Factorio Forums

First off - I know it's mod able. I have it. I think it shouldn't have to be modded.

It's really inconsistent and doesn't add anything. Every other end product on gleba doesn't spoil. Only science packs. Every other science pack doesn't spoil in any manner. Space logistics aren't robust enough to support the needless fine tuning for it.

There is no trade off for science packs being able to spoil. They're just crappy.

It adds a unique challenge because it can’t be stockpiled, and is one of the few reasons to build platforms that are as fast as possible.

Factorio is a game that rewards finding solutions to complex design challenges. Gleba is the most difficult of the challenges presented.

The big rewards include biolabs (insanely good), explosive damage research (spoiler: ), and research productivity upgrades (also requiring packs from Aquilo, which are not trivial to scale, either).

It is supposed to be hard, and to force you to master several facets of the game at once - space logistics, planetary logistics, and production on Gleba. Vulcanus is the easiest, not really presenting any challenges. Then Fulgora, which presents lots of challenges on-planet but none in space, then Gleba, which extends the challenge to logistics between itself and Nauvis, and finally Aquilo which extends the challenges to the whole playing field.

The only thing I don't like about ag science is being unable to connect a wire to labs. If I can't read the research or missing items then all I can do it either keep a steady stream of ag science coming in whether it spoils or not or manually prevent ag science requests when they aren't needed.

I've wired up a single lab by having it powered by an accu and using that to switch on other labs, but unless I am mistaken there is no way to "tell" that I am currently researching something that requires ag science.

It results in a choice between mandatory waste or manual intervention.

Hmm, I suppose I could setup one lab on gleba and detect if an inserter grabs an ag science pack, then turn on the rest of the biolabs and requests HMMMMMMMMMM But it will spoil and they will grab it anyway. Oh wait, I could detect if an inserter grabs a non spoilable science pack. OK NVM

adam_bise wrote: Fri Jan 17, 2025 3:58 pm Hmm, I suppose I could setup one lab on gleba and detect if an inserter grabs an ag science pack, then turn on the rest of the biolabs and requests HMMMMMMMMMM But it will spoil and they will grab it anyway. Oh wait, I could detect if an inserter grabs a non spoilable science pack. OK NVM

This is awesome. Definitely "auto Gleba halt" doable now.

Thank you.

Additional thoughts/hints:

adam_bise wrote: Fri Jan 17, 2025 3:58 pm The only thing I don't like about ag science is being unable to connect a wire to labs. If I can't read the research or missing items then all I can do it either keep a steady stream of ag science coming in whether it spoils or not or manually prevent ag science requests when they aren't needed.

That is an interesting and seemingly unavoidable problem. I just planted recyclers at the end of my science belts for the overflow ag packs and left the lights on at Gleba. It's brutish, but fits. As someone else pointed out, resources on Gleba are "free" (everything grows back or breeds itself) so you don't really need to conserve unused products, just trash them immediately. Keep the science flowing forever...even if it's right into the trash.

Making the packs themselves and transporting them is done with renewable resources; after a point its very easy to overproduce them at no resource cost. What difference does it make that you cant stockpile them? Just overproduce and burn the spoilage.

angal wrote: Fri Jan 17, 2025 7:31 pm

adam_bise wrote: Fri Jan 17, 2025 3:58 pm Hmm, I suppose I could setup one lab on gleba and detect if an inserter grabs an ag science pack, then turn on the rest of the biolabs and requests HMMMMMMMMMM But it will spoil and they will grab it anyway. Oh wait, I could detect if an inserter grabs a non spoilable science pack. OK NVM

This is awesome. Definitely "auto Gleba halt" doable now.

Thank you.

Additional thoughts/hints:

If you get spoilage out of the lab - current research don't need ag science. If no science where inserted in lab for a long time, either need ag science/researches stalled for other reason

Genius! Thanks!

It's not just that they turn into spoilage, they also provide less science the older they are. Which, by the way, I did not see explained anywhere. I had to notice by watching the packs get consumed by labs.

I know that you can add quality to them which increases their spoil time but I haven't tried it yet. Does it also increase the amount of science they produce (over and above 1, not just by lessening spoilage)? As if stands, you're forced to scale up Gleba beyond the other sciences just to keep up, even if you've got the interplanetary logistics worked out.

fatallight wrote: Sat Jan 18, 2025 1:55 pm It's not just that they turn into spoilage, they also provide less science the older they are. Which, by the way, I did not see explained anywhere. I had to notice by watching the packs get consumed by labs.

It's mentioned and shown in the Spoilables and research Tip & trick.