Normal6969 learns to do modpacks here. :)

[Normal69]

Yes I know it is terrible to upload this unprepared for the rigorous rules and guildelines early in the morning.
I am just happy that the mods together are still working together - and I feel the same if I gave you some new ideas.

In theory you will be able to import the pack with ModMyFactory: https://github.com/Artentus/ModMyFactory2/releases
The importable file is the one you dowload and unzip from the bottom.

Some recap of how this became:

My favourite games are those which I could transform with mods to my unrefined tastes. It's a hobby.

Krastorio 2 and Space Exploration are already compatible, after looking around I've spiced them up with several interesting, dangerous and quality of life mods, trying to keep in mind the loading time and how well it runs. Always check the mod options fully.

A lot of combinations were taken from other modpacks I've tried to play, I encourage you to do the same.
I have an ongoing playthru, where my character and knowledge survives the world-reset after overhauling the pack again and again.

I'd also be glad if you direct me to a text based FAQ how can I upload this to the mod portal as a real pack. Please?

Updated the mods (202-01-08), removed Map Cleanup as it caused errors (after map restart via NewGame+, and missing chunks in Factorissimo houses).

Have fun!

[Normal69]

It seems that these mods need to be activated whatever I do :
-Bio Industries
-Shield Projector

Just edited the files. Hope they are right now.
Those 12 people who downloaded it:
I'd be happy to have some feedback.

[Normal69]

See a short recap what kinds of mods are there:

aai-industry - some light recipe and research modifications, a bit more burner stuff
aai-programmable-structures - automated control, depos, garages, auto-deployment of vehicles
aai-programmable-vehicles - for automated vehicles (can be set up like a strategy game)
aai-signal-transmission - wireless logisctics even between planets
aai-signals - special signal types for the above
aai-vehicles-chaingunner - your usual turret on tracks
aai-vehicles-flame-tank - scaled up spider exterminator
aai-vehicles-flame-tumbler - a crash-proof racecar with flamers
aai-vehicles-hauler - a transport truck (my low-level long range transport - use shipt clicks to set up a route-loop, then set the vehicle on it)
aai-vehicles-laser-tank - your energy turret on tracks
aai-vehicles-miner - moving mine, park it on an ore patch, also harvests wood and uses it as fuel
aai-vehicles-warden - a multipurpose armed repair vehicle
aai-zones - set up restricted zones for the programmed auto-behaviors above
AfraidOfTheDark - better flashlight and lamps
Aircraft - from a simple scout ro the flying fortress, AAI covers them too
alien-biomes - biomes on different planets
Big_Brother - surveillance buildings
Bio_Industries - biology related factories, terraformers, but compressed logistics, like solar farm, power pole and substation
bobinserters - after several researches, tell your inserters exactly where from/to move
Bottleneck - icons will show problems with production lines
bullet-trails - nice looks
car-finder - where I've parked?
Cold_biters - cold themed enemies for cold biomes, several researches and stuff
combat-mechanics-overhaul - combat-related settings, for example shots don't go over walls, acid pools don't hurt fliers, and such
Companion_Drones - your personal entourage of death-buld drones
CopyPasteModules - copy module setup with recipes
Enhanced_Map_Colors - nice
even-distribution - draging your items over containers distribute them evenly
Explosive_biters - hot themed enemies for hot biomes, several researches and stuff
Factorissimo2 - different sized houses with bigger, but limited surfaces, makes it easier to group and move your factories (use Factory Bulk Transfer Pipes for fluid trasfer)
factoryplanner - play your ftroughput and craft speed
Fill4Me - auto filling fuel into anything placed down
flib - library mod for other stuff
Flow Control - fixed shapes for pipes, for tight areas
FNEI - search all recipes
grappling-gun - shoot where you want to go
informatron - wiki mod for AAI and Space Exploration
jetpack - fly with fuel, an armor module
Krastorio2 - a difficulty and function overhaul, the end-game is to open a wormhole to message home, lots of interesting and useful stuff
Krastorio2Assets - library mod for other stuff
manual-inventory-sort - sort inventories with a button combo or click (I set up the buttons)
MF_Base - library mod for other stuff
Mining_Drones - wind up dwarves for mining with a depot - no power needed, but pollutes
Mobile_Factory - 3 kinds of crawler-vehicles, inside can be expanded, has an matter-storage system like Applied Energistics
Mobile_Factory-Jets - multipurpose flying drones for that
Mobile_Factory_Graphics - library mod for other stuff
more-minimap-autohide-017 - don't get it in the way
Natural_Evolution_Buildings2 - buffed up enemies with several researches and buildables
NewGamePlus - restart your game, but keep evolution/inventory/research intact (a great testing tool, I've used it 5 times already on my playtrough when the mods changed a lot)
Nightfall - enemies come at night
Nova-Natural_Evolution_Enemies - library mod for other stuff
Noxys_Extra_Settings_Info - in the mod settings tooltips say min/max values too
Noxys_Trees - tree growth and spread
Noxys_Waterfill - amke water holes, research, and crafting is needed
NPBees2 - make resources, but needs several researches and complicated production
qol_research - better avatar abilities via research
RateCalculator - select a production line, it auto-calculates the speed of components and recipes
Reactor Interface - a logistic connection for start/stop a reactor
robot_attrition - drones can break down on different planets
Robot_Battery_Research - as it says
RPGsystem - better avatar abilities via combat experience
shield-projector - as it says, needed for Space Exploration to protect your ship from meteors
space-exploration - your quadrant of galaxy to explore, huge amount of new stuff, really extended engame to fly home in a huge built starchip
space-exploration-graphics - library mod for other stuff
space-exploration-graphics-2 - library mod for other stuff
space-exploration-graphics-3 - library mod for other stuff
space-exploration-graphics-4 - library mod for other stuff
space-exploration-graphics-5 - library mod for other stuff
space-exploration-postprocess - library mod for other stuff, other mod compatibilities
spidertron-logistics - buffing it with new possibilities, remote control on different planets
Squeak Through - you can walk between connecting buildings, and over pipes
stdlib - library mod for other stuff
TimeTools - change time and day-speed
Todo-List - don't forget what you wanted to do yesterday, an in-game notepad, assign work to others in multiplayer
Transport_Drones - little cars trasferring resources over prebuilt roads, less laggy than drone network, a lot of different researches
VehicleSnap - choose degrees of turning to snap to
VoidChestPlus - anything you put in, disappears
Water_Ores - oregen over water

