Squarely Rates Mods

[SquarelyCircle]

I've created a spreadsheet with my preliminary mod ratings on mods that I've used sufficiently to make such an analysis. It is in a google spreadsheet. If you feel I missed the point, feel free to comment in this forum.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... sp=sharing

A special thanks to all the mod creators. If I seem harsh, know that I wouldn't bother commenting on your mod if I didn't think it was worth while.

As I say at the top of the spreadsheet:

N.B. I'm going off of my experience with the mods, which is usually in a highly modded situation. The mods may be intended for use in a vanilla game, or along with other specific mods, so the various qualities may not reflect the mod in its optimal configuration. I just figured having a rating/comment is better than nothing. Also... it's not really very comparative. A mod could get a really low score, and it's only low FOR THAT MOD. After all, I LOVE bob's inserters, but I didn't give it a perfect score because I have high expectations from it. In contrast, the clock is just a clock, and yet I gave it a better score than bob's inserters.

It's especially important to note that a mod may lose points for trying to do something, and not doing it perfectly, while another mod may retain points for not bothering trying. That's not really a great way to judge mods, so all of this has to be taken with a grain of salt.

And, for the heck of it (this actually leaves out most great mods), according to my spreadsheet, the top-rated mods are (in alphabetical order):

Alien Biomes
Ammobox, when the turret is removed and the price is adjusted (https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2dPrr ... sp=sharing)
Better fluid colors
Chainsaw
Equipment hotkeys
Explosive Excavation
Extra-large storage tanks
Honk
ItemCount
LightedElectricPoles
Long-X-Research
minimap autohide
Omnibarrels
pollution detector
Remove mod names
Squeak through
Textplates
Useful Map colors
Wagon Capacity Color

[Nexela]

Handy Hands -- You can set stack size for individual items by holding the item in your hand and increasing or decresing the size using the hotykey.

Slow Key -- You can change the keybind.... Also the latest version lets you know when you are in slow-mode

[Optera]

I'd be interested to see the ratings for these two mods of mine.
Logistic Train Network -- build a train based logistic network
Inventory Sensor -- read inventories of wagons, cars, furnaces and more

[SquarelyCircle]

Handy Hands -- You can set stack size for individual items by holding the item in your hand and increasing or decresing the size using the hotykey.

Slow Key -- You can change the keybind.... Also the latest version lets you know when you are in slow-mode

Thanks for the info. I was aware of the ability to change the key for slow key. My comment about accidentally hitting it is more of a comment of relative value - I almost never use it on purpose.

As far as Handy Hands goes, I'm gonna be using the heck out of the individual item stack size feature! Thanks!

[SquarelyCircle]

I'd be interested to see the ratings for these two mods of mine.
Logistic Train Network -- build a train based logistic network
Inventory Sensor -- read inventories of wagons, cars, furnaces and more

I'll install the mods and do a run through. It'll be like a week or more before I'll review them.

[SquarelyCircle]

I'd be interested to see the ratings for these two mods of mine.
Logistic Train Network -- build a train based logistic network
Inventory Sensor -- read inventories of wagons, cars, furnaces and more

I reviewed the LTN mod. Basically, it's great, but it doesn't fit my play style. I can imagine using it later on, so I'll revisit it later, if I keep with this base. I think that there are some players who will definitely benefit from using it, though.
Also, I like the inventory sensor. Like most additional combinators, I see no down sides to it.

[Optera]

I'd be interested to see the ratings for these two mods of mine.
Logistic Train Network -- build a train based logistic network
Inventory Sensor -- read inventories of wagons, cars, furnaces and more

I reviewed the LTN mod. Basically, it's great, but it doesn't fit my play style. I can imagine using it later on, so I'll revisit it later, if I keep with this base. I think that there are some players who will definitely benefit from using it, though.
Also, I like the inventory sensor. Like most additional combinators, I see no down sides to it.

Thanks for the review. I know even a simple order like "Take all ore and oil and bring it here" can be made much more efficient with LTN from my own Megabase.

For the longest time I used one train for every connection witch utilized trains very poorly. They where either running around mostly full or waited in the Mine for the Unload station to have room for more ore which required every Mine to be connected by wire and caused all trains to arrive at once when I needed some ore.

LTN cuts down the number of trains to what is needed for providing the throughput smelters/oil refineries are capable of. In case of my Megabase I went from 10 to 4 Oil trains for example.
It also makes sure to send trains to the station providing most of an item, which is especially useful for me as on my old maps depleted oil wells provide ~80% of my oil.

[SquarelyCircle]

I'd be interested to see the ratings for these two mods of mine.
Logistic Train Network -- build a train based logistic network
Inventory Sensor -- read inventories of wagons, cars, furnaces and more

I reviewed the LTN mod. Basically, it's great, but it doesn't fit my play style. I can imagine using it later on, so I'll revisit it later, if I keep with this base. I think that there are some players who will definitely benefit from using it, though.
Also, I like the inventory sensor. Like most additional combinators, I see no down sides to it.

Thanks for the review. I know even a simple order like "Take all ore and oil and bring it here" can be made much more efficient with LTN from my own Megabase.

For the longest time I used one train for every connection witch utilized trains very poorly. They where either running around mostly full or waited in the Mine for the Unload station to have room for more ore which required every Mine to be connected by wire and caused all trains to arrive at once when I needed some ore.

LTN cuts down the number of trains to what is needed for providing the throughput smelters/oil refineries are capable of. In case of my Megabase I went from 10 to 4 Oil trains for example.
It also makes sure to send trains to the station providing most of an item, which is especially useful for me as on my old maps depleted oil wells provide ~80% of my oil.

Yeah, I might try to set up the LTN again when my base gets bigger, and I'm getting more resources from more locations. Heck, I'll probably start using it within the base to transport items to and from the production zones. Maybe I tried to get straight to it, when my base really wasn't ready.

[SquarelyCircle]

I've updated the LTN score after finding out how much I need it. There's an issue, though, which can cause trains to never fulfill their deliveries or fulfill inaccurate deliveries. It could possibly be fixed by limiting what items the train car will accept (usually middle mouse button). I have a station that is storing coal and stone, and when the train is asking for stone, but gets both, it won't move for a couple minutes. Of course, I've fixed this by dividing the station into two stations (a coal station and a stone station), but it would be pretty nice if the logistics train wouldn't take anything it didn't need. I don't know if that's asking for too much, like a reprogram or something. If so, the LTN is insanely useful as it is.
Update: Actually, I'm not sure I identified the issue correctly. I'll PM you personally about it.

I've also added a review for the Cursor Lock mod by Articulating (https://mods.factorio.com/mods/Articulating/CursorLock).

[SquarelyCircle]

Yeah, once my base got to a certain size, it became way better to just have all the train stations be logistic stations.

[bigyihsuan]

Do you think you could review my mod Complicated Recipes? I need some feedback on whether or not if the mod has any bugs, needs improvements, etc, since only 1 person total has given me feedback on the mod so far.

I would recommend playing with it in a completely clean install with vanilla/a few/a bunch of utility mods because it was designed around a mostly vanilla install.

[SquarelyCircle]

Do you think you could review my mod Complicated Recipes? I need some feedback on whether or not if the mod has any bugs, needs improvements, etc, since only 1 person total has given me feedback on the mod so far.

I would recommend playing with it in a completely clean install with vanilla/a few/a bunch of utility mods because it was designed around a mostly vanilla install.

Sure, I'll spend some time deciding what mods might be ok to run with it, then I'll start a new play through using it. It might be a couple weeks before I review it.