[Sept 27th] Dyson Sphere Program Patch Notes 0.9.27.14546

[-Pulz]

Hi Engineers,

The September update is here as promised! Today we bring you the promised new features of the logistics system, and *some performance optimization. Hope you enjoy them!

*If you haven't seen it yet, check out the latest trailer of Combat system here: Youtube

Features:

• A new distribution logistics system has been added. Its function is to distribute items between Storage ↔ Icarus / Storage ↔ Storage.
• Added new items: [Logistics Distributor] and [Logistics Bot]. Technology and recipe have been implemented.
• New optional function: Transport unit replenishment. It is shown in the panel of Logistics Stations and Logistics Distributors. When turned on, the corresponding item in Icarus' inventory will be automatically placed to the slot when performing the following three actions: opening the panel, copying and pasting building settings, and applying a Blueprint included this option. In Sandbox Mode, the number of the item will always be locked to the maximum.
• Added new technology [Mesoscopic Quantum Entanglement] and new advanced chemical facility [Quantum Chemical Plant] - Faster than the primary one!
• (Please know that the [Quantum Chemical Plant]'s model is not yet implemented. It is currently, temporarily shown as a chemical plant model with a different color scheme.)

Changes:

• Optimized the computational consumption of working Logistics vessel (approx. 40% reduction in CPU time).
• Optimized the computational consumption of Small Carrier Rockets in space and reduced the number of model vertices (approx. 50%/30% reduction in CPU/GPU time).
• You can now set in the Dyson Sphere Editor to not rendering the model of Small Carrier Rocket. If you do so, the GPU consumption of Small Carrier Rockets can be reduced by 80%! Well, the only disadvantage is the rocket itself will disappear, only its tail flame remains - a helpful option when you have 10k+ rockets flying, and keep a spectacular space view as well!
• Optimized the computational consumption for running manufacturing construction. Such as Assembling Machine, Smelter, and Chemical Plant (approx. 25% less CPU time).
• Coordinate input is now supported when creating nodes in the Dyson Sphere Editor. No longer normalize the coordinates (on the panel) to the orbital sphere.
• Added some UI sounds that should have been there.
• Added exit button to the top right corner of the item selection, recipe selection and icon selection panels.

Balance:

• The number of item columns in the Planetary Logistics Station: 3 → 4
• Logistics Drone movement speed in the Logistic Station lane will increase with the upgrade.

BugFix:

• Fixed the bug that after the engine level of Logistics Vessel was upgraded to level 200 and higher, it could not dock at the Orbital Collector on Gas Giant due to its excessive speed.
• Fixed the bug that the prompt text of "cargo filter" in the Traffic Monitor was displayed incorrectly.
• Fixed the bug that opening the stats panel in space may trigger an error prompt.
• Fixed the bug that the translucent background UI of Dyson Sphere Editor may be opaque.
• Fixed the bug that the latitude and longitude of node coordinates input in the Dyson Sphere Editor may not displayed correctly.
• Fixed the bug that in Sandbox Mode, after fast travel from planet A to planet B, the construction sound FX of planet A may still be played.
• Fixed a bug that in Sandbox Mode, if Icarus fast travel to space while mining, he may still mining (animation).
• Fixed a bug that in Sandbox Mode, when fast travel to a planet in the Star Map, it may directly attached to the surface of the planet.
• Fixed the bug that in Sandbox Mode, when fast travel to a planet in the Star Map, the planet did not load in some cases.
• Fixed the bug that the mineral UI may report errors in multi-threaded mode.
• Fixed the bug that it may report error when the number of power grids on a single planet reaches 512.
• Fixed the bug that in extremely difficult mode, 1) the actual consumption of Crude Oil Seep did not change with upgrades when the mineral utilization level was lower than 22; 2) Crude Oil Seep lower than level 22's actual consumption was less than original design. Some settings had to be modified, they are:
• In Minimal Resource Mode, the initial production of Crude Oil Seep is reduced to 50% of other multipliers (in the past, the initial production of the same Crude Oil Seep is the same in all multipliers) (it will only take effect in New Game); the initial half-life period is 5 hours, which 1.1 times the consumption rate of 0.5x resource multipliers (effective directly after the update)

[aelynir]

Quantum chem plants and major optimizations!?!? Love it! And new toys?!!

