I don't get the point of modules...

[The Chaotic Coder]

I haven't done any in-depth math on this or anything, but from trying out the various modules they seem kind of pointless:

SPEED MODULE: Faster production, but increased energy consumption (and the energy per item produced is worse). It seems like for less (roughly*) resources, I could just build another machine and it would increase production more, and the energy consumption would scale 1:1.

*when I say "less" it's kind of hard to compare -- it depends on how many belts and inserters you need to connect the extra machine, but in general it will take more iron, but a lot less copper and no plastic at all.

EFFICIENCY MODULE: Similar issue as the speed module. I can make a machine use less power, but if power consumption is a problem then it seems my resources would be better spent on another steam engine or solar panel/accumulator.

PRODUCTIVITY MODULE: Making more stuff with less materials is good, but it also slows you down AND increases energy consumption -- meaning for the same number of products per minute you'd need to add extra machines and more power sources. Once you've built all that, it seems to me that it would take a REALLY long time for this module to pay for itself in any meaningful way. And that's not even counting the pollution factor.

Like I said at the beginning, I haven't done any math on this. This is just what it looks like on the surface. I can think of a few cases where you might get a small benefit (i.e. using productivity on purple science so you don't have to fight as many bugs), but generally it looks like the modules aren't worth it.

[Bigs2013]

Actaully, they are very useful once you get a big factory as your going to need more recources faster

[NimrodAbsolution⁧⁧98]

"SPEED MODULE: Faster production, but increased energy consumption (and the energy per item produced is worse). It seems like for less (roughly*) resources, I could just build another machine and it would increase production more, and the energy consumption would scale 1:1."

you cant always build another machine, i use them because i like more compact designs (lol but the energy cost could negate that if your using solar

"EFFICIENCY MODULE: Similar issue as the speed module. I can make a machine use less power, but if power consumption is a problem then it seems my resources would be better spent on another steam engine or solar panel/accumulator."

imagine your entire factory running at 1/5 the speed, thats 1/5 the pollution and 1/5 the size of your energy production, you probably can fix the energy problem with more solar/steam but to cause less polution use less energy

"PRODUCTIVITY MODULE: Making more stuff with less materials is good, but it also slows you down AND increases energy consumption -- meaning for the same number of products per minute you'd need to add extra machines and more power sources. Once you've built all that, it seems to me that it would take a REALLY long time for this module to pay for itself in any meaningful way. And that's not even counting the pollution factor."

use it on an endgame product
that would be 4% less of ALL the resources its made of, this could end up being quite alot of resources. and dont forget things like pump jacks that might get extra lifespan/usefulness

[NimrodAbsolution⁧⁧98]

sorry steam **** itself so if i double commented i dont see the second

[Warlord]

In bases with limited space, being able to add another factory may not be an option. INTRODUCING SPEED MODULES!!! More work, less time. Energy is cheap.

If the power increase is a problem, INTRODUCING EFFICIENCY MODULES!!! They can reduce the penalty that speed modules add to power usage. Or, if biters are a problem, slap 3 tech 1 modules into a miner to reduce their power usage (and also pollution generated) to the cap of 20% of normal. The biters will never know you're there!

Are you running out of copper? Patches not big enough? INTRODUCING PRODUCTIVITY MODULES!!! These modules give you a free item once the patented "productivity bar" fills! The more modules the faster it fills. Put these in your entire chain, and watch as you gain exponentially more resources for the same cost. Get one free copper every 10 when you load up a miner. Get 1 free copper plate for every 10 ores smelted in a furnace. Get 1 free wire for every 10 copper wires produced in a factory. Get 1 free circuit for every 10 circuits made in a factory. Get one free red circuit for every10 red circuits made in a factory. Get one.... etc etc.

Are productiviy modules slowing down your production? INTRODUCING SPEED MODULES!!! They can offset the speed penalty given by productiviy modules!. etc etc.

Basically, find out what is throttling your base. Power? Resource count? Raw throughput?

I never really have resource problems, so I don't use productivity modules. And I build with open space, so I hardly use speed modules, but efficiency modules in my miners and elec furnaces are godlike for reducing power use and pollution.

[The Chaotic Coder]

Originally posted by AR: Tacomancer:

"SPEED MODULE: Faster production, but increased energy consumption (and the energy per item produced is worse). It seems like for less (roughly*) resources, I could just build another machine and it would increase production more, and the energy consumption would scale 1:1."

you cant always build another machine, i use them because i like more compact designs (lol but the energy cost could negate that if your using solar

I don't mind having a larger base. Sometimes rocks or water gets in the way of building, but it's never been that much of a problem for me since I play on maps with low water.

Originally posted by AR: Tacomancer:

"EFFICIENCY MODULE: Similar issue as the speed module. I can make a machine use less power, but if power consumption is a problem then it seems my resources would be better spent on another steam engine or solar panel/accumulator."

imagine your entire factory running at 1/5 the speed, thats 1/5 the pollution and 1/5 the size of your energy production, you probably can fix the energy problem with more solar/steam but to cause less polution use less energy

To get that much benefit, I'd have to build efficiency modules for ALL my stuff -- that many modules take quite a bit of resources!

