those ore deposits the miners are on "last longer," by producing more ore per ore mined.

You are thinking of productivity modules. Productivity modules are terrible in miners since they slow them down. You also already get productivity from research and the bonus from the modules are added not multiplied, which means proportionally they matter less and less the more research you have. The speed nerf really hurts the miners. It means you need to find more ore patches for the same size base.

Publicado originalmente por SteddyNCC78339:

Later on in the game they, and speed modules, can be installed in beacons which will transmit the effects of any modules installed in them to any structures within the area of influence of the beacon so there is that as well.

Modules in miners are a late game thing anyway. Early game you should spend your resources on getting your first rocket and unlocking the tech tree. In almost all cases speed modules are better in beacons.

[AlexMBrennan]

Later on in the game they, and speed modules, can be installed in beacons which will transmit the effects of any modules installed in them to any structures within the area of influence of the beacon so there is that as well.

Yes, but because effects are additive you are better off improving the speed of a 4xPM3 assemblers (from 0.5 to 1.2) than reducing power consumption from 420% to 370%

[Eternal]

Publicado originalmente por Ancient Oldie:

I allways wondered about those.

Is there any viable usecase for them? When you don't get enough power, why not build extra powerstations?

I once built a green factory scenario where lmcinsumption was very low .. they good to be there 😁

[Daveroski]

Productivity modules can be handy when producing High End items like Blue Cards.

D.

[astrosha]

Efficiency Modules are not so much about power reduction, but Pollution reduction.

The factory that pollutes less gets attacked less. Of course, you may prefer the attacks, or to find another means of precluding them; that's up to you. Efficiency Modules simply represent one option, and one that's actually rather front-loaded in terms of effectiveness (its far cheaper to use 3 EM1's than to use 2 EM2's or 1 EM1 and 1 EM3). The opportunity cost, however, is too high to bear IMO.

[bigdale]

That's funny, I put efficiency modules on everything to keep power needs and pollution low. I try to hit the 20% consumption cap on every building.

[Anderson]

I think Factorio should rework beacons and modules the way the Space Exploration Mod did.
In SE, a basic beacon has 8 module slots, but a machine can ONLY be affected by a single beacon. Green modules are also buffed, with the final, T9 Module reducing cost by 1000%. So they are really nice in beacons since the other modules REALLY ramp up energy costs.

In short, make beacons have more slots, but only allow one to affect a machine, and bump up both the effect of green modules, while increasing the energy usage of the other modules.

[Purpleganja]

If you put lvl1 efficiency modules in the right slots (very active, not capped, power hungry machines), they come down cheaper to make than solar panels and accumulators for equivalent power saved/produced.
I really like them for midgame power companion even before considering pollution reduction.

[OBLITERATE]

only good green is uranium. and lev 3 red modules on basically everything can accept them... and damn what doesnt...