Space Platform 101 Discussion

Don't know how to use a machine? Looking for efficient setups? Stuck in a mission?
EustaceCS
Filter Inserter
Filter Inserter
Posts: 254
Joined: Tue Dec 15, 2020 5:41 am
Contact:

Re: Space Platform 101 Discussion

Post by EustaceCS »

Did, by any chance, anyone tried to field two specialized platforms (i. e. one for white science packs and another, let's say, for infinite iron ore)?
How landing pad with iron ore + white science packs request would gonna behave? Will iron ore bombardment continue indefinitely even if I'll assign science packs for shipment manually?
For singular iron ore + science packs platform, of course, platform, setting both orders to 10-10 SEEM to allow shipments auto-switch every once a while. 100-100 results in just infinite flood of same resource (1-8 items per capsule). Manual assignment for downwards shipping is seemingly ignored until something in space platform's brains snaps under unclear conditions.
Keeping 1 platform:1 shipped resource ratio will fix it, riiiiiight?
I'm probably too stupid for this automatized land<->air logistics...
Last edited by EustaceCS on Sun Oct 27, 2024 12:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Dyingsun
Manual Inserter
Manual Inserter
Posts: 1
Joined: Sun Oct 27, 2024 11:21 am
Contact:

Re: Space Platform 101 Discussion

Post by Dyingsun »

EustaceCS wrote: Sun Oct 27, 2024 9:58 am Did, by any chance, anyone tried to field two specialized platforms (i. e. one for white science packs and another, let's say, for infinite iron ore)?
(snip)
Keeping 1 platform:1 shipped resource ratio will fix it, riiiiiight?
Is this with one landing pad? I 'd test with 2 separate landing pads on the planet and have each with different requests from the platforms, see if this solves it.
User avatar
boskid
Factorio Staff
Factorio Staff
Posts: 3016
Joined: Thu Dec 14, 2017 6:56 pm
Contact:

Re: Space Platform 101 Discussion

Post by boskid »

Dyingsun wrote: Sun Oct 27, 2024 11:27 am with 2 separate landing pads on the planet.
But there is limit of at most 1 cargo landing pad per planet (per force).
kpreid
Long Handed Inserter
Long Handed Inserter
Posts: 57
Joined: Sat Jul 16, 2016 7:54 pm
Contact:

Re: Space Platform 101 Discussion

Post by kpreid »

EustaceCS wrote: Sun Oct 27, 2024 9:58 am 100-100 results in just infinite flood of same resource (1-8 items per capsule). Manual assignment for downwards shipping is seemingly ignored until something in space platform's brains snaps under unclear conditions.
It sounds like you have the same problem I had. There is an invisible limit on the number of cargo pods that can be in flight to the cargo landing pad (which is easily overwhelmed by automatically dropping asteroid resources). Build cargo bays and attach them to the landing pad to increase the number of landing slots. As far as I've noticed, it doesn't matter whether the resources are coming from a single platform or multiple platforms.

(I also posted a suggestion to make this less invisible.)
DragoonGXG
Inserter
Inserter
Posts: 31
Joined: Sun Oct 27, 2024 12:14 pm
Contact:

Re: Space Platform 101 Discussion

Post by DragoonGXG »

I'm having no problems at the moment. How much are you trying to send down exactly :shock:.
Cargo Bays
The screenshot doesn't do this justice unfortunately, the only bottleneck I have is the limited amount of space platform cargo bays.
I'm currently using 3 space platforms and haven't seen any issues.

Edit:
So I did some testing and everything scales fine.
I've doubled my space platforms and I'm still not having any issues.
Even More
DragoonGXG
Inserter
Inserter
Posts: 31
Joined: Sun Oct 27, 2024 12:14 pm
Contact:

Re: Space Platform 101 Discussion

Post by DragoonGXG »

