I've got most achievements so I'm trying to get the last few. Specifically the 15/8 hour challenge.
I've figured out that you need about 4600 red and green science packs and 2300 of the others (sorry, have the exact numbers at home). So at first I thought: Hey, I need twice as much red/green as the rest. Lets build them twice as big. But you get red/green science right from the start and need a bunch of it to even be able to build the other. So they do get a headstart.
So what is your strategy here? Do you produce all science packs at the same speed (5:6:5:12:7:7 ratio), adding science pack assemblies as you research the tech for them? Or do you even go the other way, overproduce red/green at the start, buffer it in chests and then later switch over to the other science packs?
What order do you build science packs? Red/green to start obviously. But do you then go for the black military science packs next or spearhead oil processing and blue science packs?
On a related note: Looking at what actually is required to build a rocket I noticed that a bunch of useful stuff isn't required. Like blue and yellow assemblers, fast (red) belts and even underground belts and fast inserter. I think underground belts are essential. No sane way around them. That also gives you fast inserters, which is nice. I think blue assembler are also a no-brainer. Fast (red) belts I'm not sure about. They are not that expensive to research but need a lot of iron to build. Building 2 yellow belts is cheaper. Are they a waste? I'm unsure. The yellow assembler though I think I will skip. To expensive to research and build. Or am I wrong there?
Best science ratios for a speed run (0.15)
Re: Best science ratios for a speed run (0.15)
There are normally two science phases.
1. Research Oil processing and Military 2.
2. Build mines/pumpjacks/turrets on all the resources you need.
3. Research everything else.
You don't need much red/green science for the first phase. Build a bigger red/green factory as you scale up the rest of your research.
Logistics 1 and Lab research speed 2 are the only optional techs you need to take. Logistics 2 and Inserter capacity bonus 2 are helpful for some designs, but if you can find an efficient design that doesn't need them it's better to skip them.
1. Research Oil processing and Military 2.
2. Build mines/pumpjacks/turrets on all the resources you need.
3. Research everything else.
You don't need much red/green science for the first phase. Build a bigger red/green factory as you scale up the rest of your research.
Logistics 1 and Lab research speed 2 are the only optional techs you need to take. Logistics 2 and Inserter capacity bonus 2 are helpful for some designs, but if you can find an efficient design that doesn't need them it's better to skip them.