TL;DR
Instead of chain_probability being static per quality, it should be allowed to depend on factory quality bonusWhat?
Currently, chain_probability is fixed per quality level. If you set it to 20%, that 20% is the same whether a machine has +25% quality or 1% quality.What I propose is chain_probability should be scaled by the quality bonus of the machine doing the craft. So if you have 1% chance to get from common to uncommon, you have 1%*1% to get to rare, rather than 1% * 10%.
Example - vanilla, with 2% quality, 10% chain_probability:
10000 iron ore -> 9800 common plates, 180 uncommon, 18 rare, 2 epic, ~0 legendary
Example - suggested, with 2% quality, 100% chain_probability (so each next level is also 2%)
10000 iron ore -> 9800 common, 196 uncommon, 4 rare, ~0 epic, ~0 legendary
Example - vanilla, with 50% quality, 10% chain_probability:
10000 iron ore -> 5000 common plates, 4500 uncommon, 450 rare, 45 epic, 5 legendary
Example - suggested, with 50% quality, 100% chain_probability (so each next level is also 50%)
10000 iron ore -> 5000 common, 2500 uncommon, 1250 rare, 625 epic, 625 legendary
You see now the return from quality is much clearer. If you have very low quality, you should expect almost no legendary items until you are making millions. Compared to vanilla, where you get legendary much more easily.
Alternative to leave Vanilla alone
This could be implemented instead as chain_probability_scale. Total chain probability = chain_probability + chain_probability_scale * machine::quality_bonus. Vanilla could leave it as is and have chain_probability_scale = 0, which leaves total = static, so mods could do their own thing.Why?
This seems more logical, for one. The probability to go up one tier depends on the machine. Why doesn't the chain probability?But even if vanilla stayed the same without scaling, mods can do more interesting things here. E.g. they could set chain_previous_probability_scale to -99% and have almost all goods come out as minimum tier until you add quality to "fix" the machine.