Official Factorio Wiki - User contributions [en]

Transport belts/Physics

2026-03-05T06:45:30Z

HeliGungir: /* Belt positions and lengths */ Expanded footnote about splitters. Added link again, but reluctantly, since the same link is duplicated between body and footnote.

{{Languages}}
The [[belt transport system]] in Factorio is among the most detailed simulations in the game. Items in chests and other containers are stored simply as summed totals, and items on uninterrupted stretches of belts are [https://www.factorio.com/blog/post/fff-176 moved in aggregate] as an optimization, but in the end items on belts are simulated individually, especially when they get picked up or put down by inserters. This leads to some intricate behaviors, in particular when it comes to [[Inserters#Inserter_Throughput|inserter throughput]].

== Belt properties ==

* '''Density'''. How many items fit onto a certain length of belt, measured in items per [[Map_structure#Tile|tile]] per belt lane. This is 4 on a straight belt, regardless of the type of item and type of belt. The item density on belts can be different from what they take up when just dropped on the ground (using the Z key). Density of items can be increased with the use of [[stack inserter]]s{{SA}}, but there are still at most 4 stacks per tile per lane.
* '''Speed'''. The speed of items on a belt is measured for practical reasons in tiles per second. Note that internally it is measured in positions (1/256 tile) per tick (1/60 sec). More on that below. The speed of a basic [[transport belt]] is 1.875 tiles per [[Time#Seconds|game-second]]. [[Fast transport belt]] is twice as fast, [[express transport belt]] is three times as fast, and [[turbo transport belt]]{{SA}} is four times as fast.
* '''Throughput'''. How many items per second that are moved from one tile to the next. That is density (items per tile) multiplied by speed (tiles per second), e.g. for a basic belt it is 4 * 1.875 = 7.5 items per second, for one belt lane. For both lanes it is doubled, i.e. 15 items per second.
* '''Compression'''. If there is no empty space between items on the belt it is called ''fully compressed'', otherwise its compression is only partial and it does not have optimal throughput. Entities that put items onto belts – [[inserters]], [[splitters]], other belts coming from the side, mining drills, etc - make room for their item by [[Version history/0.16.0#0.16.25|enlarging a small gap]] until it is exactly big enough for the item. That means belts naturally become fully compressed before items start to back up.
* '''Lanes'''. Belts have two parallel lanes, and the density and speed of each lane is constant and independent of the other one, regardless of twists and turns. So items in the inner lane of a turn exit it before those in the outer lane, since their speeds are equal and the inner lane is shorter than the outer one.

== Belt speeds ==

Given the values above we can calculate the speed and throughput of the three types of belts. Measurements confirm these values.

{| class="wikitable"
! rowspan=2 | Belt type || colspan=2 | Speed || colspan=4 | Throughput
|-
! Factor || Tiles/sec || Single lane, items/sec || Single lane, items/min || Both lanes, items/sec || Both lanes, items/min
|- align="center"
| align="left" | {{Imagelink|Transport belt}} || 1 || 1.875 || 7.5 || 450 || 15 || 900
|- align="center"
| align="left" | {{Imagelink|Fast transport belt}} || 2 || 3.75 || 15 || 900 || 30 || 1800
|- align="center"
| align="left" | {{Imagelink|Express transport belt}} || 3 || 5.625 || 22.5 || 1350 || 45 || 2700
|- align="center"
| align="left" | {{Imagelink|Turbo transport belt|space-age=yes}} || 4 || 7.5 || 30 || 1800 || 60 || 3600
|}

== Items on belts ==

As mentioned earlier, items take space on belts in terms of density and compression. However, every item on a belt is logically ''on'' exactly one belt tile at any moment in time.

For example, even though in a screenshot it might look like an item is halfway out from one tile and halfway onto the next, it will be accounted to exactly one of the two tiles:
* If you stop the belt tile the item is on, it stops; else it continues moving - there are no in-between states.
* If you connect the two belt tiles to a circuit network and get them to [[Belt_transport_system#Circuit_network|report statistics]] about the items they carry, you will see the item being accounted to exactly one of them.
* An inserter can only pick up items that are logically on the tile in front of it, not items butting in from the neighboring tiles.

In this sense it is useful to think of items as points with a certain minimum distance between them, rather than things with an area lying next to each other. For belt calculations and circuit networks involving belts it doesn't really matter where those "center points" are within the graphic of the item, but they appear to be in the middle:

[[Image:Belts-with-one-tick-offsets.png|center]]

In the image above the belts have been started at 1 tick offsets, then all the top row tiles have been stopped at once, causing the front-most stopped items to poke out by varying amounts. The items on the leftmost belt are almost halfway into the next tile, which means their center points are the closest to the edge of the upper stopped tile.

Below is a schematic example showing some items moving over two straight [[fast transport belt]] tiles and what their read signals would be at each tick. Their center points are marked with <code>*</code>. (The space between belt tile 1 and 2 is only for visualisation - in the game there are no such gaps between tiles.)

<pre>
Tick Belt tile 1 Belt tile 2 Read belt tile 1 Read belt tile 2
|------------------------------| |------------------------------| Pulse Hold Pulse Hold
0 <---*--> <---*--> <---*-- ><---*--> <---*--> 0 3 0 2
1 <---*--> <---*--> <---* --><---*--> <---*--> 0 3 0 2
2 <---*--> <---*--> <-- -*--><---*--> <---*-- 0 2 1 3
3 <---*--> <---*--> < ---*--><---*--> <---* 0 2 0 3
4 -> <---*--> <---*--> <---*--><---*--> <-- 0 2 0 2
5 *--> <---*--> <---*- -> <---*--><---*--> < 1 3 0 2
6 --*--> <---*--> <--- *--> <---*--><---*--> 0 2 1 3
7 <---*--> <---*--> <- --*--> <---*--><---*--> 0 2 0 3
8 <---*--> <---*--> <---*--> <---*--><---*--> 0 2 0 3
</pre>

== Belt positions and lengths ==

[https://forums.factorio.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=70055 Careful measurement] shows that the outer lane of a turn is exactly 1.15234375 times longer than a straight belt, or 295/256 in fractional format. That means each straight belt tile has 256 ''positions'' an item can be in, even though measuring the position with that precision can only be done indirectly. This has since been confirmed by the devs. [https://forums.factorio.com/viewtopic.php?p=554468#p554468]

Here are the speeds and lengths of the various types of belt tiles in terms of these positions:

{| class="wikitable"
! colspan=2 | Belt || Item Speed (Positions per Tick)
|-
| colspan=2 | {{imagelink|Transport belt}} || align="center" | 8
|-
| colspan=2 | {{imagelink|Fast transport belt}} || align="center" | 16
|-
| colspan=2 | {{imagelink|Express transport belt}} || align="center" | 24
|-
| colspan=2 | {{imagelink|Turbo transport belt|space-age=yes}} || align="center" | 32
|}

{| class="wikitable"
! colspan=2 | Measurement || Length (Positions)
|-
| colspan=2 | Distance between items on a saturated belt (of any speed) || align="center" | 64
|-
| colspan=2 | Length of one lane of a straight belt || align="center" | 256
|-
| colspan=2 | Length of inner lane of a belt turn || align="center" | 106
|-
| colspan=2 | Length of outer lane of a belt turn || align="center" | 295
|-
| colspan=2 | Length of one lane of an underground belt || align="center" | 256
|-
| colspan=2 | Length of one lane of a splitter's input || align="center" | 128–179†
|-
| colspan=2 | Length of one lane of a splitter's output || align="center" | 128
|-
| style="border-right: 0px" | Distance travelled by an item sideloaded late on a straight belt or an underground exit
| style="border-left: 0px" | [[Image:Sideload-late.gif]] || align="center" | 68
|-
| style="border-right: 0px" | Distance travelled by an item sideloaded early on a straight belt or an underground entrance
| style="border-left: 0px" | [[Image:Sideload-early.gif]] || align="center" | 188
|}
† Splitters have 128 normal positions, plus an invisible internal buffer of 51 positions that is used to align items before merging them with another transport line. Items in the buffer can "teleport" to the appropriate output lane at any time, including immediately, so the buffer may appear to be anywhere from 0 to 51 positions long depending on the exact circumstances. [https://forums.factorio.com/viewtopic.php?p=554468#p554468][https://www.factorio.com/blog/post/fff-287]

For example, given the figures above, we can deduce the speed of a basic belt:

: 8 (positions per tick) / 256 (positions per straight belt tile) * 60 (ticks per second) = 1.875 tiles per second

Its throughput per belt lane is:

: 8 (positions per tick) / 64 (positions per item) * 60 (ticks per second) = 7.5 items per second

== See also ==
* [[Belt transport system]]
* FFF #287: [https://www.factorio.com/blog/post/fff-287 Just bugs again]
* FFF #276: [https://www.factorio.com/blog/post/fff-276 Belt item spacing & Script rendering]
* FFF #231: [https://factorio.com/blog/post/fff-231 Belt compression & Crash log uploading]
* FFF #176: [https://www.factorio.com/blog/post/fff-176 Belts optimization for 0.15]
* [https://forums.factorio.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=70055 Accurate belt segment measurements] (discusses 0.17)
* [https://forums.factorio.com/viewtopic.php?p=554468#p554468 About belt numbers, from boskid]

{{C|Belt transport system{{!}}#Belt transport system}}

Transport belts/Physics

2026-03-05T06:38:27Z

HeliGungir: /* Belt positions and lengths */ Split the table in two: One for speed, the other for length

{{Languages}}
The [[belt transport system]] in Factorio is among the most detailed simulations in the game. Items in chests and other containers are stored simply as summed totals, and items on uninterrupted stretches of belts are [https://www.factorio.com/blog/post/fff-176 moved in aggregate] as an optimization, but in the end items on belts are simulated individually, especially when they get picked up or put down by inserters. This leads to some intricate behaviors, in particular when it comes to [[Inserters#Inserter_Throughput|inserter throughput]].

== Belt properties ==

* '''Density'''. How many items fit onto a certain length of belt, measured in items per [[Map_structure#Tile|tile]] per belt lane. This is 4 on a straight belt, regardless of the type of item and type of belt. The item density on belts can be different from what they take up when just dropped on the ground (using the Z key). Density of items can be increased with the use of [[stack inserter]]s{{SA}}, but there are still at most 4 stacks per tile per lane.
* '''Speed'''. The speed of items on a belt is measured for practical reasons in tiles per second. Note that internally it is measured in positions (1/256 tile) per tick (1/60 sec). More on that below. The speed of a basic [[transport belt]] is 1.875 tiles per [[Time#Seconds|game-second]]. [[Fast transport belt]] is twice as fast, [[express transport belt]] is three times as fast, and [[turbo transport belt]]{{SA}} is four times as fast.
* '''Throughput'''. How many items per second that are moved from one tile to the next. That is density (items per tile) multiplied by speed (tiles per second), e.g. for a basic belt it is 4 * 1.875 = 7.5 items per second, for one belt lane. For both lanes it is doubled, i.e. 15 items per second.
* '''Compression'''. If there is no empty space between items on the belt it is called ''fully compressed'', otherwise its compression is only partial and it does not have optimal throughput. Entities that put items onto belts – [[inserters]], [[splitters]], other belts coming from the side, mining drills, etc - make room for their item by [[Version history/0.16.0#0.16.25|enlarging a small gap]] until it is exactly big enough for the item. That means belts naturally become fully compressed before items start to back up.
* '''Lanes'''. Belts have two parallel lanes, and the density and speed of each lane is constant and independent of the other one, regardless of twists and turns. So items in the inner lane of a turn exit it before those in the outer lane, since their speeds are equal and the inner lane is shorter than the outer one.

== Belt speeds ==

Given the values above we can calculate the speed and throughput of the three types of belts. Measurements confirm these values.

{| class="wikitable"
! rowspan=2 | Belt type || colspan=2 | Speed || colspan=4 | Throughput
|-
! Factor || Tiles/sec || Single lane, items/sec || Single lane, items/min || Both lanes, items/sec || Both lanes, items/min
|- align="center"
| align="left" | {{Imagelink|Transport belt}} || 1 || 1.875 || 7.5 || 450 || 15 || 900
|- align="center"
| align="left" | {{Imagelink|Fast transport belt}} || 2 || 3.75 || 15 || 900 || 30 || 1800
|- align="center"
| align="left" | {{Imagelink|Express transport belt}} || 3 || 5.625 || 22.5 || 1350 || 45 || 2700
|- align="center"
| align="left" | {{Imagelink|Turbo transport belt|space-age=yes}} || 4 || 7.5 || 30 || 1800 || 60 || 3600
|}

== Items on belts ==

As mentioned earlier, items take space on belts in terms of density and compression. However, every item on a belt is logically ''on'' exactly one belt tile at any moment in time.

For example, even though in a screenshot it might look like an item is halfway out from one tile and halfway onto the next, it will be accounted to exactly one of the two tiles:
* If you stop the belt tile the item is on, it stops; else it continues moving - there are no in-between states.
* If you connect the two belt tiles to a circuit network and get them to [[Belt_transport_system#Circuit_network|report statistics]] about the items they carry, you will see the item being accounted to exactly one of them.
* An inserter can only pick up items that are logically on the tile in front of it, not items butting in from the neighboring tiles.

In this sense it is useful to think of items as points with a certain minimum distance between them, rather than things with an area lying next to each other. For belt calculations and circuit networks involving belts it doesn't really matter where those "center points" are within the graphic of the item, but they appear to be in the middle:

[[Image:Belts-with-one-tick-offsets.png|center]]

In the image above the belts have been started at 1 tick offsets, then all the top row tiles have been stopped at once, causing the front-most stopped items to poke out by varying amounts. The items on the leftmost belt are almost halfway into the next tile, which means their center points are the closest to the edge of the upper stopped tile.

Below is a schematic example showing some items moving over two straight [[fast transport belt]] tiles and what their read signals would be at each tick. Their center points are marked with <code>*</code>. (The space between belt tile 1 and 2 is only for visualisation - in the game there are no such gaps between tiles.)

<pre>
Tick Belt tile 1 Belt tile 2 Read belt tile 1 Read belt tile 2
|------------------------------| |------------------------------| Pulse Hold Pulse Hold
0 <---*--> <---*--> <---*-- ><---*--> <---*--> 0 3 0 2
1 <---*--> <---*--> <---* --><---*--> <---*--> 0 3 0 2
2 <---*--> <---*--> <-- -*--><---*--> <---*-- 0 2 1 3
3 <---*--> <---*--> < ---*--><---*--> <---* 0 2 0 3
4 -> <---*--> <---*--> <---*--><---*--> <-- 0 2 0 2
5 *--> <---*--> <---*- -> <---*--><---*--> < 1 3 0 2
6 --*--> <---*--> <--- *--> <---*--><---*--> 0 2 1 3
7 <---*--> <---*--> <- --*--> <---*--><---*--> 0 2 0 3
8 <---*--> <---*--> <---*--> <---*--><---*--> 0 2 0 3
</pre>

== Belt positions and lengths ==

[https://forums.factorio.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=70055 Careful measurement] shows that the outer lane of a turn is exactly 1.15234375 times longer than a straight belt, or 295/256 in fractional format. That means each straight belt tile has 256 ''positions'' an item can be in, even though measuring the position with that precision can only be done indirectly. This has since been confirmed by the devs. [https://forums.factorio.com/viewtopic.php?p=554468#p554468]

Here are the speeds and lengths of the various types of belt tiles in terms of these positions:

{| class="wikitable"
! colspan=2 | Belt || Item Speed (Positions per Tick)
|-
| colspan=2 | {{imagelink|Transport belt}} || align="center" | 8
|-
| colspan=2 | {{imagelink|Fast transport belt}} || align="center" | 16
|-
| colspan=2 | {{imagelink|Express transport belt}} || align="center" | 24
|-
| colspan=2 | {{imagelink|Turbo transport belt|space-age=yes}} || align="center" | 32
|}

{| class="wikitable"
! colspan=2 | Measurement || Length (Positions)
|-
| colspan=2 | Distance between items on a saturated belt (of any speed) || align="center" | 64
|-
| colspan=2 | Length of one lane of a straight belt || align="center" | 256
|-
| colspan=2 | Length of inner lane of a belt turn || align="center" | 106
|-
| colspan=2 | Length of outer lane of a belt turn || align="center" | 295
|-
| colspan=2 | Length of one lane of an underground belt || align="center" | 256
|-
| colspan=2 | Length of one lane of a splitter's input || align="center" | 179 (128+51)†
|-
| colspan=2 | Length of one lane of a splitter's output || align="center" | 128
|-
| style="border-right: 0px" | Distance travelled by an item sideloaded late on a straight belt or an underground exit
| style="border-left: 0px" | [[Image:Sideload-late.gif]] || align="center" | 68
|-
| style="border-right: 0px" | Distance travelled by an item sideloaded early on a straight belt or an underground entrance
| style="border-left: 0px" | [[Image:Sideload-early.gif]] || align="center" | 188
|}
† includes a buffer of 51 positions

For example, given the figures above, we can deduce the speed of a basic belt:

: 8 (positions per tick) / 256 (positions per straight belt tile) * 60 (ticks per second) = 1.875 tiles per second

Its throughput per belt lane is:

: 8 (positions per tick) / 64 (positions per item) * 60 (ticks per second) = 7.5 items per second

== See also ==
* [[Belt transport system]]
* FFF #287: [https://www.factorio.com/blog/post/fff-287 Just bugs again]
* FFF #276: [https://www.factorio.com/blog/post/fff-276 Belt item spacing & Script rendering]
* FFF #231: [https://factorio.com/blog/post/fff-231 Belt compression & Crash log uploading]
* FFF #176: [https://www.factorio.com/blog/post/fff-176 Belts optimization for 0.15]
* [https://forums.factorio.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=70055 Accurate belt segment measurements] (discusses 0.17)
* [https://forums.factorio.com/viewtopic.php?p=554468#p554468 About belt numbers, from boskid]

{{C|Belt transport system{{!}}#Belt transport system}}

Transport belts/Physics

2026-03-05T05:22:11Z

HeliGungir: /* Belt positions and lengths */ Moved a link from a footnote to the body. The

{{Languages}}
The [[belt transport system]] in Factorio is among the most detailed simulations in the game. Items in chests and other containers are stored simply as summed totals, and items on uninterrupted stretches of belts are [https://www.factorio.com/blog/post/fff-176 moved in aggregate] as an optimization, but in the end items on belts are simulated individually, especially when they get picked up or put down by inserters. This leads to some intricate behaviors, in particular when it comes to [[Inserters#Inserter_Throughput|inserter throughput]].

== Belt properties ==

* '''Density'''. How many items fit onto a certain length of belt, measured in items per [[Map_structure#Tile|tile]] per belt lane. This is 4 on a straight belt, regardless of the type of item and type of belt. The item density on belts can be different from what they take up when just dropped on the ground (using the Z key). Density of items can be increased with the use of [[stack inserter]]s{{SA}}, but there are still at most 4 stacks per tile per lane.
* '''Speed'''. The speed of items on a belt is measured for practical reasons in tiles per second. Note that internally it is measured in positions (1/256 tile) per tick (1/60 sec). More on that below. The speed of a basic [[transport belt]] is 1.875 tiles per [[Time#Seconds|game-second]]. [[Fast transport belt]] is twice as fast, [[express transport belt]] is three times as fast, and [[turbo transport belt]]{{SA}} is four times as fast.
* '''Throughput'''. How many items per second that are moved from one tile to the next. That is density (items per tile) multiplied by speed (tiles per second), e.g. for a basic belt it is 4 * 1.875 = 7.5 items per second, for one belt lane. For both lanes it is doubled, i.e. 15 items per second.
* '''Compression'''. If there is no empty space between items on the belt it is called ''fully compressed'', otherwise its compression is only partial and it does not have optimal throughput. Entities that put items onto belts – [[inserters]], [[splitters]], other belts coming from the side, mining drills, etc - make room for their item by [[Version history/0.16.0#0.16.25|enlarging a small gap]] until it is exactly big enough for the item. That means belts naturally become fully compressed before items start to back up.
* '''Lanes'''. Belts have two parallel lanes, and the density and speed of each lane is constant and independent of the other one, regardless of twists and turns. So items in the inner lane of a turn exit it before those in the outer lane, since their speeds are equal and the inner lane is shorter than the outer one.

== Belt speeds ==

Given the values above we can calculate the speed and throughput of the three types of belts. Measurements confirm these values.

{| class="wikitable"
! rowspan=2 | Belt type || colspan=2 | Speed || colspan=4 | Throughput
|-
! Factor || Tiles/sec || Single lane, items/sec || Single lane, items/min || Both lanes, items/sec || Both lanes, items/min
|- align="center"
| align="left" | {{Imagelink|Transport belt}} || 1 || 1.875 || 7.5 || 450 || 15 || 900
|- align="center"
| align="left" | {{Imagelink|Fast transport belt}} || 2 || 3.75 || 15 || 900 || 30 || 1800
|- align="center"
| align="left" | {{Imagelink|Express transport belt}} || 3 || 5.625 || 22.5 || 1350 || 45 || 2700
|- align="center"
| align="left" | {{Imagelink|Turbo transport belt|space-age=yes}} || 4 || 7.5 || 30 || 1800 || 60 || 3600
|}

== Items on belts ==

As mentioned earlier, items take space on belts in terms of density and compression. However, every item on a belt is logically ''on'' exactly one belt tile at any moment in time.

For example, even though in a screenshot it might look like an item is halfway out from one tile and halfway onto the next, it will be accounted to exactly one of the two tiles:
* If you stop the belt tile the item is on, it stops; else it continues moving - there are no in-between states.
* If you connect the two belt tiles to a circuit network and get them to [[Belt_transport_system#Circuit_network|report statistics]] about the items they carry, you will see the item being accounted to exactly one of them.
* An inserter can only pick up items that are logically on the tile in front of it, not items butting in from the neighboring tiles.

In this sense it is useful to think of items as points with a certain minimum distance between them, rather than things with an area lying next to each other. For belt calculations and circuit networks involving belts it doesn't really matter where those "center points" are within the graphic of the item, but they appear to be in the middle:

[[Image:Belts-with-one-tick-offsets.png|center]]

In the image above the belts have been started at 1 tick offsets, then all the top row tiles have been stopped at once, causing the front-most stopped items to poke out by varying amounts. The items on the leftmost belt are almost halfway into the next tile, which means their center points are the closest to the edge of the upper stopped tile.

Below is a schematic example showing some items moving over two straight [[fast transport belt]] tiles and what their read signals would be at each tick. Their center points are marked with <code>*</code>. (The space between belt tile 1 and 2 is only for visualisation - in the game there are no such gaps between tiles.)

<pre>
Tick Belt tile 1 Belt tile 2 Read belt tile 1 Read belt tile 2
|------------------------------| |------------------------------| Pulse Hold Pulse Hold
0 <---*--> <---*--> <---*-- ><---*--> <---*--> 0 3 0 2
1 <---*--> <---*--> <---* --><---*--> <---*--> 0 3 0 2
2 <---*--> <---*--> <-- -*--><---*--> <---*-- 0 2 1 3
3 <---*--> <---*--> < ---*--><---*--> <---* 0 2 0 3
4 -> <---*--> <---*--> <---*--><---*--> <-- 0 2 0 2
5 *--> <---*--> <---*- -> <---*--><---*--> < 1 3 0 2
6 --*--> <---*--> <--- *--> <---*--><---*--> 0 2 1 3
7 <---*--> <---*--> <- --*--> <---*--><---*--> 0 2 0 3
8 <---*--> <---*--> <---*--> <---*--><---*--> 0 2 0 3
</pre>

== Belt positions and lengths ==

[https://forums.factorio.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=70055 Careful measurement] shows that the outer lane of a turn is exactly 1.15234375 times longer than a straight belt, or 295/256 in fractional format. That means each straight belt tile has 256 ''positions'' an item can be in, even though measuring the position with that precision can only be done indirectly. This has since been confirmed by the devs. [https://forums.factorio.com/viewtopic.php?p=554468#p554468]

Here are the speeds and lengths of the various types of belt tiles in terms of these positions:

{| class="wikitable"
! colspan=2 | What || Number of positions
|-
| colspan=2 | Basic [[transport belt]] speed, per tick || align="center" | 8
|-
| colspan=2 | [[Fast transport belt]] speed, per tick || align="center" | 16
|-
| colspan=2 | [[Express transport belt]] speed, per tick || align="center" | 24
|-
| colspan=2 | [[Turbo transport belt]]{{SA}} speed, per tick || align="center" | 32
|-
| colspan=2 | Length of an item on a belt (of any speed) || align="center" | 64
|-
| colspan=2 | Length of one lane of a straight belt tile and underground belt || align="center" | 256
|-
| colspan=2 | Length of one lane of the splitter input line || align="center" | 179 (128+51)1
|-
| colspan=2 | Length of one lane of the splitter output line || align="center" | 128
|-
| colspan=2 | Length of the inner lane of a turn || align="center" | 106
|-
| colspan=2 | Length of the outer lane of a turn || align="center" | 295
|-
| style="border-right: 0px" | Length travelled by an item sideloaded late on a straight belt or underground exit
| style="border-left: 0px" | [[Image:Sideload-late.gif]] || align="center" | 68
|-
| style="border-right: 0px" | Length travelled by an item sideloaded early on a straight belt or underground entrance
| style="border-left: 0px" | [[Image:Sideload-early.gif]] || align="center" | 188
|}
(1)includes a buffer of 51 positions

For example, given the figures above, we can deduce the speed of a basic belt:

: 8 (positions per tick) / 256 (positions per straight belt tile) * 60 (ticks per second) = 1.875 tiles per second

Its throughput per belt lane is:

: 8 (positions per tick) / 64 (positions per item) * 60 (ticks per second) = 7.5 items per second

== See also ==
* [[Belt transport system]]
* FFF #287: [https://www.factorio.com/blog/post/fff-287 Just bugs again]
* FFF #276: [https://www.factorio.com/blog/post/fff-276 Belt item spacing & Script rendering]
* FFF #231: [https://factorio.com/blog/post/fff-231 Belt compression & Crash log uploading]
* FFF #176: [https://www.factorio.com/blog/post/fff-176 Belts optimization for 0.15]
* [https://forums.factorio.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=70055 Accurate belt segment measurements] (discusses 0.17)
* [https://forums.factorio.com/viewtopic.php?p=554468#p554468 About belt numbers, from boskid]

{{C|Belt transport system{{!}}#Belt transport system}}

Transport belts/Physics

2026-03-05T05:03:10Z

HeliGungir: /* See also */ Added link to FFF #287

{{Languages}}
The [[belt transport system]] in Factorio is among the most detailed simulations in the game. Items in chests and other containers are stored simply as summed totals, and items on uninterrupted stretches of belts are [https://www.factorio.com/blog/post/fff-176 moved in aggregate] as an optimization, but in the end items on belts are simulated individually, especially when they get picked up or put down by inserters. This leads to some intricate behaviors, in particular when it comes to [[Inserters#Inserter_Throughput|inserter throughput]].

