[0.17] Lost ingredients when changing recipe

[zsoc]

I realize this behavior is intentional, but I experienced it as a bug (even as a somewhat 'power' user).

After setting a recipe for prod 3s and adding some resources, I thought I was short a few, so I reverted the assembler back to prod 2. I didn't realize I had added enough resources to start a cycle, and so all of the resources I added were lost when the recipe was changed back. This was *extremely* confusing to me as a player. I checked my inventory / ground / production totals trying to figure out how the heck 5x prod 2s just magically disappeared. It wasn't until @AntiElitz informed me of this behavior that I even understood what happened.

At the very least, the player needs to be warned / notified that assemblers changing recipes will lose the currently working resources before they change. This is really complex to integrate given all of the various ways of resetting/changing a recipe/pulling up assemblers etc.

My suggestion would simply be to revert this behavior to return the materials. Nothing is gained or cheated on the player's part, as they still are "punished" by losing the crafting time.

[Klonan]

I realize this behavior is intentional

And therefore not a bug.

Make a post in ideas and suggestions, or write a PM to kovarex if you don't like it

[planetmaker]

It definitely would fit into the game well - it would fit the mental model better: In Factorio nothing really vanishes ever (except when it is destroyed by combat; I realize there's one other edge case concerning liquids... but meh): You can care-free construct and de-construct, everything is retained 100%. As such I'm not sure: is it really intentional that products vanish when you change recipe of a factory?

[BlueTemplar]

0.17.0 Bugfix : Fixed that canceling production in assembling machine did return the products in progress.

(IMHO it sucks)

[zsoc]

I realize this behavior is intentional

And therefore not a bug.

The *behavior* may be intentional, but the player experience is likely not. I doubt the intention here is to confuse players - therefore this is experienced as a bug (by me, and I imagine others). Like was mentioned also above, things in Factorio generally aren't just "lost". I could check my total crafted tab and see I had made 20 prod mods, and yet only 15 existed anywhere or were consumed.

[darkfrei]

0.17.0 Bugfix : Fixed that canceling production in assembling machine did return the products in progress.

(IMHO it sucks)

it must be defined in the recipe prototype, in some cases it must be enabled, but not everywhere.