[MOD 2.1] Quality Degrader

[againey]

Name: Quality Degrader
Description: Facilitate early-game quality with a machine that downgrades quality items by a single quality level. It's like manufacturing with mixed quality ingredients, but only if you manage the logistics puzzle effectively.
License: 0BSD
Version: 0.2.0
Release: 2026-06-27
Tested with Factorio version: 2.1.8
Category: Content
Tag: Manufacturing
Download Url: https://mods.factorio.com/mod/quality-degrader
Website: https://github.com/againey/factorio-quality-degrader

Long Description

• Would you like to go all-in with **early game quality** before unlocking the recycler?
• Are you frustrated that an excess of quality items will **eventually block** your normal factory?
• Do you wish you could used **mixed qualities** in your manufacturing to resolve the blockage?

The degrader gives you the tools to make it happen. But you'll still need to earn it through careful logistics. As long as your factory continues to consume normal quality ingredients, the degrader allows you to keep any excess of quality items under control. By converting items to lower qualities—all the way down to normal if necessary—you can feed your machines with the matching ingredients they demand.

Features:

• Adds the degrader, a 2x2 burner furnace for running quality degrading recipes, modeled on the burner mining drill.
• All recyclable items also get a quality degrading recipe to decrease quality by one level.
• All technologies that unlock quality are amended to also unlock the degrader.

Gallery

A degrader stack in action:


Tooltip for a degrader:

Changelog

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Version: 0.2.0
Date: 2026-06-27

Changes:

• Degrader recipe takes burner mining drill and quality modules, fewer other ingredients

Features:

• Support for multiple independent quality sets

Bugfixes:

• Degrader will determine output slot count after all quality prototypes have been loaded

Modding:

• Can explicitly generate degrading recipes for non-recycling recipes

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Version: 0.1.0
Date: 2026-06-24

Features:

• Initial release
• The degrader, a 2x2 burner furnace for running quality degrading recipes
• Quality degrading recipes for all recyclable items to decrease quality by one level
• All technologies that unlock quality amended to also unlock the degrader
• Adjusts tree selection box to be less obtrusive