Please review my mod list for a mellow first Py run

[RunItsATrap]

I have been playing Factorio since 0.14, including several 1-2kspm factories, big city grid, most of the big mod packs (i.e., SeaBlock, Krastorio2, Space Revolution, Industrial Revolution, Schall, etc.).

I am happy to figure out complex stuff and dive deep; I have made big excel sheets for some packs, and programmed around the LUA data to figure out good production chains. The one thing I hate is having to let the game run on it's own for long time to slooooowly produce required items.

I'm about to start a Py run and have chosen these mods (full Py + my usual convenience mods):

Code: Select all

BeastFinder
Bottleneck
even-distribution
factoryplanner
far-reach
FNEI
PickerAtheneum
PickerBeltTools
PickerBlueprinter
PickerDollies
PickerExtended
Placeables
pyalienlife
pyalienlifegraphics
pyalienlifegraphics2
pyalienlifegraphics3
pycoalprocessing
pycoalprocessinggraphics
pyfusionenergy
pyfusionenergygraphics
pyhightech
pyhightechgraphics
pyindustry
pypetroleumhandling
pypetroleumhandlinggraphics
pyrawores
pyraworesgraphics
Squeak Through
Todo-List
VehicleSnap
Waterfill

Do you see anything wrong with that, or anything that's really really useful and you would suggest to add? Are any of the PyMods known to be fresh/buggy so much that you would suggest holding off on them for now?

I am not a masochist. That said, I am aware that picking all PyMods for a first run *is* masochistic, but I'm open to all QoLs or whatever else you have to suggest.

Finally - are default game settings fine, or should I really be tuning something (e.g., the resources or aliens) to have any chance of success/fun?

Thanks for any advice!

[ShadowGlass]

The official set of Pyanodon mods are not intended to be played with biters right now. Pollution, etc is not balanced. So I'd turn those off for a first run.

If you really like playing with biters, then add the Py Pollution and Energy fan made sub-mod. It balances pollution and lowers evolution to be playable (I'd probably lower the evolution even more. Py games are so long, that time based evolution really should be at 0).

RSO is a good fit with Pyanodon. There are lots of different resource types, and it spreads them out more. If you like train-bases, then I'd definitely recommend it. If you use RSO then lower the frequency of resources which have names ending with -rock or -reserve to the minimum, or almost minimum. These are mid-late game optional resources which are supposed to be very rare, but the RSO frequency defaults are too high for them.

If you like trains, then a train manager mod like LTN or TSM could be a good idea.

Many of the mod packs that you've played have built in loader recipes. PyMods don't have loaders, so if you want them, you should add a separate loader mod.

For some more generic advice, I think the main reason people give up on PyMods is overbuilding. There are 100s of different materials and intermediaries, but generally you don't need a huge amount of them (except for more basic resources like ores, sand etc.). Don't try to produce a full yellow belt of every component, it's better to size production based on demand.
I wouldn't target more than 0.1 science/sec until the endgame, there's simply no need for more. The game will take a few 100 hours, so even at that speed your factory will be idle a lot because you've researched everything on your current tech level.

The mods are considered stable, but there are still some occasional balancing or other small updates happening now and then.

[RunItsATrap]

Awesome, thanks for your advice. I was thinking about starting on an island to be safe from biters at the beginning, but I agree - if it's not intended to be played with biters and has no good tools to deal with them, I'll switch them off. There is nothing like collecting biter remains or something like that in the PyMods, right?

I do in fact love trains; I played with LTN in the past but was not a fan of the slightly buggy fluid handling (no fault of LTN, but wagons with mixed-up fluids were a real pain). I'll give TSM a try this time around.

Funny that you mention loaders - I did not use them in any of the mod packs I played; using inserters is so integral to the game for me that loaders just don't appeal at all.

[immortal_sniper1]

Awesome, thanks for your advice. I was thinking about starting on an island to be safe from biters at the beginning, but I agree - if it's not intended to be played with biters and has no good tools to deal with them, I'll switch them off. There is nothing like collecting biter remains or something like that in the PyMods, right?

