[0.18] Tech tree ordering

[hylke94]

I'm encountering a lot of "tech tree ordering issues". What I mean is, I unlock a tech, wanna build the new item, but can't find an intermediate to craft. After some searching in the tech tree, I find a completely different tech to research first.

For example. Now in the starter stage of a new map, I pushed tech towards assembling machine 2 for the extra inputs. These machines need steel to craft. Steel needs steel ingots. Steel ingots needs iron ingots. Iron ingots needs iron ore. Iron ore needs sorted raw ores. To be able to sort raw ores, i need ore sorters. Ore sorters needs production block 1. Production block 1 needs tech "Basic blocks 1" researched. Basic blocks 1 was not a prerequisite of the ore sorting (Metallurgy 1). Now I need to research a completely other tech tree first, like algae, paper, red electronics, mechanical components, to finally research basic blocks 1. So I need a lot of extra tech to even handcraft the items I unlock each time.

Is there any plan to review the tech tree, and fix all the prerequisites of each tech?

I'm willing to help with it if needed. I'm a programmer, but have no experience yet with Lua and Factorio modding .

[Mecejide]

1. Most of those things you mentioned are added by Angel’s Mods. You would not run into this problem with just Bob’s Mods.
2. You do not need steel ingots to make steel plates. You can make them from iron plates and oxygen gas in a stone chemical furnace.

[bobingabout]

Is there any plan to review the tech tree, and fix all the prerequisites of each tech?

Yes... about 3 months ago, I spent over a week painstakingly going through ALL prerequisites and making sure everything had what it needs as a prerequisite, with very few exceptions (EG, a tech that unlocks several things might not have ALL of the item's intermediates unlocked, EG, the rocket engine, but in that case the engine is unlocked on a common technology that 2 other things have as a prerequisite that use the rocket engine, and both of those have prerequisites for the intermediates to build the rocket engine. The alternative was to put the rocket engine as unlocks on both of the later technologies instead)

So yeah... Bob's mods is done, and it took months of planning to fix, so to hear someone complain about it is a little disheartening.


However... Assembling machine 2 is a base game item, and in bob's mods doesn't actually cost steel, only iron to build. Steel comes in at assembling machine 3.
pretty much everything else you mentioned is from Angel's mods (Ore sorting and ingots etc, in bob's mods you just mine iron, like you would in the base game)

The only item you mentioned (other than the obvious assembling machine and steel plate) that is in bob's mods is "Red" electronics, and that's a fair bit later in the game, unlocked with Automation (Logistic being the base game name) science, from Advanced Electronics.

So yeah... You issue is Angel's mods related.

[hylke94]

I didn't mean to offend you, sorry. I missed the Angels part indeed. Was working towards sorting and did remember from a playthrough last year, the sorting was from Bob's mod. Next time, I'll look a bit longer at the (kinda long) affected mods list in the tech tree en crafting menus.

I took a quick look at the modding API itself, and maybe I'm just gonna try it myself. New experience, new challenge.

I'll also copy this thread to the Angels forum part, maybe he will take a look himself too .


Edit:
The Angels topic