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[Girlinhat]

The basic levels are simple.  To get a tier 1 drug, all you need to do is "modify to x".  But to get a tier 2 drug, you have to "modify to x, using y machine, then modify again to z".  Tier 3 is usually "modify to x, using y machine, then modify again to z, then bring in ANOTHER ingredient, mix in a special machine, then modify to w, using v machine, then modify again to u."

If you want to combine two drugs into one, then do all of that again, but send them through the mixer in the correct sequence, and hope that both drug effects have the same requirements or else you might get two sub-par drugs in one pill.

You can also remove side-effects by sending them through another process similar to the tier 1 method.

SO IN ALL the simple bits are simple.  It's easy to make cough syrup.  The complex parts are REALLY complex.  It takes a whole factory to make viagra that also combats malaria.

AND it looks as if the game will have some effect for multiplayer, or at least the right framework.  It could either be two players sharing the same map, or two different factories fighting for market dominance.

[Anvilfolk]

Yeah, since it got the B12 Seal of Approval, I ended up getting it. Super busy, but put like 1h into it, which was enough for the tutorials plus the first level.

It's pretty great. You are right that things are super complex. I was trying to increase my effects, but it turned out that using an ioniser to decrease concentration by 3 to get things at the right value for the multimixer would remove the catalyst (on a negative effect). So I had to use 1 smaller machine to get it out of the ioniser removal range, then I could use the ioniser, which would upgrade ANOTHER effect, then put it through the multimixer, which removed a negative effect and upgrade a good effect. And then had to user another 3 or 4 machines to get both good effects at concentration like, 17.

If that sounds complex - that's because it is! I think the ingredients are also procedurally generated? I sure hope so, that would be incredibly kickass.

[penguinofhonor]

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[Girlinhat]

If that sounds complex - that's because it is! I think the ingredients are also procedurally generated? I sure hope so, that would be incredibly kickass.

The name and the effect of the ingredients is the same.  Warbling Nipplewart is always in the forest and always does warts, contraceptive, and erectile dysfunction.

The negative effects, the concentration constraints, maximum effectiveness, and the upgrade method (the concentration, machine, and catalyst) are random.

So you can kinda have a game plan of "I like to work on anxiety medication types" and know roughly how much profit they'll bring, but the method is new each time.

[Anvilfolk]

Been slowly doing the beginner scenarios. I love this, though I wish we could mirror the machines. Would be so useful!

[Girlinhat]

I've encountered a question.  What's the point of combining drugs?  Aside from introducing a catalyst, it seems... less than ideal.

Some benefits I've noted:
1: You only have to get the BASE drug to a concentration.  This means that Drug A could import at 2 Con and activated at 10 Con, while Drug B imports at 9 Con and activates at 11 Con - you bring B to 10-11, mix them, and A's effect is now set there.  So you don't have to raise both concentrations.

2: Erectile Dysfunction sells for a ton, with a low market.  Antihistamines sell lowly, but everyone gets a cold.  Make people buy the $800 tag on ED when they've got a cough.

3: You can toss an inactive effect in to displace a negative effect - don't even try to reach the correct concentration, just make sure you get rid of the side effect by mixing in a filler drug.

HOWEVER the profit seems almost random if it's going to be worth it or not, and the mixing machine takes 2 turns, so things become slower unless you can somehow run two mixers...

[Dansmithers]

I've encountered a question.  What's the point of combining drugs?  Aside from introducing a catalyst, it seems... less than ideal.

Some benefits I've noted:
1: You only have to get the BASE drug to a concentration.  This means that Drug A could import at 2 Con and activated at 10 Con, while Drug B imports at 9 Con and activates at 11 Con - you bring B to 10-11, mix them, and A's effect is now set there.  So you don't have to raise both concentrations.

2: Erectile Dysfunction sells for a ton, with a low market.  Antihistamines sell lowly, but everyone gets a cold.  Make people buy the $800 tag on ED when they've got a cough.

3: You can toss an inactive effect in to displace a negative effect - don't even try to reach the correct concentration, just make sure you get rid of the side effect by mixing in a filler drug.

HOWEVER the profit seems almost random if it's going to be worth it or not, and the mixing machine takes 2 turns, so things become slower unless you can somehow run two mixers...

Multi-cures are super-valuable
Also, the Centrifuge may actually be the best thing ever. Its like the mixer combined with the shaker.

[Girlinhat]

Multi-cures are valuable, but at the same time you can also just sell both cures individually for the same net price...

[n9103]

Well, you'd still have another port/chute for import/sales at least.

[Anvilfolk]

HOWEVER the profit seems almost random if it's going to be worth it or not, and the mixing machine takes 2 turns, so things become slower unless you can somehow run two mixers...

Yeah, you can definitely split a line into two, have each of two lines run all of the 2-turn appliances. This is basically what you likely already do with the pill-makers. I did this with something that required autoclaves. I actually ran two lines with two autoclaves each, then joined them again, ran through a single dissolver, out again through two pill-makers, and then much $$$ was made. I can't be bothered to do the math, but my intuition is trying to tell me that you'll double profits if you run two lines.

It's a little unfortunate that some challenges go anywhere from impossible to easy depending on the RNG, because ingredients.

[Anvilfolk]

Ended up doing the math anyway.

Splitting into two lines is more profitable when y < s/2, where y is the production cost of a single of the duplicate lines, and s is the selling price of the drug. So split the line so long as the production cost of the machines in the duplicate lines is smaller than half of the price of the pill.

[Aklyon]

This sounds awesome, and looks pretty awesome. Gonna wait until he's added more stuff though, I'd rather not add another beta to what I've played recently.

[cerapa]

Ended up doing the math anyway.

Splitting into two lines is more profitable when y < s/2, where y is the production cost of a single of the duplicate lines, and s is the selling price of the drug. So split the line so long as the production cost of the machines in the duplicate lines is smaller than half of the price of the pill.

The duplicate line doesn't change absolutely anything about profit calculations.

Machines take money for every action they take. If they are fed once every 2 days, then they take half the money of a machine that is fed each day. Think of profit as a function of the path the drug takes. Duplicating the line doubles the throughput, meaning twice as many drugs are going through, but the individual profits are unchanged. Whether that is economical compared to using the floorspace for producing other drugs is a far more complex question.

[Girlinhat]

You're making it too complicated.  If you split the line, you make the same profit-per-pill, but you make MORE profit-per-day.  Individual price is the same, but you push out more product.

Either way, what's a good setup to run two mixers?  I find the conveyor belts to be... unusually directional and not cooperate very well.

[Dansmithers]

You're making it too complicated.  If you split the line, you make the same profit-per-pill, but you make MORE profit-per-day.  Individual price is the same, but you push out more product.

Either way, what's a good setup to run two mixers?  I find the conveyor belts to be... unusually directional and not cooperate very well.

its mathematically impossible without the crossover belts, which are coming Soon