[Normal69]

By the way, if you speak mordorian, here are some moments:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... i44x0Ggi4d

[Normal69]

I'll cross my fingers that there are no problems with this:
https://mods.factorio.com/mod/unholy_legacy

It seems that only one version number was mistyped.

[robot256]

Looks like an ambitious pack! I'll just make a comment that for mods with a lot of mandatory dependencies like Space Exploration, you don't have to include all of its dependencies in your info.json unless you want to peg all of them equal to a specific version. That way, if their list changes, you don't have to update your pack.

[Normal69]

Looks like an ambitious pack! I'll just make a comment that for mods with a lot of mandatory dependencies like Space Exploration, you don't have to include all of its dependencies in your info.json unless you want to peg all of them equal to a specific version. That way, if their list changes, you don't have to update your pack.

Thank you!
Do you mean I should remove lines like these?

Code: Select all

    "shield-projector >= 0.1.3",
    "space-exploration-graphics >= 0.5.14",
    "space-exploration-graphics-2 >= 0.1.1",
    "space-exploration-graphics-3 >= 0.1.1",
    "space-exploration-graphics-4 >= 0.1.1",
    "space-exploration-graphics-5 >= 0.1.2",
    "space-exploration-postprocess >= 0.5.27",

I've thought by using this "greater than" version number, any later version would fit in.

[robot256]

Yes, that's right. The Space Exploration mod itself is already a modpack, which sets the versions of everything it needs to function. Anything required there doesn't need to be also listed in yours. More importantly, putting just "Space Exploration" in your modpack makes it easy for users to see what's in it without confusing them. (Also reduces the amount of work you need to do, and opportunities for mistakes, copying/updating the Space Exploration dependency list into your list.)

Other mods that fall into this category are Krastorio 2 Assets, Factorio Standard Library, Mobile Factory Graphics, MF: Base, Informatron, Jetpack, AAI Signal Transmission, Alien Biomes, AAI Industries, AAI Signals, AAI Zones.

Strictly speaking, there's no need to specify versions in your modpack for anything if the latest version of everything works together when you first release it. If some mods update and cause a new incompatibility bug, you might need to put a "=" version requirement to avoid using the later, breaking version until the bug is fixed. Other than that, you can just have the mod names in your list and if someone has a problem, they just need to update to the latest of everything.

[Normal69]

Yes, that's right. The Space Exploration mod itself is already a modpack, which sets the versions of everything it needs to function. Anything required there doesn't need to be also listed in yours. More importantly, putting just "Space Exploration" in your modpack makes it easy for users to see what's in it without confusing them. (Also reduces the amount of work you need to do, and opportunities for mistakes, copying/updating the Space Exploration dependency list into your list.)

Other mods that fall into this category are Krastorio 2 Assets, Factorio Standard Library, Mobile Factory Graphics, MF: Base, Informatron, Jetpack, AAI Signal Transmission, Alien Biomes, AAI Industries, AAI Signals, AAI Zones.

Strictly speaking, there's no need to specify versions in your modpack for anything if the latest version of everything works together when you first release it. If some mods update and cause a new incompatibility bug, you might need to put a "=" version requirement to avoid using the later, breaking version until the bug is fixed. Other than that, you can just have the mod names in your list and if someone has a problem, they just need to update to the latest of everything.

Thank you!
I will notice if something off because I'm currently playing it.

Another questin: is this arrangement for the pack a problem, or it's enough to remove already standing dependencies (like you wrote) when I'll refresh the pack?

[robot256]

It's not a problem as it is. You can clean it up later. Have fun!

