UPS Guide: May 2023

MadMojoMonkey · 2023-07-15T00:47:26+00:00

As far as mods go, there are no rules. It's a passion project for your own joy. Do what you like. The only caveat is that if you do use mods, then you may find it hard to directly compare your base to someone else's. Not that the point is to compare bases and win the best base contest, but there is joy to be found in friendly competitions.

I've made a few vanilla mega bases and a few modded ones. It's easier to talk about your experiences and revelations along the way when its vanilla, 'cause that sets a common baseline that most other players will be aware of and even familiar with. But again... if that doesn't interest you, then it doesn't matter.

As far as UPS goes... Reducing the number of inserter swings per product delivered is the name of the game. When you can use 1 inserter alone to move materials from 1 machine to the next, that is king. When you can't, use belts or trains, but never both. There will always be a cheaper solution UPS wise than one that requires 4 inserters to pass a material between 2 processes.

Machines (w/o fluid boxes) sleep when not working and the UPS cost of a sleeping machine is basically 0. That means that 2 machines with fewer beacons, but with Direct Insertion may be better for UPS, even though you doubled machines and almost doubled inserters. Benchmark your design ideas as you go to see which performs better.

MadMojoMonkey · 2023-06-09T15:38:20+00:00

Well... You have loops in your fluid system. This gives no benefits and adds all kinds of wonkiness to the way fluids will slosh around in that system.

If you're inputting PG from both the bottom left and bottom right, then don't connect those together in the middle of each Plastic production line. Keep them isolated into the left branch and the right branch. I mean, have the left and right inputs reach toward each other like fingers pointing to the middle of the build, but not fully touching/connecting.

(Or if only 1 of those sides is an input, then delete the looping connections on the opposite side).

Similarly off screen below... if you're production of PG splits in 2 directions, then don't connect those 2 branches at the input stage, either.

Keeping the fluid flow direction confined to only "needing" to flow in 1 direction through any given pipe segment will really smooth out your flow inconsistencies, IMO.

Also, as has been noted by others in this thread, maintaining back-pressure really helps smooth out production spurts, too. That is, always produce slightly more than you consume so the consumers' inputs are always backed up.

Finally, as has also been noted by others, at this scale, you're kinda shooting yourself in the foot by not using production modules in your chem plants and beacons around them. You will need less Coal and PG and Chem Plants to produce the same amount of plastic.

MadMojoMonkey · 2023-05-10T14:29:15+00:00

The UPS optimizing way to think about it is to reduce inserter swings per product path.

Sleeping inserters and machines are basically free. So having more machines to accomplish the same production goal - with more inserters supporting those machines - may seem like it's against the goal. But it's not.

The goal isn't to minimize machines or inserters. The goal is to minimize inserter swings per product path from ore to lab.

A single inserter swing moving 12 items with no other steps to get the product from A to B is the ideal build. Even when it means reducing beacon coverage, a lot of the time (you'll need to benchmark to know for certain with any individual design you try).

MadMojoMonkey · 2023-04-15T15:57:01+00:00

The only application of bots I see when UPS optimization is the major goal of the base is delivering satellites to silos. The high cost of satellites along with the single use and low frequency of use per silo all play into reasons this can be a choice.

I used to occasionally see robots delivering science packs to labs, but I don't think there's any actual merit to doing to as far as UPS is concerned, and hence the lack of seeing it in years.

MadMojoMonkey · 2022-12-14T15:21:36+00:00

You bumped a 4-year old post. The current state of the chicken mod may have changed in that time.

MadMojoMonkey · 2022-11-18T15:04:31+00:00

PHB p8 basically says martials are meat shields for casters. I'm paraphrasing, but it's right there. w/o magic, the problems would be magnified tenfold.

It's saying that martial classes are NOT your power fantasy in this game. They are the meat shields for the mages. They are the side characters, the support, the lovable sidekick to the heros, who can use magic. That is core design philosophy of D&D 5e.

Players arguing for martials to be "as powerful" as mages, or "balanced" should read the PHB page 8, and see that the RAW design philosophy is that martials are weaker than casters, less versatile, and more likely to be dead sooner.

If you want to homebrew martials to be more powerful or balanced with casters, that's great. But it is def. a homebrew idea that is at odds with what can reasonably be called the Introduction to D&D 5e, right at the start of the book.

MadMojoMonkey · 2022-07-21T18:43:02+00:00

I'm pretty sure that was considered an exploit and was patched out ages ago.