I've posted this elsewhere, but I believe it would be better suited here...
Optimizing Your Space Platform
*Spoilers: Example Pictures are Hidden use at your own discretion*
1) Turrets feeding turrets ammo. Save space by utilizing underground belts and feed turrets using other turrets.
*Be aware that going too far down a chain will cause a shortage due to transfer speeds.*
2) Place turrets deep enough inside the ship to prevent shooting at unnecessary asteroids, but still far enough out to prevent damage.
Turrets
3) Engine Spacing. Engines work like reactors and share fuels between themselves. Utilize 'V' formations to save space.
Engine Placement
Bigger Setup of Engines
More Engines
Non-Inverted V
V Formation
4) Scared of Asteroids? Use walls! They can "buffer" a few hits saving critical components.
However be aware, the bigger the asteroid, the more it can withstand (penetrate).
2nd to that, adding walls changes the view angle on asteroid collectors.
Shielding and Coverage
5) Asteroids and Damage. Did you know asteroids are weak to certain damage types!?
Check the stats
EustaceCS
Filter Inserter
Filter Inserter
Posts: 254
Joined: Tue Dec 15, 2020 5:41 am
Contact:

Re: Space Platform 101 Discussion

Post by EustaceCS »

DragoonGXG wrote: Sun Oct 27, 2024 10:15 pm I'm having no problems at the moment. How much are you trying to send down exactly :shock:.
Cargo Bays
The screenshot doesn't do this justice unfortunately, the only bottleneck I have is the limited amount of space platform cargo bays.
I'm currently using 3 space platforms and haven't seen any issues.

Edit:
So I did some testing and everything scales fine.
I've doubled my space platforms and I'm still not having any issues.
Even More
Oh. I'm using singular LZ without on-ground cargo bays. Maybe my problem is there, not in my DNA.
Worth trying slamming few cargo bays.
Upd. And, I've found two cargo bays sitting in one of my yellow logi trash cans...
Apparently, having 1 cargo bay per incoming shipment type attached to landing pad fixes the problem.
Space hub can remain bayless at at least small scale production.
Sheesh...
Random per-capsule shipment size is still a problem - but at least it gravitates towards 8 items per capsule now instead of throwing individual iron plates in (apparently, marked as VERY FRAGILE) individual packagings.
(and the game still don't give a damn about queueing items for orbital drop manually)
Maul_Junior
Manual Inserter
Manual Inserter
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Feb 27, 2019 6:35 pm
Contact:

Re: Space Platform 101 Discussion

Post by Maul_Junior »

if you're just starting a new platform, send up the hub, set it up to get iron and make steel, let it request copper wire, and throw in a few assemblers. then go do something else for a while and you'll come back to lots of space foundations.

Why Copper Wire and not Copper Plate? It's more dense, I hear you say.

not for rockets.

you get 2 (ish with prod) wire from a plate. 1k plates per rocket.

BUT

you can fit 4k wire into the rocket.

Set up a wire assembly near a bunch of rockets and let it run.
later on you can just let the whole thing run by itself, no rockets needed past the first foundations/assemblers/etc >.>
EustaceCS
Filter Inserter
Filter Inserter
Posts: 254
Joined: Tue Dec 15, 2020 5:41 am
Contact:

Re: Space Platform 101 Discussion

Post by EustaceCS »

Maul_Junior wrote: Tue Oct 29, 2024 7:14 pmyou can fit 4k wire into the rocket.

Set up a wire assembly near a bunch of rockets and let it run.
Air-to-ground shipping of Steel is free (albeit inconvenient).
Ground-to-air shipping of Copper %whatever% is not free. Given that it needs precious blue circuits, it's VERY not free, I dare say.
If, for some reason, there are no space for assemblers on the ground - Quality can help.
You still need to transfer foundations from platform to platform through ground anyway.
Self-expanding platforms will become a viable choice with advanced asteroids reprocessing tech though.
Maul_Junior
Manual Inserter
Manual Inserter
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Feb 27, 2019 6:35 pm
Contact:

Re: Space Platform 101 Discussion

Post by Maul_Junior »

didn't say it was free.

BUT

you can get a LOT more space foundations out of 4k copper wire/Steel from Space than 1k Copper Plate to 2k Wire to Steel from Space or 50 Space Foundations. all built on the ground.

This was specifically about building out new platforms.

send up 4k copper wire, get the steel production going in space, and boom. tons of space foundations.

Quality WILL NOT help getting more space foundations up to the new platform.

Besides.