[Normal69]

Strictly speaking, there's no need to specify versions in your modpack for anything if the latest version of everything works together when you first release it. If some mods update and cause a new incompatibility bug, you might need to put a "=" version requirement to avoid using the later, breaking version until the bug is fixed. Other than that, you can just have the mod names in your list and if someone has a problem, they just need to update to the latest of everything.

Oh wow, this is wonderful!

So it would work like this?

Code: Select all

    "TimeTools",
    "!Todo-List",
    "?Transport_Drones",

Please confirm. :O

[robot256]

So it would work like this?

Code: Select all

    "TimeTools",
    "!Todo-List",
    "?Transport_Drones",

Please confirm. :O

Yes, just like that!

You probably saw there are two other dependency prefixes, optional hidden "(?)" [to force load order without cluttering the list] and non-ordered "~" [intentionally ignore load order], but those aren't needed for modpacks at all.

[Normal69]

You probably saw there are two other dependency prefixes, optional hidden "(?)" [to force load order without cluttering the list] and non-ordered "~" [intentionally ignore load order], but those aren't needed for modpacks at all.

Of course! Would I lie to you?

No I didn't.
All the indo I've got is from looking into other modpack zips.

So we have a load order?
Why? What is it for? How it would react if a ~ mod ignores it?
So many questions, and so little time!

[robot256]

Give the docs a read: https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/Data-Lifecycle.html

Mod A can only reference or modify things made by Mod B if the other mod was loaded first during a particular stage. Mod A includes a dependency on Mod B to make sure that Mod B always loads before it. If Mod C needs to modify Mod A, and includes its own dependency, then the game will always load Mod B, then Mod A, then Mod C.

This is also the reason that you have to reload the entire game every time you change anything in the mod configuration. Any mod can modify any other mod that loads before it, and slight changes in one mod or its dependencies can change the load order or game state for everything else.

But what happens if Mod A requires Mod B, and Mod B requires Mod A? That's a circular dependency. Mod B can't change Mod A if Mod A also has to change Mod B because one of them has to load before the other. If, however, Mod B needs Mod A to exist when the game starts but doesn't need to change Mod A during loading, then Mod B can include Mod A as an unordered dependency. No loops, and both mods still get installed together automatically.

This feature was added specifically for Space Exploration, where the Postprocess script has everything as hard dependencies so it loads last (since it changes all the recipes and technologies based on what you have installed), but the main mod has Postprocess as an unordered dependency so that nobody forgets it by accident.

[Normal69]

Give the docs a read: https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/Data-Lifecycle.html

...

This feature was added specifically for Space Exploration, where the Postprocess script has everything as hard dependencies so it loads last (since it changes all the recipes and technologies based on what you have installed), but the main mod has Postprocess as an unordered dependency so that nobody forgets it by accident.

You are a good teacher.

So my "modpack mod" is loaded last as it has hard dependencies for everything, except where - by your wise lead - I've removed the dependent-dependent mods.

I was wondering if I can make a compatibility patch for two mods which have some items duplicated, like sand or oxygen, and you seem to provided the info for that.
For example the Krastorio2 one is called Sand and the Mobile Factory one is mfSand.

[robot256]

You could, but it could also be a separate patch mod. Maybe message the author of this one to try adding it: https://mods.factorio.com/mod/MF_Compat

That type of compatibility fix typically requires looping through every recipe and changing one ingredient name to another. This would go in data-final-fixes.lua.

[Normal69]

You could, but it could also be a separate patch mod. Maybe message the author of this one to try adding it: https://mods.factorio.com/mod/MF_Compat

That type of compatibility fix typically requires looping through every recipe and changing one ingredient name to another. This would go in data-final-fixes.lua.

I've dropped him a comment, thanks!
I lack the exact knowledge, but I've offered him to do the boring Notepad++ work.

[Normal69]

My gaming friend commented on me that I am a chicken and will never reach space.
So I've thought about it, and took his hidden wisdom to my hearth.

Went looking around for another modpack-solution for providing more recipe advancements, different paths of going forwards, keeping the adventure aspect, perhaps multiplayer and easier loading/running.

It might be a success and a new pack coming around, dubbed Kras Ghoulash, from your favourite ork mekboy granpa.

Space Exploration and it's dependecies went away, freeing up almost 350MB from loading.
Tried Dark Utilities which is a fine one, but haven't been updated for a time, now I'm looking into 248k with great interest.
There are several modules from ModMash Splinters which I fit in, for example we have now underground levels, and different dimensions?
Must play with it a few hundred hours till I'm satisfied with the unbalances I'll introduce.
Also found a few quality of life ones.

Plus Team Competition seems to be a great one, teams with separate starting places, diplomacy, new dangers, no offline biter attacks, npc market, and several types of game:


For example this is a possible starting area:


They are running together, and I am testing.

[Normal69]

For all of your dose of horror and terror: https://mods.factorio.com/mod/kras_ghoulash

[Normal69]

I wonder how I can make the mod-settings for the pack public?
As an optional thing if you wanna play my packs with the balance I consider pleasing?