Built in option to upgrade MK1 to MK2/3/4/... without affected what is on it or connected to it

[Browser_ice]

I accidentally found something amazing while in Dev mode (forgot the name of it) and I did not know existed in this game.

You can automatically upgrade any MK* built stuff to the next MK* you want. I only tested going from MK1 to MK2 but I am pretty sure it is possible for higher MK stuffs.

I found out this way:

1) I had a long MK1 belt built. I chose the MK2 belt as if I wanted to create it but instead I simply over the pointer on top of the MK1. While my mouse was hovering over it, I saw that its appearance changed (the ore on it disappears) and it became kinda gray highlighted. As soon as I moved my mouse away, its look turned back to what it was. So I hovered it again with my MK2 belt selected and press the mouse button as if I wanted to build it it upgraded all the MK1 belt pieces in that one build to MK2 belt pieces without removing the ore on it.

2) I tried the same thing but with an MK1 lift. Did the same steps and had chose the MK2 lift. Pressed the mouse and it built it without affecting anything connected to it or on it.

This is a great time saver and I am glad I found it.

Does this exist in normal game mode or only in Dev mode?

[Man's Best Friend]

It exists in the normal game. You are able to upgrade and downgrade belts, pipes, miners, and I think power poles/outlets in place.

The only annoying part is that miners are the only one of those that all the different upgrade levels include at least one of the same material. Specifically portable miners. Unfortunately you need to pay the full upgrade cost, not just the difference. Meaning that to upgrade a Mk 1 miner to Mk 2 you need to be currently holding two portable miners, and will get one refunded after the upgrade.

[Zak]

Yes, it's been in the normal game since I can remember.

[Rudal]

It's a normal feature. As long as you have enough materials to build the new building it will let you just "overbuild" new Mk* on top of another. You can do the same with conveyor belts and swap to any Mk* you want at any time.
All the materials from the previous building will be returned.

[Jack-o-Lantern]

it works on any object with MK variants....
so it works with belts as well

[Grandaddypurple]

Yes, and if you press CTRL you can actually change more stuff, from the top of my head:
- Splitter into a different kind of splitter (even merger if no belts are connected yet)
- Walls into a different kind of wall (material, windowed, holed etc)
- power switch into priority power switch

[Flash✪Gordon]

Originally posted by Grandaddypurple:

Yes, and if you press CTRL you can actually change more stuff, from the top of my head:
- Splitter into a different kind of splitter (even merger if no belts are connected yet)
- Walls into a different kind of wall (material, windowed, holed etc)
- power switch into priority power switch

"E" is the key for cycling through similiar stuff. More precisiely: Tapping E for cycling through different variants of the same, holing E for cycling through similiar stuff.

Update: I just checked it. CTRL is not working for that. CTRL is aligning stuff. Mabe you remapped your keys, is that possible?

[Man's Best Friend]

E lets you cycle through stuff, but holding Ctrl will let you replace existing things that are not normally considered upgrades. So while you can press E to change between different types of walls, you have to hold Ctrl to actually replace an existing wall with a different one.

[Flash✪Gordon]

Originally posted by Man's Best Friend:

E lets you cycle through stuff, but holding Ctrl will let you replace existing things that are not normally considered upgrades. So while you can press E to change between different types of walls, you have to hold Ctrl to actually replace an existing wall with a different one.

Hmmm, just tried it:

1) I was pointing to a standalone splitter and holding CTRL, nothing happened. It didn't convert to a merger.

2) Then I pointed to a 4m Ficsit wall and held CTRL ... nada. It didn't convert to a 1m Ficsit wall or to a 4m concrete wall.

What I noticed though: A white circle was appearing after I let go of CTRL (far away from splitter resp wall). This circle transformed into a smaller circle, then disappeared. First time I noticed that, was never holding CTRL before. But apart from that strange HUD effect really nothing.

[luntacarsus]

Don't just hold control and expect the game to magically understand what you want. First you need to select the merger from the build menu, point at a splitter, then hold control.

[Grandaddypurple]

Yea sorry I typed in a rush, you do have to select a buildable first, then hold CTRL while aiming at an asset from the same family, e.g:
-select splitter from build menu
-aim at a smart splitter
-hold CTRL and left click
-smart splitter is a dumb splitter

[Flash✪Gordon]

Originally posted by Grandaddypurple:

Yea sorry I typed in a rush, you do have to select a buildable first, then hold CTRL while aiming at an asset from the same family, e.g:
-select splitter from build menu
-aim at a smart splitter
-hold CTRL and left click
-smart splitter is a dumb splitter

C'est pas grave. I tried several things, but didn't write here all I tried.
Honestly, I wouldn't have guessed this algorithm.
Pour cette raison: Merci beaucoup!
=> Extra helpful!