Non-ore resource sources

[leadraven]

As I'm doing my first steps in Factorio modding, I want to add some basic materials, for example Fluorine and Aluminum. They interact in various interesting ways with each other and with already implemented materials. I've read how are these elements (and many others) produced in real life, and almost everything is mined in a form of ores or minerals. But it isn't really fun to add more colored ores (like Bob did). I want more diverse resource extraction methods (like oil and water), while keeping at least a little realism.

I will be glad to any comments and suggestions!
May be something like this is already implemented in mods?

[Zavian]

Possibly check out Angel's + Bob's. That has both Fluorine and Aluminum (and lots of other interesting stuff), and doesn't depend on adding lots of ores the way Bob's does. A popular modpack that includes both is Seablock (viewtopic.php?f=190&t=43759).

[sathill]

You got 2 types. Solid obejct and fluid. Mine solid object and then put them in chem lab or somekind of burner. You need heat (steam or heatpipe) result you goy liquid metal and let say some byproduct (dirt). Then either form them in stabes or use liquid for final product.

For example one recipe 150 degree C steam 90% clean aluminium. Scond 500 C steam you got 99% clean aluminium. Or something like that

Then 90% clean need futher cleansing process and this 99% needs nuclear reactor for steam so its complicatedted as it is.

Dirt its either stones or fuel with very low energy.

[Koub]

[Koub] Moved to Modding Help.

[Schallfalke]

There are some more ways you may use to generate resources:

1. Different process from the same ingredient. Just like basic and advanced oil processing, which has different ratio in products. You may create a new process that gives your new resources.
2. Probabilistic recipe. Just like the uranium processing, it can either give U-235 or U-238 from the same recipe.
3. Secondary resources. Just like the steel plates and low density structure, used as basic resources like iron plates, but are actually "synthesized" by other resources.
4. Dropped as loot by killing aliens. Just like the 0.14 alien artifact, or what my Schall Alien Loot is doing.
5. Mix of above.

[leadraven]

There are some more ways you may use to generate resources:

1. Different process from the same ingredient. Just like basic and advanced oil processing, which has different ratio in products. You may create a new process that gives your new resources.
2. Probabilistic recipe. Just like the uranium processing, it can either give U-235 or U-238 from the same recipe.
3. Secondary resources. Just like the steel plates and low density structure, used as basic resources like iron plates, but are actually "synthesized" by other resources.
4. Dropped as loot by killing aliens. Just like the 0.14 alien artifact, or what my Schall Alien Loot is doing.
5. Mix of above.

Thank you, but I need more specific suggestions. Some real-life ways to obtain production resources. For example, how to get fluorine not from mined minerals, or how to get aluminum not from mined bauxite? At least approximate realism is important.

[bobingabout]

One of the possibillities I did for say, Cobalt (Which actually confuses most people because all my other major resources are ores) and Silver is that you can look at real life ore examples, and see what elements make them up. Some copper ores include impurities like Cobalt, so I made a processing recipe by which you can extract Cobalt from Copper ore while processing it. Also for example, Galena actually has quite a few impurities in it, so I did a similar recipe to get Silver, which could be useful to make extra solder as you already have copper and tin in the electronics processing area.

If that's not enough, make up your own ore and use that, it's an alien world, the same rules might not apply.

If enabled in bob enemies, the aliens will drop different coloured artifacts, these are only really used to make special ammunition in my mods, but in theory you could have enemies drop anything from gemstones to metal plates. I personally limited to the alien artifacts making ammo and other warfare related things so that those people interested in combat can get better combat gear from doing combat, and those who don't like combat aren't compelled to do it just for rare resources.


As for specifics for getting fluorine, personally, my first encounter with it during my research was in Aluminium processing. The Aluminium oxide should be dissolved in liquefied Florine to be electrolysed for pure aluminium. Given what else I was adding at the time, I felt it wasn't appropriate to add Florine to the game for such purpose, and just left it out of the process.

if you're looking for legitimate methods to obtaining resources, an ore field type resource is the most realistic, but you could even go with "Florine trees" that are some kind of alien plant that absorbs fluorine from the ground, and can be processed, such as in a furnace to burn off the organic material and leave you with a fluorine ore.


Just keep in mind that I have had previous attempts (as can be seen with the cobalt from nickel and nickel from galena options in bobores) to have ores on the map that give multiple different ores on mining. This didn't go down very well, because separation was required. I did however keep this with gems ore, however, they originally gave "Gems ore" which you had to process to get the individual gems, but changed it to give multiples directly instead, however, this is something you could still consider, a resource with a results table giving multiple different mining results, each with different chances.


In the long run, it's whatever you feel most appropriate to give your mod the right feel.

[leadraven]

In the long run, it's whatever you feel most appropriate to give your mod the right feel.

Thank you very much. In real life everything is ore, except water, oil and wood.
I started it all because your mods are too big for me . I want some nice addition to base game.
I've read a lot of wiki about industry and chemicals and came to the conclusion that Fluorine and Aluminum are the best candidates to add to the game:

• Aluminum is a most common building material, so it can be used widely.
• They both can be used in rocket fuel (current recipe is boring).
• Fluorine is used in aluminum processing, thus they interact with each other.
• Fluorine is used in Uranium enrichment.
• SF6 also has some industrial applications.

[Schallfalke]

There are some more ways you may use to generate resources:

1. Different process from the same ingredient. Just like basic and advanced oil processing, which has different ratio in products. You may create a new process that gives your new resources.
2. Probabilistic recipe. Just like the uranium processing, it can either give U-235 or U-238 from the same recipe.
3. Secondary resources. Just like the steel plates and low density structure, used as basic resources like iron plates, but are actually "synthesized" by other resources.
4. Dropped as loot by killing aliens. Just like the 0.14 alien artifact, or what my Schall Alien Loot is doing.
5. Mix of above.

Thank you, but I need more specific suggestions. Some real-life ways to obtain production resources. For example, how to get fluorine not from mined minerals, or how to get aluminum not from mined bauxite? At least approximate realism is important.

Okay, you are asking for chemical methods.
I thought you were asking for ideas about methods to introduce more sources apart from extra coloured ores, from your first post...

Bob is the expert in this area, so I do not add anything to what already mentioned by Bob.

I think of hydrogen and nitrogen, when talking about something new to add. Hydrogen can be obtained from natural gas or electrolysis of water. Nitrogen from fractional distillation of air. (Earth air though)
If you want to apply ammonia, medicine a whole bio chain, they will be the basis.
Otherwise, you may apply nitrogen in production of stainless steel, nitric acid, explosives. And hydrogen for hydrochloric acid, high cetaine number fuel, hydrocracking. I am not creative enough about extensive applications in game though.