I don't mind building a lot of power production either. By the time I have the tech to build efficiency modules I stopped building steam a long time ago and am now running almost 100% on non-polluting solar, so I'm not worried about my power plant upsetting the bugs, either.

Originally posted by AR: Tacomancer:

"PRODUCTIVITY MODULE: Making more stuff with less materials is good, but it also slows you down AND increases energy consumption -- meaning for the same number of products per minute you'd need to add extra machines and more power sources. Once you've built all that, it seems to me that it would take a REALLY long time for this module to pay for itself in any meaningful way. And that's not even counting the pollution factor."

use it on an endgame product
that would be 4% less of ALL the resources its made of, this could end up being quite alot of resources. and dont forget things like pump jacks that might get extra lifespan/usefulness

You're right, oil pumps and rocket parts are the other examples I could think of for using productivity modules. So you're saving some raw materials (but with an increased up-front cost). Still, by the late-game I usually have plenty of resources to spare (I like to explore/capture pretty agressively early on) so I'm not worried about running out and I'd rather not deal with the speed penalty.

[NimrodAbsolution⁧⁧98]

"I don't mind having a larger base. Sometimes rocks or water gets in the way of building, but it's never been that much of a problem for me since I play on maps with low water."

bitter bases or your own ineptitude (lol me) could lead to being blocked in or expanding being too inconvenient

"To get that much benefit, I'd have to build efficiency modules for ALL my stuff -- that many modules take quite a bit of resources!"

i never use it myself, but if i was playing with bitters its an extra bit of resources for a huge reduction in polution (watching a youtuber who loved them it was clear they reduce a ton)

i dont even use productivity modules unless its the OP dytech modules

[Khan Boyzitbig of Mercia]

I guess beacons are the best with them then, a little extra energy cost to reduce the energy use of any upgradeable machine within a 9x9 radius? okay each module is at 50% efficiency but it helps in mining veins/refinery sectors or lab complexes etc. not sure how good they are (never researched them yet) but I can imagine they are very useful especially if you are surrounded by massive nests and cannot expand much.

[The Chaotic Coder]

I just had a thought... do productivity modules work on machines filling/emptying oil barrels?

If so, this could be exploited. Just build 1 pump jack and use it to fill a barrel, then have that barrel circulate between an emptying machine (with productivity modules) and a filling machine. You'd get 25 extra oil (and a free barrel!) every so often.

[NimrodAbsolution⁧⁧98]

Originally posted by jchardin64:

I just had a thought... do productivity modules work on machines filling/emptying oil barrels?

If so, this could be exploited. Just build 1 pump jack and use it to fill a barrel, then have that barrel circulate between an emptying machine (with productivity modules) and a filling machine. You'd get 25 extra oil (and a free barrel!) every so often.

i dont believe so sadly
you could try anyway!

[Warlord]

Nope. Devs thought of that already.

I tried to do it a week ago and got a "this can only be used for intermediate products" message. Despite both filled and unfilled barrels being intermediate, it doesn't work. You can get more oil out of pump jacks, refineries, and crackers but you can't magically generate oil by filling and emptying barrels it seems.

[AlexMBrennan]

PRODUCTIVITY MODULE

Great when you have a limited amount of resources - in particular alien science packs.

SPEED MODULE

Good for pumpjacks, but otherwise I prefer effiency modules (because the initial cost of building an extra assembler/furnace/etc that will run for 10h+ is trivial compared to the ongoing power consumption).

To get that much benefit, I'd have to build efficiency modules for ALL my stuff -- that many modules take quite a bit of resources!

Perhaps, but you'll want to automate module production asap regardless, and you might just as well use the modules that will build up for something useful.

[icanfly342]

I'll always put 3x "efficiancy module 1" in my electric mining drills.
The main benefit is the pollution radius is extremly small. So you almost get no attacs on your outposts.

[Zefnoly]

Well i have atleast found an use for speed modules. Most of my oil wells that is accessible without going way to far is depleeted (on 0.1 oil in seconds). Speedmodules allows me to suck up even more of it doing the old wells usefull again. Before using them my oil was nearly depleeted and i didn't see many fresh wells nearby. just a few small ones so then i made effect beacons and took all of my speed 3 modules and placed them around all the wells with the modules and my oil reservers once again overflooded like i just had found a fresh well cluster.
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=640640732

Originally posted by icanfly342:

I'll always put 3x "efficiancy module 1" in my electric mining drills.
The main benefit is the pollution radius is extremly small. So you almost get no attacs on your outposts.

Going to look at that. All of my outposts is heavily guarded anyways with constructing robots maintaining attacks. If something breaks my trains are always shipping reserve walls and turrets along with repair packs so the attacks doesn't really hurt them.

[Leberwurst]

does anyone know the function of the modul station?

[Zyrconia]

Speed modules are very good for your crude oil. When it drops to 0.1/sec, you can effectively double it.