== Belt properties ==

* '''Density'''. How many items fit onto a certain length of belt, measured in items per [[Map_structure#Tile|tile]] per belt lane. This is 4 on a straight belt, regardless of the type of item and type of belt. The item density on belts can be different from what they take up when just dropped on the ground (using the Z key). Density of items can be increased with the use of [[stack inserter]]s{{SA}}, but there are still at most 4 stacks per tile per lane.
* '''Speed'''. The speed of items on a belt is measured for practical reasons in tiles per second. Note that internally it is measured in positions (1/256 tile) per tick (1/60 sec). More on that below. The speed of a basic [[transport belt]] is 1.875 tiles per [[Time#Seconds|game-second]]. [[Fast transport belt]] is twice as fast, [[express transport belt]] is three times as fast, and [[turbo transport belt]]{{SA}} is four times as fast.
* '''Throughput'''. How many items per second that are moved from one tile to the next. That is density (items per tile) multiplied by speed (tiles per second), e.g. for a basic belt it is 4 * 1.875 = 7.5 items per second, for one belt lane. For both lanes it is doubled, i.e. 15 items per second.
* '''Compression'''. If there is no empty space between items on the belt it is called ''fully compressed'', otherwise its compression is only partial and it does not have optimal throughput. Entities that put items onto belts – [[inserters]], [[splitters]], other belts coming from the side, mining drills, etc - make room for their item by [[Version history/0.16.0#0.16.25|enlarging a small gap]] until it is exactly big enough for the item. That means belts naturally become fully compressed before items start to back up.
* '''Lanes'''. Belts have two parallel lanes, and the density and speed of each lane is constant and independent of the other one, regardless of twists and turns. So items in the inner lane of a turn exit it before those in the outer lane, since their speeds are equal and the inner lane is shorter than the outer one.

== Belt speeds ==

Given the values above we can calculate the speed and throughput of the three types of belts. Measurements confirm these values.

{| class="wikitable"
! rowspan=2 | Belt type || colspan=2 | Speed || colspan=4 | Throughput
|-
! Factor || Tiles/sec || Single lane, items/sec || Single lane, items/min || Both lanes, items/sec || Both lanes, items/min
|- align="center"
| align="left" | {{Imagelink|Transport belt}} || 1 || 1.875 || 7.5 || 450 || 15 || 900
|- align="center"
| align="left" | {{Imagelink|Fast transport belt}} || 2 || 3.75 || 15 || 900 || 30 || 1800
|- align="center"
| align="left" | {{Imagelink|Express transport belt}} || 3 || 5.625 || 22.5 || 1350 || 45 || 2700
|- align="center"
| align="left" | {{Imagelink|Turbo transport belt|space-age=yes}} || 4 || 7.5 || 30 || 1800 || 60 || 3600
|}

== Items on belts ==

As mentioned earlier, items take space on belts in terms of density and compression. However, every item on a belt is logically ''on'' exactly one belt tile at any moment in time.

For example, even though in a screenshot it might look like an item is halfway out from one tile and halfway onto the next, it will be accounted to exactly one of the two tiles:
* If you stop the belt tile the item is on, it stops; else it continues moving - there are no in-between states.
* If you connect the two belt tiles to a circuit network and get them to [[Belt_transport_system#Circuit_network|report statistics]] about the items they carry, you will see the item being accounted to exactly one of them.
* An inserter can only pick up items that are logically on the tile in front of it, not items butting in from the neighboring tiles.

In this sense it is useful to think of items as points with a certain minimum distance between them, rather than things with an area lying next to each other. For belt calculations and circuit networks involving belts it doesn't really matter where those "center points" are within the graphic of the item, but they appear to be in the middle:

[[Image:Belts-with-one-tick-offsets.png|center]]

In the image above the belts have been started at 1 tick offsets, then all the top row tiles have been stopped at once, causing the front-most stopped items to poke out by varying amounts. The items on the leftmost belt are almost halfway into the next tile, which means their center points are the closest to the edge of the upper stopped tile.

Below is a schematic example showing some items moving over two straight [[fast transport belt]] tiles and what their read signals would be at each tick. Their center points are marked with <code>*</code>. (The space between belt tile 1 and 2 is only for visualisation - in the game there are no such gaps between tiles.)

<pre>
Tick Belt tile 1 Belt tile 2 Read belt tile 1 Read belt tile 2
|------------------------------| |------------------------------| Pulse Hold Pulse Hold
0 <---*--> <---*--> <---*-- ><---*--> <---*--> 0 3 0 2
1 <---*--> <---*--> <---* --><---*--> <---*--> 0 3 0 2
2 <---*--> <---*--> <-- -*--><---*--> <---*-- 0 2 1 3
3 <---*--> <---*--> < ---*--><---*--> <---* 0 2 0 3
4 -> <---*--> <---*--> <---*--><---*--> <-- 0 2 0 2
5 *--> <---*--> <---*- -> <---*--><---*--> < 1 3 0 2
6 --*--> <---*--> <--- *--> <---*--><---*--> 0 2 1 3
7 <---*--> <---*--> <- --*--> <---*--><---*--> 0 2 0 3
8 <---*--> <---*--> <---*--> <---*--><---*--> 0 2 0 3
</pre>

== Belt positions and lengths ==

[https://forums.factorio.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=70055 Careful measurement] shows that the outer lane of a turn is exactly 1.15234375 times longer than a straight belt, or 295/256 in fractional format. That means each straight belt tile has 256 ''positions'' an item can be in, even though measuring the position with that precision can only be done indirectly.

Here are the speeds and lengths of the various types of belt tiles in terms of these positions:

{| class="wikitable"
! colspan=2 | What || Number of positions
|-
| colspan=2 | Basic [[transport belt]] speed, per tick || align="center" | 8
|-
| colspan=2 | [[Fast transport belt]] speed, per tick || align="center" | 16
|-
| colspan=2 | [[Express transport belt]] speed, per tick || align="center" | 24
|-
| colspan=2 | [[Turbo transport belt]]{{SA}} speed, per tick || align="center" | 32
|-
| colspan=2 | Length of an item on a belt (of any speed) || align="center" | 64
|-
| colspan=2 | Length of one lane of a straight belt tile and underground belt || align="center" | 256
|-
| colspan=2 | Length of one lane of the splitter input line || align="center" | 179 (128+51)1
|-
| colspan=2 | Length of one lane of the splitter output line || align="center" | 128
|-
| colspan=2 | Length of the inner lane of a turn || align="center" | 106
|-
| colspan=2 | Length of the outer lane of a turn || align="center" | 295
|-
| style="border-right: 0px" | Length travelled by an item sideloaded late on a straight belt or underground exit
| style="border-left: 0px" | [[Image:Sideload-late.gif]] || align="center" | 68
|-
| style="border-right: 0px" | Length travelled by an item sideloaded early on a straight belt or underground entrance
| style="border-left: 0px" | [[Image:Sideload-early.gif]] || align="center" | 188
|}
(1)includes a buffer of 51 positions [https://forums.factorio.com/viewtopic.php?p=554468#p554468]

For example, given the figures above, we can deduce the speed of a basic belt:

: 8 (positions per tick) / 256 (positions per straight belt tile) * 60 (ticks per second) = 1.875 tiles per second

Its throughput per belt lane is:

: 8 (positions per tick) / 64 (positions per item) * 60 (ticks per second) = 7.5 items per second

== See also ==
* [[Belt transport system]]
* FFF #287: [https://www.factorio.com/blog/post/fff-287 Just bugs again]
* FFF #276: [https://www.factorio.com/blog/post/fff-276 Belt item spacing & Script rendering]
* FFF #231: [https://factorio.com/blog/post/fff-231 Belt compression & Crash log uploading]
* FFF #176: [https://www.factorio.com/blog/post/fff-176 Belts optimization for 0.15]
* [https://forums.factorio.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=70055 Accurate belt segment measurements] (discusses 0.17)
* [https://forums.factorio.com/viewtopic.php?p=554468#p554468 About belt numbers, from boskid]

{{C|Belt transport system{{!}}#Belt transport system}}

Transport belts/Physics

2026-03-05T04:43:25Z

HeliGungir: /* See also */ Removed dates from the FFF links

{{Languages}}
The [[belt transport system]] in Factorio is among the most detailed simulations in the game. Items in chests and other containers are stored simply as summed totals, and items on uninterrupted stretches of belts are [https://www.factorio.com/blog/post/fff-176 moved in aggregate] as an optimization, but in the end items on belts are simulated individually, especially when they get picked up or put down by inserters. This leads to some intricate behaviors, in particular when it comes to [[Inserters#Inserter_Throughput|inserter throughput]].

== Belt properties ==

* '''Density'''. How many items fit onto a certain length of belt, measured in items per [[Map_structure#Tile|tile]] per belt lane. This is 4 on a straight belt, regardless of the type of item and type of belt. The item density on belts can be different from what they take up when just dropped on the ground (using the Z key). Density of items can be increased with the use of [[stack inserter]]s{{SA}}, but there are still at most 4 stacks per tile per lane.
* '''Speed'''. The speed of items on a belt is measured for practical reasons in tiles per second. Note that internally it is measured in positions (1/256 tile) per tick (1/60 sec). More on that below. The speed of a basic [[transport belt]] is 1.875 tiles per [[Time#Seconds|game-second]]. [[Fast transport belt]] is twice as fast, [[express transport belt]] is three times as fast, and [[turbo transport belt]]{{SA}} is four times as fast.
* '''Throughput'''. How many items per second that are moved from one tile to the next. That is density (items per tile) multiplied by speed (tiles per second), e.g. for a basic belt it is 4 * 1.875 = 7.5 items per second, for one belt lane. For both lanes it is doubled, i.e. 15 items per second.
* '''Compression'''. If there is no empty space between items on the belt it is called ''fully compressed'', otherwise its compression is only partial and it does not have optimal throughput. Entities that put items onto belts – [[inserters]], [[splitters]], other belts coming from the side, mining drills, etc - make room for their item by [[Version history/0.16.0#0.16.25|enlarging a small gap]] until it is exactly big enough for the item. That means belts naturally become fully compressed before items start to back up.
* '''Lanes'''. Belts have two parallel lanes, and the density and speed of each lane is constant and independent of the other one, regardless of twists and turns. So items in the inner lane of a turn exit it before those in the outer lane, since their speeds are equal and the inner lane is shorter than the outer one.

== Belt speeds ==

Given the values above we can calculate the speed and throughput of the three types of belts. Measurements confirm these values.

{| class="wikitable"
! rowspan=2 | Belt type || colspan=2 | Speed || colspan=4 | Throughput
|-
! Factor || Tiles/sec || Single lane, items/sec || Single lane, items/min || Both lanes, items/sec || Both lanes, items/min
|- align="center"
| align="left" | {{Imagelink|Transport belt}} || 1 || 1.875 || 7.5 || 450 || 15 || 900
|- align="center"
| align="left" | {{Imagelink|Fast transport belt}} || 2 || 3.75 || 15 || 900 || 30 || 1800
|- align="center"
| align="left" | {{Imagelink|Express transport belt}} || 3 || 5.625 || 22.5 || 1350 || 45 || 2700
|- align="center"
| align="left" | {{Imagelink|Turbo transport belt|space-age=yes}} || 4 || 7.5 || 30 || 1800 || 60 || 3600
|}

== Items on belts ==

As mentioned earlier, items take space on belts in terms of density and compression. However, every item on a belt is logically ''on'' exactly one belt tile at any moment in time.

For example, even though in a screenshot it might look like an item is halfway out from one tile and halfway onto the next, it will be accounted to exactly one of the two tiles:
* If you stop the belt tile the item is on, it stops; else it continues moving - there are no in-between states.
* If you connect the two belt tiles to a circuit network and get them to [[Belt_transport_system#Circuit_network|report statistics]] about the items they carry, you will see the item being accounted to exactly one of them.
* An inserter can only pick up items that are logically on the tile in front of it, not items butting in from the neighboring tiles.

In this sense it is useful to think of items as points with a certain minimum distance between them, rather than things with an area lying next to each other. For belt calculations and circuit networks involving belts it doesn't really matter where those "center points" are within the graphic of the item, but they appear to be in the middle:

[[Image:Belts-with-one-tick-offsets.png|center]]

In the image above the belts have been started at 1 tick offsets, then all the top row tiles have been stopped at once, causing the front-most stopped items to poke out by varying amounts. The items on the leftmost belt are almost halfway into the next tile, which means their center points are the closest to the edge of the upper stopped tile.

Below is a schematic example showing some items moving over two straight [[fast transport belt]] tiles and what their read signals would be at each tick. Their center points are marked with <code>*</code>. (The space between belt tile 1 and 2 is only for visualisation - in the game there are no such gaps between tiles.)

<pre>
Tick Belt tile 1 Belt tile 2 Read belt tile 1 Read belt tile 2
|------------------------------| |------------------------------| Pulse Hold Pulse Hold
0 <---*--> <---*--> <---*-- ><---*--> <---*--> 0 3 0 2
1 <---*--> <---*--> <---* --><---*--> <---*--> 0 3 0 2
2 <---*--> <---*--> <-- -*--><---*--> <---*-- 0 2 1 3
3 <---*--> <---*--> < ---*--><---*--> <---* 0 2 0 3
4 -> <---*--> <---*--> <---*--><---*--> <-- 0 2 0 2
5 *--> <---*--> <---*- -> <---*--><---*--> < 1 3 0 2
6 --*--> <---*--> <--- *--> <---*--><---*--> 0 2 1 3
7 <---*--> <---*--> <- --*--> <---*--><---*--> 0 2 0 3
8 <---*--> <---*--> <---*--> <---*--><---*--> 0 2 0 3
</pre>

== Belt positions and lengths ==

[https://forums.factorio.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=70055 Careful measurement] shows that the outer lane of a turn is exactly 1.15234375 times longer than a straight belt, or 295/256 in fractional format. That means each straight belt tile has 256 ''positions'' an item can be in, even though measuring the position with that precision can only be done indirectly.

Here are the speeds and lengths of the various types of belt tiles in terms of these positions:

{| class="wikitable"
! colspan=2 | What || Number of positions
|-
| colspan=2 | Basic [[transport belt]] speed, per tick || align="center" | 8
|-
| colspan=2 | [[Fast transport belt]] speed, per tick || align="center" | 16
|-
| colspan=2 | [[Express transport belt]] speed, per tick || align="center" | 24
|-
| colspan=2 | [[Turbo transport belt]]{{SA}} speed, per tick || align="center" | 32
|-
| colspan=2 | Length of an item on a belt (of any speed) || align="center" | 64
|-
| colspan=2 | Length of one lane of a straight belt tile and underground belt || align="center" | 256
|-
| colspan=2 | Length of one lane of the splitter input line || align="center" | 179 (128+51)1
|-
| colspan=2 | Length of one lane of the splitter output line || align="center" | 128
|-
| colspan=2 | Length of the inner lane of a turn || align="center" | 106
|-
| colspan=2 | Length of the outer lane of a turn || align="center" | 295
|-
| style="border-right: 0px" | Length travelled by an item sideloaded late on a straight belt or underground exit
| style="border-left: 0px" | [[Image:Sideload-late.gif]] || align="center" | 68
|-
| style="border-right: 0px" | Length travelled by an item sideloaded early on a straight belt or underground entrance
| style="border-left: 0px" | [[Image:Sideload-early.gif]] || align="center" | 188
|}
(1)includes a buffer of 51 positions [https://forums.factorio.com/viewtopic.php?p=554468#p554468]

For example, given the figures above, we can deduce the speed of a basic belt:

: 8 (positions per tick) / 256 (positions per straight belt tile) * 60 (ticks per second) = 1.875 tiles per second

Its throughput per belt lane is:

: 8 (positions per tick) / 64 (positions per item) * 60 (ticks per second) = 7.5 items per second

== See also ==
* [[Belt transport system]]
* FFF #276: [https://www.factorio.com/blog/post/fff-276 Belt item spacing & Script rendering]
* FFF #231: [https://factorio.com/blog/post/fff-231 Belt compression & Crash log uploading]
* FFF #176: [https://www.factorio.com/blog/post/fff-176 Belts optimization for 0.15]
* [https://forums.factorio.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=70055 Accurate belt segment measurements] (discusses 0.17)
* [https://forums.factorio.com/viewtopic.php?p=554468#p554468 About belt numbers, from boskid]

{{C|Belt transport system{{!}}#Belt transport system}}

Transport belts/Physics

2026-03-05T04:41:27Z

HeliGungir: /* See also */ Added link to FFF #231

{{Languages}}
The [[belt transport system]] in Factorio is among the most detailed simulations in the game. Items in chests and other containers are stored simply as summed totals, and items on uninterrupted stretches of belts are [https://www.factorio.com/blog/post/fff-176 moved in aggregate] as an optimization, but in the end items on belts are simulated individually, especially when they get picked up or put down by inserters. This leads to some intricate behaviors, in particular when it comes to [[Inserters#Inserter_Throughput|inserter throughput]].

== Belt properties ==

* '''Density'''. How many items fit onto a certain length of belt, measured in items per [[Map_structure#Tile|tile]] per belt lane. This is 4 on a straight belt, regardless of the type of item and type of belt. The item density on belts can be different from what they take up when just dropped on the ground (using the Z key). Density of items can be increased with the use of [[stack inserter]]s{{SA}}, but there are still at most 4 stacks per tile per lane.
* '''Speed'''. The speed of items on a belt is measured for practical reasons in tiles per second. Note that internally it is measured in positions (1/256 tile) per tick (1/60 sec). More on that below. The speed of a basic [[transport belt]] is 1.875 tiles per [[Time#Seconds|game-second]]. [[Fast transport belt]] is twice as fast, [[express transport belt]] is three times as fast, and [[turbo transport belt]]{{SA}} is four times as fast.
* '''Throughput'''. How many items per second that are moved from one tile to the next. That is density (items per tile) multiplied by speed (tiles per second), e.g. for a basic belt it is 4 * 1.875 = 7.5 items per second, for one belt lane. For both lanes it is doubled, i.e. 15 items per second.
* '''Compression'''. If there is no empty space between items on the belt it is called ''fully compressed'', otherwise its compression is only partial and it does not have optimal throughput. Entities that put items onto belts – [[inserters]], [[splitters]], other belts coming from the side, mining drills, etc - make room for their item by [[Version history/0.16.0#0.16.25|enlarging a small gap]] until it is exactly big enough for the item. That means belts naturally become fully compressed before items start to back up.
* '''Lanes'''. Belts have two parallel lanes, and the density and speed of each lane is constant and independent of the other one, regardless of twists and turns. So items in the inner lane of a turn exit it before those in the outer lane, since their speeds are equal and the inner lane is shorter than the outer one.

== Belt speeds ==

Given the values above we can calculate the speed and throughput of the three types of belts. Measurements confirm these values.

{| class="wikitable"
! rowspan=2 | Belt type || colspan=2 | Speed || colspan=4 | Throughput
|-
! Factor || Tiles/sec || Single lane, items/sec || Single lane, items/min || Both lanes, items/sec || Both lanes, items/min
|- align="center"
| align="left" | {{Imagelink|Transport belt}} || 1 || 1.875 || 7.5 || 450 || 15 || 900
|- align="center"
| align="left" | {{Imagelink|Fast transport belt}} || 2 || 3.75 || 15 || 900 || 30 || 1800
|- align="center"
| align="left" | {{Imagelink|Express transport belt}} || 3 || 5.625 || 22.5 || 1350 || 45 || 2700
|- align="center"
| align="left" | {{Imagelink|Turbo transport belt|space-age=yes}} || 4 || 7.5 || 30 || 1800 || 60 || 3600
|}

== Items on belts ==

As mentioned earlier, items take space on belts in terms of density and compression. However, every item on a belt is logically ''on'' exactly one belt tile at any moment in time.

For example, even though in a screenshot it might look like an item is halfway out from one tile and halfway onto the next, it will be accounted to exactly one of the two tiles:
* If you stop the belt tile the item is on, it stops; else it continues moving - there are no in-between states.
* If you connect the two belt tiles to a circuit network and get them to [[Belt_transport_system#Circuit_network|report statistics]] about the items they carry, you will see the item being accounted to exactly one of them.
* An inserter can only pick up items that are logically on the tile in front of it, not items butting in from the neighboring tiles.

In this sense it is useful to think of items as points with a certain minimum distance between them, rather than things with an area lying next to each other. For belt calculations and circuit networks involving belts it doesn't really matter where those "center points" are within the graphic of the item, but they appear to be in the middle:

[[Image:Belts-with-one-tick-offsets.png|center]]

In the image above the belts have been started at 1 tick offsets, then all the top row tiles have been stopped at once, causing the front-most stopped items to poke out by varying amounts. The items on the leftmost belt are almost halfway into the next tile, which means their center points are the closest to the edge of the upper stopped tile.

Below is a schematic example showing some items moving over two straight [[fast transport belt]] tiles and what their read signals would be at each tick. Their center points are marked with <code>*</code>. (The space between belt tile 1 and 2 is only for visualisation - in the game there are no such gaps between tiles.)

<pre>
Tick Belt tile 1 Belt tile 2 Read belt tile 1 Read belt tile 2
|------------------------------| |------------------------------| Pulse Hold Pulse Hold
0 <---*--> <---*--> <---*-- ><---*--> <---*--> 0 3 0 2
1 <---*--> <---*--> <---* --><---*--> <---*--> 0 3 0 2
2 <---*--> <---*--> <-- -*--><---*--> <---*-- 0 2 1 3
3 <---*--> <---*--> < ---*--><---*--> <---* 0 2 0 3
4 -> <---*--> <---*--> <---*--><---*--> <-- 0 2 0 2
5 *--> <---*--> <---*- -> <---*--><---*--> < 1 3 0 2
6 --*--> <---*--> <--- *--> <---*--><---*--> 0 2 1 3
7 <---*--> <---*--> <- --*--> <---*--><---*--> 0 2 0 3
8 <---*--> <---*--> <---*--> <---*--><---*--> 0 2 0 3
</pre>

== Belt positions and lengths ==

[https://forums.factorio.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=70055 Careful measurement] shows that the outer lane of a turn is exactly 1.15234375 times longer than a straight belt, or 295/256 in fractional format. That means each straight belt tile has 256 ''positions'' an item can be in, even though measuring the position with that precision can only be done indirectly.

Here are the speeds and lengths of the various types of belt tiles in terms of these positions:

{| class="wikitable"
! colspan=2 | What || Number of positions
|-
| colspan=2 | Basic [[transport belt]] speed, per tick || align="center" | 8
|-
| colspan=2 | [[Fast transport belt]] speed, per tick || align="center" | 16
|-
| colspan=2 | [[Express transport belt]] speed, per tick || align="center" | 24
|-
| colspan=2 | [[Turbo transport belt]]{{SA}} speed, per tick || align="center" | 32
|-
| colspan=2 | Length of an item on a belt (of any speed) || align="center" | 64
|-
| colspan=2 | Length of one lane of a straight belt tile and underground belt || align="center" | 256
|-
| colspan=2 | Length of one lane of the splitter input line || align="center" | 179 (128+51)1
|-
| colspan=2 | Length of one lane of the splitter output line || align="center" | 128
|-
| colspan=2 | Length of the inner lane of a turn || align="center" | 106
|-
| colspan=2 | Length of the outer lane of a turn || align="center" | 295
|-
| style="border-right: 0px" | Length travelled by an item sideloaded late on a straight belt or underground exit
| style="border-left: 0px" | [[Image:Sideload-late.gif]] || align="center" | 68
|-
| style="border-right: 0px" | Length travelled by an item sideloaded early on a straight belt or underground entrance
| style="border-left: 0px" | [[Image:Sideload-early.gif]] || align="center" | 188
|}
(1)includes a buffer of 51 positions [https://forums.factorio.com/viewtopic.php?p=554468#p554468]

For example, given the figures above, we can deduce the speed of a basic belt:

: 8 (positions per tick) / 256 (positions per straight belt tile) * 60 (ticks per second) = 1.875 tiles per second

Its throughput per belt lane is:

: 8 (positions per tick) / 64 (positions per item) * 60 (ticks per second) = 7.5 items per second

== See also ==
* [[Belt transport system]]
* Jan 04 FFF #276: [https://www.factorio.com/blog/post/fff-276 Belt item spacing & Script rendering]
* Feb 23 FFF #231: [https://factorio.com/blog/post/fff-231 Belt compression & Crash log uploading]
* Feb 03 FFF #176: [https://www.factorio.com/blog/post/fff-176 Belts optimization for 0.15]
* [https://forums.factorio.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=70055 Accurate belt segment measurements] (discusses 0.17)
* [https://forums.factorio.com/viewtopic.php?p=554468#p554468 About belt numbers, from boskid]

{{C|Belt transport system{{!}}#Belt transport system}}

Glossary

2026-01-17T02:36:53Z

HeliGungir: /* E */ Entity: Expanded the definition

{{Languages}}__NOTOC__
This page acts as a general glossary of all terms used in Factorio and its community. We recommend searching the page with {{keybinding|CTRL|F}} to find specific terms. The page is also organized alphabetically.

Additionally, you can click a letter below to be taken to that letter in the list, if you wish to search manually.

[[##|#]] [[#A|A]] [[#B|B]] [[#C|C]] [[#D|D]] [[#E|E]] [[#F|F]] [[#G|G]] [[#H|H]] [[#I|I]] [[#J|J]] [[#K|K]] [[#L|L]] [[#M|M]] [[#N|N]] [[#O|O]] [[#P|P]] [[#Q|Q]] [[#R|R]] [[#S|S]] [[#T|T]] [[#U|U]] [[#V|V]] [[#W|W]] [[#X|X]] [[#Y|Y]] [[#Z|Z]]

== # ==

;1-1, 1-2-1, 2-4, 4-8-4 and similar : A somewhat ambiguous shorthand notation for train configurations. The first number is usually the number of [[locomotive]]s at the head of the train, followed by the number of [[cargo wagon]]s or [[fluid wagon]]s, and optionally followed by the number of tail locomotives if it's a double-headed train. In general, the smaller numbers are the number of locomotives.

== A ==

; AP : Armor piercing, refers to [[piercing rounds magazine]].
;Ammo : [[Firearm magazine|Ammunition]], used for guns/rocket launchers/turrets, etc.
;Assembler : Another word for an [[assembling machine]].

