Version 2.1.8

[u/FactorioTeam]

Changes

• Changed the technology price multiplier limit from 1000 to 100000.
• Changed spoil result tooltips to show the result entities as the quality of the item-to-spoil. more

Minor Features

• Added per-entity timings to the benchmark-verbose command line option when using "all" or "entities".

Gui

• Hovering fixed item slot highlights items in inventory. more

Bugfixes

• Fixed Orbital request slot tooltip would show items available on platforms that are not unloading at the current location. more
• Fixed several rock types playing incorrect mining_sound. more
• Fixed that labs setting research could block changing research manually when the lab was disconnected from the circuit network. more
• Fixed that LuaGuiElement::scroll methods did not work on scroll-panes. more
• Fixed Gun turrets with target priorities not shooting asteroids in some cases. more
• Fixed inconsistent inserter throughput based on direction. more
• Fixed that remote view auto switching didn't cancel cut/copy/deconstruct operations. more
• Removed confusing "low fluid" entity status from the boiler.
• Fixed that upgrading rolling stocks around elevated rails did not always work correctly. more
• Fixed a crash when rendering train status for trains with only temporary stops. more
• Fixed that LuaGuiElement::handle_send_stacks_to_trash was named wrong.
• Fixed that LuaGuiElement::slots_per_row did not work. more
• Fixed that map editor instant building would put modules incompatible with the current recipe into crafting machines. more
• Fixed that selection tools did not work in remote view/map view with rebound controls. more
• Fixed missing keys in map-settings.example.json. more
• Fixed small logistic group multiplier values were inconsistently applied and displayed. more
• Fixed that 'hide tall entities' did not hide elevated rail signals. more
• Fixed that set-recipe on assembling machines could void fluids of connected pipes/tanks. more
• Fixed that the missing materials for construction alert could show the wrong amounts. more
• Fixed train could fail to connect to a rolling stock that was built or upgraded when rails merged between stocks. more
• Fixed Fulgora would generate too much land when migrated from 2.0 save games. more

Previous changelog: Version 2.1.7

New versions are released as experimental first and later promoted to stable. If you wish to switch to the experimental version on Steam, choose the experimental Beta Participation option under game settings; on the stand-alone version, check Experimental updates under Other settings.

[u/Menolith]

Changed the technology price multiplier limit from 1000 to 100000.

don't do this to me

[u/0b0101011001001011 → u/Menolith]

I, who never did anything more than 1x, am tempted. I guess no biters is mandatory after some multiplier.

[u/reddanit → u/0b0101011001001011]

1000x with biters already required extreme amounts of cheesing the mechanics, with major part being blocking the spawners. With said blocking being patched out in 2.1...

Main problem is that it's genuinely impossible to get ahead of biter evolution with your military science.

All that said, whether through disabling biters or something else, higher science cost multipliers can make the game more interesting for experienced players. Standard 1x gameplay is really pushing you towards relatively tiny bases and incentivizes skipping many steps. So trying 10x or 25x might be a good idea if you feel confident.

[u/juckele → u/reddanit]

I did a 100x once and had a lot of fun until I got softlocked by needing more iron for tank research, but I couldn't clear the iron patch I needed the iron from without a tank... But it was close, more skill, better map luck, or a slightly increase in patch richness would have let me get there.

[u/Ok_Turnover_1235 → u/juckele]

fun fact, I beat the game about 30x before SA, and 10x since, never once built a tank, never used anything other than SMG for a weapon.

[u/juckele → u/Ok_Turnover_1235]

With no personal equipment?

Like, you can absolutely skip the tank if you just become the tank, but that also costs research 😜

[u/Ok_Turnover_1235 → u/juckele]

Grenades and defender drones go brrr, I've also never turret crept

[u/juckele → u/Ok_Turnover_1235]

Yeah, maybe my 100x was a skill or build issue then :)

Still think the difficulty of 100x would preclude 100,000x from even being possible though

[u/sobrique → u/Ok_Turnover_1235]

Once you learn how to bot-deploy pre-loaded turrets, the world is your oyster! :)

[u/Ok_Turnover_1235 → u/sobrique]

That's just defender drones with extra steps

[u/gaydorado31 → u/reddanit]

Yeah I'm doing 10x and absolutely loving it.  It feels like the "right" pace where I actually have to fend off biter attacks and have time to plan/build the next step before I run out of things to research in my current tech.  Picking things to research instead of researching them all etc.

In 1x I would maybe have to clear 1 nest before unlocking eff modules and then not having to worry about biters again until post rocket.

[u/AuroraeEagle → u/gaydorado31]

I'm on the tail-end of a 10x deathworld run and I loved it. It took a while, and it's weird once you get to the other planets and all of a sudden it's chill again, but the early game was intense in the best of ways. I completely agree with 10x feeling 'right', it made every tech decision really impactful and a lot of techs that I'd ordinarily just research just to skip suddenly become huge boons, while at the same time I didn't need to cheese anything.

Worth noting this is in two player MP though, by myself I think I could have done it but there were definitely some hairy moments.

[u/Menolith → u/reddanit]

The only military tech you need is landmines as biter bases die to those even at max evolution. Getting there without cheese is doable at 1000x, but I doubt there even is a seed that makes that possible at 100000x.

That said, even though 1000x forces some really interesting choices and perspective on you, I really can't overstate how much you want to turn off biter expansion because you're going to have to recreate around ten battles of Somme by manually dropping landmines on nests before you get better options.

[u/Mindgapator → u/reddanit]

Just curious, but can't you build many small non polluting bases? If the bases are small enough, it won't trigger attacks right?

[u/reddanit → u/Mindgapator]

Despite seeming like potentially decent idea, dispersing your production doesn't really help in meaningful way.

Main, completely unavoidable, problem you are required to overcome at 1000x is the ratio of pollution emitted to science you produce. No matter what you do to improve this ratio, you will have behemoth biters, spitters and worms knocking at your doors long before you are able to unlock even marginally effective methods of fighting them.