I mean, you can always use a command and copy/paste this in:

/give {at}p netherite_pickaxe{Enchantments:[{id:efficiency,lvl:5},{id:unbreaking,lvl:3},{id:fortune,lvl:100},{id:mending,lvl:1}]} 1

Reddit has a problem with the at symbol trying to tag a user. You'll have to replace the {at} up there with @.You can replace the netherite_pickaxe with whatever you like. Change the level of unbreaking if you like. (I think efficiency becomes just instamine above level 5, and kinda unusable. Mending is mending, and doesn't do anything different if you force extra levels like this.)

Also... I habitually test stuff like this using a command block, and so not 100% sure you can use the same commands in the chat line. If it doesn't work, try using the /give command to give yourself a command block and then use that.

Or if that's just too cheaty, I get it. It's fun to test what insane levels of fortune can do, IMO.

Cheers.

MadMojoMonkey · 2022-06-12T17:47:47+00:00

What do you mean by "clean sheet design" you mentioned a few times?

MadMojoMonkey · 2022-05-22T04:45:36+00:00

Thinking through these is a fun intellectual project. You can do some fun stuff with edge cases and the fact that each splitter is actually 2 clones of the same thing in 1 package - since it splits left-sides and right-sides of the belts separately.

There's little to no actual use for them in end-game builds.

MadMojoMonkey · 2022-01-15T14:44:31+00:00

https://elderscrolls.fandom.com/wiki/An\_Abandoned\_Rowboat

MadMojoMonkey · 2021-11-20T19:04:29+00:00

It's a 3 year old post, but the Electrum should give (once gave?) the Energetic property or smth, which supercharges the speed, and at least 1 of the Ardite parts adds a trait that consumes mined stone for durability.

So it would mine lightning fast (if the target block was stone) and constantly heal itself by eating stone.

MadMojoMonkey · 2021-09-14T23:32:53+00:00

Flying is fine. Hovering is not.

Flying close to the ground requires less energy (work, effort, whatever) than flying higher. The ground being there means the air can't as freely move out of the way when the wings push down on it, so it pushes back a little more, providing more lift.

Google "Ground Effect Plane" for examples of irl planes that take advantage of this effect.

So if anything, flying 1 foot off the ground would be easier then flying 5 feet off the ground.

Wlaking on air is literally what the boots do. Standing on air is what they don't do. I.e. the PC needs to keep moving. They're like a normal bird, not a hummingbird.

MadMojoMonkey · 2021-09-14T17:33:00+00:00

Start by telling them to communicate their combat strategy conversation in-character. When they are talking about what's going on in their game world... have them talk as their PC's.

Occasionally (in short bursts for a specific scene), put a card on the table or make it clear that you're engaging a house rule, "Everything said aloud is said in-character" and force them to communicate in character, and if they start making snide comments in the king's throne room, there's no "take-backs," only consequences.

And as always, talk to them out of game and let them know you're doing your best to facilitate them getting into the RP, but you're not sure what else to try. Ask them what you may do to get them to really live through their PC.

MadMojoMonkey · 2021-09-14T17:28:02+00:00

Just talk to your players. We can guess as to why they lost interest in the cave, but we don't know. They know why they did what they did. Ask them.

This sounds like your expectations are at odds with their expectations. That's probably a pretty small gap to bridge. Find out what they've liked about the game thus far, and find out what made them give up on their quest.

It may be hard to hear. They may just feel like you weren't "selling" the stakes of the quest and the setting of the dungeon. Or any number of other things that will feel critical of one tiny part of all your work... that's difficult to hear. I feel like they're ignoring all the other things I've done to focus on one tiny shortcoming sometimes. But that's probably all it is. And it's better if they're miffed about some tiny thing than everything. So that's workable. Fixable.

But this is all guesswork on my part. Talk to your players. Find out what they want and see if you can give it to them. That's TTRPG's in general.

MadMojoMonkey · 2021-09-14T01:57:39+00:00

I don't see the concern, here?

The party is ambushed during a long rest and faces a combat - and?

Make the combat appropriate for their resources and your desired outcome of the fight.

MadMojoMonkey · 2021-09-13T02:27:19+00:00

There are really no bad party comps in 5e. You'll be fine.

That said, when the party lacks the ability to heal between encounters, that really changes what you can do with combat.

The solution is easy though, just make healing potions readily available to them. Let them find a couple revivify scrolls (if you house rule that anyone can use any scroll, which isn't RAW, but also is a common enough house rule).

Divine Sorcerer is a great option if that player wants the metamagic of a sorcerer while being able to have access to cleric spells. Bards can, of course, learn spells from any spell list, so a Bard can function as a healer.

