General Ratios for constructors

[eamonn.fanton]

Played for a week and got a good general handle of the game. I understand how to do the maths to enable me to perfectly balance a factory and also understand how to load balance my conveyors.

What I really need to know is ratios that I should be using that I can scale up as my factory expands.

For instance for a basic Iron factory I could have a mk2 miner (using 4 smelters producing 120 iron
Now I can split that into 5 constructors, 3 producing iron plate, 2 producing Iron rod and then with a bit of load balancing splitting the 30 output from the rods to a screw constructor so that I ultimately get 20 rods/min and 40 screws/min.

Great I have a perfectly balanced 100% efficient factory, but the question is am i producing the output in the correct ratio?

so in term of ingots used for the above example I have this
plates (90 ingots) 75%
rods (20 ingots) 16.66%
screws (10 ingots) 8.33%

Some how I think that output is going to end up in totally the wrong proportions when I scale that up 10 or 20 times.

So let me be clear here, I am not asking for factory designs nor advice on load balancing ( I can work all that out myself), what I am asking is in general terms what percentage of the output should be used for each of the three basic components (plates, rods, screws) so that later as I scale up all resources are used (there's no point having a 100% efficient factory that produces stuff you will not use), and this does not lead to bottlenecks caused bu stuff on conveyors that just takes up space and is never used.

If you also have advice for percentage breakdown for basic copper and steel products that would also be really appreciated.

[Maehlice]

Just wait until you're making literally tens of thousands of ingots.

Don't beat yourself up, and don't spend too much time mulling it over.

Different recipes are going to require different ratios, plus when you're making screws or plates or whatever for five different mid-products as part of a grand production of turbomotors, ratios kind of go out the window.

I think there are two main schools of thought on this.

One is to use something like satisfactorytools.com to punch in a late game end product you want to make and then build everything up in preparation for that point.

The other is to just make a factory producing a ♥♥♥♥ ton of plates, another making a ♥♥♥♥ ton of frames, a ♥♥♥♥ ton of motors, etc etc. Then, just tap whichever factory you need and adjust accordingly. When the overflow runs dry, expand that factory and keep rolling.

EDIT: "Excess" isn't waste if you Sink the overflow. Having excess is good, because it allows you to expand and get new production lines running more quickly.

[Jesus]

To concur with Maehlice, i learned to do what he said quite quickly ... my strategy is to create factories that fulfill a singular purpose (ingots->plates, for example) and then interconnect them with veeled whehicles if they are far away from eachother, or just belts (i mean, you can use belts for far away but i dont really like the idea of my shinies going for miles over belts, unattended and unguarded and ripe for the picking for the unwashed hordes)

Ive had the game two weeks as of now and Im testing a mega-factory idea - i have one row of 4 contructors/assemblerw/whatnot which feeds into a container. When i need more of that product, i simply expand upwards and create another row of 4, being effectively tileable ad infinitum. With a compact tetris mindset you can create a real doosey of a factory. If your not so autistically gifted you dont need to pack tightly - using platforms you essentially have unlimited space. My ingots are smelted at the mine itself in a similar manor.

I know you didnt ask for factory layouts and what not but its simply easier to not really think about ratios too much - specifically later when multiple products need the same item those ratios are meaningless, as Maehlice said.

[Jesus]

Also let me add:
To curtail tedium in building factories (and the fact that blueprinting is criminally missing from the game), you can use power shards to increase output - if you have a sizable stock of slugs, smack 'dem mofos dead on your workbench and you have magical speed-increasers. Also see if you can prioritize the MAM station, there are some nice things that can be unlocked there, like sorters and such (why its not in the game form the getgo instead of hidden behind obtuse research trees is beyond me but ... böp)

[Tenzek]

You're going to be using iron ore for more than just basic iron ingots, and you'll be using the basic iron ingots for more than just those 3 products. Additionally, you will find alternate recipes that will change the ratios depending on what factors are important to you. (Speed in favor of efficiency, for example).

Generally, it's up to you what you want to do and how much volume of production you're satisfied with. The optimal ratio for your factory is going to depend on your personal choices.

[Evilsod]

You'll never get the ratio's right, all you can do is keep playing and expand when you fall short.

Then you'll unlock alternative recipe's through Hard Drives that could completely change where your shortage is, but it's worth the trouble because the recipe is more efficient.

You always need a lot more Screws than you think early on. Then you need more Rods. Then you have to tap more Iron just to create Steel. Then Copper usage starts to ramp up in a big way.
Then you'll eventually unlock the Pure recipe's that increase how far your basic Ingots go, but will need a total redesign to provide water. That'll probably overload what your belts are capable of, so another redesign.

Things change too much to attempt to get everything just perfect, imo.

