Dumb question - at what point does a base become a 'megabase'?

[Mist of Majora]

I just realized after my hundredth or so post I've read about megabases that I don't really understand how the community defines a factory as one.

Aside from larger in scale, the only thing that comes to mind to me is that it's when the factory switches it's objective from game completion to overall effiency and output (aka research per second?)

[Killcreek2]

Tricky question. I'd guess many players would have a different definition.

Personally, anything above 1000 of each sci per minute is a "small megafactory". Less than that would just be a "large" factory.

I think that is roughly the point where everything needs to should be redesigned for mass-production in parallel assembly lines; efficient use of space; & low UPS costs.

[Zaflis]

There is no clear line about "megabase". One could say there are even many levels of megabase. 100-150 SPM is pretty much a bootstrap base, a large but regular factory. This kind of base can carry you to 100% mining productivity easily (research level 50). To get 200-300+ SPM you start needing really large setups for various things, most likely achieved with large rail network.

[Maeth]

I consider 1rpm a megabase, but that will be large for others.

[Killcreek2]

Originally posted by Mist of Majora:

... (aka research per second?)

Just wanted to clarify some common abbreviations / community nomenclature:
Science packs consumed per minute = SPM (this is # of each, not aggregated.)
Rockets launched per minute = RPM

As a single rocket launch gives 1000 space sci, 1 rpm is equivalent to 1k spm.

However, I have seen some players use technology points per minute to compare factory output (TPM?).
Though this is harder to identify, as production module bonuses in laboratories are not included for the "production" statistics page ~ It only records sci packs produced / consumed, not the tech points produced from those packs, so a factory consuming 100 spm without prod modules in the labs would produce less tech points, thus research new techs slower, than another consuming 100 spm with prod modules in the labs.

[Killcreek2]

Fish per minute! How did I miss that... So embarrassing.
Fish stack to 100, so 1 rpm = 100 fpm.

[Mist of Majora]

I dunno... something about these terms seems kinda fishy ;)

[Ryan]

What is 16 rocket silos sped up by beacons? Should I admit I have 600 mining efficiency technologies researched? Admittedly this is with Bob's Mods and Factorissimo which helps in a big way.

[impetus_maximus]

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mega

[Calisthra]

By these definitions my base feels small. But at a stable ~200-215 sci/min and rockets auto-launching at 5 min intervals all supported by 60-some-odd autonomous trains feeding 5700+ hungry furnaces I feel like I've achieved something... if not particularly noteworthy :p

[THE kilroy]

Usually i consider the point you start abbreviating your science per minute, so for ex 900 science per minute is large but 1k science per minute is overly large "mega" but to each thier own

[KaszkaManna]

Many consider 1rpm as "smallest" mega. Tho I agree it's nice round border.

[Colonel Sanders Lite]

Originally posted by Killcreek2:

Originally posted by Mist of Majora:

... (aka research per second?)

As a single rocket launch gives 1000 space sci, 1 rpm is equivalent to 1k spm.

As far as I've seen, the consensus is that a 1 RPM base must *launch* a rocket/min whereas a 1kspm base must *consume* 1000 science/min.

There is a pretty big difference between those two things.

[Calisthra]

actually, consuming 1k spm isn't difficult compared to producting it. Easy enough to build labs, not so easy to build the supply network to feed them all :)

[Alpha and Omega]

It's just a size thing. I suppose if you need a guide, it's something like "when you say 'oh, i forgot about this enitre area of the factory'".

[01]

Mega-base is a meme.