== B ==

;BP : Short for [[blueprint]].
;Backed-up : Refers to a machine having no output, and so the input channel fills up. Can also refer to belts being backlogged due to low consumption. This is not necessarily a bad thing.
;Backpressure : What a machine, usually a belt segment or [[inserter]], experiences when delivery stalls because its target is backed up.
;Belt balancer : This is a belt setup that balances multiple belts to contain the same amount of resources, to maximize throughput. See [[balancers]].
;Blackout : When your factory completely loses power. This typically happens at night when relying on solar+accumulator power, enemies destroying vital electric poles, or after a prolonged brownout when using electric mining drills and/or electric inserters (instead of their burner variants).
;Bots : Shorthand version for [[construction robot]] or [[logistic robot]]. Sometimes also refers to the [[Combat_robot_capsules|combat robots]] created from capsules.
;Bottleneck : A term that means a single point where resources are constrained, such as a slow part of a belt that slows down everything.
;Braiding : The space-saving technique of alternating between two or more different underground belt types (basic, fast and express) in a straight line, one tile wide. The different types of underground belts don't interfere with each other, and inserters can interact with the belt entrance and exit entities.
;Brownout : When your factory's machines are running slower than normal because it's not generating enough electricity.
;Buffer: A place where a stockpile of items is stored to be available when the production stops. Typically a chest.
;Bus : Short for [[#M|main bus]].

== C ==

;Capacity : Maximum amount of items/[[fluid system|fluids]] that can exist within something.
;Catchup : Period where a [[player]] joining a game is required to replay recent changes quickly, so they can be merged into the running game smoothly. Often happens on slow connections, or on servers with a lot going on.
;Chokepoint : Artificial or natural geography that funnels attackers into a narrow, movement-constricting area, making it more difficult for them to breach fortifications. Examples: peninsulas with narrow connections to the mainland, artificial land bridges to islands, nearby lakes, corridors through thick forests. Certain [[cliff]] formations can also present this issue.
;Coin : An item used in the Tight Spot campaign.
;Compression (belt): Usually refers to a fully saturated belt, or the act of fully saturating a belt (see Saturation (belt)). Rarely, may instead refer to a belt that contains more items than is normally possible. Eg: Building and rotating belts can "compress" more than 8 items into the entity.
;Composter : A [[chests|chest]] used to store [[Spoilage_mechanics|spoilable]] items with the intention of spoiling them.
;Contaminated : A [[Transport belts|belt]] with incorrect items on it (such as [[coal]] on an iron belt). Can also refer to [[pipe]]s with mixed liquids.
;Cracktorio : A community term referring to the addictive qualities of Factorio, jokingly comparing the game to crack cocaine.

== D ==

;Daisy chaining : Some entities allow [[inserter]]s to insert and remove items from the same slots, including fuel in [[boiler]]s, ammo in [[gun turret]]s, [[science pack]]s in [[lab]]s, [[module]]s in [[beacon]]s, robots in [[roboport]]s, and any items in [[chests]]. 'Daisy chaining' is a technique that makes use of this mechanic in order to supply some machines with consumables (i.e. fuel, ammo or science packs) without having to use belts. You simply chain multiple machines together with inserters that take the items out of the previous machine and insert them directly into the next. It's sometimes referred to as 'stealing', as in 'coal stealing' or 'ammo stealing'.
;Death world : A map generation configuration that results in a large quantity of [[enemies]], to increase the game's difficulty.
;Double header : This is a term that refers to a train with [[locomotive]]s on both ends, making the train capable of driving in both directions. Opposite of a single header, or standard train. A shorthand example could be: 1-2-1 (locomotive-carriage-carriage-locomotive) or 2-4-2.
;Dragon's teeth : A series of alternating stone wall pillars outside the main wall fortification with the purpose of delaying the biters from reaching the wall. [[Wikipedia:Dragon's_teeth_(fortification)|Dragon's teeth]] were first deployed in the Second World War to delay and channel armoured units into minefields and other defenses. Also used in the 1997 game [[Wikipedia:Total Annihilation|Total Annihilation]].

== E ==

;eSPM : Effective [[science pack|science]] per minute. This is a measure of SPM that explicitly includes all the upgrades (e.g [[productivity module]]s, [[biolab]]s{{SA}}, [[Research productivity (research)|research productivity]]{{SA}}, and [[quality]]{{SA}}).
;Entity : Most things that can be manipulated in-game, including machines, belts, items on belts, trees, enemies, vehicles, and the player. For contrast, items and tiles are not entities. But items and tiles often have an entity representation. For example, placed concrete is a tile, but concrete items traveling on a belt are entities.
;Evolution : The development and growth of the native population. Over the course of a game, biters and spitters become bigger and more powerful. See [[Enemies#Evolution|evolution]].

== F ==

;FFF : The weekly blog that the developers make to talk about the development of Factorio. Expanded, it is Factorio Friday Facts, posted every Friday.
;FPS : Visual rendering speed, "frames per second". When this is reduced beneath 60, the game may stutter visually, jitter, or otherwise appear unstable. Low FPS will not necessarily result in low UPS, but they are loosely tied together.
;[[Fuel]] : Refers to any burnable item that can be used to fuel burner devices, such as [[wood]], [[coal]], etc.

== G ==

; GJ : Giga joule, a measurement of energy.
; GW : Giga watt, a measurement of power.
;Ghost : A translucent preview image that designates a position for the construction of an entity. [[Ghost]]s are created when you shift+click with an entity under your cursor, when you use the [[Rail_planner#Ghost_Planner|ghost rail planner]], when an entity is destroyed after you've researched construction robotics, and when you place a blueprint. Construction robots automatically attempt to construct ghosts within their logistic or personal roboport network, and if unable will create an alert for missing construction materials.
;Gigabase : An even larger megabase, typically has SPPM counts > 10k.

== H ==

; Hood : The overhead structure of an [[Underground belts|underground belt]]. When sideloading an underground belt with a [[transport belts|transport belt]], the hood blocks one lane and sideloads the other, which can be useful.
; Hub : See Mall

== I ==

;Inventory : The ability for an entity to hold items within it. Almost all entities have inventories.
;Item : Items represent the un-built version of a machine, tools, intermediate products etc. Typically, items are found on belts, in the player's inventory, and inside machines. Items can be provided to recipes to create other items.
;Item explosion : A phenomenon when a lot of items are spilled on the ground in a square-like fashion. Usually due to accidentally removing [[power armor]] when having a full inventory.
;Item request slot : A special request slot for machines with module slots that allows them to request the [[module]]s in the blueprint from which they were constructed. The [[deconstruction planner]] has a filter for canceling these requests.

== K ==

; kJ : Kilojoule, a measurement of energy.
; kW : Kilowatt, a measurement of power.
;Kovarex : The founding father of Factorio and where [[kovarex enrichment process]] gets its name from.

== L ==
;Lane : One side of a transport belt. Each belt has two lanes.
;Lane balancer : This is a belt setup that balances the two lanes on a belt to be equal, to maximize throughput. See [[balancer mechanics]].
;Legs : [[Exoskeleton]]
;Loader : An abandoned concept for a belt-based mechanism that continuously loads and unloads machines, as an alternative to inserters. Functional loader entities can still be found in the editor, and some mods give them a proper texture and make them available in regular games. Loaders are used in the official Team Production scenario.

== M ==

; MW : Mega watt, a measurement of power.
; MJ : Mega joule, a measurement of energy.
;Main bus : The opposite of spaghetti, this refers to placing multiple belts side by side containing one resource, and branching off of it in order to create setups. Allows for organized layout of resource transportation.
;Mall: Also known as hub or store. A location in a factory that produces many types of different items that the player needs but in relatively small amounts.
;Marathon: A game mode where technologies and recipes are significantly more expensive.
;Map exchange string : A long piece of text that encodes the settings used to generate a map. See [[Map generator#Map exchange string|map exchange string]].
;Market : A building where you can buy items using coins. It's available in the editor and used in the Tight Spot campaign.
;Mats : Shorthand for materials.
;Megabase : A community term referring to a significantly large base that has been built over a significant time/effort. Often, these bases are quantified in terms of science packs per minute, or "SPPM". A base typically is considered a megabase when it can maintain 1k SPPM.
;Mod : This term refers to a script or collection of scripts that change how the game acts, adds new items/entities, etc.
;Modpack : A community term referring to a collection of mods that work well together.

== N ==

;Nauvis : The planet that Factorio takes place on. Used to be an internal name, but became canonical with version 2.0.
;Night steam : The strategy of relying on solar panels to generate electricity during the day and steam engines during the night.
;No path : A common error that means that a train cannot find a valid route to a train stop. See [[Railway#No_path|no path]].

== O ==

; Outpost : A small base created far away from a main base, usually to serve a single purpose like mining or production of a specific resource.

== P ==

;Priority splitter : A splitter design that directs as many resources as possible from a bus to an offshoot before letting excess items flow past. This is in contrast to a splitter that always distributes some percentage of items to both sides (depending on the particular arrangement of splitters).
;PAX (train) : Short for passenger train or player access station, another name for the [[Glossary#S|shuttle]].

== Q ==
;QoL : Quality of life, often refers to mods that increase ease of play.

== R ==

;RORO : Abbreviation for "Roll on, roll off" in the context of train station design. It means that trains arrive at the station at one end and leave the station at the other end (driving past the train stop), as opposed to terminus stations.
;RPM : Shorthand for rockets per minute.
;Rainbow belt : A transport belt with many different types of items on it, rather than the easier-to-manage one or two types of items. See [[#S|sushi belt]].
;Ribbon world : A world which has been set up to have limited space in one dimension (width or height), adding a new challenge. The smallest ribbon world in which you can launch a rocket is a map limited to a width or height of 9 tiles, the size of the rocket silo.
;River (belt) : A design strategy where items are continuously moving without looping or [[#B|backing up]] to be either processed or destroyed. Sometimes used as a strategy to handle [[Spoilage_mechanics|spoilable]] items.
;Roundabout (rail) : A circular rail junction that resembles real-world roundabouts for motor vehicles. Roundabouts allow trains to exit in any direction, including the direction they just came from. Small, simple roundabouts are known for their relatively poor throughput, and for long trains occasionally colliding with themselves.

== S ==

;SA : [[Space Age]], the offical Factorio expansion.
;Saturatation (belt): The number of gaps between items on a belt that is flowing at full speed. Eg: "Fully saturated" means no gaps and flowing at full speed.
;Scenario : A map that has been saved via the [[map editor]]. Special scripting can be added to make simple "events".
;Seed : A number associated with each map that determines the outcome of certain pseudo-random processes, like terrain generation. All other settings being equal, different seeds result in vastly different terrain features. The seed is included in [[#M|map exchange strings]].
;Shuttle : A train for personal transportation around the factory. Sometimes called a taxi.
;Sideloading : This is a commonly used term that refers to running the end of a [[transport belt]] into the side of another, so that only the lane on the side of the belt that the other belt is on is filled. This is typically done to create a belt that carries two different resources side-by-side on the same belt.
;Smart furnace : A smelting setup that can process multiple materials (e.g. iron ore, copper ore, iron plates, stone).
;Spaghetti : [[File:spaghetti_example.png|thumb|200px|right|An example of a "spaghetti" setup with intertwining belts.]]A community term referring to the "spaghetti" look of many belts/entities placed in a disorganized fashion. Typically created by new players to Factorio. Generally, it will be moved away from as soon as the player realizes the logistical problems it causes. Note that not all "spaghetti" factories are necessarily inefficient.
;Speedrun : Attempting to beat the game as quickly as possible.
;SPM : Science per minute. Prior to 2.0, this term was exclusively used to indicate the number of science packs produced by a factory (SPPM). Since 2.0, the game has added multiple UI elements that include some bonuses not previously included in SPM, now surfacing a value also referred to as effective SPM (eSPM). The [[Production statistics]] now shows a "Science" item, and the [[Research]] tooltip shows "Science per minute" as a single value. Due to the shift in meaning caused by the addition of these UI elements, this term now has some ambiguity.
;SPPM : Science packs per minute. Measured per type, so 1k SPPM will mean production of 1000 of each science pack type per minute, though military science is often excluded. Usually used to measure the size of very big bases, see [[#M|megabase]] and [[#G|gigabase]].
;Stacker : Also known as '''parking lot'''. A waiting bay for trains, allowing them to wait on different parallel tracks and not block each other until their destination becomes free. Recommended in front of large, multi-platform stations.
;Supply train: A train that usually for personal use that is used to carry mostly building materials like rails, conveyor belts, inserters, assembly machines etc..
;Sushi belt : The strategy of mixing many different types of items on transport belts to supply machines that need some or all of those items. It sacrifices throughput for compactness (and beauty). It looks colorful and diverse like a tray of sushi. Its perhaps most popular application is supplying labs with science packs. Sometimes called sushi bar or rainbow belt.
;Sushi river : A [[#R|river belt]] on which many different items are mixed, like a [[#S|sushi belt]].

== T ==

;TINS : Abbreviation of "There Is No Spoon", the name of the in-game achievement.
;Terminus : A train station design where trains come in and leave from the same side, thus requiring double-headed trains, unlike RORO stations.
;Throughput : A term that refers to the maximum amount of resources that can travel through something (such as a belt) in a certain amount of time. Usually quantified in items per second.
;Tick : The smallest measurable amount of time in Factorio. There are 60 ticks per second (when running at 60 UPS), and 3600 ticks in a minute.
;Tile : A piece of map. It is not really known how big it is, but for simplifying things we can assume that a tile is a quadratic with side of 1 meter.
;Time : Game time is normally identical with real time, one second in the game is one second in reality, but it can be faster or slower. For example, when the calculations for an update takes longer than a tick, the game slows down (aka UPS).
;Train bus : A popular alternative to the [[#M|main bus]] pattern. Instead of using a belt bus to provide materials for various production cells, a large rail system allows many trains to route materials between more distant cells, sometimes called subfactories.
;Trash can : A simple 'public utility' of sorts, which is an active provider that players can dump unwanted items into. Logistic robots pick them up and store them away. It's useful if you need to get rid of large quantities of items (such as [[wood]] or [[landfill]]) and your logistic trash slots are full.
;Turnaround (trains) : A rail design that allows trains to return the direction they just came from. This might be a loop, a U-turn, or a dead-end with a "turn around" train stop for two-headed trains to use. Note that a loop-style turnaround is has only one exit, while a loop with multiple exits is considered a roundabout.
;Turret : Stationary defense weapon. There are four types of turrets in Factorio, the [[laser turret]], [[gun turret]], [[flamethrower turret]] and [[artillery turret]]. [[Space Age]]{{SA}} adds the [[railgun turret]] and [[tesla turret]].
;Turret creep : The tactic of leap-frogging with turrets into hostile territory. It's very effective due to the strength and range of turrets. Typically done with laser turrets, blueprints and personal roboports, but can also be done by manually placing gun turrets and inserting ammo.

== U ==

;Upcycler: An assembly line designed to increase the [[quality]] of an intermediate or end product.
;UPS : Internal clock speed, "Updates Per Second". The game tries its best to maintain the ideal 60 UPS, but it is affected by the size and complexity of the game world and your computer hardware. A lower UPS means that the simulation runs slower. At 30 UPS everything would take twice as long as under ideal conditions. This is a common concern on megabases or when playing with many mods active. It can be set to more than 60 UPS by changing the game speed via script, processing power permitting. The Transport Belt Madness and Tight Spot campaigns are examples where the game speed can be increased.
;Underbelt : [[Underground belts|Underground belt]]
;Underpipe (Underground pipe) : [[Pipe to ground]]

== V ==
;Vanilla : Regular version of the game with no mods.

== W ==

;Wube : The company based in the Czech Republic that develops Factorio.

== Z ==

;Zoo : A group of biter or spitter nests around which the player has built a safe containment zone, i.e. a circle of turrets. Reasons for doing this include exploiting the nests' pollution absorption and automating the destruction of items (using requester chests near the nests).

{{C|Main}}

Glossary

2026-01-17T02:22:39Z

HeliGungir: /* H, M */ Added "Hub" as synonym for "Mall" (common term in other factory games).

{{Languages}}__NOTOC__
This page acts as a general glossary of all terms used in Factorio and its community. We recommend searching the page with {{keybinding|CTRL|F}} to find specific terms. The page is also organized alphabetically.

Additionally, you can click a letter below to be taken to that letter in the list, if you wish to search manually.

[[##|#]] [[#A|A]] [[#B|B]] [[#C|C]] [[#D|D]] [[#E|E]] [[#F|F]] [[#G|G]] [[#H|H]] [[#I|I]] [[#J|J]] [[#K|K]] [[#L|L]] [[#M|M]] [[#N|N]] [[#O|O]] [[#P|P]] [[#Q|Q]] [[#R|R]] [[#S|S]] [[#T|T]] [[#U|U]] [[#V|V]] [[#W|W]] [[#X|X]] [[#Y|Y]] [[#Z|Z]]

== # ==

;1-1, 1-2-1, 2-4, 4-8-4 and similar : A somewhat ambiguous shorthand notation for train configurations. The first number is usually the number of [[locomotive]]s at the head of the train, followed by the number of [[cargo wagon]]s or [[fluid wagon]]s, and optionally followed by the number of tail locomotives if it's a double-headed train. In general, the smaller numbers are the number of locomotives.

== A ==

; AP : Armor piercing, refers to [[piercing rounds magazine]].
;Ammo : [[Firearm magazine|Ammunition]], used for guns/rocket launchers/turrets, etc.
;Assembler : Another word for an [[assembling machine]].

== B ==

;BP : Short for [[blueprint]].
;Backed-up : Refers to a machine having no output, and so the input channel fills up. Can also refer to belts being backlogged due to low consumption. This is not necessarily a bad thing.
;Backpressure : What a machine, usually a belt segment or [[inserter]], experiences when delivery stalls because its target is backed up.
;Belt balancer : This is a belt setup that balances multiple belts to contain the same amount of resources, to maximize throughput. See [[balancers]].
;Blackout : When your factory completely loses power. This typically happens at night when relying on solar+accumulator power, enemies destroying vital electric poles, or after a prolonged brownout when using electric mining drills and/or electric inserters (instead of their burner variants).
;Bots : Shorthand version for [[construction robot]] or [[logistic robot]]. Sometimes also refers to the [[Combat_robot_capsules|combat robots]] created from capsules.
;Bottleneck : A term that means a single point where resources are constrained, such as a slow part of a belt that slows down everything.
;Braiding : The space-saving technique of alternating between two or more different underground belt types (basic, fast and express) in a straight line, one tile wide. The different types of underground belts don't interfere with each other, and inserters can interact with the belt entrance and exit entities.
;Brownout : When your factory's machines are running slower than normal because it's not generating enough electricity.
;Buffer: A place where a stockpile of items is stored to be available when the production stops. Typically a chest.
;Bus : Short for [[#M|main bus]].

== C ==

;Capacity : Maximum amount of items/[[fluid system|fluids]] that can exist within something.
;Catchup : Period where a [[player]] joining a game is required to replay recent changes quickly, so they can be merged into the running game smoothly. Often happens on slow connections, or on servers with a lot going on.
;Chokepoint : Artificial or natural geography that funnels attackers into a narrow, movement-constricting area, making it more difficult for them to breach fortifications. Examples: peninsulas with narrow connections to the mainland, artificial land bridges to islands, nearby lakes, corridors through thick forests. Certain [[cliff]] formations can also present this issue.
;Coin : An item used in the Tight Spot campaign.
;Compression (belt): Usually refers to a fully saturated belt, or the act of fully saturating a belt (see Saturation (belt)). Rarely, may instead refer to a belt that contains more items than is normally possible. Eg: Building and rotating belts can "compress" more than 8 items into the entity.
;Composter : A [[chests|chest]] used to store [[Spoilage_mechanics|spoilable]] items with the intention of spoiling them.
;Contaminated : A [[Transport belts|belt]] with incorrect items on it (such as [[coal]] on an iron belt). Can also refer to [[pipe]]s with mixed liquids.
;Cracktorio : A community term referring to the addictive qualities of Factorio, jokingly comparing the game to crack cocaine.

== D ==

;Daisy chaining : Some entities allow [[inserter]]s to insert and remove items from the same slots, including fuel in [[boiler]]s, ammo in [[gun turret]]s, [[science pack]]s in [[lab]]s, [[module]]s in [[beacon]]s, robots in [[roboport]]s, and any items in [[chests]]. 'Daisy chaining' is a technique that makes use of this mechanic in order to supply some machines with consumables (i.e. fuel, ammo or science packs) without having to use belts. You simply chain multiple machines together with inserters that take the items out of the previous machine and insert them directly into the next. It's sometimes referred to as 'stealing', as in 'coal stealing' or 'ammo stealing'.
;Death world : A map generation configuration that results in a large quantity of [[enemies]], to increase the game's difficulty.
;Double header : This is a term that refers to a train with [[locomotive]]s on both ends, making the train capable of driving in both directions. Opposite of a single header, or standard train. A shorthand example could be: 1-2-1 (locomotive-carriage-carriage-locomotive) or 2-4-2.
;Dragon's teeth : A series of alternating stone wall pillars outside the main wall fortification with the purpose of delaying the biters from reaching the wall. [[Wikipedia:Dragon's_teeth_(fortification)|Dragon's teeth]] were first deployed in the Second World War to delay and channel armoured units into minefields and other defenses. Also used in the 1997 game [[Wikipedia:Total Annihilation|Total Annihilation]].

== E ==

;eSPM : Effective [[science pack|science]] per minute. This is a measure of SPM that explicitly includes all the upgrades (e.g [[productivity module]]s, [[biolab]]s{{SA}}, [[Research productivity (research)|research productivity]]{{SA}}, and [[quality]]{{SA}}).
;Entity : Most things that can be manipulated in-game. Nearly everything in factorio is an entity. Any device, items, trees... Even the player is just an entity.
;Evolution : The development and growth of the native population. Over the course of a game, biters and spitters become bigger and more powerful. See [[Enemies#Evolution|evolution]].

== F ==

;FFF : The weekly blog that the developers make to talk about the development of Factorio. Expanded, it is Factorio Friday Facts, posted every Friday.
;FPS : Visual rendering speed, "frames per second". When this is reduced beneath 60, the game may stutter visually, jitter, or otherwise appear unstable. Low FPS will not necessarily result in low UPS, but they are loosely tied together.
;[[Fuel]] : Refers to any burnable item that can be used to fuel burner devices, such as [[wood]], [[coal]], etc.

== G ==

; GJ : Giga joule, a measurement of energy.
; GW : Giga watt, a measurement of power.
;Ghost : A translucent preview image that designates a position for the construction of an entity. [[Ghost]]s are created when you shift+click with an entity under your cursor, when you use the [[Rail_planner#Ghost_Planner|ghost rail planner]], when an entity is destroyed after you've researched construction robotics, and when you place a blueprint. Construction robots automatically attempt to construct ghosts within their logistic or personal roboport network, and if unable will create an alert for missing construction materials.
;Gigabase : An even larger megabase, typically has SPPM counts > 10k.

== H ==

; Hood : The overhead structure of an [[Underground belts|underground belt]]. When sideloading an underground belt with a [[transport belts|transport belt]], the hood blocks one lane and sideloads the other, which can be useful.
; Hub : See Mall

== I ==

;Inventory : The ability for an entity to hold items within it. Almost all entities have inventories.
;Item : Items represent the un-built version of a machine, tools, intermediate products etc. Typically, items are found on belts, in the player's inventory, and inside machines. Items can be provided to recipes to create other items.
;Item explosion : A phenomenon when a lot of items are spilled on the ground in a square-like fashion. Usually due to accidentally removing [[power armor]] when having a full inventory.
;Item request slot : A special request slot for machines with module slots that allows them to request the [[module]]s in the blueprint from which they were constructed. The [[deconstruction planner]] has a filter for canceling these requests.

== K ==

; kJ : Kilojoule, a measurement of energy.
; kW : Kilowatt, a measurement of power.
;Kovarex : The founding father of Factorio and where [[kovarex enrichment process]] gets its name from.

== L ==
;Lane : One side of a transport belt. Each belt has two lanes.
;Lane balancer : This is a belt setup that balances the two lanes on a belt to be equal, to maximize throughput. See [[balancer mechanics]].
;Legs : [[Exoskeleton]]
;Loader : An abandoned concept for a belt-based mechanism that continuously loads and unloads machines, as an alternative to inserters. Functional loader entities can still be found in the editor, and some mods give them a proper texture and make them available in regular games. Loaders are used in the official Team Production scenario.

== M ==

; MW : Mega watt, a measurement of power.
; MJ : Mega joule, a measurement of energy.
;Main bus : The opposite of spaghetti, this refers to placing multiple belts side by side containing one resource, and branching off of it in order to create setups. Allows for organized layout of resource transportation.
;Mall: Also known as hub or store. A location in a factory that produces many types of different items that the player needs but in relatively small amounts.
;Marathon: A game mode where technologies and recipes are significantly more expensive.
;Map exchange string : A long piece of text that encodes the settings used to generate a map. See [[Map generator#Map exchange string|map exchange string]].
;Market : A building where you can buy items using coins. It's available in the editor and used in the Tight Spot campaign.
;Mats : Shorthand for materials.
;Megabase : A community term referring to a significantly large base that has been built over a significant time/effort. Often, these bases are quantified in terms of science packs per minute, or "SPPM". A base typically is considered a megabase when it can maintain 1k SPPM.
;Mod : This term refers to a script or collection of scripts that change how the game acts, adds new items/entities, etc.
;Modpack : A community term referring to a collection of mods that work well together.

== N ==

;Nauvis : The planet that Factorio takes place on. Used to be an internal name, but became canonical with version 2.0.
;Night steam : The strategy of relying on solar panels to generate electricity during the day and steam engines during the night.
;No path : A common error that means that a train cannot find a valid route to a train stop. See [[Railway#No_path|no path]].

== O ==

; Outpost : A small base created far away from a main base, usually to serve a single purpose like mining or production of a specific resource.

== P ==

;Priority splitter : A splitter design that directs as many resources as possible from a bus to an offshoot before letting excess items flow past. This is in contrast to a splitter that always distributes some percentage of items to both sides (depending on the particular arrangement of splitters).
;PAX (train) : Short for passenger train or player access station, another name for the [[Glossary#S|shuttle]].

== Q ==
;QoL : Quality of life, often refers to mods that increase ease of play.

