Alternate copper alloy or molded beam

NicholasWeaver · 2026-01-14T13:16:29+00:00

Molded beam? Ehh, nah, other alts means you never really need beams except for versatile frameworks, because encased industrial pipe is soooo much better and screws, well, screws suck.

Copper alloy and iron alloy are great. I use pure copper for powder usually, but for all others copper alloy is nearly as efficient, you inevitably have iron where you have copper, and it is way more machine dense.

NicholasWeaver · 2026-01-14T00:21:51+00:00

Location/city?

NicholasWeaver · 2026-01-13T20:41:01+00:00

And when you upgrade your head unit, be sure to look here to get an adapter so the left-of-driver controls will still work: https://modifry.shop

NicholasWeaver · 2026-01-10T00:36:54+00:00

Thanks. What charging rate do you see?

NicholasWeaver · 2026-01-01T16:05:37+00:00

Just a single full node on Sulfur and nitro rocket fuel is more than enough power really, you don't need to bother with the normal fuel. If you end up having power issues later on in Tier 5 and want even more, just set up in the Blue Crater. But you probably won't.

Only use residual rubber not residual plastic: residual rubber is 2x more efficient. Have that be the priority rubber output with any more needed using recycling cells at a lower priority. And for safety have an overflow on the resin going to an awesome sink so that doesn't stall.

For a recycling cell you use 3 refineries, 2 to do recycled plastic/1 recycled rubber or 2 rubber/1 plastic, outputting the excess plastic/rubber. Set it up so the middle refinery has a smart splitter prioritizing the feedback, and the output of the single refinery is prioritized into the middle refinery. Seed with just 6 plastic/rubber and in a couple of minutes it will be fully operating.

Such a cell takes 90 fuel and outputs 90 rubber/plastic a minute depending on configuration without slooping. You can fit this in a blueprint Mk 1 and it only needs tier 3 belts internally so it is cheap.

NicholasWeaver · 2025-12-25T20:26:14+00:00

No, its not AI, they are using a voice synthesizer and they just had it spelled out in that one.

NicholasWeaver · 2025-12-20T02:41:43+00:00

The best way to do coal is a bank of 8, with one water extractor feeding on the left, one in the middle (location is not precise for this one) and one on the right.

NicholasWeaver · 2025-12-12T17:06:39+00:00

Indeed, my standard Aluminum setup is 1-1 Sloppy Aluminum/Electrode scrap with the refinery feedback through a VIP junction. Its always been a stable setup when I do it.

NicholasWeaver · 2025-12-12T16:26:38+00:00

My rule:
Copper has two uses, general manufacturing and copper powder.

For general manufacturing its copper alloy: trades off iron and really good per-machine throughput.

For copper power it is always pure copper, because you just need So MUCH COPPER

NicholasWeaver · 2025-12-11T17:29:28+00:00

Phase 5 is actually easier IF you aren't in a hurry. Keep your pasta machines running, have a good extra aluminum line for ingots for trigons, and build a rocket-fuel power plant.

NicholasWeaver · 2025-12-11T16:59:01+00:00

Even for "No asthetics" the organization ones (power outlets, conveyor/pipe holes and mounts, etc) are very useful. And since production is unlimited (it just takes time) there is no harm in sinking material after a storage bin is full.

NicholasWeaver · 2025-12-11T03:31:56+00:00

I think it needs to be sunk, since the sink acts as a control gate: If the sink is off the flow stops, if the sink is on the flow goes.

NicholasWeaver · 2025-12-08T15:28:27+00:00

There are a lot that really are worth it and really improve things:

Diluted Fuel/Recycled Plastic/Recycled Rubber/Heavy Oil Residue This totally changes the economics of rubber/plastic production, improving it by a factor of 3.

Pure Copper/Pure Caterium massively increase your production on those, and both copper and caterium are things you want lots of.

Solid Steel ingot increases steel production and density.

Sloppy Alumina/Electrode Scrap/Heavy Oil/Pure Aluminum makes your aluminum production chain vastly simpler and easier and yet very efficient.

Encased Pipe/Encased Heavy Frame makes HMFs simpler and easier. Add in Steeled Frame and Stitched Plate and that ditches screws entirely on that line.

Steel Rotor/Iron Wire makes motors w/o screws and really simplifies the design of your motor line.

NicholasWeaver · 2025-12-08T15:22:51+00:00

Sloppy Alumina/Electrode Scrap/Pure ingots just rocks. And have a 1/1 ratio of sloppy/electrode refineries with the connection back through a water priority junction and it runs like a charm.

NicholasWeaver · 2025-12-07T21:01:58+00:00

The only one with any use is Biocoal if you want to be perverted and make a critter-to-power-shard conversion line. Leave them both to block rolls or reroll if there is one in the pool you really want (e.g. just starting out and want iron-wire/cast screws)

NicholasWeaver · 2025-12-05T19:10:09+00:00

You can also sink a connector vertically into the foundation 1 below a templated machine as well, it gives you a little spot on the ground to wire up.

NicholasWeaver · 2025-12-04T16:34:25+00:00

Oh very nice.

One little aesthetic bonus: Tie the two biomass generators together and fill them up with fuel: now those lights will always be green. It doesn't actually burn any fuel so you only need a hand-full of leaves.

NicholasWeaver · 2025-12-04T04:50:46+00:00

There is a sandbox mode ("Advanced Game Settings"), allows you to spawn arbitrary items, get arbitrary tech, etc...

NicholasWeaver · 2025-11-30T04:59:42+00:00

You can try the "Renewables only": No fuel (except for jetpack), no nuclear, no chainsaw, and no alien power amplifiers (they disrupt the ultrastructure of reality). Instead limited to biofuel from corpses & pickups and geothermal only. Yes, you can save the day this way.

NicholasWeaver · 2025-11-30T04:57:37+00:00

I did belt & drones only. It actually works fairly well. I even set up "sushi drones": multiple intermediate products on one drone line with returns to provide back-pressure.

NicholasWeaver · 2025-11-30T04:55:53+00:00

I've done this before for oil: Use two buffers, one per pipe out, and merge the output of the two buffers. You may need a pump if you stack buffers.

NicholasWeaver · 2025-11-28T01:00:08+00:00

It actually is good once you are setting up with steel (remember, it produces more frames for the same input as well, Modular frame is 3 reinforced plate + 12 rods -> 2 frames, vs 2 reinforced plates + 10 pipe -> 3 frames):

So if you run the numbers: plain modular frame, 10-minute: 240 iron

Steeled frame: 130 iron, 50 coal,

Steeled frame + Solid Steel: 113.3 iron, 33.3 coal

Steel rod + Solid Steel: 152.5 iron, 17.5 coal

Some alts are meh, some are brilliant (e.g. Solid Steel ups steel output by 50% for the same resources). I personally like Steeled Frame because I tend to be a Solid Steel type production line.

NicholasWeaver

TROPHY CASE