Module Usage Priority

[TheSAguy]

What modules should you prioritize in what systems and your reason for doing so?

What would be the better module for Oil Drill, Speed or Productivity?

Thanks,

[ray4ever]

I tend to go for effectivity modules more or less all the time, as the production and speed increases aren't that huge and less power used means more power for laser turrets and less attacks from the biters. If I need a higher production I'm just going for additional assemblers/mines.

[elkar]

I was using mostly speedmodules, but since .9 version i dont know yet what to use really.

[Calico]

After 0.9:

I still use a full productivity tier 3 setup for special cases, like alien science packs. Tier 1 Effectivity mods for most low-key productions. I tend to use a combo of all three mods on the high priority stuff, like advanced circuits late game. 1 Effectivity, 1-2 Speed, 1-2 Productivity... whatever matches the needs most. Mostly tier 2 mods, some tier 3.

I noticed that i use mods later in game then before, the increased pollution/energy from speed and productivity ain't worth the increased aggro. So i mostly use effectivity to reduce power usage early on. Later, when i build up a network of sentry outposts and maybe a perimeter wall, i'm much more willing to go for increased pollution if production demands it.

[elkar]

After 0.9:

I still use a full productivity tier 3 setup for special cases, like alien science packs. Tier 1 Effectivity mods for most low-key productions. I tend to use a combo of all three mods on the high priority stuff, like advanced circuits late game. 1 Effectivity, 1-2 Speed, 1-2 Productivity... whatever matches the needs most. Mostly tier 2 mods, some tier it.

And do you build factories as a tight group of assembly lines or just build huge assembly lines for intermediate products + belts?

[Zourin]

Effectivity modules all around to cut back on power use.. I hate having to build more power plants. The priority goes to furnaces, miners, and oil derricks.

Exceptions: Labs, Advanced Circuits and Blue Packs get speed mods. Mod plants get speed mods too.

Using a rack of productivity mods on alien packs is a good idea.

[BurnHard]

Effectivity modules all around to cut back on power use.. I hate having to build more power plants.
Exceptions: Labs, Advanced Circuits and Blue Packs get speed mods. Mod plants get speed mods too.
Using a rack of productivity mods on alien packs is a good idea.

You know that you can increase the savings on alien packs even more (and all the other science packs simultaneously) if you use efficency modules in the science labs as well? If you build a bunchload of science labs they are not really slow, and they are cheap to build.

[Zourin]

Effectivity modules all around to cut back on power use.. I hate having to build more power plants.
Exceptions: Labs, Advanced Circuits and Blue Packs get speed mods. Mod plants get speed mods too.
Using a rack of productivity mods on alien packs is a good idea.

You know that you can increase the savings on alien packs even more (and all the other science packs simultaneously) if you use efficency modules in the science labs as well? If you build a bunchload of science labs they are not really slow, and they are cheap to build.

I won't let a productivity mod go anywhere near my labs, or anything other than a Purple Pack factory. The energy consumption is insane for the scant gains, and I'm NOT slowing down my labs for any reason whatsoever. I can kill more nests for more artifacts to make up the difference.

[CherryKiss]

I've always gone with full effectivity modules, but with 9.0 and oil shortages (can't seem to find enough spots to drill!) I'm very tempted to load up all oil industry production with productivity to make the oil count as much as possible

[Zourin]

I've always gone with full effectivity modules, but with 9.0 and oil shortages (can't seem to find enough spots to drill!) I'm very tempted to load up all oil industry production with productivity to make the oil count as much as possible

This would be destructively counterproductive. A 'spent' derrick produces at 0.1/sec, but still maintains full power draw and a very hefty base pollution rating. Loading in production modules (god forbd production 3) in a derrick cluster would produce enough pollution to turn any nearby Biters into pizza-eating ninjas that will then proceed to eat your base as their evolution factor surges. Malkasphia, combining a Speed beacon with Productivity modules, had normal electric miners going at 71 pollution in his lets play, and found himself nearly overwhelmed with swarms of large biters. Productivity module are now more devastating and less beneficial than ever, and could be looking at similar, or significantly higher, pollution ratings per pumpjack.

Don't use them. Just don't.

[CherryKiss]

Don't use them. Just don't.

Believe me, I don't want to, but I had no more oil anywhere realistically grabbable, and my game was up to 57 hours when I finally completed it, mainly because I was waiting on plastic and processors at the end, and couldn't keep two refineries going full blast with the limited oil I had available to me.

I'm debating turning up the oil in my next game, possibly the size and frequency, but not the richness...I'm ok with .1 wells, if I can have enough of them.

[Zourin]

oil can be hit or miss. Without any difference in settings, I've been starved (only six poor pools within a massive radius), and in others, I've had enough to run two refineries at capacity a 0.1 production. Map generation as a whole is totally hit or miss, and messing with the settings can cause a serious overreaction in the generator.