Factorio Forums

Hello!
Im trying to figure out how ordering in the technology gui works. I use debug mode to gather information and the Lua API.
I was thinking that the game sorts after the order string in alphabetical order.
So why is it that in the base mod "military" has the order "e-a-a" but "logistics" with order "a-f-a" is shown AFTER "military".
In my own mod I order my technology "tin-plate" with the order "f" but it shows on top after steel plate. It requires automation, logistic, military and chemical science packs and also has prerequisites that are later in game.
So for the love of god, I can't figure out how to order in technology gui! In the inventory for items, recipes it works...

IM GOING INSANE, PLEASE HELP!

Techs are ordered by the needed science packs, it's some combination of item order and amount and subgroup that I can't remember outright and my searches for it are turning up empty. For your example, logistics costs more science packs than military, so it's ordered after it.

Hello Bilka,
yes that was what I was also thinking but see:

Those are not vanilla science packs so it's hard to debug from just a screenshot, but I would guess that something is weird about the dark blue science pack. Maybe it's in a different item subgroup or has an order string that puts it before the red science pack. I'd need a save with the mods to sync to to do more than guess.

I searched again and found a post by past me that goes into some more depth for how the ordering works: viewtopic.php?p=314699#p314699. There is also a post by a former dev: viewtopic.php?p=325739#p325739

Hello Bilka,

thank you. Assigning a subgroup "science-pack" to the blue science pack moved them way down but now they still ignore the the order.
Can I upload a save with the mod here?

I just took a quick look at the tech tree, with all B&A mods (and some other), it seems like technology ordering goes in some steps:
- ordering by the required science packs
- (if the same then) ordering by the multiplier value of price ( it looks like it completely ignores the time costs)
- (if the same then) ordering by the technology-order
- (if the same then) ordering by name
Of course it is split into 3 groups, either before or after the sorting is complete, but that is not the question here

So if you change your tin-plate to take the same science packs with the same price as steel-plate, then your technology-order will be applied (if I am right)