== R ==

;RORO : Abbreviation for "Roll on, roll off" in the context of train station design. It means that trains arrive at the station at one end and leave the station at the other end (driving past the train stop), as opposed to terminus stations.
;RPM : Shorthand for rockets per minute.
;Rainbow belt : A transport belt with many different types of items on it, rather than the easier-to-manage one or two types of items. See [[#S|sushi belt]].
;Ribbon world : A world which has been set up to have limited space in one dimension (width or height), adding a new challenge. The smallest ribbon world in which you can launch a rocket is a map limited to a width or height of 9 tiles, the size of the rocket silo.
;River (belt) : A design strategy where items are continuously moving without looping or [[#B|backing up]] to be either processed or destroyed. Sometimes used as a strategy to handle [[Spoilage_mechanics|spoilable]] items.
;Roundabout (rail) : A circular rail junction that resembles real-world roundabouts for motor vehicles. Roundabouts allow trains to exit in any direction, including the direction they just came from. Small, simple roundabouts are known for their relatively poor throughput, and for long trains occasionally colliding with themselves.

== S ==

;SA : [[Space Age]], the offical Factorio expansion.
;Saturatation (belt): The number of gaps between items on a belt that is flowing at full speed. Eg: "Fully saturated" means no gaps and flowing at full speed.
;Scenario : A map that has been saved via the [[map editor]]. Special scripting can be added to make simple "events".
;Seed : A number associated with each map that determines the outcome of certain pseudo-random processes, like terrain generation. All other settings being equal, different seeds result in vastly different terrain features. The seed is included in [[#M|map exchange strings]].
;Shuttle : A train for personal transportation around the factory. Sometimes called a taxi.
;Sideloading : This is a commonly used term that refers to running the end of a [[transport belt]] into the side of another, so that only the lane on the side of the belt that the other belt is on is filled. This is typically done to create a belt that carries two different resources side-by-side on the same belt.
;Smart furnace : A smelting setup that can process multiple materials (e.g. iron ore, copper ore, iron plates, stone).
;Spaghetti : [[File:spaghetti_example.png|thumb|200px|right|An example of a "spaghetti" setup with intertwining belts.]]A community term referring to the "spaghetti" look of many belts/entities placed in a disorganized fashion. Typically created by new players to Factorio. Generally, it will be moved away from as soon as the player realizes the logistical problems it causes. Note that not all "spaghetti" factories are necessarily inefficient.
;Speedrun : Attempting to beat the game as quickly as possible.
;SPM : Science per minute. Prior to 2.0, this term was exclusively used to indicate the number of science packs produced by a factory (SPPM). Since 2.0, the game has added multiple UI elements that include some bonuses not previously included in SPM, now surfacing a value also referred to as effective SPM (eSPM). The [[Production statistics]] now shows a "Science" item, and the [[Research]] tooltip shows "Science per minute" as a single value. Due to the shift in meaning caused by the addition of these UI elements, this term now has some ambiguity.
;SPPM : Science packs per minute. Measured per type, so 1k SPPM will mean production of 1000 of each science pack type per minute, though military science is often excluded. Usually used to measure the size of very big bases, see [[#M|megabase]] and [[#G|gigabase]].
;Stacker : Also known as '''parking lot'''. A waiting bay for trains, allowing them to wait on different parallel tracks and not block each other until their destination becomes free. Recommended in front of large, multi-platform stations.
;Supply train: A train that usually for personal use that is used to carry mostly building materials like rails, conveyor belts, inserters, assembly machines etc..
;Sushi belt : The strategy of mixing many different types of items on transport belts to supply machines that need some or all of those items. It sacrifices throughput for compactness (and beauty). It looks colorful and diverse like a tray of sushi. Its perhaps most popular application is supplying labs with science packs. Sometimes called sushi bar or rainbow belt.
;Sushi river : A [[#R|river belt]] on which many different items are mixed, like a [[#S|sushi belt]].

== T ==

;TINS : Abbreviation of "There Is No Spoon", the name of the in-game achievement.
;Terminus : A train station design where trains come in and leave from the same side, thus requiring double-headed trains, unlike RORO stations.
;Throughput : A term that refers to the maximum amount of resources that can travel through something (such as a belt) in a certain amount of time. Usually quantified in items per second.
;Tick : The smallest measurable amount of time in Factorio. There are 60 ticks per second (when running at 60 UPS), and 3600 ticks in a minute.
;Tile : A piece of map. It is not really known how big it is, but for simplifying things we can assume that a tile is a quadratic with side of 1 meter.
;Time : Game time is normally identical with real time, one second in the game is one second in reality, but it can be faster or slower. For example, when the calculations for an update takes longer than a tick, the game slows down (aka UPS).
;Train bus : A popular alternative to the [[#M|main bus]] pattern. Instead of using a belt bus to provide materials for various production cells, a large rail system allows many trains to route materials between more distant cells, sometimes called subfactories.
;Trash can : A simple 'public utility' of sorts, which is an active provider that players can dump unwanted items into. Logistic robots pick them up and store them away. It's useful if you need to get rid of large quantities of items (such as [[wood]] or [[landfill]]) and your logistic trash slots are full.
;Turnaround (trains) : A rail design that allows trains to return the direction they just came from. This might be a loop, a U-turn, or a dead-end with a "turn around" train stop for two-headed trains to use. Note that a loop-style turnaround is has only one exit, while a loop with multiple exits is considered a roundabout.
;Turret : Stationary defense weapon. There are four types of turrets in Factorio, the [[laser turret]], [[gun turret]], [[flamethrower turret]] and [[artillery turret]]. [[Space Age]]{{SA}} adds the [[railgun turret]] and [[tesla turret]].
;Turret creep : The tactic of leap-frogging with turrets into hostile territory. It's very effective due to the strength and range of turrets. Typically done with laser turrets, blueprints and personal roboports, but can also be done by manually placing gun turrets and inserting ammo.

== U ==

;Upcycler: An assembly line designed to increase the [[quality]] of an intermediate or end product.
;UPS : Internal clock speed, "Updates Per Second". The game tries its best to maintain the ideal 60 UPS, but it is affected by the size and complexity of the game world and your computer hardware. A lower UPS means that the simulation runs slower. At 30 UPS everything would take twice as long as under ideal conditions. This is a common concern on megabases or when playing with many mods active. It can be set to more than 60 UPS by changing the game speed via script, processing power permitting. The Transport Belt Madness and Tight Spot campaigns are examples where the game speed can be increased.
;Underbelt : [[Underground belts|Underground belt]]
;Underpipe (Underground pipe) : [[Pipe to ground]]

== V ==
;Vanilla : Regular version of the game with no mods.

== W ==

;Wube : The company based in the Czech Republic that develops Factorio.

== Z ==

;Zoo : A group of biter or spitter nests around which the player has built a safe containment zone, i.e. a circle of turrets. Reasons for doing this include exploiting the nests' pollution absorption and automating the destruction of items (using requester chests near the nests).

{{C|Main}}

Glossary

2026-01-17T02:12:53Z

HeliGungir: /* T */ Train bus: Removed "UPS-friendlier" sentence

{{Languages}}__NOTOC__
This page acts as a general glossary of all terms used in Factorio and its community. We recommend searching the page with {{keybinding|CTRL|F}} to find specific terms. The page is also organized alphabetically.

Additionally, you can click a letter below to be taken to that letter in the list, if you wish to search manually.

[[##|#]] [[#A|A]] [[#B|B]] [[#C|C]] [[#D|D]] [[#E|E]] [[#F|F]] [[#G|G]] [[#H|H]] [[#I|I]] [[#J|J]] [[#K|K]] [[#L|L]] [[#M|M]] [[#N|N]] [[#O|O]] [[#P|P]] [[#Q|Q]] [[#R|R]] [[#S|S]] [[#T|T]] [[#U|U]] [[#V|V]] [[#W|W]] [[#X|X]] [[#Y|Y]] [[#Z|Z]]

== # ==

;1-1, 1-2-1, 2-4, 4-8-4 and similar : A somewhat ambiguous shorthand notation for train configurations. The first number is usually the number of [[locomotive]]s at the head of the train, followed by the number of [[cargo wagon]]s or [[fluid wagon]]s, and optionally followed by the number of tail locomotives if it's a double-headed train. In general, the smaller numbers are the number of locomotives.

== A ==

; AP : Armor piercing, refers to [[piercing rounds magazine]].
;Ammo : [[Firearm magazine|Ammunition]], used for guns/rocket launchers/turrets, etc.
;Assembler : Another word for an [[assembling machine]].

== B ==

;BP : Short for [[blueprint]].
;Backed-up : Refers to a machine having no output, and so the input channel fills up. Can also refer to belts being backlogged due to low consumption. This is not necessarily a bad thing.
;Backpressure : What a machine, usually a belt segment or [[inserter]], experiences when delivery stalls because its target is backed up.
;Belt balancer : This is a belt setup that balances multiple belts to contain the same amount of resources, to maximize throughput. See [[balancers]].
;Blackout : When your factory completely loses power. This typically happens at night when relying on solar+accumulator power, enemies destroying vital electric poles, or after a prolonged brownout when using electric mining drills and/or electric inserters (instead of their burner variants).
;Bots : Shorthand version for [[construction robot]] or [[logistic robot]]. Sometimes also refers to the [[Combat_robot_capsules|combat robots]] created from capsules.
;Bottleneck : A term that means a single point where resources are constrained, such as a slow part of a belt that slows down everything.
;Braiding : The space-saving technique of alternating between two or more different underground belt types (basic, fast and express) in a straight line, one tile wide. The different types of underground belts don't interfere with each other, and inserters can interact with the belt entrance and exit entities.
;Brownout : When your factory's machines are running slower than normal because it's not generating enough electricity.
;Buffer: A place where a stockpile of items is stored to be available when the production stops. Typically a chest.
;Bus : Short for [[#M|main bus]].

== C ==

;Capacity : Maximum amount of items/[[fluid system|fluids]] that can exist within something.
;Catchup : Period where a [[player]] joining a game is required to replay recent changes quickly, so they can be merged into the running game smoothly. Often happens on slow connections, or on servers with a lot going on.
;Chokepoint : Artificial or natural geography that funnels attackers into a narrow, movement-constricting area, making it more difficult for them to breach fortifications. Examples: peninsulas with narrow connections to the mainland, artificial land bridges to islands, nearby lakes, corridors through thick forests. Certain [[cliff]] formations can also present this issue.
;Coin : An item used in the Tight Spot campaign.
;Compression (belt): Usually refers to a fully saturated belt, or the act of fully saturating a belt (see Saturation (belt)). Rarely, may instead refer to a belt that contains more items than is normally possible. Eg: Building and rotating belts can "compress" more than 8 items into the entity.
;Composter : A [[chests|chest]] used to store [[Spoilage_mechanics|spoilable]] items with the intention of spoiling them.
;Contaminated : A [[Transport belts|belt]] with incorrect items on it (such as [[coal]] on an iron belt). Can also refer to [[pipe]]s with mixed liquids.
;Cracktorio : A community term referring to the addictive qualities of Factorio, jokingly comparing the game to crack cocaine.

== D ==

;Daisy chaining : Some entities allow [[inserter]]s to insert and remove items from the same slots, including fuel in [[boiler]]s, ammo in [[gun turret]]s, [[science pack]]s in [[lab]]s, [[module]]s in [[beacon]]s, robots in [[roboport]]s, and any items in [[chests]]. 'Daisy chaining' is a technique that makes use of this mechanic in order to supply some machines with consumables (i.e. fuel, ammo or science packs) without having to use belts. You simply chain multiple machines together with inserters that take the items out of the previous machine and insert them directly into the next. It's sometimes referred to as 'stealing', as in 'coal stealing' or 'ammo stealing'.
;Death world : A map generation configuration that results in a large quantity of [[enemies]], to increase the game's difficulty.
;Double header : This is a term that refers to a train with [[locomotive]]s on both ends, making the train capable of driving in both directions. Opposite of a single header, or standard train. A shorthand example could be: 1-2-1 (locomotive-carriage-carriage-locomotive) or 2-4-2.
;Dragon's teeth : A series of alternating stone wall pillars outside the main wall fortification with the purpose of delaying the biters from reaching the wall. [[Wikipedia:Dragon's_teeth_(fortification)|Dragon's teeth]] were first deployed in the Second World War to delay and channel armoured units into minefields and other defenses. Also used in the 1997 game [[Wikipedia:Total Annihilation|Total Annihilation]].

== E ==

;eSPM : Effective [[science pack|science]] per minute. This is a measure of SPM that explicitly includes all the upgrades (e.g [[productivity module]]s, [[biolab]]s{{SA}}, [[Research productivity (research)|research productivity]]{{SA}}, and [[quality]]{{SA}}).
;Entity : Most things that can be manipulated in-game. Nearly everything in factorio is an entity. Any device, items, trees... Even the player is just an entity.
;Evolution : The development and growth of the native population. Over the course of a game, biters and spitters become bigger and more powerful. See [[Enemies#Evolution|evolution]].

== F ==

;FFF : The weekly blog that the developers make to talk about the development of Factorio. Expanded, it is Factorio Friday Facts, posted every Friday.
;FPS : Visual rendering speed, "frames per second". When this is reduced beneath 60, the game may stutter visually, jitter, or otherwise appear unstable. Low FPS will not necessarily result in low UPS, but they are loosely tied together.
;[[Fuel]] : Refers to any burnable item that can be used to fuel burner devices, such as [[wood]], [[coal]], etc.

== G ==

; GJ : Giga joule, a measurement of energy.
; GW : Giga watt, a measurement of power.
;Ghost : A translucent preview image that designates a position for the construction of an entity. [[Ghost]]s are created when you shift+click with an entity under your cursor, when you use the [[Rail_planner#Ghost_Planner|ghost rail planner]], when an entity is destroyed after you've researched construction robotics, and when you place a blueprint. Construction robots automatically attempt to construct ghosts within their logistic or personal roboport network, and if unable will create an alert for missing construction materials.
;Gigabase : An even larger megabase, typically has SPPM counts > 10k.

== H ==

; Hood : The overhead structure of an [[Underground belts|underground belt]]. When sideloading an underground belt with a [[transport belts|transport belt]], the hood blocks one lane and sideloads the other, which can be useful.

== I ==

;Inventory : The ability for an entity to hold items within it. Almost all entities have inventories.
;Item : Items represent the un-built version of a machine, tools, intermediate products etc. Typically, items are found on belts, in the player's inventory, and inside machines. Items can be provided to recipes to create other items.
;Item explosion : A phenomenon when a lot of items are spilled on the ground in a square-like fashion. Usually due to accidentally removing [[power armor]] when having a full inventory.
;Item request slot : A special request slot for machines with module slots that allows them to request the [[module]]s in the blueprint from which they were constructed. The [[deconstruction planner]] has a filter for canceling these requests.

== K ==

; kJ : Kilojoule, a measurement of energy.
; kW : Kilowatt, a measurement of power.
;Kovarex : The founding father of Factorio and where [[kovarex enrichment process]] gets its name from.

== L ==
;Lane : One side of a transport belt. Each belt has two lanes.
;Lane balancer : This is a belt setup that balances the two lanes on a belt to be equal, to maximize throughput. See [[balancer mechanics]].
;Legs : [[Exoskeleton]]
;Loader : An abandoned concept for a belt-based mechanism that continuously loads and unloads machines, as an alternative to inserters. Functional loader entities can still be found in the editor, and some mods give them a proper texture and make them available in regular games. Loaders are used in the official Team Production scenario.

== M ==

; MW : Mega watt, a measurement of power.
; MJ : Mega joule, a measurement of energy.
;Main bus : The opposite of spaghetti, this refers to placing multiple belts side by side containing one resource, and branching off of it in order to create setups. Allows for organized layout of resource transportation.
;Mall: Also known as store. A location in a factory that produces many types of different items that the player needs but in relatively small amounts.
;Marathon: A game mode where technologies and recipes are significantly more expensive.
;Map exchange string : A long piece of text that encodes the settings used to generate a map. See [[Map generator#Map exchange string|map exchange string]].
;Market : A building where you can buy items using coins. It's available in the editor and used in the Tight Spot campaign.
;Mats : Shorthand for materials.
;Megabase : A community term referring to a significantly large base that has been built over a significant time/effort. Often, these bases are quantified in terms of science packs per minute, or "SPPM". A base typically is considered a megabase when it can maintain 1k SPPM.
;Mod : This term refers to a script or collection of scripts that change how the game acts, adds new items/entities, etc.
;Modpack : A community term referring to a collection of mods that work well together.

== N ==

;Nauvis : The planet that Factorio takes place on. Used to be an internal name, but became canonical with version 2.0.
;Night steam : The strategy of relying on solar panels to generate electricity during the day and steam engines during the night.
;No path : A common error that means that a train cannot find a valid route to a train stop. See [[Railway#No_path|no path]].

== O ==

; Outpost : A small base created far away from a main base, usually to serve a single purpose like mining or production of a specific resource.

== P ==

;Priority splitter : A splitter design that directs as many resources as possible from a bus to an offshoot before letting excess items flow past. This is in contrast to a splitter that always distributes some percentage of items to both sides (depending on the particular arrangement of splitters).
;PAX (train) : Short for passenger train or player access station, another name for the [[Glossary#S|shuttle]].

== Q ==
;QoL : Quality of life, often refers to mods that increase ease of play.

== R ==

;RORO : Abbreviation for "Roll on, roll off" in the context of train station design. It means that trains arrive at the station at one end and leave the station at the other end (driving past the train stop), as opposed to terminus stations.
;RPM : Shorthand for rockets per minute.
;Rainbow belt : A transport belt with many different types of items on it, rather than the easier-to-manage one or two types of items. See [[#S|sushi belt]].
;Ribbon world : A world which has been set up to have limited space in one dimension (width or height), adding a new challenge. The smallest ribbon world in which you can launch a rocket is a map limited to a width or height of 9 tiles, the size of the rocket silo.
;River (belt) : A design strategy where items are continuously moving without looping or [[#B|backing up]] to be either processed or destroyed. Sometimes used as a strategy to handle [[Spoilage_mechanics|spoilable]] items.
;Roundabout (rail) : A circular rail junction that resembles real-world roundabouts for motor vehicles. Roundabouts allow trains to exit in any direction, including the direction they just came from. Small, simple roundabouts are known for their relatively poor throughput, and for long trains occasionally colliding with themselves.

== S ==

;SA : [[Space Age]], the offical Factorio expansion.
;Saturatation (belt): The number of gaps between items on a belt that is flowing at full speed. Eg: "Fully saturated" means no gaps and flowing at full speed.
;Scenario : A map that has been saved via the [[map editor]]. Special scripting can be added to make simple "events".
;Seed : A number associated with each map that determines the outcome of certain pseudo-random processes, like terrain generation. All other settings being equal, different seeds result in vastly different terrain features. The seed is included in [[#M|map exchange strings]].
;Shuttle : A train for personal transportation around the factory. Sometimes called a taxi.
;Sideloading : This is a commonly used term that refers to running the end of a [[transport belt]] into the side of another, so that only the lane on the side of the belt that the other belt is on is filled. This is typically done to create a belt that carries two different resources side-by-side on the same belt.
;Smart furnace : A smelting setup that can process multiple materials (e.g. iron ore, copper ore, iron plates, stone).
;Spaghetti : [[File:spaghetti_example.png|thumb|200px|right|An example of a "spaghetti" setup with intertwining belts.]]A community term referring to the "spaghetti" look of many belts/entities placed in a disorganized fashion. Typically created by new players to Factorio. Generally, it will be moved away from as soon as the player realizes the logistical problems it causes. Note that not all "spaghetti" factories are necessarily inefficient.
;Speedrun : Attempting to beat the game as quickly as possible.
;SPM : Science per minute. Prior to 2.0, this term was exclusively used to indicate the number of science packs produced by a factory (SPPM). Since 2.0, the game has added multiple UI elements that include some bonuses not previously included in SPM, now surfacing a value also referred to as effective SPM (eSPM). The [[Production statistics]] now shows a "Science" item, and the [[Research]] tooltip shows "Science per minute" as a single value. Due to the shift in meaning caused by the addition of these UI elements, this term now has some ambiguity.
;SPPM : Science packs per minute. Measured per type, so 1k SPPM will mean production of 1000 of each science pack type per minute, though military science is often excluded. Usually used to measure the size of very big bases, see [[#M|megabase]] and [[#G|gigabase]].
;Stacker : Also known as '''parking lot'''. A waiting bay for trains, allowing them to wait on different parallel tracks and not block each other until their destination becomes free. Recommended in front of large, multi-platform stations.
;Supply train: A train that usually for personal use that is used to carry mostly building materials like rails, conveyor belts, inserters, assembly machines etc..
;Sushi belt : The strategy of mixing many different types of items on transport belts to supply machines that need some or all of those items. It sacrifices throughput for compactness (and beauty). It looks colorful and diverse like a tray of sushi. Its perhaps most popular application is supplying labs with science packs. Sometimes called sushi bar or rainbow belt.
;Sushi river : A [[#R|river belt]] on which many different items are mixed, like a [[#S|sushi belt]].

== T ==

;TINS : Abbreviation of "There Is No Spoon", the name of the in-game achievement.
;Terminus : A train station design where trains come in and leave from the same side, thus requiring double-headed trains, unlike RORO stations.
;Throughput : A term that refers to the maximum amount of resources that can travel through something (such as a belt) in a certain amount of time. Usually quantified in items per second.
;Tick : The smallest measurable amount of time in Factorio. There are 60 ticks per second (when running at 60 UPS), and 3600 ticks in a minute.
;Tile : A piece of map. It is not really known how big it is, but for simplifying things we can assume that a tile is a quadratic with side of 1 meter.
;Time : Game time is normally identical with real time, one second in the game is one second in reality, but it can be faster or slower. For example, when the calculations for an update takes longer than a tick, the game slows down (aka UPS).
;Train bus : A popular alternative to the [[#M|main bus]] pattern. Instead of using a belt bus to provide materials for various production cells, a large rail system allows many trains to route materials between more distant cells, sometimes called subfactories.
;Trash can : A simple 'public utility' of sorts, which is an active provider that players can dump unwanted items into. Logistic robots pick them up and store them away. It's useful if you need to get rid of large quantities of items (such as [[wood]] or [[landfill]]) and your logistic trash slots are full.
;Turnaround (trains) : A rail design that allows trains to return the direction they just came from. This might be a loop, a U-turn, or a dead-end with a "turn around" train stop for two-headed trains to use. Note that a loop-style turnaround is has only one exit, while a loop with multiple exits is considered a roundabout.
;Turret : Stationary defense weapon. There are four types of turrets in Factorio, the [[laser turret]], [[gun turret]], [[flamethrower turret]] and [[artillery turret]]. [[Space Age]]{{SA}} adds the [[railgun turret]] and [[tesla turret]].
;Turret creep : The tactic of leap-frogging with turrets into hostile territory. It's very effective due to the strength and range of turrets. Typically done with laser turrets, blueprints and personal roboports, but can also be done by manually placing gun turrets and inserting ammo.

== U ==

;Upcycler: An assembly line designed to increase the [[quality]] of an intermediate or end product.
;UPS : Internal clock speed, "Updates Per Second". The game tries its best to maintain the ideal 60 UPS, but it is affected by the size and complexity of the game world and your computer hardware. A lower UPS means that the simulation runs slower. At 30 UPS everything would take twice as long as under ideal conditions. This is a common concern on megabases or when playing with many mods active. It can be set to more than 60 UPS by changing the game speed via script, processing power permitting. The Transport Belt Madness and Tight Spot campaigns are examples where the game speed can be increased.
;Underbelt : [[Underground belts|Underground belt]]
;Underpipe (Underground pipe) : [[Pipe to ground]]

== V ==
;Vanilla : Regular version of the game with no mods.

== W ==

;Wube : The company based in the Czech Republic that develops Factorio.

== Z ==

;Zoo : A group of biter or spitter nests around which the player has built a safe containment zone, i.e. a circle of turrets. Reasons for doing this include exploiting the nests' pollution absorption and automating the destruction of items (using requester chests near the nests).

{{C|Main}}

Glossary

2026-01-17T02:03:02Z

HeliGungir: /* C */

{{Languages}}__NOTOC__
This page acts as a general glossary of all terms used in Factorio and its community. We recommend searching the page with {{keybinding|CTRL|F}} to find specific terms. The page is also organized alphabetically.

Additionally, you can click a letter below to be taken to that letter in the list, if you wish to search manually.

[[##|#]] [[#A|A]] [[#B|B]] [[#C|C]] [[#D|D]] [[#E|E]] [[#F|F]] [[#G|G]] [[#H|H]] [[#I|I]] [[#J|J]] [[#K|K]] [[#L|L]] [[#M|M]] [[#N|N]] [[#O|O]] [[#P|P]] [[#Q|Q]] [[#R|R]] [[#S|S]] [[#T|T]] [[#U|U]] [[#V|V]] [[#W|W]] [[#X|X]] [[#Y|Y]] [[#Z|Z]]

== # ==

;1-1, 1-2-1, 2-4, 4-8-4 and similar : A somewhat ambiguous shorthand notation for train configurations. The first number is usually the number of [[locomotive]]s at the head of the train, followed by the number of [[cargo wagon]]s or [[fluid wagon]]s, and optionally followed by the number of tail locomotives if it's a double-headed train. In general, the smaller numbers are the number of locomotives.

== A ==

; AP : Armor piercing, refers to [[piercing rounds magazine]].
;Ammo : [[Firearm magazine|Ammunition]], used for guns/rocket launchers/turrets, etc.
;Assembler : Another word for an [[assembling machine]].

== B ==

;BP : Short for [[blueprint]].
;Backed-up : Refers to a machine having no output, and so the input channel fills up. Can also refer to belts being backlogged due to low consumption. This is not necessarily a bad thing.
;Backpressure : What a machine, usually a belt segment or [[inserter]], experiences when delivery stalls because its target is backed up.
;Belt balancer : This is a belt setup that balances multiple belts to contain the same amount of resources, to maximize throughput. See [[balancers]].
;Blackout : When your factory completely loses power. This typically happens at night when relying on solar+accumulator power, enemies destroying vital electric poles, or after a prolonged brownout when using electric mining drills and/or electric inserters (instead of their burner variants).
;Bots : Shorthand version for [[construction robot]] or [[logistic robot]]. Sometimes also refers to the [[Combat_robot_capsules|combat robots]] created from capsules.
;Bottleneck : A term that means a single point where resources are constrained, such as a slow part of a belt that slows down everything.
;Braiding : The space-saving technique of alternating between two or more different underground belt types (basic, fast and express) in a straight line, one tile wide. The different types of underground belts don't interfere with each other, and inserters can interact with the belt entrance and exit entities.
;Brownout : When your factory's machines are running slower than normal because it's not generating enough electricity.
;Buffer: A place where a stockpile of items is stored to be available when the production stops. Typically a chest.
;Bus : Short for [[#M|main bus]].