[Tenebris]

Honestly, you should be getting a HDD as soon as you start in order to get the cast screw recipe, remove an entire constructor from the process and make things easier on yourself

[phadin]

Originally posted by Tenebris:

Honestly, you should be getting a HDD as soon as you start in order to get the cast screw recipe, remove an entire constructor from the process and make things easier on yourself

If only you could be so lucky. I'm 4 HDDs in and have yet to see that recipie as an option.

[Tenebris]

Originally posted by phadin:

Originally posted by Tenebris:

Honestly, you should be getting a HDD as soon as you start in order to get the cast screw recipe, remove an entire constructor from the process and make things easier on yourself

If only you could be so lucky. I'm 4 HDDs in and have yet to see that recipie as an option.

OOF, my condolences. I always Save Scum for key recipes (Cast Screw, Solid Steel Ingot, Encased Industrial Pipe/Frame, Compacted Coal, Turbofuel) at various stages of the game and then just roll with luck of the draw for all my other HDDs

[Asheira]

What helps me is building 1 of each machine in a production line for an advanced item.
Somewhere not quite in the way of new factories, but close by.
Go check and select all recipes on the placed machines.
Then go from the target item back to the basic components.
Pretty easy to check back for exact numbers and also helpful in how to connect the factory modules in a smart way.
I'm building 1 factory building for each individual process.

[Deadly Peanut]

Originally posted by Tenebris:

I always Save Scum for key recipes (Cast Screw, Solid Steel Ingot, Encased Industrial Pipe/Frame, Compacted Coal, Turbofuel) at various stages of the game and then just roll with luck of the draw for all my other HDDs

please outline the process of 'Save Scum for key recipes'... i believe i understand, but just to be sure... and the first 'key recipe' would be Cast Screw, is that correct?

TIA :)

[JebKerman]

Originally posted by Deadly Peanut:

Originally posted by Tenebris:

I always Save Scum for key recipes (Cast Screw, Solid Steel Ingot, Encased Industrial Pipe/Frame, Compacted Coal, Turbofuel) at various stages of the game and then just roll with luck of the draw for all my other HDDs

please outline the process of 'Save Scum for key recipes'... i believe i understand, but just to be sure... and the first 'key recipe' would be Cast Screw, is that correct?

TIA :)

I've not done it personally (as, while they are definitely handy to have, anything you build in the early stages will very likely be torn down at some point anyhow) but, I believe it's essentially:

0. Wait for the current hard drive to finish.
1. Make a save
2. Put Hard Drive into the MAM
3. Wait 10 mins
4. See what options you get
5. If none of them are the one(s) you want Load the save made in Step 1 and return to Step 2.

[Deadly Peanut]

Originally posted by JebKerman:

I've not done it personally (as, while they are definitely handy to have, anything you build in the early stages will very likely be torn down at some point anyhow) but, I believe it's essentially:

0. Wait for the current hard drive to finish.
1. Make a save
2. Put Hard Drive into the MAM
3. Wait 10 mins
4. See what options you get
5. If none of them are the one(s) you want Load the save made in Step 1 and return to Step 2.

thanks much for this process :) if anyone has any additions or clarifications, please post them. as a new player, i'm taking notes here

[Evilsod]

Just don't. Save scumming to get recipe's you want is just dumb as hell. Use whatever you unlock and get on with playing. Don't leave your enjoyment of the game up to RNG.

[Deadly Peanut]

Originally posted by Evilsod:

Just don't. Save scumming to get recipe's you want is just dumb as hell. Use whatever you unlock and get on with playing. Don't leave your enjoyment of the game up to RNG.

your opinion is noted, and let's be clear: it's YOUR opinion alone.

let's also be clear on this: RNG is already controlling your enjoyment of the game if RNG delineates what valuable crafting recipes you get from the HD.

controlling the outcome of a random event through normal game processes is a tool, a process that gives the player MORE control and MORE options and MORE flexibility, not less.

finally what's 'dumb as hell' is open to question in this conversation.

[Evilsod]

Originally posted by Deadly Peanut:

Originally posted by Evilsod:

Just don't. Save scumming to get recipe's you want is just dumb as hell. Use whatever you unlock and get on with playing. Don't leave your enjoyment of the game up to RNG.

your opinion is noted, and let's be clear: it's YOUR opinion alone.

let's also be clear on this: RNG is already controlling your enjoyment of the game if RNG delineates what valuable crafting recipes you get from the HD.

controlling the outcome of a random event through normal game processes is a tool, a process that gives the player MORE control and MORE options and MORE flexibility, not less.

finally what's 'dumb as hell' is open to question in this conversation.

Wow... defensive much?

Save scumming to get exactly the outcome you want is a slippery slope in gaming and renders some games utterly unplayable if you get into the habit of it. Alternative recipe's are far from necessary in this game.