Why Beacons and Modules? - Factorio - Tips and Tricks in 10 minutes

Beacons and Modules why we use them and how they improve our bases.
How to find me?
-----------------------------------------------------
Feel bad about Adblocker? Support me on Patreon: / jd_plays
My Twitter For details of upcoming live steams and anything else 140 Char or less: / jd_play5
Chat with me live on Discord: discord.me/jdp...
Twitch for all your Live Steaming needs: / jdplays
Feel like being hit in the face, with a book? Try Facebook: / jdplay5

[@AF29007]

Finally, a short youtube video on beacons and modules that, (a) is factually correct, and (b) shows why you would use 8-beacon for fast crafting recipes, and 12-beacon for slow recipes. Thankyou for the video, was really really helpful.

[@skullkrusher4418]

This is a very useful tutorial. I really appreciate it. I'm trying to build my first megabase and it was nice to see a direct comparison of moduled/beaconed layouts and their pros/cons

[@JDPlays]

Thanks, Modules make a BIG difference!

[@Anolaana]

This was really informative, I had seen the beacons before but never knew why they were arranged like they were. Thanks for showing all that info!

[@JDPlays]

No Problem, glad it helped.

[@irvingalvarez2974]

2 years later and still a useful tut Thanks!

[@saewings4963]

This is so well explained...!!

[@JDPlays]

Thanks!

[@mrpocock]

Thanks ;) The 12 beacon builds take up soooo much floor! But I see why they would be good for UPS. I've had a play with bot builds, and because the 12 beacon setups are so much larger, you have fewer products being produced per game tile, which means you loose any gains in increased bot traffic. 8-8 strips seem to work better for that. But for belts, sure, I see why you'd go for the 12 beacon builds. It also solves the cramped belt issues you get with 8-8 belts, as you have space on all 4 sides.

[@JDPlays]

I would agree with you bots should stick to the 8-8 builds, But then again I just had a map submitted to me that had a 16 wagon unloader on bots (VERY LONG VERY VERY LONG) and he also had the same unloader with belts and they took the same amount of UPS. He saved UPS on not having a 16 lane balancer but negated that win by using bots.

[@mrpocock]

thanks - I'm considering reworking my bot builds to use stack inserters or stack filter inserters even where they aren't needed, and wire them to only be active sometimes so they move occasionally carrying a nearly full stack of items - that may help a lot with large bot builds with lots of inserters

[@JDPlays]

I think with a timer so they swing as seldom as possible MIGHT help, but i have no idea to be honest i haven't tested it

[@Jules_Diplopia]

Showing why productivity is not good without beacons!

[@JDPlays]

Speed more then negates the losses from Prod mods!

[@Hedning1390]

Productivity is still good even without beacons because the entire factory earlier in the chain can now be smaller (or rather you get more end game products by building a few more of the current tier, but without having to expand all of the lower tier production)

[@RedGallardo]

Thanks for the guide. I still have doubts though. Looking at the big picture, you need modules. And modules take the most production. My module factories that output just a few per minute take up like twice the size of my science factories. So it's probably only for the real colossus bases. Since to get speed modules you need to waste time on the new factory. And energy. And resources. So the big question would be if it's better to simply add more structures to the important stuff production instead of adding a huge monster of a factory to produce some modules per minute that take way more. I mean, say, you have a blue circuit production that takes 200 copper miners and equivalent. And a productivity modules lvl 2 production that takes 300 copper miners and equivalent. So you must add +150% to energy consumption, resources consumption, planning time and FPS load. It must be worth it, otherwise it's an illusion of profit. So it may only be a) for fun or b) for gameplay way beyond first rocket launch. Like for those 9k RPM Leviathans. =)

[@JDPlays]

Its more efficient to use modules to make things, not in energy, maybe not in resources (in the short term) but in computer resources for sure! in the long term modules pay fore themselves. Actually in the case of a rocket launch 4 prod 4s pay for them selves in just a few rocket launches

[@KeinNiemand]

You could always go with T1 or T2 modules since those are a lot cheaper

[@RedGallardo]

@@KeinNiemand That's even more useless. 5-10% bonus is a laugh. I'd rather plop 11 complexes from blueprints instead of 10 plus planning a new complex for modules. If I waste my time, it must be worth it. Like, if you use airport and have to wait for 6 hours and then fly for 1 hour and then go through another airport for 2 hours for all the checks, maybe going by car in 8 hours isn't a bad idea? Same time but less stress. Know what I mean?

[@pocarski]

hey wanna hear some blasphemy efficiency modules in beacons

[@RedGallardo]

Efficiency lvl 3 modules in beacons =P

[@felixniemand4921]

How much more are beacons ups-friendly than stack inserters?

[@JDPlays]

by many factors, A beacon calculates once that it has power what it effects and then those machines who then craft at a faster rate. (Yes IF your in a brown outand having beacons partially powered then those numbers change every tick so performance takes a massive dive) Inserters have to calculate, is it time to pick up something, can i drop it down, where i am placing it does that machine accept this material. This is done every tick or close 2. With your average megabase having over 10K stack inserters that adds up really really fast!

[@Cruz0e]

what about using robots with this... which one is better (I'm usually using a double line of smelters and beacons only on 1 side) but Im thinking to change my design now but beacons on both side :>

[@XoIoRouge]

damn this is old info now, right? these things got updated?

[@bobi_lopataru]

Aren't blue belts 90 items per minute?

[@shopt6933]

They have been updated since this video, but it's 45, not 90.