== C ==

;Capacity : Maximum amount of items/[[fluid system|fluids]] that can exist within something.
;Catchup : Period where a [[player]] joining a game is required to replay recent changes quickly, so they can be merged into the running game smoothly. Often happens on slow connections, or on servers with a lot going on.
;Chokepoint : Artificial or natural geography that funnels attackers into a narrow, movement-constricting area, making it more difficult for them to breach fortifications. Examples: peninsulas with narrow connections to the mainland, artificial land bridges to islands, nearby lakes, corridors through thick forests. Certain [[cliff]] formations can also present this issue.
;Coin : An item used in the Tight Spot campaign.
;Compression (belt): Usually refers to a fully saturated belt, or the act of fully saturating a belt (see Saturation (belt)). Rarely, may instead refer to a belt that contains more items than is normally possible. Eg: Building and rotating belts can "compress" more than 8 items into the entity.
;Composter : A [[chests|chest]] used to store [[Spoilage_mechanics|spoilable]] items with the intention of spoiling them.
;Contaminated : A [[Transport belts|belt]] with incorrect items on it (such as [[coal]] on an iron belt). Can also refer to [[pipe]]s with mixed liquids.
;Cracktorio : A community term referring to the addictive qualities of Factorio, jokingly comparing the game to crack cocaine.

== D ==

;Daisy chaining : Some entities allow [[inserter]]s to insert and remove items from the same slots, including fuel in [[boiler]]s, ammo in [[gun turret]]s, [[science pack]]s in [[lab]]s, [[module]]s in [[beacon]]s, robots in [[roboport]]s, and any items in [[chests]]. 'Daisy chaining' is a technique that makes use of this mechanic in order to supply some machines with consumables (i.e. fuel, ammo or science packs) without having to use belts. You simply chain multiple machines together with inserters that take the items out of the previous machine and insert them directly into the next. It's sometimes referred to as 'stealing', as in 'coal stealing' or 'ammo stealing'.
;Death world : A map generation configuration that results in a large quantity of [[enemies]], to increase the game's difficulty.
;Double header : This is a term that refers to a train with [[locomotive]]s on both ends, making the train capable of driving in both directions. Opposite of a single header, or standard train. A shorthand example could be: 1-2-1 (locomotive-carriage-carriage-locomotive) or 2-4-2.
;Dragon's teeth : A series of alternating stone wall pillars outside the main wall fortification with the purpose of delaying the biters from reaching the wall. [[Wikipedia:Dragon's_teeth_(fortification)|Dragon's teeth]] were first deployed in the Second World War to delay and channel armoured units into minefields and other defenses. Also used in the 1997 game [[Wikipedia:Total Annihilation|Total Annihilation]].

== E ==

;eSPM : Effective [[science pack|science]] per minute. This is a measure of SPM that explicitly includes all the upgrades (e.g [[productivity module]]s, [[biolab]]s{{SA}}, [[Research productivity (research)|research productivity]]{{SA}}, and [[quality]]{{SA}}).
;Entity : Most things that can be manipulated in-game. Nearly everything in factorio is an entity. Any device, items, trees... Even the player is just an entity.
;Evolution : The development and growth of the native population. Over the course of a game, biters and spitters become bigger and more powerful. See [[Enemies#Evolution|evolution]].

== F ==

;FFF : The weekly blog that the developers make to talk about the development of Factorio. Expanded, it is Factorio Friday Facts, posted every Friday.
;FPS : Visual rendering speed, "frames per second". When this is reduced beneath 60, the game may stutter visually, jitter, or otherwise appear unstable. Low FPS will not necessarily result in low UPS, but they are loosely tied together.
;[[Fuel]] : Refers to any burnable item that can be used to fuel burner devices, such as [[wood]], [[coal]], etc.

== G ==

; GJ : Giga joule, a measurement of energy.
; GW : Giga watt, a measurement of power.
;Ghost : A translucent preview image that designates a position for the construction of an entity. [[Ghost]]s are created when you shift+click with an entity under your cursor, when you use the [[Rail_planner#Ghost_Planner|ghost rail planner]], when an entity is destroyed after you've researched construction robotics, and when you place a blueprint. Construction robots automatically attempt to construct ghosts within their logistic or personal roboport network, and if unable will create an alert for missing construction materials.
;Gigabase : An even larger megabase, typically has SPPM counts > 10k.

== H ==

; Hood : The overhead structure of an [[Underground belts|underground belt]]. When sideloading an underground belt with a [[transport belts|transport belt]], the hood blocks one lane and sideloads the other, which can be useful.

== I ==

;Inventory : The ability for an entity to hold items within it. Almost all entities have inventories.
;Item : Items represent the un-built version of a machine, tools, intermediate products etc. Typically, items are found on belts, in the player's inventory, and inside machines. Items can be provided to recipes to create other items.
;Item explosion : A phenomenon when a lot of items are spilled on the ground in a square-like fashion. Usually due to accidentally removing [[power armor]] when having a full inventory.
;Item request slot : A special request slot for machines with module slots that allows them to request the [[module]]s in the blueprint from which they were constructed. The [[deconstruction planner]] has a filter for canceling these requests.

== K ==

; kJ : Kilojoule, a measurement of energy.
; kW : Kilowatt, a measurement of power.
;Kovarex : The founding father of Factorio and where [[kovarex enrichment process]] gets its name from.

== L ==
;Lane : One side of a transport belt. Each belt has two lanes.
;Lane balancer : This is a belt setup that balances the two lanes on a belt to be equal, to maximize throughput. See [[balancer mechanics]].
;Legs : [[Exoskeleton]]
;Loader : An abandoned concept for a belt-based mechanism that continuously loads and unloads machines, as an alternative to inserters. Functional loader entities can still be found in the editor, and some mods give them a proper texture and make them available in regular games. Loaders are used in the official Team Production scenario.

== M ==

; MW : Mega watt, a measurement of power.
; MJ : Mega joule, a measurement of energy.
;Main bus : The opposite of spaghetti, this refers to placing multiple belts side by side containing one resource, and branching off of it in order to create setups. Allows for organized layout of resource transportation.
;Mall: Also known as store. A location in a factory that produces many types of different items that the player needs but in relatively small amounts.
;Marathon: A game mode where technologies and recipes are significantly more expensive.
;Map exchange string : A long piece of text that encodes the settings used to generate a map. See [[Map generator#Map exchange string|map exchange string]].
;Market : A building where you can buy items using coins. It's available in the editor and used in the Tight Spot campaign.
;Mats : Shorthand for materials.
;Megabase : A community term referring to a significantly large base that has been built over a significant time/effort. Often, these bases are quantified in terms of science packs per minute, or "SPPM". A base typically is considered a megabase when it can maintain 1k SPPM.
;Mod : This term refers to a script or collection of scripts that change how the game acts, adds new items/entities, etc.
;Modpack : A community term referring to a collection of mods that work well together.

== N ==

;Nauvis : The planet that Factorio takes place on. Used to be an internal name, but became canonical with version 2.0.
;Night steam : The strategy of relying on solar panels to generate electricity during the day and steam engines during the night.
;No path : A common error that means that a train cannot find a valid route to a train stop. See [[Railway#No_path|no path]].

== O ==

; Outpost : A small base created far away from a main base, usually to serve a single purpose like mining or production of a specific resource.

== P ==

;Priority splitter : A splitter design that directs as many resources as possible from a bus to an offshoot before letting excess items flow past. This is in contrast to a splitter that always distributes some percentage of items to both sides (depending on the particular arrangement of splitters).
;PAX (train) : Short for passenger train or player access station, another name for the [[Glossary#S|shuttle]].

== Q ==
;QoL : Quality of life, often refers to mods that increase ease of play.

== R ==

;RORO : Abbreviation for "Roll on, roll off" in the context of train station design. It means that trains arrive at the station at one end and leave the station at the other end (driving past the train stop), as opposed to terminus stations.
;RPM : Shorthand for rockets per minute.
;Rainbow belt : A transport belt with many different types of items on it, rather than the easier-to-manage one or two types of items. See [[#S|sushi belt]].
;Ribbon world : A world which has been set up to have limited space in one dimension (width or height), adding a new challenge. The smallest ribbon world in which you can launch a rocket is a map limited to a width or height of 9 tiles, the size of the rocket silo.
;River (belt) : A design strategy where items are continuously moving without looping or [[#B|backing up]] to be either processed or destroyed. Sometimes used as a strategy to handle [[Spoilage_mechanics|spoilable]] items.
;Roundabout (rail) : A circular rail junction that resembles real-world roundabouts for motor vehicles. Roundabouts allow trains to exit in any direction, including the direction they just came from. Small, simple roundabouts are known for their relatively poor throughput, and for long trains occasionally colliding with themselves.

== S ==

;SA : [[Space Age]], the offical Factorio expansion.
;Saturatation (belt): The number of gaps between items on a belt that is flowing at full speed. Eg: "Fully saturated" means no gaps and flowing at full speed.
;Scenario : A map that has been saved via the [[map editor]]. Special scripting can be added to make simple "events".
;Seed : A number associated with each map that determines the outcome of certain pseudo-random processes, like terrain generation. All other settings being equal, different seeds result in vastly different terrain features. The seed is included in [[#M|map exchange strings]].
;Shuttle : A train for personal transportation around the factory. Sometimes called a taxi.
;Sideloading : This is a commonly used term that refers to running the end of a [[transport belt]] into the side of another, so that only the lane on the side of the belt that the other belt is on is filled. This is typically done to create a belt that carries two different resources side-by-side on the same belt.
;Smart furnace : A smelting setup that can process multiple materials (e.g. iron ore, copper ore, iron plates, stone).
;Spaghetti : [[File:spaghetti_example.png|thumb|200px|right|An example of a "spaghetti" setup with intertwining belts.]]A community term referring to the "spaghetti" look of many belts/entities placed in a disorganized fashion. Typically created by new players to Factorio. Generally, it will be moved away from as soon as the player realizes the logistical problems it causes. Note that not all "spaghetti" factories are necessarily inefficient.
;Speedrun : Attempting to beat the game as quickly as possible.
;SPM : Science per minute. Prior to 2.0, this term was exclusively used to indicate the number of science packs produced by a factory (SPPM). Since 2.0, the game has added multiple UI elements that include some bonuses not previously included in SPM, now surfacing a value also referred to as effective SPM (eSPM). The [[Production statistics]] now shows a "Science" item, and the [[Research]] tooltip shows "Science per minute" as a single value. Due to the shift in meaning caused by the addition of these UI elements, this term now has some ambiguity.
;SPPM : Science packs per minute. Measured per type, so 1k SPPM will mean production of 1000 of each science pack type per minute, though military science is often excluded. Usually used to measure the size of very big bases, see [[#M|megabase]] and [[#G|gigabase]].
;Stacker : Also known as '''parking lot'''. A waiting bay for trains, allowing them to wait on different parallel tracks and not block each other until their destination becomes free. Recommended in front of large, multi-platform stations.
;Supply train: A train that usually for personal use that is used to carry mostly building materials like rails, conveyor belts, inserters, assembly machines etc..
;Sushi belt : The strategy of mixing many different types of items on transport belts to supply machines that need some or all of those items. It sacrifices throughput for compactness (and beauty). It looks colorful and diverse like a tray of sushi. Its perhaps most popular application is supplying labs with science packs. Sometimes called sushi bar or rainbow belt.
;Sushi river : A [[#R|river belt]] on which many different items are mixed, like a [[#S|sushi belt]].

== T ==

;TINS : Abbreviation of "There Is No Spoon", the name of the in-game achievement.
;Terminus : A train station design where trains come in and leave from the same side, thus requiring double-headed trains, unlike RORO stations.
;Throughput : A term that refers to the maximum amount of resources that can travel through something (such as a belt) in a certain amount of time. Usually quantified in items per second.
;Tick : The smallest measurable amount of time in Factorio. There are 60 ticks per second (when running at 60 UPS), and 3600 ticks in a minute.
;Tile : A piece of map. It is not really known how big it is, but for simplifying things we can assume that a tile is a quadratic with side of 1 meter.
;Time : Game time is normally identical with real time, one second in the game is one second in reality, but it can be faster or slower. For example, when the calculations for an update takes longer than a tick, the game slows down (aka UPS).
;Train bus : A popular alternative to the [[#M|main bus]] pattern. Instead of using a belt bus to provide materials for various production cells, a large rail system allows many trains to route materials between more distant cells, sometimes called subfactories. It's a UPS-friendlier strategy for large factories such as megabases.
;Trash can : A simple 'public utility' of sorts, which is an active provider that players can dump unwanted items into. Logistic robots pick them up and store them away. It's useful if you need to get rid of large quantities of items (such as [[wood]] or [[landfill]]) and your logistic trash slots are full.
;Turnaround (trains) : A rail design that allows trains to return the direction they just came from. This might be a loop, a U-turn, or a dead-end with a "turn around" train stop for two-headed trains to use. Note that a loop-style turnaround is has only one exit, while a loop with multiple exits is considered a roundabout.
;Turret : Stationary defense weapon. There are four types of turrets in Factorio, the [[laser turret]], [[gun turret]], [[flamethrower turret]] and [[artillery turret]]. [[Space Age]]{{SA}} adds the [[railgun turret]] and [[tesla turret]].
;Turret creep : The tactic of leap-frogging with turrets into hostile territory. It's very effective due to the strength and range of turrets. Typically done with laser turrets, blueprints and personal roboports, but can also be done by manually placing gun turrets and inserting ammo.

== U ==

;Upcycler: An assembly line designed to increase the [[quality]] of an intermediate or end product.
;UPS : Internal clock speed, "Updates Per Second". The game tries its best to maintain the ideal 60 UPS, but it is affected by the size and complexity of the game world and your computer hardware. A lower UPS means that the simulation runs slower. At 30 UPS everything would take twice as long as under ideal conditions. This is a common concern on megabases or when playing with many mods active. It can be set to more than 60 UPS by changing the game speed via script, processing power permitting. The Transport Belt Madness and Tight Spot campaigns are examples where the game speed can be increased.
;Underbelt : [[Underground belts|Underground belt]]
;Underpipe (Underground pipe) : [[Pipe to ground]]

== V ==
;Vanilla : Regular version of the game with no mods.

== W ==

;Wube : The company based in the Czech Republic that develops Factorio.

== Z ==

;Zoo : A group of biter or spitter nests around which the player has built a safe containment zone, i.e. a circle of turrets. Reasons for doing this include exploiting the nests' pollution absorption and automating the destruction of items (using requester chests near the nests).

{{C|Main}}

Glossary

2026-01-17T01:59:18Z

HeliGungir: /* C */

{{Languages}}__NOTOC__
This page acts as a general glossary of all terms used in Factorio and its community. We recommend searching the page with {{keybinding|CTRL|F}} to find specific terms. The page is also organized alphabetically.

Additionally, you can click a letter below to be taken to that letter in the list, if you wish to search manually.

[[##|#]] [[#A|A]] [[#B|B]] [[#C|C]] [[#D|D]] [[#E|E]] [[#F|F]] [[#G|G]] [[#H|H]] [[#I|I]] [[#J|J]] [[#K|K]] [[#L|L]] [[#M|M]] [[#N|N]] [[#O|O]] [[#P|P]] [[#Q|Q]] [[#R|R]] [[#S|S]] [[#T|T]] [[#U|U]] [[#V|V]] [[#W|W]] [[#X|X]] [[#Y|Y]] [[#Z|Z]]

== # ==

;1-1, 1-2-1, 2-4, 4-8-4 and similar : A somewhat ambiguous shorthand notation for train configurations. The first number is usually the number of [[locomotive]]s at the head of the train, followed by the number of [[cargo wagon]]s or [[fluid wagon]]s, and optionally followed by the number of tail locomotives if it's a double-headed train. In general, the smaller numbers are the number of locomotives.

== A ==

; AP : Armor piercing, refers to [[piercing rounds magazine]].
;Ammo : [[Firearm magazine|Ammunition]], used for guns/rocket launchers/turrets, etc.
;Assembler : Another word for an [[assembling machine]].

== B ==

;BP : Short for [[blueprint]].
;Backed-up : Refers to a machine having no output, and so the input channel fills up. Can also refer to belts being backlogged due to low consumption. This is not necessarily a bad thing.
;Backpressure : What a machine, usually a belt segment or [[inserter]], experiences when delivery stalls because its target is backed up.
;Belt balancer : This is a belt setup that balances multiple belts to contain the same amount of resources, to maximize throughput. See [[balancers]].
;Blackout : When your factory completely loses power. This typically happens at night when relying on solar+accumulator power, enemies destroying vital electric poles, or after a prolonged brownout when using electric mining drills and/or electric inserters (instead of their burner variants).
;Bots : Shorthand version for [[construction robot]] or [[logistic robot]]. Sometimes also refers to the [[Combat_robot_capsules|combat robots]] created from capsules.
;Bottleneck : A term that means a single point where resources are constrained, such as a slow part of a belt that slows down everything.
;Braiding : The space-saving technique of alternating between two or more different underground belt types (basic, fast and express) in a straight line, one tile wide. The different types of underground belts don't interfere with each other, and inserters can interact with the belt entrance and exit entities.
;Brownout : When your factory's machines are running slower than normal because it's not generating enough electricity.
;Buffer: A place where a stockpile of items is stored to be available when the production stops. Typically a chest.
;Bus : Short for [[#M|main bus]].

== C ==

;Capacity : Maximum amount of items/[[fluid system|fluids]] that can exist within something.
;Catchup : Period where a [[player]] joining a game is required to replay recent changes quickly, so they can be merged into the running game smoothly. Often happens on slow connections, or on servers with a lot going on.
;Chokepoint : Artificial or natural geography that funnels attackers into a narrow, movement-constricting area, making it more difficult for them to breach fortifications. Examples: peninsulas with narrow connections to the mainland, artificial land bridges to islands, nearby lakes, corridors through thick forests. Certain [[cliff]] formations can also present this issue.
;Coin : An item used in the Tight Spot campaign.
;Compression (belt): Typically refers to a fully saturated belt, or the act of saturating a belt (see Saturation (belt)). Alternatively, may rarely refer to a belt entity that contains more items than is normally possible. Eg: Building and rotating belts can "compress" more items into them than normal.
;Composter : A [[chests|chest]] used to store [[Spoilage_mechanics|spoilable]] items with the intention of spoiling them.
;Contaminated : A [[Transport belts|belt]] with incorrect items on it (such as [[coal]] on an iron belt). Can also refer to [[pipe]]s with mixed liquids.
;Cracktorio : A community term referring to the addictive qualities of Factorio, jokingly comparing the game to crack cocaine.

== D ==

;Daisy chaining : Some entities allow [[inserter]]s to insert and remove items from the same slots, including fuel in [[boiler]]s, ammo in [[gun turret]]s, [[science pack]]s in [[lab]]s, [[module]]s in [[beacon]]s, robots in [[roboport]]s, and any items in [[chests]]. 'Daisy chaining' is a technique that makes use of this mechanic in order to supply some machines with consumables (i.e. fuel, ammo or science packs) without having to use belts. You simply chain multiple machines together with inserters that take the items out of the previous machine and insert them directly into the next. It's sometimes referred to as 'stealing', as in 'coal stealing' or 'ammo stealing'.
;Death world : A map generation configuration that results in a large quantity of [[enemies]], to increase the game's difficulty.
;Double header : This is a term that refers to a train with [[locomotive]]s on both ends, making the train capable of driving in both directions. Opposite of a single header, or standard train. A shorthand example could be: 1-2-1 (locomotive-carriage-carriage-locomotive) or 2-4-2.
;Dragon's teeth : A series of alternating stone wall pillars outside the main wall fortification with the purpose of delaying the biters from reaching the wall. [[Wikipedia:Dragon's_teeth_(fortification)|Dragon's teeth]] were first deployed in the Second World War to delay and channel armoured units into minefields and other defenses. Also used in the 1997 game [[Wikipedia:Total Annihilation|Total Annihilation]].

== E ==

;eSPM : Effective [[science pack|science]] per minute. This is a measure of SPM that explicitly includes all the upgrades (e.g [[productivity module]]s, [[biolab]]s{{SA}}, [[Research productivity (research)|research productivity]]{{SA}}, and [[quality]]{{SA}}).
;Entity : Most things that can be manipulated in-game. Nearly everything in factorio is an entity. Any device, items, trees... Even the player is just an entity.
;Evolution : The development and growth of the native population. Over the course of a game, biters and spitters become bigger and more powerful. See [[Enemies#Evolution|evolution]].

== F ==

;FFF : The weekly blog that the developers make to talk about the development of Factorio. Expanded, it is Factorio Friday Facts, posted every Friday.
;FPS : Visual rendering speed, "frames per second". When this is reduced beneath 60, the game may stutter visually, jitter, or otherwise appear unstable. Low FPS will not necessarily result in low UPS, but they are loosely tied together.
;[[Fuel]] : Refers to any burnable item that can be used to fuel burner devices, such as [[wood]], [[coal]], etc.

== G ==

; GJ : Giga joule, a measurement of energy.
; GW : Giga watt, a measurement of power.
;Ghost : A translucent preview image that designates a position for the construction of an entity. [[Ghost]]s are created when you shift+click with an entity under your cursor, when you use the [[Rail_planner#Ghost_Planner|ghost rail planner]], when an entity is destroyed after you've researched construction robotics, and when you place a blueprint. Construction robots automatically attempt to construct ghosts within their logistic or personal roboport network, and if unable will create an alert for missing construction materials.
;Gigabase : An even larger megabase, typically has SPPM counts > 10k.

== H ==

; Hood : The overhead structure of an [[Underground belts|underground belt]]. When sideloading an underground belt with a [[transport belts|transport belt]], the hood blocks one lane and sideloads the other, which can be useful.

== I ==

;Inventory : The ability for an entity to hold items within it. Almost all entities have inventories.
;Item : Items represent the un-built version of a machine, tools, intermediate products etc. Typically, items are found on belts, in the player's inventory, and inside machines. Items can be provided to recipes to create other items.
;Item explosion : A phenomenon when a lot of items are spilled on the ground in a square-like fashion. Usually due to accidentally removing [[power armor]] when having a full inventory.
;Item request slot : A special request slot for machines with module slots that allows them to request the [[module]]s in the blueprint from which they were constructed. The [[deconstruction planner]] has a filter for canceling these requests.

== K ==

; kJ : Kilojoule, a measurement of energy.
; kW : Kilowatt, a measurement of power.
;Kovarex : The founding father of Factorio and where [[kovarex enrichment process]] gets its name from.

== L ==
;Lane : One side of a transport belt. Each belt has two lanes.
;Lane balancer : This is a belt setup that balances the two lanes on a belt to be equal, to maximize throughput. See [[balancer mechanics]].
;Legs : [[Exoskeleton]]
;Loader : An abandoned concept for a belt-based mechanism that continuously loads and unloads machines, as an alternative to inserters. Functional loader entities can still be found in the editor, and some mods give them a proper texture and make them available in regular games. Loaders are used in the official Team Production scenario.

== M ==

; MW : Mega watt, a measurement of power.
; MJ : Mega joule, a measurement of energy.
;Main bus : The opposite of spaghetti, this refers to placing multiple belts side by side containing one resource, and branching off of it in order to create setups. Allows for organized layout of resource transportation.
;Mall: Also known as store. A location in a factory that produces many types of different items that the player needs but in relatively small amounts.
;Marathon: A game mode where technologies and recipes are significantly more expensive.
;Map exchange string : A long piece of text that encodes the settings used to generate a map. See [[Map generator#Map exchange string|map exchange string]].
;Market : A building where you can buy items using coins. It's available in the editor and used in the Tight Spot campaign.
;Mats : Shorthand for materials.
;Megabase : A community term referring to a significantly large base that has been built over a significant time/effort. Often, these bases are quantified in terms of science packs per minute, or "SPPM". A base typically is considered a megabase when it can maintain 1k SPPM.
;Mod : This term refers to a script or collection of scripts that change how the game acts, adds new items/entities, etc.
;Modpack : A community term referring to a collection of mods that work well together.

== N ==

;Nauvis : The planet that Factorio takes place on. Used to be an internal name, but became canonical with version 2.0.
;Night steam : The strategy of relying on solar panels to generate electricity during the day and steam engines during the night.
;No path : A common error that means that a train cannot find a valid route to a train stop. See [[Railway#No_path|no path]].

== O ==

; Outpost : A small base created far away from a main base, usually to serve a single purpose like mining or production of a specific resource.

== P ==

;Priority splitter : A splitter design that directs as many resources as possible from a bus to an offshoot before letting excess items flow past. This is in contrast to a splitter that always distributes some percentage of items to both sides (depending on the particular arrangement of splitters).
;PAX (train) : Short for passenger train or player access station, another name for the [[Glossary#S|shuttle]].

== Q ==
;QoL : Quality of life, often refers to mods that increase ease of play.

== R ==

;RORO : Abbreviation for "Roll on, roll off" in the context of train station design. It means that trains arrive at the station at one end and leave the station at the other end (driving past the train stop), as opposed to terminus stations.
;RPM : Shorthand for rockets per minute.
;Rainbow belt : A transport belt with many different types of items on it, rather than the easier-to-manage one or two types of items. See [[#S|sushi belt]].
;Ribbon world : A world which has been set up to have limited space in one dimension (width or height), adding a new challenge. The smallest ribbon world in which you can launch a rocket is a map limited to a width or height of 9 tiles, the size of the rocket silo.
;River (belt) : A design strategy where items are continuously moving without looping or [[#B|backing up]] to be either processed or destroyed. Sometimes used as a strategy to handle [[Spoilage_mechanics|spoilable]] items.
;Roundabout (rail) : A circular rail junction that resembles real-world roundabouts for motor vehicles. Roundabouts allow trains to exit in any direction, including the direction they just came from. Small, simple roundabouts are known for their relatively poor throughput, and for long trains occasionally colliding with themselves.

