How do beacons work in 2.0?

[CentreMetre]

I remeber reading something in an FFF that beacons will change in 2.0. I have tried to reread it but i am struggling to understand what the optimal beacon arrangement is now. I know before it was more the better, but now that seems not to be the case.

Is it the more the better but each one gives less of an effect, a diminishing return, or is it after a certain amount it starts to negatively affect the assembler/item crafter.

[Derelicthor]

Check this:

https://cdn.factorio.com/assets/blog-sync/fff-409-beacon-numbers.png

Or the whole thing:

https://www.factorio.com/blog/post/fff-409

In short: 8 beacons is the optimal ammount unless you have some high quality ones.

[Nonotorious]

It's a diminishing return, with 2 it's like 73% and with 3 it's 50% each beacon. I haven't tried more than 3 but i expect the power usage to not be worth it, also since speed modules lower quality i don't see much use for them atm out side of liquids where quality doesn't matter.

[CentreMetre]

Originally posted by Derelicthor:

Check this:

https://cdn.factorio.com/assets/blog-sync/fff-409-beacon-numbers.png

Or the whole thing:

https://www.factorio.com/blog/post/fff-409

In short: 8 beacons is the optimal ammount unless you have some high quality ones.

Yea thats the one i read, but didnt understand really, but along with Nonotorious' comment, i think i get it now. Thanks

Originally posted by Nonotorious:

It's a diminishing return, with 2 it's like 73% and with 3 it's 50% each beacon. I haven't tried more than 3 but i expect the power usage to not be worth it, also since speed modules lower quality i don't see much use for them atm out side of liquids where quality doesn't matter.

Didnt even notice the lower quality, thanks. I havent messed around with that yet, but gonna test it now.

[Fel]

https://www.factorio.com/blog/post/fff-409
A single beacon affecting a machine will give it a far bigger bonus than before, but as more beacons affect the same machine, the effect per beacon gets lower and lower (still higher than not having the extra beacon though).

Without space age (quality to be more specific), 9 beacons is where the effect from the new beacons reaches the same benefits as the ones in 1.1, 10 or more would have lower effect than before.
But 8 or less would end up giving you a better effect (per beacon and overall) compared to before.

8 beacons is what you get when making a line of beacons, a line of machine and another line of beacons, offsetting the beacons compared to the machines (you would get 6 beacons if you didn't offset for the same amount of beacons used overall).

So basically, it's a nerf of the "beacons all around each individual machine" setup but a boost to setups that use less beacons.

[CentreMetre]

Originally posted by Fel:

https://www.factorio.com/blog/post/fff-409
A single beacon affecting a machine will give it a far bigger bonus than before, but as more beacons affect the same machine, the effect per beacon gets lower and lower (still higher than not having the extra beacon though).

Without space age (quality to be more specific), 9 beacons is where the effect from the new beacons reaches the same benefits as the ones in 1.1, 10 or more would have lower effect than before.
But 8 or less would end up giving you a better effect (per beacon and overall) compared to before.

8 beacons is what you get when making a line of beacons, a line of machine and another line of beacons, offsetting the beacons compared to the machines (you would get 6 beacons if you didn't offset for the same amount of beacons used overall).

So basically, it's a nerf of the "beacons all around each individual machine" setup but a boost to setups that use less beacons.

Ah ok, thanks for the in depth explanation. That makes more sense now. So is there no point in doing 12 now? Would the best be 8, especially considering power usage.

[Fel]

8 gives you the effect of 8.49 of the old beacons, 12 gives you the effect of 10.39 old beacons.
It's still a higher bonus, but it is debatable if it's worth the investment of the extra beacons, especially since you can't "share" beacons as effectively with a layout relying on 12 beacons compared to 8.
So if you want to squeeze in as many bonuses as possible, it is still possible to go for 12.

The biggest difference is probably for the lower beacon count though.
In the old versions we barely used setups with only one or two beacons, going from a no-beacon setup to a full-beacon setup in the very late (or post) game.
Now, setting a single beacon affecting many machines gives you the effect of 3 old beacons, making it a good way to influence your factory with those much earlier, with a very visible effect.