What qualifies as a megabase?

[Factor1138]

How big is a megabase? One rocket per minute? Four? Ten? Science packs per minute? Per Second? Expand until your FPS/UPS drops too far?

I've gotten to 2.6 rpm in vanilla, 79 rpm in a bob's/angel's mod set, and 2000rpm using very cheaty mod that creates almost all items using just electricity.

My bases usually break down due to unforeseen consequences of the early base build faults. To those who can build a massive base and avoid spaghetti, I salute you!

[Koub]

There is no precise numeric value describing when a base becomes a megabase. You have a megabase when you decie it's huge enough to qualify as such.

[DaveMcW]

Sure there is. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mega-

Mega is a unit prefix in metric systems of units denoting a factor of one million

So you need to have 1 million of something.

[Koub]

Which in turn comes from ancient Greek, where Megalos used to stand for huge (fun fact, so does modern Greek).
So a Megabase could just stand for "Huge base".

[Patashu]

Sure there is. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mega-

Mega is a unit prefix in metric systems of units denoting a factor of one million

So you need to have 1 million of something.

How about 1 million biters?

[Jap2.0]

It's pretty imprecise.

[FactorioParadox]

Sure there is. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mega-

Mega is a unit prefix in metric systems of units denoting a factor of one million

So you need to have 1 million of something.

How about 1 million biters?

In that case that's the only thing you have.

[olafthecat]

A base that is rather large and has one/many distinguishable features.
Could be a record breaker, like the one rocket a minute mega base: viewtopic.php?f=204&t=38856
It also could do something that is unique and innovative, like the self replicating Grey Goo MK1: viewtopic.php?f=204&t=41377
It can be large and expansive or compact and small, but should be able to produce nearly/all items in the game.
It also must look amazing

[leitk]

Here's my suggestion for the definition of a 'mega-base':

If you spend more resources in order to improve UPS, you may have a mega-base.

Now there are some problems with this definition:
Slower computers will force you to do this sooner.
Later versions (0.16) may improve performance so this is not necessary as soon.
Also people's thresholds for expense and UPS problems are different.

But, I just set up smelting with speed beacons everywhere to reduce UPS, as well as using stack inserters when smaller would do, and hooking those up to a clock so they go less frequently, and at different times.

[Zavian]

I think you can have a megabase before then. To me a base that can sustain over about 900 of red+green+blue+yellow+purple+space science per minute is approaching megabase territory. (Obviously other people can have different personal definitions of megabase).

[leitk]

My computer must be SLOW compared to yours, I've been fighting UPS at 60 science per minute (1/second).
I know my computer is old, but I'm impressed how well Factorio runs on it.

[Zavian]

I have a 7 year old i7-860 @ 2.80GHz. If I just build a typical belt based factory I start dropping under 60ups by 150 sci/min (using yellow assemblers, but without beacons). If I build a bot + train + beacon based setup I can get around 900-1000 science per game minute at around 40ups.

But people with more megabase experience (and faster computers) can do much better. This factory does around 4000 sci/minute at decent ups https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMcoYkR_qAQ .