== S ==

;SA : [[Space Age]], the offical Factorio expansion.
;Saturatation (belt): The number of gaps between items on a belt that is flowing at full speed. Eg: "Fully saturated" means no gaps and flowing at full speed.
;Scenario : A map that has been saved via the [[map editor]]. Special scripting can be added to make simple "events".
;Seed : A number associated with each map that determines the outcome of certain pseudo-random processes, like terrain generation. All other settings being equal, different seeds result in vastly different terrain features. The seed is included in [[#M|map exchange strings]].
;Shuttle : A train for personal transportation around the factory. Sometimes called a taxi.
;Sideloading : This is a commonly used term that refers to running the end of a [[transport belt]] into the side of another, so that only the lane on the side of the belt that the other belt is on is filled. This is typically done to create a belt that carries two different resources side-by-side on the same belt.
;Smart furnace : A smelting setup that can process multiple materials (e.g. iron ore, copper ore, iron plates, stone).
;Spaghetti : [[File:spaghetti_example.png|thumb|200px|right|An example of a "spaghetti" setup with intertwining belts.]]A community term referring to the "spaghetti" look of many belts/entities placed in a disorganized fashion. Typically created by new players to Factorio. Generally, it will be moved away from as soon as the player realizes the logistical problems it causes. Note that not all "spaghetti" factories are necessarily inefficient.
;Speedrun : Attempting to beat the game as quickly as possible.
;SPM : Science per minute. Prior to 2.0, this term was exclusively used to indicate the number of science packs produced by a factory (SPPM). Since 2.0, the game has added multiple UI elements that include some bonuses not previously included in SPM, now surfacing a value also referred to as effective SPM (eSPM). The [[Production statistics]] now shows a "Science" item, and the [[Research]] tooltip shows "Science per minute" as a single value. Due to the shift in meaning caused by the addition of these UI elements, this term now has some ambiguity.
;SPPM : Science packs per minute. Measured per type, so 1k SPPM will mean production of 1000 of each science pack type per minute, though military science is often excluded. Usually used to measure the size of very big bases, see [[#M|megabase]] and [[#G|gigabase]].
;Stacker : Also known as '''parking lot'''. A waiting bay for trains, allowing them to wait on different parallel tracks and not block each other until their destination becomes free. Recommended in front of large, multi-platform stations.
;Supply train: A train that usually for personal use that is used to carry mostly building materials like rails, conveyor belts, inserters, assembly machines etc..
;Sushi belt : The strategy of mixing many different types of items on transport belts to supply machines that need some or all of those items. It sacrifices throughput for compactness (and beauty). It looks colorful and diverse like a tray of sushi. Its perhaps most popular application is supplying labs with science packs. Sometimes called sushi bar or rainbow belt.
;Sushi river : A [[#R|river belt]] on which many different items are mixed, like a [[#S|sushi belt]].

== T ==

;TINS : Abbreviation of "There Is No Spoon", the name of the in-game achievement.
;Terminus : A train station design where trains come in and leave from the same side, thus requiring double-headed trains, unlike RORO stations.
;Throughput : A term that refers to the maximum amount of resources that can travel through something (such as a belt) in a certain amount of time. Usually quantified in items per second.
;Tick : The smallest measurable amount of time in Factorio. There are 60 ticks per second (when running at 60 UPS), and 3600 ticks in a minute.
;Tile : A piece of map. It is not really known how big it is, but for simplifying things we can assume that a tile is a quadratic with side of 1 meter.
;Time : Game time is normally identical with real time, one second in the game is one second in reality, but it can be faster or slower. For example, when the calculations for an update takes longer than a tick, the game slows down (aka UPS).
;Train bus : A popular alternative to the [[#M|main bus]] pattern. Instead of using a belt bus to provide materials for various production cells, a large rail system allows many trains to route materials between more distant cells, sometimes called subfactories. It's a UPS-friendlier strategy for large factories such as megabases.
;Trash can : A simple 'public utility' of sorts, which is an active provider that players can dump unwanted items into. Logistic robots pick them up and store them away. It's useful if you need to get rid of large quantities of items (such as [[wood]] or [[landfill]]) and your logistic trash slots are full.
;Turnaround (trains) : A rail design that allows trains to return the direction they just came from. This might be a loop, a U-turn, or a dead-end with a "turn around" train stop for two-headed trains to use. Note that a loop-style turnaround is has only one exit, while a loop with multiple exits is considered a roundabout.
;Turret : Stationary defense weapon. There are four types of turrets in Factorio, the [[laser turret]], [[gun turret]], [[flamethrower turret]] and [[artillery turret]]. [[Space Age]]{{SA}} adds the [[railgun turret]] and [[tesla turret]].
;Turret creep : The tactic of leap-frogging with turrets into hostile territory. It's very effective due to the strength and range of turrets. Typically done with laser turrets, blueprints and personal roboports, but can also be done by manually placing gun turrets and inserting ammo.

== U ==

;Upcycler: An assembly line designed to increase the [[quality]] of an intermediate or end product.
;UPS : Internal clock speed, "Updates Per Second". The game tries its best to maintain the ideal 60 UPS, but it is affected by the size and complexity of the game world and your computer hardware. A lower UPS means that the simulation runs slower. At 30 UPS everything would take twice as long as under ideal conditions. This is a common concern on megabases or when playing with many mods active. It can be set to more than 60 UPS by changing the game speed via script, processing power permitting. The Transport Belt Madness and Tight Spot campaigns are examples where the game speed can be increased.
;Underbelt : [[Underground belts|Underground belt]]
;Underpipe (Underground pipe) : [[Pipe to ground]]

== V ==
;Vanilla : Regular version of the game with no mods.

== W ==

;Wube : The company based in the Czech Republic that develops Factorio.

== Z ==

;Zoo : A group of biter or spitter nests around which the player has built a safe containment zone, i.e. a circle of turrets. Reasons for doing this include exploiting the nests' pollution absorption and automating the destruction of items (using requester chests near the nests).

{{C|Main}}

Glossary

2026-01-17T01:57:36Z

HeliGungir: /* B, C */ Merged "Belt Compression" and "Compression (belt)". Now references "Saturation (belt)". Added a rare second definition.

{{Languages}}__NOTOC__
This page acts as a general glossary of all terms used in Factorio and its community. We recommend searching the page with {{keybinding|CTRL|F}} to find specific terms. The page is also organized alphabetically.

Additionally, you can click a letter below to be taken to that letter in the list, if you wish to search manually.

[[##|#]] [[#A|A]] [[#B|B]] [[#C|C]] [[#D|D]] [[#E|E]] [[#F|F]] [[#G|G]] [[#H|H]] [[#I|I]] [[#J|J]] [[#K|K]] [[#L|L]] [[#M|M]] [[#N|N]] [[#O|O]] [[#P|P]] [[#Q|Q]] [[#R|R]] [[#S|S]] [[#T|T]] [[#U|U]] [[#V|V]] [[#W|W]] [[#X|X]] [[#Y|Y]] [[#Z|Z]]

== # ==

;1-1, 1-2-1, 2-4, 4-8-4 and similar : A somewhat ambiguous shorthand notation for train configurations. The first number is usually the number of [[locomotive]]s at the head of the train, followed by the number of [[cargo wagon]]s or [[fluid wagon]]s, and optionally followed by the number of tail locomotives if it's a double-headed train. In general, the smaller numbers are the number of locomotives.

== A ==

; AP : Armor piercing, refers to [[piercing rounds magazine]].
;Ammo : [[Firearm magazine|Ammunition]], used for guns/rocket launchers/turrets, etc.
;Assembler : Another word for an [[assembling machine]].

== B ==

;BP : Short for [[blueprint]].
;Backed-up : Refers to a machine having no output, and so the input channel fills up. Can also refer to belts being backlogged due to low consumption. This is not necessarily a bad thing.
;Backpressure : What a machine, usually a belt segment or [[inserter]], experiences when delivery stalls because its target is backed up.
;Belt balancer : This is a belt setup that balances multiple belts to contain the same amount of resources, to maximize throughput. See [[balancers]].
;Blackout : When your factory completely loses power. This typically happens at night when relying on solar+accumulator power, enemies destroying vital electric poles, or after a prolonged brownout when using electric mining drills and/or electric inserters (instead of their burner variants).
;Bots : Shorthand version for [[construction robot]] or [[logistic robot]]. Sometimes also refers to the [[Combat_robot_capsules|combat robots]] created from capsules.
;Bottleneck : A term that means a single point where resources are constrained, such as a slow part of a belt that slows down everything.
;Braiding : The space-saving technique of alternating between two or more different underground belt types (basic, fast and express) in a straight line, one tile wide. The different types of underground belts don't interfere with each other, and inserters can interact with the belt entrance and exit entities.
;Brownout : When your factory's machines are running slower than normal because it's not generating enough electricity.
;Buffer: A place where a stockpile of items is stored to be available when the production stops. Typically a chest.
;Bus : Short for [[#M|main bus]].

== C ==

;Capacity : Maximum amount of items/[[fluid system|fluids]] that can exist within something.
;Catchup : Period where a [[player]] joining a game is required to replay recent changes quickly, so they can be merged into the running game smoothly. Often happens on slow connections, or on servers with a lot going on.
;Chokepoint : Artificial or natural geography that funnels attackers into a narrow, movement-constricting area, making it more difficult for them to breach fortifications. Examples: peninsulas with narrow connections to the mainland, artificial land bridges to islands, nearby lakes, corridors through thick forests. Certain [[cliff]] formations can also present this issue.
;Coin : An item used in the Tight Spot campaign.
;Compression (belt): Typically refers to a fully saturated belt (see Saturation), or the act of saturating a belt. Alternatively, may rarely refer to a belt entity that contains more items than is normally possible. Eg: Building and rotating belts can "compress" more items into them than normal.
;Composter : A [[chests|chest]] used to store [[Spoilage_mechanics|spoilable]] items with the intention of spoiling them.
;Contaminated : A [[Transport belts|belt]] with incorrect items on it (such as [[coal]] on an iron belt). Can also refer to [[pipe]]s with mixed liquids.
;Cracktorio : A community term referring to the addictive qualities of Factorio, jokingly comparing the game to crack cocaine.

== D ==

;Daisy chaining : Some entities allow [[inserter]]s to insert and remove items from the same slots, including fuel in [[boiler]]s, ammo in [[gun turret]]s, [[science pack]]s in [[lab]]s, [[module]]s in [[beacon]]s, robots in [[roboport]]s, and any items in [[chests]]. 'Daisy chaining' is a technique that makes use of this mechanic in order to supply some machines with consumables (i.e. fuel, ammo or science packs) without having to use belts. You simply chain multiple machines together with inserters that take the items out of the previous machine and insert them directly into the next. It's sometimes referred to as 'stealing', as in 'coal stealing' or 'ammo stealing'.
;Death world : A map generation configuration that results in a large quantity of [[enemies]], to increase the game's difficulty.
;Double header : This is a term that refers to a train with [[locomotive]]s on both ends, making the train capable of driving in both directions. Opposite of a single header, or standard train. A shorthand example could be: 1-2-1 (locomotive-carriage-carriage-locomotive) or 2-4-2.
;Dragon's teeth : A series of alternating stone wall pillars outside the main wall fortification with the purpose of delaying the biters from reaching the wall. [[Wikipedia:Dragon's_teeth_(fortification)|Dragon's teeth]] were first deployed in the Second World War to delay and channel armoured units into minefields and other defenses. Also used in the 1997 game [[Wikipedia:Total Annihilation|Total Annihilation]].

== E ==

;eSPM : Effective [[science pack|science]] per minute. This is a measure of SPM that explicitly includes all the upgrades (e.g [[productivity module]]s, [[biolab]]s{{SA}}, [[Research productivity (research)|research productivity]]{{SA}}, and [[quality]]{{SA}}).
;Entity : Most things that can be manipulated in-game. Nearly everything in factorio is an entity. Any device, items, trees... Even the player is just an entity.
;Evolution : The development and growth of the native population. Over the course of a game, biters and spitters become bigger and more powerful. See [[Enemies#Evolution|evolution]].

== F ==

;FFF : The weekly blog that the developers make to talk about the development of Factorio. Expanded, it is Factorio Friday Facts, posted every Friday.
;FPS : Visual rendering speed, "frames per second". When this is reduced beneath 60, the game may stutter visually, jitter, or otherwise appear unstable. Low FPS will not necessarily result in low UPS, but they are loosely tied together.
;[[Fuel]] : Refers to any burnable item that can be used to fuel burner devices, such as [[wood]], [[coal]], etc.

== G ==

; GJ : Giga joule, a measurement of energy.
; GW : Giga watt, a measurement of power.
;Ghost : A translucent preview image that designates a position for the construction of an entity. [[Ghost]]s are created when you shift+click with an entity under your cursor, when you use the [[Rail_planner#Ghost_Planner|ghost rail planner]], when an entity is destroyed after you've researched construction robotics, and when you place a blueprint. Construction robots automatically attempt to construct ghosts within their logistic or personal roboport network, and if unable will create an alert for missing construction materials.
;Gigabase : An even larger megabase, typically has SPPM counts > 10k.

== H ==

; Hood : The overhead structure of an [[Underground belts|underground belt]]. When sideloading an underground belt with a [[transport belts|transport belt]], the hood blocks one lane and sideloads the other, which can be useful.

== I ==

;Inventory : The ability for an entity to hold items within it. Almost all entities have inventories.
;Item : Items represent the un-built version of a machine, tools, intermediate products etc. Typically, items are found on belts, in the player's inventory, and inside machines. Items can be provided to recipes to create other items.
;Item explosion : A phenomenon when a lot of items are spilled on the ground in a square-like fashion. Usually due to accidentally removing [[power armor]] when having a full inventory.
;Item request slot : A special request slot for machines with module slots that allows them to request the [[module]]s in the blueprint from which they were constructed. The [[deconstruction planner]] has a filter for canceling these requests.

== K ==

; kJ : Kilojoule, a measurement of energy.
; kW : Kilowatt, a measurement of power.
;Kovarex : The founding father of Factorio and where [[kovarex enrichment process]] gets its name from.

== L ==
;Lane : One side of a transport belt. Each belt has two lanes.
;Lane balancer : This is a belt setup that balances the two lanes on a belt to be equal, to maximize throughput. See [[balancer mechanics]].
;Legs : [[Exoskeleton]]
;Loader : An abandoned concept for a belt-based mechanism that continuously loads and unloads machines, as an alternative to inserters. Functional loader entities can still be found in the editor, and some mods give them a proper texture and make them available in regular games. Loaders are used in the official Team Production scenario.

== M ==

; MW : Mega watt, a measurement of power.
; MJ : Mega joule, a measurement of energy.
;Main bus : The opposite of spaghetti, this refers to placing multiple belts side by side containing one resource, and branching off of it in order to create setups. Allows for organized layout of resource transportation.
;Mall: Also known as store. A location in a factory that produces many types of different items that the player needs but in relatively small amounts.
;Marathon: A game mode where technologies and recipes are significantly more expensive.
;Map exchange string : A long piece of text that encodes the settings used to generate a map. See [[Map generator#Map exchange string|map exchange string]].
;Market : A building where you can buy items using coins. It's available in the editor and used in the Tight Spot campaign.
;Mats : Shorthand for materials.
;Megabase : A community term referring to a significantly large base that has been built over a significant time/effort. Often, these bases are quantified in terms of science packs per minute, or "SPPM". A base typically is considered a megabase when it can maintain 1k SPPM.
;Mod : This term refers to a script or collection of scripts that change how the game acts, adds new items/entities, etc.
;Modpack : A community term referring to a collection of mods that work well together.

== N ==

;Nauvis : The planet that Factorio takes place on. Used to be an internal name, but became canonical with version 2.0.
;Night steam : The strategy of relying on solar panels to generate electricity during the day and steam engines during the night.
;No path : A common error that means that a train cannot find a valid route to a train stop. See [[Railway#No_path|no path]].

== O ==

; Outpost : A small base created far away from a main base, usually to serve a single purpose like mining or production of a specific resource.

== P ==

;Priority splitter : A splitter design that directs as many resources as possible from a bus to an offshoot before letting excess items flow past. This is in contrast to a splitter that always distributes some percentage of items to both sides (depending on the particular arrangement of splitters).
;PAX (train) : Short for passenger train or player access station, another name for the [[Glossary#S|shuttle]].

== Q ==
;QoL : Quality of life, often refers to mods that increase ease of play.

== R ==

;RORO : Abbreviation for "Roll on, roll off" in the context of train station design. It means that trains arrive at the station at one end and leave the station at the other end (driving past the train stop), as opposed to terminus stations.
;RPM : Shorthand for rockets per minute.
;Rainbow belt : A transport belt with many different types of items on it, rather than the easier-to-manage one or two types of items. See [[#S|sushi belt]].
;Ribbon world : A world which has been set up to have limited space in one dimension (width or height), adding a new challenge. The smallest ribbon world in which you can launch a rocket is a map limited to a width or height of 9 tiles, the size of the rocket silo.
;River (belt) : A design strategy where items are continuously moving without looping or [[#B|backing up]] to be either processed or destroyed. Sometimes used as a strategy to handle [[Spoilage_mechanics|spoilable]] items.
;Roundabout (rail) : A circular rail junction that resembles real-world roundabouts for motor vehicles. Roundabouts allow trains to exit in any direction, including the direction they just came from. Small, simple roundabouts are known for their relatively poor throughput, and for long trains occasionally colliding with themselves.

== S ==

;SA : [[Space Age]], the offical Factorio expansion.
;Saturatation (belt): The number of gaps between items on a belt that is flowing at full speed. Eg: "Fully saturated" means no gaps and flowing at full speed.
;Scenario : A map that has been saved via the [[map editor]]. Special scripting can be added to make simple "events".
;Seed : A number associated with each map that determines the outcome of certain pseudo-random processes, like terrain generation. All other settings being equal, different seeds result in vastly different terrain features. The seed is included in [[#M|map exchange strings]].
;Shuttle : A train for personal transportation around the factory. Sometimes called a taxi.
;Sideloading : This is a commonly used term that refers to running the end of a [[transport belt]] into the side of another, so that only the lane on the side of the belt that the other belt is on is filled. This is typically done to create a belt that carries two different resources side-by-side on the same belt.
;Smart furnace : A smelting setup that can process multiple materials (e.g. iron ore, copper ore, iron plates, stone).
;Spaghetti : [[File:spaghetti_example.png|thumb|200px|right|An example of a "spaghetti" setup with intertwining belts.]]A community term referring to the "spaghetti" look of many belts/entities placed in a disorganized fashion. Typically created by new players to Factorio. Generally, it will be moved away from as soon as the player realizes the logistical problems it causes. Note that not all "spaghetti" factories are necessarily inefficient.
;Speedrun : Attempting to beat the game as quickly as possible.
;SPM : Science per minute. Prior to 2.0, this term was exclusively used to indicate the number of science packs produced by a factory (SPPM). Since 2.0, the game has added multiple UI elements that include some bonuses not previously included in SPM, now surfacing a value also referred to as effective SPM (eSPM). The [[Production statistics]] now shows a "Science" item, and the [[Research]] tooltip shows "Science per minute" as a single value. Due to the shift in meaning caused by the addition of these UI elements, this term now has some ambiguity.
;SPPM : Science packs per minute. Measured per type, so 1k SPPM will mean production of 1000 of each science pack type per minute, though military science is often excluded. Usually used to measure the size of very big bases, see [[#M|megabase]] and [[#G|gigabase]].
;Stacker : Also known as '''parking lot'''. A waiting bay for trains, allowing them to wait on different parallel tracks and not block each other until their destination becomes free. Recommended in front of large, multi-platform stations.
;Supply train: A train that usually for personal use that is used to carry mostly building materials like rails, conveyor belts, inserters, assembly machines etc..
;Sushi belt : The strategy of mixing many different types of items on transport belts to supply machines that need some or all of those items. It sacrifices throughput for compactness (and beauty). It looks colorful and diverse like a tray of sushi. Its perhaps most popular application is supplying labs with science packs. Sometimes called sushi bar or rainbow belt.
;Sushi river : A [[#R|river belt]] on which many different items are mixed, like a [[#S|sushi belt]].

== T ==

;TINS : Abbreviation of "There Is No Spoon", the name of the in-game achievement.
;Terminus : A train station design where trains come in and leave from the same side, thus requiring double-headed trains, unlike RORO stations.
;Throughput : A term that refers to the maximum amount of resources that can travel through something (such as a belt) in a certain amount of time. Usually quantified in items per second.
;Tick : The smallest measurable amount of time in Factorio. There are 60 ticks per second (when running at 60 UPS), and 3600 ticks in a minute.
;Tile : A piece of map. It is not really known how big it is, but for simplifying things we can assume that a tile is a quadratic with side of 1 meter.
;Time : Game time is normally identical with real time, one second in the game is one second in reality, but it can be faster or slower. For example, when the calculations for an update takes longer than a tick, the game slows down (aka UPS).
;Train bus : A popular alternative to the [[#M|main bus]] pattern. Instead of using a belt bus to provide materials for various production cells, a large rail system allows many trains to route materials between more distant cells, sometimes called subfactories. It's a UPS-friendlier strategy for large factories such as megabases.
;Trash can : A simple 'public utility' of sorts, which is an active provider that players can dump unwanted items into. Logistic robots pick them up and store them away. It's useful if you need to get rid of large quantities of items (such as [[wood]] or [[landfill]]) and your logistic trash slots are full.
;Turnaround (trains) : A rail design that allows trains to return the direction they just came from. This might be a loop, a U-turn, or a dead-end with a "turn around" train stop for two-headed trains to use. Note that a loop-style turnaround is has only one exit, while a loop with multiple exits is considered a roundabout.
;Turret : Stationary defense weapon. There are four types of turrets in Factorio, the [[laser turret]], [[gun turret]], [[flamethrower turret]] and [[artillery turret]]. [[Space Age]]{{SA}} adds the [[railgun turret]] and [[tesla turret]].
;Turret creep : The tactic of leap-frogging with turrets into hostile territory. It's very effective due to the strength and range of turrets. Typically done with laser turrets, blueprints and personal roboports, but can also be done by manually placing gun turrets and inserting ammo.

== U ==

;Upcycler: An assembly line designed to increase the [[quality]] of an intermediate or end product.
;UPS : Internal clock speed, "Updates Per Second". The game tries its best to maintain the ideal 60 UPS, but it is affected by the size and complexity of the game world and your computer hardware. A lower UPS means that the simulation runs slower. At 30 UPS everything would take twice as long as under ideal conditions. This is a common concern on megabases or when playing with many mods active. It can be set to more than 60 UPS by changing the game speed via script, processing power permitting. The Transport Belt Madness and Tight Spot campaigns are examples where the game speed can be increased.
;Underbelt : [[Underground belts|Underground belt]]
;Underpipe (Underground pipe) : [[Pipe to ground]]

== V ==
;Vanilla : Regular version of the game with no mods.

== W ==

;Wube : The company based in the Czech Republic that develops Factorio.

== Z ==

;Zoo : A group of biter or spitter nests around which the player has built a safe containment zone, i.e. a circle of turrets. Reasons for doing this include exploiting the nests' pollution absorption and automating the destruction of items (using requester chests near the nests).

{{C|Main}}

Glossary

2026-01-17T01:40:45Z

HeliGungir: /* S */

{{Languages}}__NOTOC__
This page acts as a general glossary of all terms used in Factorio and its community. We recommend searching the page with {{keybinding|CTRL|F}} to find specific terms. The page is also organized alphabetically.

Additionally, you can click a letter below to be taken to that letter in the list, if you wish to search manually.

[[##|#]] [[#A|A]] [[#B|B]] [[#C|C]] [[#D|D]] [[#E|E]] [[#F|F]] [[#G|G]] [[#H|H]] [[#I|I]] [[#J|J]] [[#K|K]] [[#L|L]] [[#M|M]] [[#N|N]] [[#O|O]] [[#P|P]] [[#Q|Q]] [[#R|R]] [[#S|S]] [[#T|T]] [[#U|U]] [[#V|V]] [[#W|W]] [[#X|X]] [[#Y|Y]] [[#Z|Z]]

== # ==

;1-1, 1-2-1, 2-4, 4-8-4 and similar : A somewhat ambiguous shorthand notation for train configurations. The first number is usually the number of [[locomotive]]s at the head of the train, followed by the number of [[cargo wagon]]s or [[fluid wagon]]s, and optionally followed by the number of tail locomotives if it's a double-headed train. In general, the smaller numbers are the number of locomotives.

== A ==

; AP : Armor piercing, refers to [[piercing rounds magazine]].
;Ammo : [[Firearm magazine|Ammunition]], used for guns/rocket launchers/turrets, etc.
;Assembler : Another word for an [[assembling machine]].

== B ==

;BP : Short for [[blueprint]].
;Backed-up : Refers to a machine having no output, and so the input channel fills up. Can also refer to belts being backlogged due to low consumption. This is not necessarily a bad thing.
;Backpressure : What a machine, usually a belt segment or [[inserter]], experiences when delivery stalls because its target is backed up.
;Belt balancer : This is a belt setup that balances multiple belts to contain the same amount of resources, to maximize throughput. See [[balancers]].
;Belt compression : This term refers to ensuring that all items on a belt are right after each other, to ensure no space is wasted and highest throughput.
;Blackout : When your factory completely loses power. This typically happens at night when relying on solar+accumulator power, enemies destroying vital electric poles, or after a prolonged brownout when using electric mining drills and/or electric inserters (instead of their burner variants).
;Bots : Shorthand version for [[construction robot]] or [[logistic robot]]. Sometimes also refers to the [[Combat_robot_capsules|combat robots]] created from capsules.
;Bottleneck : A term that means a single point where resources are constrained, such as a slow part of a belt that slows down everything.
;Braiding : The space-saving technique of alternating between two or more different underground belt types (basic, fast and express) in a straight line, one tile wide. The different types of underground belts don't interfere with each other, and inserters can interact with the belt entrance and exit entities.
;Brownout : When your factory's machines are running slower than normal because it's not generating enough electricity.
;Buffer: A place where a stockpile of items is stored to be available when the production stops. Typically a chest.
;Bus : Short for [[#M|main bus]].

== C ==

;Capacity : Maximum amount of items/[[fluid system|fluids]] that can exist within something.
;Catchup : Period where a [[player]] joining a game is required to replay recent changes quickly, so they can be merged into the running game smoothly. Often happens on slow connections, or on servers with a lot going on.
;Chokepoint : Artificial or natural geography that funnels attackers into a narrow, movement-constricting area, making it more difficult for them to breach fortifications. Examples: peninsulas with narrow connections to the mainland, artificial land bridges to islands, nearby lakes, corridors through thick forests. Certain [[cliff]] formations can also present this issue.
;Coin : An item used in the Tight Spot campaign.
;Compression : Like Capacity but applies to belts only.
;Composter : A [[chests|chest]] used to store [[Spoilage_mechanics|spoilable]] items with the intention of spoiling them.
;Contaminated : A [[Transport belts|belt]] with incorrect items on it (such as [[coal]] on an iron belt). Can also refer to [[pipe]]s with mixed liquids.
;Cracktorio : A community term referring to the addictive qualities of Factorio, jokingly comparing the game to crack cocaine.