Rockets are essentially free once Fulgora is set up properly as a rocket shipping depot to all the other planets.
EustaceCS
Filter Inserter
Filter Inserter
Posts: 254
Joined: Tue Dec 15, 2020 5:41 am
Contact:

Re: Space Platform 101 Discussion

Post by EustaceCS »

Sending to space 50 build-ready foundations without setting up on-site manufacturing
or
sending to space 4k copper wire to make 200 foundations, having to also set whole manufacturing process up
is not quite a 101 question. "101" term implies basics. The very foundation of knowledge on which advanced techs can be invented.
A blueprint of a space platform which would gonna allow making SOME foundations on-site, saving 6-9 rocket launches, would be nice (as space platforms can be rebuilt indefinitely...), however, it might be too much of a hassle for a tryharding so severe, especially for early game where you have to pack your rockets manually anyway. Having to also rebuild your platform #0 few times on top of that... for me it's too much, honestly.
Hiekie
Long Handed Inserter
Long Handed Inserter
Posts: 51
Joined: Sat Aug 19, 2017 2:56 pm
Contact:

Re: Space Platform 101 Discussion

Post by Hiekie »

I have not much luck in the game, i already lost several platforms while traveling to vulcanus can't figure this out and ran stuck..
ChipEveryBlock
Manual Inserter
Manual Inserter
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Oct 22, 2024 1:09 pm
Contact:

Re: Space Platform 101 Discussion

Post by ChipEveryBlock »

Shalashalska wrote: Fri Oct 25, 2024 7:55 am You can view the power statistics of the space platform by placing a power pole anywhere on the platform. I'm not sure if there is a better way to do this, and there probably should be one.
Open the space platform hub GUI. On the top right corner there are several small square buttons. Click the one with a yellow lightning bolt. That should show the electric network.
bluerock
Inserter
Inserter
Posts: 28
Joined: Fri Sep 08, 2017 7:11 pm
Contact:

Re: Space Platform 101 Discussion

Post by bluerock »

Loving the game so far. Just one small bit of feedback so far regarding space platforms. I wasn't sure at first how to move my space platform and had to Google it. Was looking in the upper right icons/toolbar tools and didn't realize I could click on the platform hub to set the travel route there. Double checked the platform tips and tricks and was not explained there, but I think it should be. Same question has been asked on Steam forums as well.
J-H
Fast Inserter
Fast Inserter
Posts: 119
Joined: Fri Apr 21, 2017 11:48 pm
Contact:

Re: Space Platform 101 Discussion

Post by J-H »

Solar panels produce plenty of power to get you to Vulcanus. If you take the same panel-powered craft to Fulgora, it's going to run out of power. Get low enough on power and your asteroid grabbers don't function, leading to running out of ammo and fuel. If you run out of fuel badly enough while in transit back to Nauvis, your spaceship will acquire a negative speed and end up back in orbit over Fulgora.

I'm remote building a new spacecraft back on Nauvis to come save me. Is there a better way to manually load rockets from afar than "Make a requester chest for a nuclear reactor, then put an arm on the chest when I want it to load into a rocket, then remove the arm once it's sent"?
My current plan is ice->water and a stock of nuclear fuel. I'll probably try the circuit network method of taking fuel out of the reactor once it hits 990*, then putting fuel in when it gets back down to 600*.

Alternative - can Carbon be burned in boilers? If so, how hot does it burn? Can it turn steam turbines or only steam engines? The wiki page is still a stub. If I can ice->water and then heat it with steam, that's a power source that can self-refuel off of asteroids.
mmmPI
Smart Inserter
Smart Inserter
Posts: 3629
Joined: Mon Jun 20, 2016 6:10 pm
Contact:

Re: Space Platform 101 Discussion

Post by mmmPI »

J-H wrote: Thu Oct 31, 2024 12:51 pm If you run out of fuel badly enough while in transit back to Nauvis, your spaceship will acquire a negative speed and end up back in orbit over Fulgora.
That depend on wether or not you reach 50% of the destination, before 50% it bring you back to origin, but after 50% it will slowly makes you drift toward the destination.
J-H wrote: Thu Oct 31, 2024 12:51 pm I'm remote building a new spacecraft back on Nauvis to come save me. Is there a better way to manually load rockets from afar than "Make a requester chest for a nuclear reactor, then put an arm on the chest when I want it to load into a rocket, then remove the arm once it's sent"?
Yes, just tick the silo in auto-lauch mode, and request 1 reactor from the platform, with a custom playload of 1. Bots will pick 1 reactor, and place it in the silo which will launch it in orbit.