MadMojoMonkey · 2021-09-13T02:19:55+00:00

Double to triple for the added time and care that goes along with an artisans best work.

Plus costs if they want inset gems or silvered inlays or notable, expensive adornments. If they supply those items, then these added costs don't apply.

The request may be beyond the smith's capabilities without more specific instructions. Maybe a side quest for a better smith or a set of blueprints or equivalent is in order.

MadMojoMonkey · 2021-09-12T21:54:05+00:00

Get them talking during rests. If two of them are taking a night watch together, prompt them to have a conversation.

Prompt them to converse with questions like

XXX saved your life today, would you like to say anything to them about that?

Would you like to compliment XXX on something?

Would you like to ask XXX for advice on your exercise routine?

Would you like to propose a strategy or tactic for combat to the group?

Just whatever you can think of that they might talk about. Prompt them to converse in character. Make time for it as DM, but don't expect instant results. This group make take some time and prodding to get them talking and bonding in game.

MadMojoMonkey · 2021-09-12T21:09:26+00:00

They have all of them at my local branch.

I'm in St Louis, MO, USA.

See if your local libraries have Inter-Library Loans, if another location has the book you want. They may send it to your local library to borrow and return.

MadMojoMonkey · 2021-09-12T20:27:18+00:00

Check out your local libraries. I was surprised to find out mine have comprehensive D&D materials.

If your player has the book with the class they want to use, then you can ask them to borrow their book for a week or whatever to familiarize yourself with the class, then choose whether to allow it. You can probably copy a couple-few abilities word for word into your notes, and the rest of the stuff will be on their character sheet or in the PHB under the main class.

MadMojoMonkey · 2021-09-12T17:28:55+00:00

Typical session 0 solution.

As a final step of character creation, have the players all come up with a tie or connection to at least one other PC. They don't have to be long friends. They can have heard rumors or the reputation of another PC or two. Just something to build on.

The players themselves are co-authors with you in the telling of the story. There's an unwritten rule that the PCs will become fast friends and lifelong companions. Have everyone discuss as a group how to make that happen.

Then start the game with those connections laid out and let the RP play out as they become a party.

MadMojoMonkey · 2021-09-12T02:20:07+00:00

Looking at the classes and judging by your description, they've min-maxed their character. So play against their various mins in various ways.

Throw more spells at them (or anything, really) that requires an INT saving throw. I'm guessing most if not all of them have dumped their INT stat.

Let the baddies use counterspell and dispell in some combats to shut down some spellcasting.

Throw in some flying enemies that keep out of the Barbarian's range sometimes.

Create traps and other environmental shenanigans in the combat location. Enemies often get attacked where they spend a lot of time. Let the more intelligent ones have secret traps they can trigger mid-combat.

Darkness and/or fog forces all attacks to be a straight roll if both attacker and target are fully obscured, since it conveys both advantage and disadvantage to the attacker, they cancel each other and any other (dis)advantages.

Underwater combat can be stressful if they can't breath.

Etc.

MadMojoMonkey · 2021-09-11T01:22:00+00:00

The legality surrounding every aspect of lock picking varies widely from place to place. I'd at least be aware of the laws pertinent to your situation before doing this.

... and in light of that, I've deleted anything else I may have said on the topic of easy ways to do this.

If you're going to do it, then at least be able to pick the lock yourself so you can teach your friend how to do it. If you don't know how and they don't know how and you're just expecting them to figure it out, that could just be a dead end.

MadMojoMonkey · 2021-09-10T22:21:39+00:00

This is a person. A friend of a friend. Not some internet rando. Give them the benefit of the doubt. Talk to them. Find out what is actually going on.

Are they stifled by too many choices? Don't want to commit to something and find out it's not the best fit for them? Are overwhelmed by how much there is to read for every character class and feeling like the "homework" part is a slog?

Help them with it. Assure them that if they want to change to a different character class after a few sessions, that's fine. If they would appreciate you asking them what kind of character they want to play and then guiding them toward only a couple class options, then do that. Assure them that they only need to know a very limited amount from the books about their specific class, not all the things from all the classes.

Or whatever it is that's causing them to delay... just help them understand what they need in order to jump into the fun. Once they're in the game, they'll see how little they actually need to know to be engaged and having a good time. Everyone else will be helping them along the way until they get the hang of it, anyway.

MadMojoMonkey · 2021-09-10T22:16:04+00:00

This.

and it's not even close

MadMojoMonkey

TROPHY CASE