== D ==

;Daisy chaining : Some entities allow [[inserter]]s to insert and remove items from the same slots, including fuel in [[boiler]]s, ammo in [[gun turret]]s, [[science pack]]s in [[lab]]s, [[module]]s in [[beacon]]s, robots in [[roboport]]s, and any items in [[chests]]. 'Daisy chaining' is a technique that makes use of this mechanic in order to supply some machines with consumables (i.e. fuel, ammo or science packs) without having to use belts. You simply chain multiple machines together with inserters that take the items out of the previous machine and insert them directly into the next. It's sometimes referred to as 'stealing', as in 'coal stealing' or 'ammo stealing'.
;Death world : A map generation configuration that results in a large quantity of [[enemies]], to increase the game's difficulty.
;Double header : This is a term that refers to a train with [[locomotive]]s on both ends, making the train capable of driving in both directions. Opposite of a single header, or standard train. A shorthand example could be: 1-2-1 (locomotive-carriage-carriage-locomotive) or 2-4-2.
;Dragon's teeth : A series of alternating stone wall pillars outside the main wall fortification with the purpose of delaying the biters from reaching the wall. [[Wikipedia:Dragon's_teeth_(fortification)|Dragon's teeth]] were first deployed in the Second World War to delay and channel armoured units into minefields and other defenses. Also used in the 1997 game [[Wikipedia:Total Annihilation|Total Annihilation]].

== E ==

;eSPM : Effective [[science pack|science]] per minute. This is a measure of SPM that explicitly includes all the upgrades (e.g [[productivity module]]s, [[biolab]]s{{SA}}, [[Research productivity (research)|research productivity]]{{SA}}, and [[quality]]{{SA}}).
;Entity : Most things that can be manipulated in-game. Nearly everything in factorio is an entity. Any device, items, trees... Even the player is just an entity.
;Evolution : The development and growth of the native population. Over the course of a game, biters and spitters become bigger and more powerful. See [[Enemies#Evolution|evolution]].

== F ==

;FFF : The weekly blog that the developers make to talk about the development of Factorio. Expanded, it is Factorio Friday Facts, posted every Friday.
;FPS : Visual rendering speed, "frames per second". When this is reduced beneath 60, the game may stutter visually, jitter, or otherwise appear unstable. Low FPS will not necessarily result in low UPS, but they are loosely tied together.
;[[Fuel]] : Refers to any burnable item that can be used to fuel burner devices, such as [[wood]], [[coal]], etc.

== G ==

; GJ : Giga joule, a measurement of energy.
; GW : Giga watt, a measurement of power.
;Ghost : A translucent preview image that designates a position for the construction of an entity. [[Ghost]]s are created when you shift+click with an entity under your cursor, when you use the [[Rail_planner#Ghost_Planner|ghost rail planner]], when an entity is destroyed after you've researched construction robotics, and when you place a blueprint. Construction robots automatically attempt to construct ghosts within their logistic or personal roboport network, and if unable will create an alert for missing construction materials.
;Gigabase : An even larger megabase, typically has SPPM counts > 10k.

== H ==

; Hood : The overhead structure of an [[Underground belts|underground belt]]. When sideloading an underground belt with a [[transport belts|transport belt]], the hood blocks one lane and sideloads the other, which can be useful.

== I ==

;Inventory : The ability for an entity to hold items within it. Almost all entities have inventories.
;Item : Items represent the un-built version of a machine, tools, intermediate products etc. Typically, items are found on belts, in the player's inventory, and inside machines. Items can be provided to recipes to create other items.
;Item explosion : A phenomenon when a lot of items are spilled on the ground in a square-like fashion. Usually due to accidentally removing [[power armor]] when having a full inventory.
;Item request slot : A special request slot for machines with module slots that allows them to request the [[module]]s in the blueprint from which they were constructed. The [[deconstruction planner]] has a filter for canceling these requests.

== K ==

; kJ : Kilojoule, a measurement of energy.
; kW : Kilowatt, a measurement of power.
;Kovarex : The founding father of Factorio and where [[kovarex enrichment process]] gets its name from.

== L ==
;Lane : One side of a transport belt. Each belt has two lanes.
;Lane balancer : This is a belt setup that balances the two lanes on a belt to be equal, to maximize throughput. See [[balancer mechanics]].
;Legs : [[Exoskeleton]]
;Loader : An abandoned concept for a belt-based mechanism that continuously loads and unloads machines, as an alternative to inserters. Functional loader entities can still be found in the editor, and some mods give them a proper texture and make them available in regular games. Loaders are used in the official Team Production scenario.

== M ==

; MW : Mega watt, a measurement of power.
; MJ : Mega joule, a measurement of energy.
;Main bus : The opposite of spaghetti, this refers to placing multiple belts side by side containing one resource, and branching off of it in order to create setups. Allows for organized layout of resource transportation.
;Mall: Also known as store. A location in a factory that produces many types of different items that the player needs but in relatively small amounts.
;Marathon: A game mode where technologies and recipes are significantly more expensive.
;Map exchange string : A long piece of text that encodes the settings used to generate a map. See [[Map generator#Map exchange string|map exchange string]].
;Market : A building where you can buy items using coins. It's available in the editor and used in the Tight Spot campaign.
;Mats : Shorthand for materials.
;Megabase : A community term referring to a significantly large base that has been built over a significant time/effort. Often, these bases are quantified in terms of science packs per minute, or "SPPM". A base typically is considered a megabase when it can maintain 1k SPPM.
;Mod : This term refers to a script or collection of scripts that change how the game acts, adds new items/entities, etc.
;Modpack : A community term referring to a collection of mods that work well together.

== N ==

;Nauvis : The planet that Factorio takes place on. Used to be an internal name, but became canonical with version 2.0.
;Night steam : The strategy of relying on solar panels to generate electricity during the day and steam engines during the night.
;No path : A common error that means that a train cannot find a valid route to a train stop. See [[Railway#No_path|no path]].

== O ==

; Outpost : A small base created far away from a main base, usually to serve a single purpose like mining or production of a specific resource.

== P ==

;Priority splitter : A splitter design that directs as many resources as possible from a bus to an offshoot before letting excess items flow past. This is in contrast to a splitter that always distributes some percentage of items to both sides (depending on the particular arrangement of splitters).
;PAX (train) : Short for passenger train or player access station, another name for the [[Glossary#S|shuttle]].

== Q ==
;QoL : Quality of life, often refers to mods that increase ease of play.

== R ==

;RORO : Abbreviation for "Roll on, roll off" in the context of train station design. It means that trains arrive at the station at one end and leave the station at the other end (driving past the train stop), as opposed to terminus stations.
;RPM : Shorthand for rockets per minute.
;Rainbow belt : A transport belt with many different types of items on it, rather than the easier-to-manage one or two types of items. See [[#S|sushi belt]].
;Ribbon world : A world which has been set up to have limited space in one dimension (width or height), adding a new challenge. The smallest ribbon world in which you can launch a rocket is a map limited to a width or height of 9 tiles, the size of the rocket silo.
;River (belt) : A design strategy where items are continuously moving without looping or [[#B|backing up]] to be either processed or destroyed. Sometimes used as a strategy to handle [[Spoilage_mechanics|spoilable]] items.
;Roundabout (rail) : A circular rail junction that resembles real-world roundabouts for motor vehicles. Roundabouts allow trains to exit in any direction, including the direction they just came from. Small, simple roundabouts are known for their relatively poor throughput, and for long trains occasionally colliding with themselves.

== S ==

;SA : [[Space Age]], the offical Factorio expansion.
;Saturatation (belt): A description of the number of gaps between items on a belt that is flowing at full speed. Eg: "Fully saturated" means no gaps and flowing at full speed.
;Scenario : A map that has been saved via the [[map editor]]. Special scripting can be added to make simple "events".
;Seed : A number associated with each map that determines the outcome of certain pseudo-random processes, like terrain generation. All other settings being equal, different seeds result in vastly different terrain features. The seed is included in [[#M|map exchange strings]].
;Shuttle : A train for personal transportation around the factory. Sometimes called a taxi.
;Sideloading : This is a commonly used term that refers to running the end of a [[transport belt]] into the side of another, so that only the lane on the side of the belt that the other belt is on is filled. This is typically done to create a belt that carries two different resources side-by-side on the same belt.
;Smart furnace : A smelting setup that can process multiple materials (e.g. iron ore, copper ore, iron plates, stone).
;Spaghetti : [[File:spaghetti_example.png|thumb|200px|right|An example of a "spaghetti" setup with intertwining belts.]]A community term referring to the "spaghetti" look of many belts/entities placed in a disorganized fashion. Typically created by new players to Factorio. Generally, it will be moved away from as soon as the player realizes the logistical problems it causes. Note that not all "spaghetti" factories are necessarily inefficient.
;Speedrun : Attempting to beat the game as quickly as possible.
;SPM : Science per minute. Prior to 2.0, this term was exclusively used to indicate the number of science packs produced by a factory (SPPM). Since 2.0, the game has added multiple UI elements that include some bonuses not previously included in SPM, now surfacing a value also referred to as effective SPM (eSPM). The [[Production statistics]] now shows a "Science" item, and the [[Research]] tooltip shows "Science per minute" as a single value. Due to the shift in meaning caused by the addition of these UI elements, this term now has some ambiguity.
;SPPM : Science packs per minute. Measured per type, so 1k SPPM will mean production of 1000 of each science pack type per minute, though military science is often excluded. Usually used to measure the size of very big bases, see [[#M|megabase]] and [[#G|gigabase]].
;Stacker : Also known as '''parking lot'''. A waiting bay for trains, allowing them to wait on different parallel tracks and not block each other until their destination becomes free. Recommended in front of large, multi-platform stations.
;Supply train: A train that usually for personal use that is used to carry mostly building materials like rails, conveyor belts, inserters, assembly machines etc..
;Sushi belt : The strategy of mixing many different types of items on transport belts to supply machines that need some or all of those items. It sacrifices throughput for compactness (and beauty). It looks colorful and diverse like a tray of sushi. Its perhaps most popular application is supplying labs with science packs. Sometimes called sushi bar or rainbow belt.
;Sushi river : A [[#R|river belt]] on which many different items are mixed, like a [[#S|sushi belt]].

== T ==

;TINS : Abbreviation of "There Is No Spoon", the name of the in-game achievement.
;Terminus : A train station design where trains come in and leave from the same side, thus requiring double-headed trains, unlike RORO stations.
;Throughput : A term that refers to the maximum amount of resources that can travel through something (such as a belt) in a certain amount of time. Usually quantified in items per second.
;Tick : The smallest measurable amount of time in Factorio. There are 60 ticks per second (when running at 60 UPS), and 3600 ticks in a minute.
;Tile : A piece of map. It is not really known how big it is, but for simplifying things we can assume that a tile is a quadratic with side of 1 meter.
;Time : Game time is normally identical with real time, one second in the game is one second in reality, but it can be faster or slower. For example, when the calculations for an update takes longer than a tick, the game slows down (aka UPS).
;Train bus : A popular alternative to the [[#M|main bus]] pattern. Instead of using a belt bus to provide materials for various production cells, a large rail system allows many trains to route materials between more distant cells, sometimes called subfactories. It's a UPS-friendlier strategy for large factories such as megabases.
;Trash can : A simple 'public utility' of sorts, which is an active provider that players can dump unwanted items into. Logistic robots pick them up and store them away. It's useful if you need to get rid of large quantities of items (such as [[wood]] or [[landfill]]) and your logistic trash slots are full.
;Turnaround (trains) : A rail design that allows trains to return the direction they just came from. This might be a loop, a U-turn, or a dead-end with a "turn around" train stop for two-headed trains to use. Note that a loop-style turnaround is has only one exit, while a loop with multiple exits is considered a roundabout.
;Turret : Stationary defense weapon. There are four types of turrets in Factorio, the [[laser turret]], [[gun turret]], [[flamethrower turret]] and [[artillery turret]]. [[Space Age]]{{SA}} adds the [[railgun turret]] and [[tesla turret]].
;Turret creep : The tactic of leap-frogging with turrets into hostile territory. It's very effective due to the strength and range of turrets. Typically done with laser turrets, blueprints and personal roboports, but can also be done by manually placing gun turrets and inserting ammo.

== U ==

;Upcycler: An assembly line designed to increase the [[quality]] of an intermediate or end product.
;UPS : Internal clock speed, "Updates Per Second". The game tries its best to maintain the ideal 60 UPS, but it is affected by the size and complexity of the game world and your computer hardware. A lower UPS means that the simulation runs slower. At 30 UPS everything would take twice as long as under ideal conditions. This is a common concern on megabases or when playing with many mods active. It can be set to more than 60 UPS by changing the game speed via script, processing power permitting. The Transport Belt Madness and Tight Spot campaigns are examples where the game speed can be increased.
;Underbelt : [[Underground belts|Underground belt]]
;Underpipe (Underground pipe) : [[Pipe to ground]]

== V ==
;Vanilla : Regular version of the game with no mods.

== W ==

;Wube : The company based in the Czech Republic that develops Factorio.

== Z ==

;Zoo : A group of biter or spitter nests around which the player has built a safe containment zone, i.e. a circle of turrets. Reasons for doing this include exploiting the nests' pollution absorption and automating the destruction of items (using requester chests near the nests).

{{C|Main}}

Glossary

2026-01-17T01:36:01Z

HeliGungir: /* S */ Add: Saturated (belt)

{{Languages}}__NOTOC__
This page acts as a general glossary of all terms used in Factorio and its community. We recommend searching the page with {{keybinding|CTRL|F}} to find specific terms. The page is also organized alphabetically.

Additionally, you can click a letter below to be taken to that letter in the list, if you wish to search manually.

[[##|#]] [[#A|A]] [[#B|B]] [[#C|C]] [[#D|D]] [[#E|E]] [[#F|F]] [[#G|G]] [[#H|H]] [[#I|I]] [[#J|J]] [[#K|K]] [[#L|L]] [[#M|M]] [[#N|N]] [[#O|O]] [[#P|P]] [[#Q|Q]] [[#R|R]] [[#S|S]] [[#T|T]] [[#U|U]] [[#V|V]] [[#W|W]] [[#X|X]] [[#Y|Y]] [[#Z|Z]]

== # ==

;1-1, 1-2-1, 2-4, 4-8-4 and similar : A somewhat ambiguous shorthand notation for train configurations. The first number is usually the number of [[locomotive]]s at the head of the train, followed by the number of [[cargo wagon]]s or [[fluid wagon]]s, and optionally followed by the number of tail locomotives if it's a double-headed train. In general, the smaller numbers are the number of locomotives.

== A ==

; AP : Armor piercing, refers to [[piercing rounds magazine]].
;Ammo : [[Firearm magazine|Ammunition]], used for guns/rocket launchers/turrets, etc.
;Assembler : Another word for an [[assembling machine]].

== B ==

;BP : Short for [[blueprint]].
;Backed-up : Refers to a machine having no output, and so the input channel fills up. Can also refer to belts being backlogged due to low consumption. This is not necessarily a bad thing.
;Backpressure : What a machine, usually a belt segment or [[inserter]], experiences when delivery stalls because its target is backed up.
;Belt balancer : This is a belt setup that balances multiple belts to contain the same amount of resources, to maximize throughput. See [[balancers]].
;Belt compression : This term refers to ensuring that all items on a belt are right after each other, to ensure no space is wasted and highest throughput.
;Blackout : When your factory completely loses power. This typically happens at night when relying on solar+accumulator power, enemies destroying vital electric poles, or after a prolonged brownout when using electric mining drills and/or electric inserters (instead of their burner variants).
;Bots : Shorthand version for [[construction robot]] or [[logistic robot]]. Sometimes also refers to the [[Combat_robot_capsules|combat robots]] created from capsules.
;Bottleneck : A term that means a single point where resources are constrained, such as a slow part of a belt that slows down everything.
;Braiding : The space-saving technique of alternating between two or more different underground belt types (basic, fast and express) in a straight line, one tile wide. The different types of underground belts don't interfere with each other, and inserters can interact with the belt entrance and exit entities.
;Brownout : When your factory's machines are running slower than normal because it's not generating enough electricity.
;Buffer: A place where a stockpile of items is stored to be available when the production stops. Typically a chest.
;Bus : Short for [[#M|main bus]].

== C ==

;Capacity : Maximum amount of items/[[fluid system|fluids]] that can exist within something.
;Catchup : Period where a [[player]] joining a game is required to replay recent changes quickly, so they can be merged into the running game smoothly. Often happens on slow connections, or on servers with a lot going on.
;Chokepoint : Artificial or natural geography that funnels attackers into a narrow, movement-constricting area, making it more difficult for them to breach fortifications. Examples: peninsulas with narrow connections to the mainland, artificial land bridges to islands, nearby lakes, corridors through thick forests. Certain [[cliff]] formations can also present this issue.
;Coin : An item used in the Tight Spot campaign.
;Compression : Like Capacity but applies to belts only.
;Composter : A [[chests|chest]] used to store [[Spoilage_mechanics|spoilable]] items with the intention of spoiling them.
;Contaminated : A [[Transport belts|belt]] with incorrect items on it (such as [[coal]] on an iron belt). Can also refer to [[pipe]]s with mixed liquids.
;Cracktorio : A community term referring to the addictive qualities of Factorio, jokingly comparing the game to crack cocaine.

== D ==

;Daisy chaining : Some entities allow [[inserter]]s to insert and remove items from the same slots, including fuel in [[boiler]]s, ammo in [[gun turret]]s, [[science pack]]s in [[lab]]s, [[module]]s in [[beacon]]s, robots in [[roboport]]s, and any items in [[chests]]. 'Daisy chaining' is a technique that makes use of this mechanic in order to supply some machines with consumables (i.e. fuel, ammo or science packs) without having to use belts. You simply chain multiple machines together with inserters that take the items out of the previous machine and insert them directly into the next. It's sometimes referred to as 'stealing', as in 'coal stealing' or 'ammo stealing'.
;Death world : A map generation configuration that results in a large quantity of [[enemies]], to increase the game's difficulty.
;Double header : This is a term that refers to a train with [[locomotive]]s on both ends, making the train capable of driving in both directions. Opposite of a single header, or standard train. A shorthand example could be: 1-2-1 (locomotive-carriage-carriage-locomotive) or 2-4-2.
;Dragon's teeth : A series of alternating stone wall pillars outside the main wall fortification with the purpose of delaying the biters from reaching the wall. [[Wikipedia:Dragon's_teeth_(fortification)|Dragon's teeth]] were first deployed in the Second World War to delay and channel armoured units into minefields and other defenses. Also used in the 1997 game [[Wikipedia:Total Annihilation|Total Annihilation]].

== E ==

;eSPM : Effective [[science pack|science]] per minute. This is a measure of SPM that explicitly includes all the upgrades (e.g [[productivity module]]s, [[biolab]]s{{SA}}, [[Research productivity (research)|research productivity]]{{SA}}, and [[quality]]{{SA}}).
;Entity : Most things that can be manipulated in-game. Nearly everything in factorio is an entity. Any device, items, trees... Even the player is just an entity.
;Evolution : The development and growth of the native population. Over the course of a game, biters and spitters become bigger and more powerful. See [[Enemies#Evolution|evolution]].

== F ==

;FFF : The weekly blog that the developers make to talk about the development of Factorio. Expanded, it is Factorio Friday Facts, posted every Friday.
;FPS : Visual rendering speed, "frames per second". When this is reduced beneath 60, the game may stutter visually, jitter, or otherwise appear unstable. Low FPS will not necessarily result in low UPS, but they are loosely tied together.
;[[Fuel]] : Refers to any burnable item that can be used to fuel burner devices, such as [[wood]], [[coal]], etc.

== G ==

; GJ : Giga joule, a measurement of energy.
; GW : Giga watt, a measurement of power.
;Ghost : A translucent preview image that designates a position for the construction of an entity. [[Ghost]]s are created when you shift+click with an entity under your cursor, when you use the [[Rail_planner#Ghost_Planner|ghost rail planner]], when an entity is destroyed after you've researched construction robotics, and when you place a blueprint. Construction robots automatically attempt to construct ghosts within their logistic or personal roboport network, and if unable will create an alert for missing construction materials.
;Gigabase : An even larger megabase, typically has SPPM counts > 10k.

== H ==

; Hood : The overhead structure of an [[Underground belts|underground belt]]. When sideloading an underground belt with a [[transport belts|transport belt]], the hood blocks one lane and sideloads the other, which can be useful.

== I ==

;Inventory : The ability for an entity to hold items within it. Almost all entities have inventories.
;Item : Items represent the un-built version of a machine, tools, intermediate products etc. Typically, items are found on belts, in the player's inventory, and inside machines. Items can be provided to recipes to create other items.
;Item explosion : A phenomenon when a lot of items are spilled on the ground in a square-like fashion. Usually due to accidentally removing [[power armor]] when having a full inventory.
;Item request slot : A special request slot for machines with module slots that allows them to request the [[module]]s in the blueprint from which they were constructed. The [[deconstruction planner]] has a filter for canceling these requests.

== K ==

; kJ : Kilojoule, a measurement of energy.
; kW : Kilowatt, a measurement of power.
;Kovarex : The founding father of Factorio and where [[kovarex enrichment process]] gets its name from.

== L ==
;Lane : One side of a transport belt. Each belt has two lanes.
;Lane balancer : This is a belt setup that balances the two lanes on a belt to be equal, to maximize throughput. See [[balancer mechanics]].
;Legs : [[Exoskeleton]]
;Loader : An abandoned concept for a belt-based mechanism that continuously loads and unloads machines, as an alternative to inserters. Functional loader entities can still be found in the editor, and some mods give them a proper texture and make them available in regular games. Loaders are used in the official Team Production scenario.

== M ==

; MW : Mega watt, a measurement of power.
; MJ : Mega joule, a measurement of energy.
;Main bus : The opposite of spaghetti, this refers to placing multiple belts side by side containing one resource, and branching off of it in order to create setups. Allows for organized layout of resource transportation.
;Mall: Also known as store. A location in a factory that produces many types of different items that the player needs but in relatively small amounts.
;Marathon: A game mode where technologies and recipes are significantly more expensive.
;Map exchange string : A long piece of text that encodes the settings used to generate a map. See [[Map generator#Map exchange string|map exchange string]].
;Market : A building where you can buy items using coins. It's available in the editor and used in the Tight Spot campaign.
;Mats : Shorthand for materials.
;Megabase : A community term referring to a significantly large base that has been built over a significant time/effort. Often, these bases are quantified in terms of science packs per minute, or "SPPM". A base typically is considered a megabase when it can maintain 1k SPPM.
;Mod : This term refers to a script or collection of scripts that change how the game acts, adds new items/entities, etc.
;Modpack : A community term referring to a collection of mods that work well together.

== N ==

;Nauvis : The planet that Factorio takes place on. Used to be an internal name, but became canonical with version 2.0.
;Night steam : The strategy of relying on solar panels to generate electricity during the day and steam engines during the night.
;No path : A common error that means that a train cannot find a valid route to a train stop. See [[Railway#No_path|no path]].

== O ==

; Outpost : A small base created far away from a main base, usually to serve a single purpose like mining or production of a specific resource.

== P ==

;Priority splitter : A splitter design that directs as many resources as possible from a bus to an offshoot before letting excess items flow past. This is in contrast to a splitter that always distributes some percentage of items to both sides (depending on the particular arrangement of splitters).
;PAX (train) : Short for passenger train or player access station, another name for the [[Glossary#S|shuttle]].

== Q ==
;QoL : Quality of life, often refers to mods that increase ease of play.

== R ==

;RORO : Abbreviation for "Roll on, roll off" in the context of train station design. It means that trains arrive at the station at one end and leave the station at the other end (driving past the train stop), as opposed to terminus stations.
;RPM : Shorthand for rockets per minute.
;Rainbow belt : A transport belt with many different types of items on it, rather than the easier-to-manage one or two types of items. See [[#S|sushi belt]].
;Ribbon world : A world which has been set up to have limited space in one dimension (width or height), adding a new challenge. The smallest ribbon world in which you can launch a rocket is a map limited to a width or height of 9 tiles, the size of the rocket silo.
;River (belt) : A design strategy where items are continuously moving without looping or [[#B|backing up]] to be either processed or destroyed. Sometimes used as a strategy to handle [[Spoilage_mechanics|spoilable]] items.
;Roundabout (rail) : A circular rail junction that resembles real-world roundabouts for motor vehicles. Roundabouts allow trains to exit in any direction, including the direction they just came from. Small, simple roundabouts are known for their relatively poor throughput, and for long trains occasionally colliding with themselves.

== S ==

;SA : [[Space Age]], the offical Factorio expansion.
;Saturated (belt): Flowing at full speed with no gaps between items.
;Scenario : A map that has been saved via the [[map editor]]. Special scripting can be added to make simple "events".
;Seed : A number associated with each map that determines the outcome of certain pseudo-random processes, like terrain generation. All other settings being equal, different seeds result in vastly different terrain features. The seed is included in [[#M|map exchange strings]].
;Shuttle : A train for personal transportation around the factory. Sometimes called a taxi.
;Sideloading : This is a commonly used term that refers to running the end of a [[transport belt]] into the side of another, so that only the lane on the side of the belt that the other belt is on is filled. This is typically done to create a belt that carries two different resources side-by-side on the same belt.
;Smart furnace : A smelting setup that can process multiple materials (e.g. iron ore, copper ore, iron plates, stone).
;Spaghetti : [[File:spaghetti_example.png|thumb|200px|right|An example of a "spaghetti" setup with intertwining belts.]]A community term referring to the "spaghetti" look of many belts/entities placed in a disorganized fashion. Typically created by new players to Factorio. Generally, it will be moved away from as soon as the player realizes the logistical problems it causes. Note that not all "spaghetti" factories are necessarily inefficient.
;Speedrun : Attempting to beat the game as quickly as possible.
;SPM : Science per minute. Prior to 2.0, this term was exclusively used to indicate the number of science packs produced by a factory (SPPM). Since 2.0, the game has added multiple UI elements that include some bonuses not previously included in SPM, now surfacing a value also referred to as effective SPM (eSPM). The [[Production statistics]] now shows a "Science" item, and the [[Research]] tooltip shows "Science per minute" as a single value. Due to the shift in meaning caused by the addition of these UI elements, this term now has some ambiguity.
;SPPM : Science packs per minute. Measured per type, so 1k SPPM will mean production of 1000 of each science pack type per minute, though military science is often excluded. Usually used to measure the size of very big bases, see [[#M|megabase]] and [[#G|gigabase]].
;Stacker : Also known as '''parking lot'''. A waiting bay for trains, allowing them to wait on different parallel tracks and not block each other until their destination becomes free. Recommended in front of large, multi-platform stations.
;Supply train: A train that usually for personal use that is used to carry mostly building materials like rails, conveyor belts, inserters, assembly machines etc..
;Sushi belt : The strategy of mixing many different types of items on transport belts to supply machines that need some or all of those items. It sacrifices throughput for compactness (and beauty). It looks colorful and diverse like a tray of sushi. Its perhaps most popular application is supplying labs with science packs. Sometimes called sushi bar or rainbow belt.
;Sushi river : A [[#R|river belt]] on which many different items are mixed, like a [[#S|sushi belt]].