I do in fact love trains; I played with LTN in the past but was not a fan of the slightly buggy fluid handling (no fault of LTN, but wagons with mixed-up fluids were a real pain). I'll give TSM a try this time around.

Funny that you mention loaders - I did not use them in any of the mod packs I played; using inserters is so integral to the game for me that loaders just don't appeal at all.

Awesome, thanks for your advice. I was thinking about starting on an island to be safe from biters at the beginning, but I agree - if it's not intended to be played with biters and has no good tools to deal with them, I'll switch them off. There is nothing like collecting biter remains or something like that in the PyMods, right?
as of now there is not , tho at some point there were plant for it (not sure if it will be done or not)

as pick a HUGE island for the start if you want biters , and prefferably put them of peacefull and set evolution very low

[kalashn1k0v]

I have about 250hrs with full pY suite. Two playthrouhs (50h and 200h). Didn't get to blue science yet Don't have much time at the moment.
Some additional suggestions for your mod list:
Must have:

• LTN - I have no idea how can you beat this mod pack without logistic trains or other similar mod. You must be a genius.
• RSO - The way resources spawn is much better. For my second pY run I increased Iron/Copper/RawCoal to 150%/150%/200%. Others default. But yeah, it is not perfect, and I would tune it more. This is actually a separate topic.

Optional:

• 'Alien Biomes' and 'Alien Biomes High-Res Terrain' -- Especially love winter biomes. Perfect eye-candy mod. For me personally is a must-have.
• Custom Map Colors - Easier to see things on a map.
• Py Quick Start - used it on my second run. It is a pain to play without personal roboport, and you'll get it after circuits tier 2, which might take 200+ hours.
• Yarm - Resource Monitor - Select an ore patch and it will show a percent to depletion. Love it
• Outpost planner - For me it is boring to setup miners every time... Select ore patch, direction, how many output belts you want and mod will put a blueprint automatically. with all pipes. Almost all pY ores require fluids. Beleive me, you'll have plenty to do with pY
• Dark Night - A really dark night. I love all those lights on buildings and also looks nice when you place a lot of lamps. Completely optional. Second pY run was with 'Py Quick Start', and it includes Night Vision goggles. So that time I played without dark night.
• 'Automatic Train Painter' and 'Fluid Wagon Color Mask' - works perfect with LTN. Automatically changes colors of a train based on content
• Teleporters - For the next pY run I consider using teleports. You factory is going to be HUGE, and even navigating with trains (which I love) is long... Starts boring later.
• Belt liner - easier to place belts. Try it

Waterfill - There are buildings to drill for water. This mod I consider a bit cheaty.

Also I configured map to have Water coverage and size to 500%, don't remember.
In RSO settings I have these changes:
- Size of generation region - changed from 7 to 10
- Starting richness multiplier - changed from 1 to 2
- Resource chance - changes from 0.5 to 0.4.
As a result I had pretty long distances between ore patches and almost enough resources in starting area to research trains.

Biters.
1st pY run - Started with biters and also with two mods "Cold biters" and "Explosive biters" (works nice with "Alien Biomes" mod). It becomes boring to clear big areas of them. Time Evolution was disabled, and even this won't help you.
2nd pY run - Disabled biters and pollution. Don't regret. pY suite is not about biters. Maybe in the future smth will change, like produce creatures and let them kill biters.
Your real enemies are trees and rocks.

Edit:
- My first factorio run - rocket launch in 70 hrs
- Second run - deathworld with 500spm and about 5k rockets launched.
- Third run - full pY suite with pyAL. Never tried other modpacks like Angels&Bobs or Krastorio

[RunItsATrap]

generally you don't need a huge amount of them

I'm almost done with automating red science, and I like the modpack a lot. I'm going with your recommendation of 0.1s/s, and indeed almost all items can be done with a single unit. I'm not doing a bus so far, and it's hilarious spaghetti. I've done so many very tidy bus-based factories that I'm very happy to play something that is not so throughput-sensitive.

[gxceb0t]

Darn it, you are tempting me! I'm 50 hours in to a new bob angel run though...

[kingarthur]

Darn it, you are tempting me! I'm 50 hours in to a new bob angel run though...

come to the dark side py is better.