Factorio Forums

All in all: The automation process with smelters and assembling machines is only linear. If you put more in you get more out. You can complete the game completly without using combinators / circuit network. In Some cases it makes some setups more "intelligent" but they are not needed in any way.

From the wiki page: Electric Smelter has a production speed of 2.

I think of another eletric smelter that has a speed of 3 or 4. But the needed eletric power varies(Because of needed cooldown time for cooling the smelter). So if the throughput of ore is high the energy consumtion is high, if the throughput is low the energy consumption is low.
the needed electricity should not be scaling linear but exponential so you should try to keep the throughbut low. That would need some circuit network logic to only put ore in if the heat of the smelter is at a "green" level.

I know that the idea is not the best at this point - but i think the game needs a place where circuit network is really needed (even when it is only needed if i want to use an advanced processing unit).
Or if the place of circuit network game-design wise is "you might, but you don't have to" just some nonlinear processing units.

What if the smelter haven't got cooldown time, but heat up time! If the smelter isn't in use then it will start slowly cool. When there is ore then it needs some time to start working again.
And what if it won't be any faster but instead it can smelt 2 or 3 ores at once. Or what if its a high tier end game smelter. 4x4, and can smelt 6 ores at once.

And what if I am taking too much time at this forum? And what if this idea is already exist? Right ssilk? =D

i thought of a a smelter that does not produces "more" - that would be a gamebreaker balancing wise - if there is no "real" danger in using it inappropriate. Another solution would be to let it produce extreme pollution if it is not used at the right throughput. Even the idea that it needs heat up time is not suitable imho because it would end in "maximum input -> maximum output and so it would be just another linear upgrade

Isn't this what speed modules are all about? Actually the only reason to upgrade steel smelter to electric smelter since speed is the same, but electric smelter allows modules (and consumes more space that makes its use doubtful).

btw, you could use water input for cooldown. and use heated water in steam engine attached

Harkonnen604 wrote:btw, you could use water input for cooldown. and use heated water in steam engine attached

Heated water is only 100°C.... what if you need to put boilers (not steam machines) for this 4x4 thing, and needs to boil some oil?
And for the 'hurr-durr-itsoverpower': high tier means endgame stuff, this thing is far beyond electric furnace, and have a high cost.

Harkonnen604 wrote:Isn't this what speed modules are all about? Actually the only reason to upgrade steel smelter to electric smelter since speed is the same, but electric smelter allows modules (and consumes more space that makes its use doubtful).

btw, you could use water input for cooldown. and use heated water in steam engine attached

Well speed modules increase the speed by a fixed value. I Thought of a smelter that has dynamic speed based on it's "effectiveness" (what ever effectiveness is based on). Another option would be to add extreme modules that are not additive but multiplicative (and values are much higher of course) but that does not change the linearity of the gameplay mechanics.

The Cooling with water is a nice idea.

Hm. The idea if cooldown time is interesting, but is not logically explainable in my opinion. The other way is moe logical, but then this won't make sense.

Perhaps here is a way to combine both. For example: Producing steel needs a lot of cold water, to cool the walls of the furnace.

Currently this is just "interesting" and needs some work.