[0.18.x] Coppermine's Bob's module rebalancing

[Coppermine]

There are several mods already which attempt to rebalance various parts of Bob's mods. Most particularly Bob's modules. This is another attempt in that vein.

Coppermine's Bob's module rebalancing on the mod portal

One problem I have had with other rebalancing mods is that they tend to have a bunch of changes together and are an all-or-nothing proposition. For this one I have separated my changes out into a number of independent options, all togglable through the mod options interface. If you disable everything, then the mod will simply do nothing! Therefore you can pick and choose the changes you prefer.

The overall philosophy of the changes is to give a reason to use more variety of the modules and related features. I find that in default Bob's settings I pretty much only use the level 8 raw modules and Mk3 beacons. The lesser items are simply not worth using. This mod adds additional cost and complexity to crafting the higher level and combined modules such that you are encouraged to use the more easily available versions and use this to bootstrap your way towards the more powerful items.

I've tested these changes through two full playthroughs with Bob's, Angel's, SpaceX, and various other minor mods. I tweaked a few things along the way but I'm largely satisfied that these changes are a good fit for my personal preferences.

The specific options available are as follows:

Exponentially expensive modules

Modules of each level now cost 2 modules of the previous level to craft (5 for God modules), making modules exponentially expensive in their level. The intent is to encourage use of the lower level modules, which are otherwise rarely relevant.

If you are using SpaceX with the Bob's mods integration then this option will make the various spaceship components quite expensive, so their cost is comparable with the cost of the FTL techs. I find this helps bring a better balance to the SpaceX endgame.

Nerfed modules

The positive effects of the various modules are weakened, and their negative side-effects significantly increased. In particular, speed (and raw speed) modules no longer make machines more efficient, and productivity (and raw productivity) modules come with severe energy and speed costs. God modules (if enabled) become what raw productivity modules used to be.

Expensive combined modules

The combined-effect modules require different ingredients, including higher-tier plates. If Bob's alien alloys are enabled, they will be required. God modules (if enabled) are now crafted from other modules.

Nerfed beacons

Mk2 and mk3 beacons have reduced range and increased energy cost and hold fewer modules. They also now generate pollution.

Expensive beacons

Mk2 and mk3 beacons require pollution producing modules to craft. With exponentially expensive modules enabled, this makes them very expensive, meaning that mk1 or mk2 beacons are a sensible choice in many situations.

Require modules for rocket control units

Use either raw speed module 8s (if enabled) or speed module 8s as an ingredient in rocket control units. If exponential modules are enabled then one module suffices for 20 rocket control units, so that they are not too expensive.

Require space science packs to craft god modules

Add space science packs as an ingredient for crafting god module 1.

Research cost multiplier for god modules

With the other changes god module research becomes cheaper than its prerequisites. This multiplier (at the default value of 10) sets more reasonable research costs.

Require god modules for some Space X components

If God modules are enabled then those components which previously required all three module types now require God modules instead. Has no effect if God modules are disabled. If exponentially expensive modules are enabled then the number of God modules is scaled down to keep the requirements reasonable.

One thing I have not changed is the maximum possible achievable productivity. That remains 240% (6 level 8 prod modules in a top level machine). That is because I personally do not want to build a megabase (because I do not want to worry about managing UPS) and so I like to have the option to use this level of productivity in certain places. However, in my latest game by the time I had completed the SpaceX endgame I had still not used level 8 modules with very many recipes. They are expensive enough that I picked my targets carefully and applied them only in the most important places, whereas I applied lower level modules more widely.

That said, if there was demand it would be relatively easy for me to add further options to this mod to change more things. Let me know in the thread below.

[Coppermine]

Updated to Factorio 0.16.

[scrangos]

Thanks, I was looking for something just like this!

[neoc]

Not yet at modules again in my new game, but indeed defaults of Bob's Modules are ridiculous. You even save power with speed modules if I remember correctly (one moduled assembler consumes less per production unit than the corresponding amount of unmoduled assemblers). I have no idea how anyone would think this is balanced in any way... and I never saw God Modules before the nerfs...

In the end productivity modules were all I used in a previous game because they had no speed penalty iirc.

[Coppermine]

Updated to Factorio 0.17.

Also fixed an issue that's existed since Bob removed electrum plates from his mods.

[bobingabout]

Also fixed an issue that's existed since Bob removed electrum plates from his mods.

I removed electrum a long time ago because IRL it's more of an ore broken down to create silver and gold separately, and I personally only used it in a single recipe.

I did try and let people know I was going to do it about 2 months before I actually did it.

[Coppermine]

I did try and let people know I was going to do it about 2 months before I actually did it.

No worries. I haven't really played Factorio for nearly a year, so it's not surprising I didn't notice. Some folks reported it on the mod portal for this mod, but of course that doesn't really help because of the lack of notifications.

[Coppermine]

This has been updated to Factorio 0.18 (back in January).

I've also just released a minor update to improve compatibility with the CircuitProcessing and module-requestor mods.