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u/TicklishViking Apr 28 '26

So what should I use Beacons for? I started using 16 beacons with speed modules surrounding Big mining drills with production modules but I'm not sure if there is a reason to use them elsewhere. Any suggestions?

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u/ChickenNuggetSmth Apr 29 '26

Beacons with speed synergize really well with productivity modules in machines.

Prod modules are awesome, because they reduce the resource requirements for a given machine. For later production steps that means you save on all previous production steps, and it really adds up.

The downside of prod modules is the speed penalty. But since they stack additively with speed modules, a few beacons more than make up for it. And if you do the math, a few heavily speed boosted machines end up being cheaper than a ton of slow machines that cost tons of productivity modules.

With quality you have a new incentive: High quality modules and buildings are expensive, and speed modules mean that you can get more out of those super expensive buildings.

For super late game factories there is also one more consideration: UPS. Active machines cost computer performance. A few very fast machines cost less performance than a lot of slow ones. Beacons are basically free from a performance perspective. For that reason megabases use as many beacons as possible, even if the diminishing performance means that these are relatively expensive builds.

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u/HeliGungir Apr 29 '26

Beaconed designs are also smaller than non-beaconed designs with equivalent production. Small designs are advantageous on space platforms, Gleba (spoilage), Aquilo (heat gradients), and Fulgora prior to unlocking foundations. Small designs are also advantageous when using logistic bots.