J-H wrote: Thu Oct 31, 2024 12:51 pm My current plan is ice->water and a stock of nuclear fuel. I'll probably try the circuit network method of taking fuel out of the reactor once it hits 990*, then putting fuel in when it gets back down to 600*.
You can't take fuel out of the reactor, only used fuel, but fueling once and only when temperature is under 600° should work provided you have enough water !
J-H wrote: Thu Oct 31, 2024 12:51 pm Alternative - can Carbon be burned in boilers? If so, how hot does it burn? Can it turn steam turbines or only steam engines? The wiki page is still a stub. If I can ice->water and then heat it with steam, that's a power source that can self-refuel off of asteroids.
one can't place boilers on space platform
Amarula
Filter Inserter
Filter Inserter
Posts: 544
Joined: Fri Apr 27, 2018 1:29 pm
Contact:

Re: Space Platform 101 Discussion

Post by Amarula »

You can filter the asteroid grabbers... so for making iron for ammo and for steel, I only grab metallic chunks. No need to handle the others even if it is easy to drop them overboard.
My own personal Factorio super-power - running out of power.
J-H
Fast Inserter
Fast Inserter
Posts: 119
Joined: Fri Apr 21, 2017 11:48 pm
Contact:

Re: Space Platform 101 Discussion

Post by J-H »

Amarula wrote: Thu Oct 31, 2024 1:44 pm You can filter the asteroid grabbers... so for making iron for ammo and for steel, I only grab metallic chunks. No need to handle the others even if it is easy to drop them overboard.
Oh, cool, I didn't know that. I've just been putting grabbed asteroids on a circular belt, and filtering to throw extras overboard.
User avatar
MeduSalem
Smart Inserter
Smart Inserter
Posts: 1686
Joined: Sun Jun 08, 2014 8:13 pm
Contact:

Re: Space Platform 101 Discussion

Post by MeduSalem »

mmmPI wrote: Thu Oct 31, 2024 1:31 pm
J-H wrote: Thu Oct 31, 2024 12:51 pm My current plan is ice->water and a stock of nuclear fuel. I'll probably try the circuit network method of taking fuel out of the reactor once it hits 990*, then putting fuel in when it gets back down to 600*.
You can't take fuel out of the reactor, only used fuel, but fueling once and only when temperature is under 600° should work provided you have enough water !
You eventually will have enough water I think. With all the asteroid reprocessing & asteroid processing productivity. ^^

I did more tests with my stationary space science platform yesterday (because I finally unlocked that advanced reprocessing recipe) to also drop calcite from the platform down to Nauvis to finally feed my foundries there. ^^

And currently I reprocess every single excess metallic & carbon chunk that my platform grabs and which is not used for science production and turn them into ice chunks and then feed the ice chunks to the crusher to make more calcite.

In the process I actually create so many ice cubes as byproduct I have to dump them back to space (it also is the only thing left that the science platform currently dumps back to space, everything else is processed).

So I figure I could probably set up a nuclear plant on the platform and power the entire platform with the excess ice cubes. I am totally thinking about doing that to be able to throw productivity modules in all the machines up there so I get even more chunks to make even more calcite & ice cubes. ;D

At least I would find that more appealing than extending the platform with even more grabbers & solar panels to the devil knows where, even if the latter would be the cheaper solution to get more chunks & power. ^^
Last edited by MeduSalem on Thu Oct 31, 2024 4:39 pm, edited 2 times in total.
EustaceCS
Filter Inserter
Filter Inserter
Posts: 254
Joined: Tue Dec 15, 2020 5:41 am
Contact:

Re: Space Platform 101 Discussion

Post by EustaceCS »

Speaking of tentacle grabbers with preferences.
Lo and behold: a Space Science generating platform which have 100% transport belt efficiency, tailored for novice players which just want to accumulate white flasks over time while they're wrapping things up on the ground.

Estimated shipments to build: 5 rockets.
If you can set up your white flasks production in less rocket shipments - DO IT!
10-31-2024, 19-32-56.png
10-31-2024, 19-32-56.png (618.67 KiB) Viewed 2106 times
Damn, I really want to reshape it into something more like Venture from EVE.
Post Reply

Return to “Gameplay Help”