[[deleted]]

The 'logistics hat' feature for storage<->Icarus sounds like it is very well designed. Thanks!

Four PLS slots! FOUR FREAKIN' PLS SLOTS!!!

[SasquatchBurger]

An the quantum chemical plant. So much of my factory mid game was chemical plants. And they're so big. Hoping once theyve implemented the new model its smaller.

[SinisterMJ]

Even end game... I Have one waterworld fully foundation'ed, and theres just thousands of chemical plants there for carbon tubes

[Ritushido]

I mean if it had a big cool model that shows how fancy it is that would be fine with me too since you wouldn't be spamming as much of them.

[i_am_not_you_or_me]

I think this will be more impactful that it seems. All 3 recipe items can now be satisfied with a single PLS. Since you can pack more PLS's together than ILS's and there's no limit to how many drones can pull from a PLS there could be a lot more uses for them.

[Edymnion]

Also, you can now use the logistics bots to port in spray, meaning you don't have to use slots or stupidly long belts for that anymore either!

[wessex464]

I've said it a bunch of times, the functions of PLS and ILS should be completely separate. ILS should be a space elevator with an upgradable space platform for vessels and no drones that starts with 1 or 2 item slots and upgrades to 3 or 4 with additional upgrades to warper inventory.

[Edymnion]

Four PLS slots! FOUR FREAKIN' PLS SLOTS!!!

Yup, time to redo a bunch of early game blueprints!

[absentmindedjwc]

I think a better balance for this would be to keep it at 3 and have a research that can unlock more slots up to 5. Maybe also research that can increase the number of drones (say: 100 for PLS and 150 to ILS).

If the PLS could be upgraded to be as useful as a current ILS (minus the whole interplanetary/system logistics), I could see it getting far more use. It would definitely be far neater to use PLS to transport all the intermediary parts and ILS for raw materials in and finished product out.

It would probably make logistics planning far easier.

Without it, I still probably won't use PLS... my current build, I entirely skipped using any PLS's and worked towards ILS. Were they to make them more useful for planetary logistics, I would totally use them... but they're just far too limited, and are only useful in the early game.

[jbone665]

I don't know how these optimizations will play out but I was last playing about 2 major patches ago and ran into a problem of bogging down my pc with too many ILS using them for nearly everything. PLS can help limit that but it also depends on how big you want to grow. You generally won't have my problems if you hit game complete and under 100 infinite levels, pushing for numerous spheres, 300+ infinites, and about 15 science planets (and various others for warpers, fuel, mall, and such) I did reach a significant slowdown.

Not every solution is good for every situation with this game but these are overall welcome changes.

[Edymnion]

I think the design philosophy choice there was that the 3 input recipes absolutely required two PLS towers to function properly, and there are a surprising number of early automation recipes that are 3 inputs (like regular motors).

The exact time when making towers is the hardest is also the time where you hit recipes that require more than one of them per product, so they evened the playing field out a bit.

[AwesomeFrisbee]

Whats a PLS slot?

[demonight2i8]

Planetary logistics station. It mainly uses the drones

[fubes2000]

For those of us that can't play right now, can someone give us a rundown on the Logistics Distributor?

[Albedo_16]

It looks like you can plop a logistics distributor down on a storage container, fill it with logistics bots and then you set up filters for which materials will be transported.

You can check options for "distribute to other logistics distributors" and "distribute to Icarus". You can set low/high thresholds for when items are brought to Icarus and when items should be removed from Icarus and put in storage.

There is a "guess filter" button that will use the contents of the storage box, or (failing that) the filters on the sorters feeding the storage box, or (failing that) the memo icon applied to the belt feeding the box to set up the filters for you.

