Factorio Forums

TL;DR

A post-endgame lab that is researched with promethium science, is fueled with biter eggs, can be built anywhere, has lower research speed, but higher module slots and power demands.

What?

This would add a somewhat side-grade biolab, allowing you to research anywhere with some constraints.

-The lab itself would only be a regular lab, losing all biolab abilities (2x science duration and crafting speeds). However, it would instead have a total of 16 module slots.

-Power requirements would be 20x that of the biolab, demanding large and efficient fusion power as the productivity modules further increase the power demands.

-A small amount of biter eggs would be needed for fuel. This is not critical to the idea, and can be dropped, but is pretty funny. It also fits how biter eggs are needed for promethium science.

The large amount of requirements means this lab would only be optimal far into endgame, after legendary quality is mass produced, to the point where the labs themselves would need to have some quality as well.

However, it could still be useable even without quality modules, if one is so inclined to research with a slight penalty.

There would technically be a point where biolabs outperform the promethium labs, but it would require an obscene amount of research productivity, and it would only be by a small amount.

Why?

This adds a few things to the game:

-Adds extra incentives to make high quality modules, as this only performs well with epic/legendary support.
-Gives promethium science something to unlock other than one tech. Since science is the theme of promethium packs, it would also be fitting.
-Allows people to build science anywhere efficiently, which many people want to do.
-Fueling science with biter babies is funny, and fitting for promethium science.

Edit: Maths have suggested about ~20-24 module slots would be needed rather than 16 if 100% science pack drain is used.

The way you suggested it, this would be entirely useless. Due to the research productivity research, which is additive with prod modules in your labs, the additional module slots will barely be profitable. Assumung legendary prod mod 3s, your total research per science pack on the normal bio lab is 2*(2+10X%), where X is the level of research productivity. Yours would have 5+10X%. Thus, as long as you have more then 10 levels of resarch productivity, the normal bio lab is better. With higher levels, it gets even better.

Furthermore, it is incredibly unlikely that the devs will add a new lab to the game. This could be a fun concept for a mod.

Well, considering promethium science packs don't really do much currently, I wouldn't shelve it as that unlikely.

As for the math, it absolutely is designed that the biolab would outmatch the promethium labs, as stated in OP, this is more for flexibility on where to build your labs.

That said, I hadn't done the math strictly to find out at what level, that does feel a bit low. Each module slot would delay that point by only 2.5 research productivity. Considering research productivity uses an exponential growth function, this wouldn't mean many more module slots would be needed to get a good comparison with biolabs. Perhaps even a rounded number like 20 is good enough. Although of course at a certain point you'd even need to add speed modules in there as the beacons become inadequate, so even higher module amounts could work.

A compromise of 75% science pack drain would make this considerably easier to balance, but I think it's more fun to have something with gigantic module slots.

i think a post end game lab that would be less good than biolabs is underwhelming and unlikely

Well, tuning doesn't have much to do with the merits of a feature. Elevated rails would be a good feature, whether someone thought it would cost a billion stone.

That said, if it is to be built anywhere, I don't personally think it should have improved research over the existing lab since that is a benefit in it's own right. People don't seem to agree on that, though I guess.