Background
pY is a very complicated mod series. It requires you to play completely different from vanilla, or Angels and Bobs. To progress in game, the next item in chain usually requires every product that you have made previously in the chain, instead of just the end product from the previous chain. Certain production chains have feedback loop, for example for a recipe of A -> B + C with B as the main product and C as waste, there exist a recipe of C -> A to loop back along the chain. And also there is C -> XYZ which means its used in a completely different product chain. These together makes arranging belts and calculating factory ratios very difficult. The sheer amount of technology and recipes are mindblowing. This will not be your ordinary playthrough, this will be a lifetime achievement. Expect many hundreds of hours of gameplay.pY Mod series
Do not start with the whole suite installed in your first play. You will be overwhelmed by the number of technology and recipes immediately. Try the beginners pack first to see whether you are up for the challenge.Beginners pack:
- pY Industry - A utility mod that gives you various storehouses and tanks for better logistic management.
pY Coal Processing - First major mod of the series, it has a very large amount of content that is ideal for testing your mettle.
pY Fusion - A small semi end game mod that contains fusion power plant as a high end power solution and several other materials.
Intermediate pack:
- pY Petroleum Handling - A relatively small mod that gives lengthened chains in oil handling.
pY Raw ores - A large mod with complicated ore processing.
Ultimate challenge pack:
- pY Hightech - The essence of the whole series. Makes science packs and circuits extremely difficult. This mod is the
reason why you are here.
pY AlienLife - The latest mod that introduce an interestingly creative mechanic in farming biological products. Very large and complex.
Additional Mods
This daunting marathon justifies the use of many assisting mods.Necessary:
- Logistic Train network (LTN) - Automatically setup train transport tasks that work like cargo bots.
Helmod - A planning mod that calculate factory ratios.
What is it really used for / FNEI - A handy wiki of your in game items and recipes.
Highly Recommended:
- LTN Tracker_2 - A GUI for your LTN. Has alert records for debugging your network and inventory lists.
Bobs Inserters - Extremely versatile tool for modifying your inserters. Changes inserter range and loading direction.
Loaders Redux - A two square long inserter that is exactly as fast as a belt.
Aircraft / Teleporter - Allows rapid travel. Your base will be too big and complex to travel on foot/car.
Recommended:
- Squeak Through - Allows you to squeak through buildings. Ease your annoyance of being stuck a lot.
Py Quick start - Skip the boring part of digging and cutting your way through early game.
Far Reach - Reach as far as you can see. Saves you a lot of meaningless walking.
Water bomb / Stone water well - Get water anywhere if you think water handling does not worth your attention.
Train grid design
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You cant simply main bus/spaghetti your way up here. You will eventually be stuck somewhere and painfully realize you cannot belt your previous products out to the next chain from that mess you built. Making a train grid is probably the only way to win this game.
I use the simplest two lane system with an un-deadlockable roundabout. The simple circle only allows one train in it at a time but allows travel in any direction. The crossroad version does not allow U turn but several trains can use it at the same time as long as the courses do not intersect. This system may not have a high traffic capability, but the increased stack size of pY items are more than enough to offset this.
simple circular roundabout
crossroad roundabout
Station design
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As for train stop design, the most simple provide and requester stops in the official thread are enough for the task. I put two stops in the same lane for compactness while separating solid and fluid due to the provide/request threshold difference. My threshold for solid is 2000 while fluid is 20000. The request number for solid is 3000 and fluid is 24000. A 3000L tank is perfect for this, due to the overflow and underflow valve has a threshold of 80%, which is exactly 24000, and each fluid wagon holds 25000. You can tweak those numbers later when you have higher productivity. One wagon for each solid train and two wagons for each fluid train would be enough. Note in the picture that you can use two filter inserters for loading two different items onto the same lane (if you have bobs inserters installed), and dont forget to put the factory requiring many types of input right next to the warehouse to save belting them out one by one.
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The depots have a trash unloading system that will remove any leftover items in the train should any error occurs. The trains will stay deactivated during unload.
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