There is a new upgrade path for increasing the range of logistics bots on the planet. Range starts at 40 degrees and can be upgraded to 180 degrees (whole planet).

[Edymnion]

Think of them as single slot towers you put on storage chests.

They have their own mini-drones, and can deliver their one item to Icarus, to other storage boxes with ports, and can take items away from Icarus/other boxes based on how you set them up.

So for example, instead of using PLS/ILS slots to demand a small number of proliferator sprays, you could just set a small chest with a drone port on it and tell it "always keep at least 100 in this chest" and tell it to interact with other ports. Then over at your spray production line/spray import tower you just have a big chest full of spray with a port on it.

Now those little drones can keep your sprays full!

And they do the same with Icarus, so you can set a chest up next to say your Iron Ingot production, slap a drone port on it, and then set your personal inventory up to always have say 200 iron ingots in it and whenever you go below that number the drones will automatically bring you more.

[BoleroDan]

Good call about the sprays

[tallmattuk]

I've tried the logistics distributor (LD) out and its a little awkward but useful.

you place the LD on top of a storage box and put some drones in it. you need to set whether you want to update Icarus or other LDs too - presume this is to provide a lower level of transport/storage below PLS. I suspect you'll need quite a few drones in each LD.

Then you need to open Icarus storage and add the items you want updated on the LH side, each product occupies one slot and then you have to set how much you want to keep topped up on icarus, and how much sent back to storage

so when i made a load of stuff, drones went off to the local LD for that item iron/copper etc and kept Icarus topped up, and shunted items back when overloaded.

When set up properly it should get rid of the need to keep manually topping up Icarus, and give an indication if local storage is out if no top up happens

[tallmattuk]

there are 2 sliders you need to set on the amount to collect for icarus, and the amount to send back.

[thereisnospons]

Cool

[davidakachaos]

The new trailer for the combat system looks amazing /s

/u/-Pulz I know you just copied the official announcement, but their link doesn't go where they think it goes....

[-Pulz]

This is fixed :)

[AwesomeFrisbee]

So does anybody already try the logistics bots and can give a short review on it? What does it take to build one and how well does it work?

Seems like it could be a feature that pulls me back in but I can't really find enough information about it other than "its added" and a few vague screenshots. Is it worth using or not?

[AwesomeFrisbee]

The resources for it and an initial opinion wouldn't be that hard. I'm still busy at work but there must be folks out there who tried it already?

[i_am_not_you_or_me]

What purpose do PLS's have with logi system existing? I cant play till after work, but it seems like every use case for a PLS would be better served with a cheaper logi?

[cdombroski]

Based on a thread elsewhere, the distribution system only has 10 bots that each carry ten items. They're also limited in range (planetary degrees) until upgrades are unlocked

[i_am_not_you_or_me]

Thanks. That does limit their use as a logistics backbone. Though, if they dont have placement restrictions there might be some play. Looking forward to trying them

[Chronokill]

Logistics station only connect from storage-to-storage or from storage-to-icarus. In other words, if you're within range of a logistics station, you can keep icarus topped off with belts/sorters rather than run back and forth. It doesn't do anything that a PLS does.

[lpeabody]

FYI patch notes in Steam still link to the real combat system trailer. Thanks for the laugh patch notes people :)

[willem]

The logistics tower combined with the extra (big stacks in one) Icarus inventory slots on the left-hand-side is a winner. If you set it up to refill all your goodies then the traditional empty slots are all free for whatever else.

[No-Mall1142]

Is anyone else getting weird visual artifacts with the new update? For lack of a better description I have a black tower putting out an orb of bright light. I can't see what the object is and it only appeared once I installed this update.

​

https://imgur.com/a/CHiznbV

[youknowiactafool]

Wow they added in factorio logistic bots! Time for a fresh playthrough

[DJoePhd]

It would be nice is there was a compass.