Power Storage and Biomass Generators

[Vegas Doc]

I just noticed a peculiar tidbit about Biomass Generators, I hadn't build any Coal Generators yet, had 10 Biomass Generators, and made 6 Power Storage Units attached to my grid, before putting in the Coal Generators. I got delayed with a Steel Mill issue, and my Biomass Generators went offline, even with the Power Storage.

I then noticed that they weren't even charging up! So, I disconnected the grid, made 5 more Biomass Generators ( 15 Total (450 KW), with 6 Power Storage) in order to see if perhaps they needed more power to charge them, because I was only using 237 KW/300 KW (3.0 MW) when the fuse blew out, with the "assumption" that the power storage would compensate for any overloads, but they didn't, and they weren't even charging on the separated test grid that I made with the 15 Biomass Generators and 6 Power Storage Units in it.

So, I went ahead and build my Coal Generator Plant with 8 Coal Generators / 4 Water Extractors (600 KW Coal + 450KW Solid Biomass =1.05 MW Total) , then the Power Storage finally started charging. I'm not sure why this happened, don't the Biomass Generators charge the Power Storage Units? Do you have to have at least Coal Generators, I mean Power is Power right?

[Evilsod]

This is part of why I assumed they changed how power generation worked from Coal and up.
Power Storage has no demand. Biomass Generators only produce to meet demand. As such, Biomass wouldn't charge Power Storage.

You literally put stored power into Biomass Generators in the form of Solid Biofuel anyway. You create as many as you need to fulfil your demand or give you extra stored energy to make them last longer between refills.

There's no benefit to delaying Coal Generation. You build that sucker the moment it's available.

[Vegas Doc]

@Evilsod, Oh...yeah, Biomass only produce to meet the demand! No extra energy to charge the Power Storage Units, I see. However, on the display, it said "capacity" of 300 KW (with 10 Biomass Generators), it wasn't generating 300 KW, only what the "demand" was, brilliant. When the demand exceeded 300KW then the fuse blew out on a surge.

I was doing some other research, thinking they needed at least 1.0 MW in order to charge, maybe making more Biomass Generators, but now I don't have to, I see the light! Thanks.

Yes, I usually do make the coal generators right away, but was delayed with the Steel Mill issues I was having, or I would have never noticed this. It's more Knowledge, more experience, makes one a better Satisfactory Employee! Ta Da.

[Snutt]

Yes! Power Storages can only take excess power, and since biomass generators only generate power on demand no excess power goes towards the power storages. All the more reason to move ahead and get those coal generators moving and grooving!

[Deadly Peanut]

Originally posted by Snutt:

Yes! Power Storages can only take excess power, and since biomass generators only generate power on demand no excess power goes towards the power storages. All the more reason to move ahead and get those coal generators moving and grooving!

interesting... that aspect of BMG is very helpful, btw, since they don't consume resources unless the power is being used to produce products.

although coal power works great and lasts forever, i rather enjoy 'tending' BMG by feeding them resources and such. too bad BM harvesting is limited by non respawning plants. an option for the future might be farming high energy BM crops that grow relatively quickly combined with high capacity storage for BMG.

of course i understand that BMG may be designed to be limited and temporary in the game's progression.

( nice to see a game dev who reads and responds to steam forums, btw )

[Vegas Doc]

Plants actually do respawn , just at an incredibly slow rate. Only if you pick them (using the E key) they seem to not respawn if you chop them down with the chainsaw or Nobelisk to remove them, but they are rather hardy and may even respawn after that! You can see this if you go back to a "clear-cut" area, a few desperate bushes pop up, even if you built a road over them. After the 4th update I had plants growing up through my factory floors! They must of done some terraforming and reset my map, I notice a few malformed rocks, some have reported falling through and getting stuck inside places, but that's just a guess.

Hostile animals will respawn if you don't build something at their post, resource node guardians, so you can farm them if you like, a constant supply of alien innards and carapaces, which of course you can make biofuel from. So, if you don't want them to respawn, just build a power pole or something there.

I have never run out of leaves and wood for Biomass Generators, and after making Coal Generators, my Solid Biomass generator (2 constructors, one making biomass from leaves, one making biomass from wood, then merged into a container feeding the third constructor making the solid biomass fuel) have filled up, I usually just throw any leaves and wood that I've cleared into the Awesome Shop.

I like to have that biomass buffer before the Solid Biomass construction assembly line, so that I have a biomass depot, in order to meet requirements in the MAM in order to get through the research trees or to handcraft fabric, parachutes, just a regular container not an industrial one, you don't need much. I have parts buffers in most of my assembly lines, so that I can rob them in case I need a component for something else, just reach into that container buffer and grab what I need with the surplus parts in the assembly like instead of direct feeds into the next constructor or assembler, make a buffer container, it comes in handy, doesn't slow down your production.

NOTE: Using the chainsaw: if you just pick the bushes, you won't get rid of the surrounding rock obstructions, but if you use the chainsaw it has a area effect, removing surrounding trees bushes, and those rock obstructions; not harming the nutrient bushes and trees (Paleberry and Beryl nut) So, if you like it nice and clean before making a factory floor or road, it's the way to go before you get Nobelisk to do it, they have to have a plant growing pretty close to them, the isolated rock obstructions you can't rid of until you have Nobelisk. Of course if you still have a small pocket dimension, you'll fill it up faster because of the limestone you get.

Speaking of that don't you just love the new stack sizes, more stuff that you can carry, stuff into the containers, less trips back to the base to resupply?

[Maehlice]

Originally posted by Deadly Peanut:

too bad BM harvesting is limited by non respawning plants. an option for the future might be farming high energy BM crops that grow relatively quickly combined with high capacity storage for BMG.

Plants aren't the only source. Alien Organs and Carapaces are the richest sources of Biomass, and they respawn.

A single stack of Alien Organs will make an entire Storage Container of solid Biofuel.

[Tenebris]

Originally posted by Vegas Doc:

Plants actually do respawn , just at an incredibly slow rate. Only if you pick them (using the E key) they seem to not respawn if you chop them down with the chainsaw or Nobelisk to remove them, but they are rather hardy and may even respawn after that! You can see this if you go back to a "clear-cut" area, a few desperate bushes pop up, even if you built a road over them. After the 4th update I had plants growing up through my factory floors! They must of done some terraforming and reset my map, I notice a few malformed rocks, some have reported falling through and getting stuck inside places, but that's just a guess.

100%, this absolutely happened, I noticed a ton of regrown shrubbery and trees at my factory in the grasslands on my old save when Update 4 dropped

Originally posted by Maehlice:

Originally posted by Deadly Peanut:

too bad BM harvesting is limited by non respawning plants. an option for the future might be farming high energy BM crops that grow relatively quickly combined with high capacity storage for BMG.

Plants aren't the only source. Alien Organs and Carapaces are the richest sources of Biomass, and they respawn.

A single stack of Alien Organs will make an entire Storage Container of solid Biofuel.

And adding to this, the specific respawn mechanics of creatures is as follows:

They will respawn after 3 in-game days (150 minutes)

They won't if:

The player is within 300m
There are at least 5 structures (and one being a powered production building of some sort) within 300m

[Deadly Peanut]

interesting info... thanks all

btw, i stand corrected on my statements about BM resources not respawning