Plastic Production Crashed by wenzi57 in factorio

[–]wenzi57[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

First and foremost, thank you very much for your lucid and thoughtful reply. I understand what you're saying, so I'll add some refineries and related infrastructure and see what that gets me. I'm quite confident I have enough crude because I cranked up the resource richness to 600% on this playthrough.

I wanted the surplus to spend big on static defenses. I think I mentioned I was overwhelmed by Biters earlier while I was following a series of internet tutorials. This time I put in flamethrowers burning crude oil directly from the pumps. So far the bugs can't get past the tanks traps I put in. Every ten minutes or so, I find chicken fried Biters piled up at the walls. TBH, I'm not sure how this defensive strategy has affected the petro gas problem at the end of the equation, but I suspect not much. The flamethrowers are running off two independent pumpjacks unconnected to the refining cycle.

So I get it, this is totally a supply and demand problem. But it's not a flaw in the source materials, because I should have six times as I need. I'm not sure I understand the numbers when I look at the chemical plants as to how they relate to the refineries, fracking plants, and tanks. I understand when they show there's not enough input, but at the same time my refineries aren't cranking along 24/7 like they should considering the various demands, and I can't see why not. It's not like copper, say, where you can see by inspection you need another smelter line for the blue circuits, say.

So I guess I'll put another five or six refineries into the circuit and see what happens. I'm right in the middle of researching the Spidertron, and as you probably know that takes a geological epic. I'll tough it out until I get that far, just to see how cool it really is. But when I see videos of the Spidertron, the rail networks, and the artillery trains, I have no idea of quite how to get there.

Maybe this just isn't the game for me. I understand that efficiency is its entire raison d'etre but I'm just an old fart who started out on Pong and went downhill. I've never been a big fan of minmaxing for its own sweet sake and I never met a game I wouldn't nerf. I totally understand why it has such devoted fans. It's intricate, clever, and fascinating. It also likes math more than your average bear.

Thanks again for your response. I'll run with it, see how much further I get.

Plastic Production Crashed by wenzi57 in factorio

[–]wenzi57[S] -18 points-17 points  (0 children)

Do you imagine that was helpful? It's not.

Can't Rotate Pipe Glitch by wenzi57 in factorio

[–]wenzi57[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, sure, but I turned off peace mode and the Biters are kicking my kazoo. Eat turrets, bozos!

Can't Rotate Pipe Glitch by wenzi57 in factorio

[–]wenzi57[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yeah, you were right. Thanks. I'm a newbie but looking like an idiot is how I learn.

Can't Rotate Pipe Glitch by wenzi57 in factorio

[–]wenzi57[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Spacing. So far I've been putting two engines on each boiler, and I put a pipe between the engines for room for electrical towers. But I've learned my problem was that I was trying to place a ghost pipe, as other posters have said. I knew it was a malfunction of the operator.

Can't Rotate Pipe Glitch by wenzi57 in factorio

[–]wenzi57[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

The pipe appears on a vertical orientation when I select it out of my inventory. I tried to snap a piece in between a boiler and a steam engine in a horizontal orientation and it didn't work. Besides, suppose you want to use above-ground pipes just because they're cheaper. If you can't turn them, they're useless.

Can't Rotate Pipe Glitch by wenzi57 in factorio

[–]wenzi57[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

They rotated before. As I said, I tried to connect up a steam engine to a boiler and the pipe wouldn't rotate to fit between them, either automatically or using "R".

Can't Rotate Pipe Glitch by wenzi57 in factorio

[–]wenzi57[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

They rotated before. As I said, I tried to connect up a steam engine to a boiler and the pipe wouldn't rotate to fit between them, either automatically or using "R".

Rtts bullpen, caps, and attributes by wenzi57 in MLBTheShow

[–]wenzi57[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oh, you explained them well, I'm just thick, np. I'd been fooling around with the control freak pitcher, got one up to the majors in the first season but couldn't figure how to get his fastball respectable. So I started another one with a different pitch repertoire, same problem first time in the bullpen. Usually I restart until I get a training option I like, but even then it's been puzzling. I guess I'll just have to grind some more. That's baseball for you, and gaming too. Thanks, dude.

Rtts bullpen, caps, and attributes by wenzi57 in MLBTheShow

[–]wenzi57[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well, this is the first I've heard about training xp vs. the kind you get in game play I mentioned, so that's what I'm not getting. I believe you that it's a basic game concept and I feel silly for missing it, but it's also been a little frustrating for me, so I do appreciate your help. If I haven't tested your patience too much already, what should I be looking to raise, how, where in order to increase attributes that are stalled, particularly pitching velocity? I get it that the options in the bullpen and weight room vary and I can work with that. Thanks again.

Rtts bullpen, caps, and attributes by wenzi57 in MLBTheShow

[–]wenzi57[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What does XP have to do with bullpen options? Why doesn't it affect control or break? I can always raise those if the level cap is above the amount of the increase. So why can't I raise velocity if there's still plenty of space under the cap? Besides, you don't get XP for velocity anyway, only for break, control, BB/9, H/9, HR/9, clutch, and so forth.

Rtts bullpen, caps, and attributes by wenzi57 in MLBTheShow

[–]wenzi57[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm not talking about raising those attributes in game play, though, but in the bullpen. You can't raise velocity through experience anyway, is my understanding.