== T ==

;TINS : Abbreviation of "There Is No Spoon", the name of the in-game achievement.
;Terminus : A train station design where trains come in and leave from the same side, thus requiring double-headed trains, unlike RORO stations.
;Throughput : A term that refers to the maximum amount of resources that can travel through something (such as a belt) in a certain amount of time. Usually quantified in items per second.
;Tick : The smallest measurable amount of time in Factorio. There are 60 ticks per second (when running at 60 UPS), and 3600 ticks in a minute.
;Tile : A piece of map. It is not really known how big it is, but for simplifying things we can assume that a tile is a quadratic with side of 1 meter.
;Time : Game time is normally identical with real time, one second in the game is one second in reality, but it can be faster or slower. For example, when the calculations for an update takes longer than a tick, the game slows down (aka UPS).
;Train bus : A popular alternative to the [[#M|main bus]] pattern. Instead of using a belt bus to provide materials for various production cells, a large rail system allows many trains to route materials between more distant cells, sometimes called subfactories. It's a UPS-friendlier strategy for large factories such as megabases.
;Trash can : A simple 'public utility' of sorts, which is an active provider that players can dump unwanted items into. Logistic robots pick them up and store them away. It's useful if you need to get rid of large quantities of items (such as [[wood]] or [[landfill]]) and your logistic trash slots are full.
;Turnaround (trains) : A rail design that allows trains to return the direction they just came from. This might be a loop, a U-turn, or a dead-end with a "turn around" train stop for two-headed trains to use. Note that a loop-style turnaround is has only one exit, while a loop with multiple exits is considered a roundabout.
;Turret : Stationary defense weapon. There are four types of turrets in Factorio, the [[laser turret]], [[gun turret]], [[flamethrower turret]] and [[artillery turret]]. [[Space Age]]{{SA}} adds the [[railgun turret]] and [[tesla turret]].
;Turret creep : The tactic of leap-frogging with turrets into hostile territory. It's very effective due to the strength and range of turrets. Typically done with laser turrets, blueprints and personal roboports, but can also be done by manually placing gun turrets and inserting ammo.

== U ==

;Upcycler: An assembly line designed to increase the [[quality]] of an intermediate or end product.
;UPS : Internal clock speed, "Updates Per Second". The game tries its best to maintain the ideal 60 UPS, but it is affected by the size and complexity of the game world and your computer hardware. A lower UPS means that the simulation runs slower. At 30 UPS everything would take twice as long as under ideal conditions. This is a common concern on megabases or when playing with many mods active. It can be set to more than 60 UPS by changing the game speed via script, processing power permitting. The Transport Belt Madness and Tight Spot campaigns are examples where the game speed can be increased.
;Underbelt : [[Underground belts|Underground belt]]
;Underpipe (Underground pipe) : [[Pipe to ground]]

== V ==
;Vanilla : Regular version of the game with no mods.

== W ==

;Wube : The company based in the Czech Republic that develops Factorio.

== Z ==

;Zoo : A group of biter or spitter nests around which the player has built a safe containment zone, i.e. a circle of turrets. Reasons for doing this include exploiting the nests' pollution absorption and automating the destruction of items (using requester chests near the nests).

{{C|Main}}

Belt transport system

2026-01-14T23:45:29Z

HeliGungir: /* See also */ Added link to Transport belts/Physics page

{{Languages}}
[[File:transport_belt_preview.png|right]]
The belt transport system is the first system the [[player]] will use to transport items from place to place. It, along with [[Railway|trains]], and [[Logistic network|Logistic robots]], makes up the systems of item transportation in Factorio.

Belts specifically are used to transport items and run without using energy. Belts can also interact with other moving entities such as [[player]]s, [[vehicle]]s and [[enemies]], also allowing for faster or slower movement speed.

== Belt tier overview ==

There are 3 different tiers of belts available for use (4 with [[Space Age]]). The [[transport belt]] has a yellow color and is the slowest, as well as the cheapest to craft. The next tier up, the [[fast transport belt]] has a red color and is twice as fast as the standard transport belt. The [[express transport belt]] is the final tier in the base game. It is colored blue and is three times as fast as normal belts, or 1.5× as fast as red belts. The [[turbo transport belt]]{{SA}} can only be crafted on [[Vulcanus]]. It is colored green and is four times as fast as normal belts, or 2× as fast as red belts.

The "stacks" below refers to stacks created by a [[stack inserter]]{{SA}}, not inventory stacks. If no stack inserters are involved, this is equivalent to items.

[[File:Transport_belts_speed.gif|250px|thumb|top|Animation showing the four types of belt and their speed (from top to bottom: regular belts, fast belts, express belts and turbo belts).]]

{| class="wikitable"
! [[Transport belts]] !! [[Underground belts]] !! [[Splitters]] !! Max. throughput (stacks/[[Time#Seconds|second]]) !! Needed research
|-
| {{Imagelink|Transport belt}}
| {{Imagelink|Underground belt}}
| {{Imagelink|Splitter|Splitter}}
| 15
| [[Logistics (research)]]1
|-
| {{Imagelink|Fast transport belt}}
| {{Imagelink|Fast underground belt}}
| {{Imagelink|Fast splitter}}
| 30
| [[Logistics 2 (research)]]
|-
| {{Imagelink|Express transport belt}}
| {{Imagelink|Express underground belt}}
| {{Imagelink|Express splitter}}
| 45
| [[Logistics 3 (research)]]
|-
| {{Imagelink|Turbo transport belt|space-age=yes}}
| {{Imagelink|Turbo underground belt|space-age=yes}}
| {{Imagelink|Turbo splitter|space-age=yes}}
| 60
| [[Turbo transport belt (research)]]
|}
(1) Only for the underground belt and splitter. The basic transport belt is available at the start of the game.

Regardless of the belt tier, a fully filled straight transport belt holds 8 stacks in total. For more information on this, see [[Transport belts/Physics]] and [https://factorio.com/blog/post/fff-276 Friday Facts #276 - Belt item spacing].
{{clear}}

== Belt mechanics ==

=== Merging and un-merging belts ===

Belts of all tiers have 2 lanes for items to ride on. This allows for either a double flow of one material, or to transport two different materials on the same belt. Mixed belts can be beneficial for
smelting ore, or producing items with many different ingredients such as [[Utility science pack]]. The belt can be unmerged using a splitter filter. It is also possible to unmerge a mixed belt by using underground belts since an underground belt will block half of the belt.

<gallery mode="nolines" class="center" widths=350px heights=350px>
File:Transport_belts_2_lanes.gif
File:Transport_belts_unmerge.gif
</gallery>

Belts going across a splitter will have items from the splitter moving to one side of the crossing belt.

[[File:splitters_to_one_side.gif|center|Splitters moving objects to just one side of a belt.]]

Commonly, merging and un-merging is done by using a [[splitter]]. The trick in the second gif is better described in the '''[[Belt_transport_system#Separating_belt_lanes|underground belt]]''' section.

=== Lane balance ===

Due to how items are placed onto belts by [[inserters]], their lanes can sometimes become unbalanced. In order to
maintain throughput, balancing the lanes may be necessary. The gifs below show two ways how to do this. The former only works if only one lane is in use initially. For further explanation of the mechanics, see [[Balancer mechanics#Lane_balancers|lane balancers]].

<gallery mode="nolines" class="center" widths=350px heights=250px>
File:Transport_belts_balance1.gif
File:Transport_belts_balance2.gif
</gallery>

=== Belt throughput ===
[[File:Stack inserters fill express belt.gif|frame|250px|right|4 [[bulk inserter]]s can compress an express belt at any stack size greater than or equal to 7 for the left inserters and stack size 7 for the right inserters.]]
Maximizing the throughput means ensuring that as many items as possible are transported. Therefore some definitions need to
be introduced:

; Speed
: How fast a belt moves in tiles per second. This is 1.875, 3.75, 5.625 and 7.5 for basic, fast, express and turbo belts respectively.
; Density
: How tight are the items put onto the belts; each straight belt piece can hold exactly 8 items.
; Throughput
: This is speed × density. It describes how many items pass by at a given time.

So, there are three opportunities to enhance the throughput:

; More density
:Sometimes items have small gaps in between each other that aren't big enough for other items to fit in. However, mining drills, inserters, and belt sideloading can still force an item into these gaps, temporarily squashing the items on the belt. The squashed gap is extended to normal size once the front of the belt starts to move again.
; More speed
:If the belts in the factory are already at maximum density, their speed can still be upgraded with better belts. Finding the bottleneck is the first thing that needs to be done, usually it can be discovered quite easily. There will be a part of the belt where the items don't move quickly (or at all) or stop at maximum density and suddenly they come to a point where this 'stop and go' effect releases itself, the bottleneck has been found. In most cases, this will be the place where belt optimization is needed.
; More belts
:Adding additional parallel belts can also increase the throughput. Simply place more belts carrying the item that needs throughput.

=== Belt tricks ===

Moving fast can be essential to defend alien attacks in time. Running on a belt will increase or decrease the movement speed of the [[player]] accordingly to the belts speed. That is why building a belt towards your defenses can be beneficial.

However, the player is not the only unit that can be moved by transport belts. Additionally, biters and spitters can be moved. This can be abused to improve your defense. Firstly, biters will have a harder time to reach your walls when placing express transport belt in front of them. Secondly, spitters can be moved closer to your walls. That way more turrets can attack a single spitter at once.

Another useful usage is [[car]]s on transport belts. Cars have an inventory and can be filled by [[inserters]]. So, they can be used as moving boxes on belts. This has several advantages: Firstly the throughput of the belt-car-boxes is amazingly high, secondly the inserter stack size bonus does apply here and makes inserters more effective.

== Splitters ==

[[Splitters]] are another form of item manipulation. Splitters are a 2×1 entity that splits incoming items on belts
from up to two input to up to two outputs, in a 1:1 ratio. They are used to divide resources between two belts, or balance
multiple belts.

=== Mechanics ===

The behavior of splitters looks simple at first glance. But they are not that simple. Splitters have an astonishing amount of uses.

* Splitters have two input belts and two output belts. If the splitter receives items on one belt, it will split the input evenly between its two outputs. If one of the outputs is fully backed-up and the splitter cannot split evenly, it will put all input on its other output.
* Splitters can also merge belts, taking two inputs and one output.
* Splitters preserve the lanes of the items, by moving through the splitter an item on the right lane will not be moved to the left lane, and vice versa.
* Splitters can prioritize one input and/or one output. Clicking on a splitter opens its GUI where the priorities can be set.
* One output of the splitter can be filtered to one item. Items of that type will only go to that output, and not to the other one.

The speed of the splitter is the same as its relevant type of belt, so in order to properly join/split belts, the splitter must be the same speed as the incoming belts. Otherwise the splitter will become a bottleneck.

==== Priority ====
For both the input and output side of the splitter it is possible to set the priority to either left or right.

A splitter where the input priority has been set will first try to consume the specified input side, and will only
consume the other input once there is a gap on the prioritized input belt.

Similarly a splitter where the output priority has been set will try to redirect all incoming items
to the specified output, and will only output on the other output once the specified output is full.

==== Filter ====
If a specific item is set in the splitter's filter slot, the slider for the output priority will
be used for the filter instead. All items of the set type will be redirected to that specific output
and all other items are directed to the other output. The input priority can be set independently of the filter.

=== Balancing ===

{{Main|Balancer mechanics}}

Balancers are used to evenly distribute items over multiple belts or multiple belt lanes.

=== Manipulating belt lanes ===
<gallery mode="nolines" class="center" widths=350px heights=250px>
File:Swap_belt_lanes.gif|Swapping lanes on a belt with a different item per belt lane.
File:Splitter_separate_belt_lanes.gif|Separating lanes with different items on them.
</gallery>

== [[Circuit network]] ==

[[File:transport_belt_circuits.png|thumb|250px|Two belts connected to a [[constant combinator]].]]
[[Red wire|Red]] or [[green wire]]s can be connected to segments of transport belts to use them as part of a circuit. Belts connected to the circuit network will appear with a yellow cage above them, with a moving red scanner within it. When a belt is connected to a circuit, a GUI can be accessed from the connected belt for settings on how the belt will be used for a circuit; there are two modes of operation that can be used:

'''Enable/disable''' - A circuit condition dictates whether or not the belt will allow items through. 
'''Read belt contents''' - If enabled, the contents on the belt will be read.

The belt's GUI will also have a "content read mode" setting, which can be set to either '''pulse''' or '''hold'''. '''Pulse''' will read the belt's contents for only one [[Time|tick]], while '''hold''' will read the belt's contents continuously on every tick.

[[File:transport_belt_circuit_gui.png|thumb|right|Transport belt GUI.]]

<gallery mode="nolines" class="center" widths=450px heights=200px>
File:transport_belt_circuit_example1.gif|A small example of a transport belt circuit reading belt contents to trigger two lamps.
File:transport_belt_circuit_example2.gif|[[Fast inserter]]s are activated by the [[arithmetic combinator]]s' setup; when a specific item enters a belt segment that's connected to the circuit network, the inserters place the same item on another belt.
</gallery>
{{clear}}

== Underground belts ==
[[File:4-6-8.png|thumb|right|Underground lengths|250px]]
Underground belts can be used to cross different flows of items without interfering. They move items like a [[Transport belts|normal belt]].
* Underground belts can cross any number of entities and most types of ground, like water and grass, as long as the input and output endpoints are on land, except for space void and [[lava]]{{SA}}.
* Underground belts can cross other underground entities (any number of underground belts or underground pipes). They won't be mixed.
* For the connection only the endpoints (entry-side and exit-side) are relevant.
* The underground distance is 4, 6 and 8 [[Map_structure#Tile|tiles]], respectivly, for the three belt types in base game.
* An underground belt pair that bridges a gap of 4 tiles stores up to 44 items. An express underground belt pair at max length stores up to 72 items.
* The half of the underground belt tile with a belt can accept input from the side. The other half (with a tunnel entrance) blocks incoming items.

=== Separating belt lanes ===
<gallery mode="nolines" class="center" widths=350px heights=350px>
File:Block belt lane.gif|This is built by placing one underground belt and then using R to reverse its direction. This converts the underground belt entrance to an exit (and vice versa).
File:Transport belts unmerge.gif|This can also be used to split the lanes of a belt onto seperate belts instead of using a splitter filter.
</gallery>

=== Braiding ===
<gallery mode="nolines" class="center" widths=450px heights=200px>
File:underground_belt_braiding.gif|Different types of underground belts can be braided together along the same line of tiles, with items staying in their respective belt types.
File:underground_belt_braiding2.gif|The same concept, but with a different belt design.
</gallery>

Braiding (sometimes called weaving) can be particularly useful where more than two input lanes are required while also avoiding the use of a parallel belt/[[long-handed inserter]] combination. For example, this can be useful if there is limited space, such as when using a beacon. With a beacon range of 3 orthogonal tiles, two of which would be occupied by a belt and inserter, it would not be possible to place the parallel belt in the third space and still have a beacon on the same side, as the assembler would now be in the fourth tile and not in range. With the space saved by braiding, this is now possible.

== See also ==
* [[Splitters]]
* [[Transport belts]]
* [[Underground belts]]
* [[Transport belts/Physics]]

{{C|Logistics{{!}}#Belt transport system}}
{{C|Belt transport system{{!}}#Belt transport system}}

Kovarex enrichment process

2025-11-09T08:29:33Z

HeliGungir: Added catalyst section. Considerable edits to description and purpose sections. Added trivia

{{Languages}}
{{:Infobox:Kovarex enrichment process}}

'''Kovarex enrichment process''' is a crafting recipe to reprocess [[uranium-238]] and [[uranium-235]] in a [[centrifuge]]. It converts U-238 to U-235 at a 3:1 ratio.

== Purpose ==
The kovarex enrichment process is useful because [[Uranium processing|uranium (ore) processing]] is probability-based and players cannot directly alter the probabilities. 10 uranium ore is processed into either 1 U-235 with a probability of 0.007 (0.7% chance) or 1 U-238 with a probability of 0.993 (99.3% chance), leading to an [[:Wikipedia:Binomial_distribution|expected]] output of 1 U-235 per ~143 crafting cycles, or about a 1:142 ratio of U-235 to U-238.

U-235 is used to produce [[uranium fuel cell]]s, [[Nuclear fuel|nuclear fuel]], and [[atomic bomb]]s, but the probability distribution of uranium processing can lead to slow production of U-235 and a large surplus of U-238. Kovarex enrichment process enables faster, deterministic production of U-235 from surplus U-238.

Note that converting ''all'' U-238 into U-235 is inadvisable, since U-238 is an ingredient of uranium fuel cells, [[uranium rounds magazine]]s, [[uranium cannon shell]]s, and [[explosive uranium cannon shell]]s.

== Catalyst ==
Kovarex enrichment process is a [[Productivity#Catalysts|catalytic recipe]], producing and consuming the same items. The net effect of each crafting cycle consumes 3 U-238 and produces 1 U-235. The remaining 40 U-235 and 2 U-238 are treated as catalysts for the net production.

[[Productivity]] bonuses only apply to the net production, not the catalysts. When productivity generates extra output, it generates 1 U-235 and 0 U-238 — not 41 and 2.

== Trivia ==
* The Kovarex enrichment process is named after [https://www.factorio.com/game/about Michal Kovařík], lead designer of Factorio and co-owner of Wube, whose online nick is ''kovarex'' (which he usually spells lowercase). [https://www.reddit.com/r/factorio/comments/67bj3p/015_kovarex_uranium_enrichment_is_too_good_with/dgq2ij3/?context=1]
* With a 60 second crafting time, kovarex enrichment process is one of the slowest recipes in the game. {{SA}} Even when fully beaconed with all legendary entities and modules, the centrifuge's [[Inserters#Insertion_limits|automatic insertion limit]] will stay at 2 crafts: 80 U-235 and 10 U-238
* In the real world, [[:Wikipedia:Uranium-235|uranium-235]] is the most common fissile isotope of uranium and makes up approximately 0.72% of naturally-occurring uranium, with the other 99.28% being [[:Wikipedia:Uranium-238|uranium-238]]. The in-game representation is thus highly accurate in this regard. Uranium is commonly [[:Wikipedia:Enriched_uranium|enriched]] in centrifuges by merely separating isotopes to increase the percentage of 235U for use in fission reactions. As the Kovarex enrichment process produces more fissile material than its input, the process is more akin to [[:Wikipedia:breeder reactor|plutonium breeding]]. [https://www.reddit.com/r/factorio/comments/187kupm/kovarex_enrichment_is_plutonium_breeding_right/ Reddit discussion: Kovarex enrichment is plutonium breeding… right? ]
* Uranium munitions are made from [[:Wikipedia:depleted uranium|depleted uranium]], a byproduct of uranium enrichment, which is mostly 238U whose natural admixture of the 235U isotope has been lowered even further through the enrichment process. Depleted uranium is minimally radioactive and the reason for its use in munitions is its very high density and other mechanical properties, not radioactivity/toxicity.

== History ==
{{History|0.17.0|
* Can be used with productivity modules once again.
* Use with productivity modules now gives correct amount of bonus items.}}

{{History|0.15.2|
* No longer usable with productivity modules.}}

{{History|0.15.0|
* Introduced}}

== See also ==
* [[Uranium processing]]

{{IntermediateNav}}
{{C|Components}}

Satellite

2025-11-09T07:29:18Z

HeliGungir: /* Navbar */ Changed {{ProdutionNav}} to {{SpaceNav}}

{{Languages}}
{{:Infobox:Satellite}}

The '''satellite''' is used in the creation of [[space science pack]]s in the [[rocket silo]]. The crafted satellite must be placed into the rocket before launch, otherwise the rocket will not launch. Only one satellite is necessary per rocket launch. A satellite will yield 1000 space science packs after being consumed by a rocket launch, which will be delivered to the [[cargo landing pad]]. A cargo landing pad must be built somewhere on the planet for a rocket to launch.

The satellite is exclusive to the base game and is removed if playing [[Space Age]]{{SA}}.

== History ==
{{history|0.12.0|
* Introduced}}

== See also ==
* Rocket components:
** [[Low density structure]]
** [[Rocket fuel]]
** [[Processing unit]]

{{SpaceNav}}
{{C|Space related}}

Rocket silo

2025-11-09T07:28:50Z

HeliGungir: /* Navbar */ Changed {{ProdutionNav}} to {{SpaceNav}}

{{languages}}
{{:Infobox:Rocket silo}}
The '''rocket silo''' is an important production building that serves as the sole win condition and a source of [[space science pack]]s in the base game. In [[Space Age]]{{SA}}, it is instead the only way to launch items and the player off [[Nauvis]] to orbiting space platforms to visit the neighboring planets of [[Vulcanus]]{{SA}}, [[Fulgora]]{{SA}}, [[Gleba]]{{SA}}, and [[Aquilo]]{{SA}}.

Building a silo requires, among other things, [[electric engine unit]]s, [[processing unit]]s, and [[concrete]], which all must be produced in [[assembling machine]]s or [[foundry|foundries]] and cannot be crafted by hand from raw materials. The rocket itself can only be produced in the silo.

Once the silo has been built and placed it can be filled with [[processing unit]]s, [[low density structure]], and [[rocket fuel]], which will create [[rocket part]]s within the silo. 100 rocket parts are needed to construct a rocket (50 parts in Space Age{{SA}}). The silo accepts [[productivity module]]s, and due to the high resource cost of rockets, silos are a prime candidate for their use. Once constructed, the rocket will rise into position and can be launched. It is required to place a cargo landing pad somewhere on the planet in order to launch a rocket.

Once a rocket has been constructed, the silo will continue to craft a second rocket within the silo. If both are constructed, once the first rocket has been launched, the second will rise into place without the silo going through its normal animation of closing and reopening its doors. This is particularly useful in Space Age when crafting speeds are faster and rockets are in increased demand.

== Base game ==

The rocket silo is unlocked with its [[rocket silo (research)|respective technology]] using all [[science pack]]s except for military. It requires 10 low density structure, rocket fuel, and processing units to make 1 [[rocket part]], for a total of 1,000 of each for a single rocket.

Before a rocket can be launched, the player must place a [[cargo landing pad]] somewhere on the planet. The landing pad can be anywhere on the planet, with no restrictions on distance from the silo, but only one can be placed.

Launching a rocket requires a payload and launching one for the first time will trigger the victory screen, which thanks the player for playing and invites them to keep growing their factory, with the options of exiting the game, viewing the credits, or continuing the game. The rocket can be launched manually by clicking the "Launch" button. Checking the "Send to orbit automatically" checkbox will make the rocket launch automatically once it has a payload.

Only two items can be used as a payload. The first is a [[satellite]]; launching a rocket with one of these will return a shipment of 1,000 [[space science pack]]s to the cargo landing pad roughly 29 seconds after the launch is triggered. The second is a...

{{Spoiler|button-text=Spoiler! Click to view.|message=
<li>[[Raw fish]]: Grants the "So long and thanks for all the fish!" achievement. Other than this, it also wastes the launch.</li>
}}

== Space Age ==
{{About/Space age}}
=== Basics ===
In Space Age, the silo is unlocked far earlier in the game, requiring 1,000 of only [[automation science pack|automation]], [[logistic science pack|logistics]] and [[chemical science pack|chemical]] science packs. The silo is a critical building for transporting items and the player offplanet to orbiting [[space platform]]s. Rockets are built identically to the base game, except that a single rocket part takes only 1 of each material instead of 10 and only 50 rocket parts are required per rocket. This means that a single rocket requires only 50 of each resource. The silo greatly benefits from higher [[quality]] productivity modules as well as the [[technologies#Infinite Research Exclusive to Space Age|rocket part productivity]] infinite technology, both of which can reduce the cost of rockets even further.

The rocket can be manually launched in one of three ways:
* Deliver cargo: launch with a payload of any size or composition at any orbiting platform
* New platform: if the silo contains exactly one [[space platform starter pack]], clicking this will open the map and invite the player to enter a name for the new platform.
* Travel to platform: the rocket will launch to any orbiting platform with the player as its sole payload. The player can bring any equipped [[armor]], their installed modules, and any weapons, but no ammo for those weapons.

[[File:rocket_silo_gui.png|The rocket silo's GUI in Space Age|310px|right]]

=== Rocket capacity ===
Unlike in the base game, a space age rocket can accept nearly every item in the game as a payload. This is expressed by the silo as a weight limit. Every item in the game has a rocket capacity which is the maximum number of items that can fit in a single rocket. An item's rocket capacity can be read by the circuit network by feeding an item into the [[selector combinator]] and choosing the respective mode of operation. As a general rule of thumb, the more complex the item, the fewer can fit within a rocket.

Some items, like the rocket silo itself and the [[atomic bomb]], are too heavy for rockets, and so the raw materials must be shipped to orbit individually and assembled on the destination planet.

[[Fluids]] cannot be put in rockets, but full [[barrel]]s can. Some fluids cannot be barreled, so they cannot be transported by rocket. This is notably the case for all the fluids that can only be obtained on [[Fulgora]] and [[Aquilo]], except for [[fluoroketone]].

=== Orbital requests ===
The rocket silo can detect requests from any space platform in orbit around the current planet. These can be satisfied in two ways.

* If "Automatic requests from space platforms" is ''not'' selected, the silo acts as a large container. Items can be inserted and removed with [[inserters]]. If the silo receives a full rocket of a single item that is requested, the rocket will automatically launch to the platform requesting that item, even if the payload is more than what is being requested. If multiple platforms are requesting the same item, the rocket will prioritize the earliest platform that the player created.

* If automatic requests ''is'' selected, the silo acts similar to a [[requester chest]]. [[Logistic robot]]s will fill the silo automatically from the [[logistic network]] (including from [[buffer chest]]s), and the rocket will launch automatically when full, unless the requesting platform has set a minimum payload to a lower amount than a full load. If there are items in the rocket inventory when this box is selected, those items will be moved to the silo's trash slots and be removed by logistics robots.

Regardless of option selected, the rocket will only launch automatically when it contains at least one item.

The silo can be connected to the [[circuit network]], with two output functions.
* Output requests: Outputs the sum of requests from all orbiting platforms, if any. A request is considered satisfied and will be removed from the output the instant the rocket launch is triggered, not when the delivery to the platform actually happens.
* Output contents: Outputs the contents of the rocket silo. If automatic requests is selected, this option will do nothing.

== Maximum throughput ==
In the base game, a fully moduled silo has +611% crafting speed from beacons and +40% productivity.

Modules accelerate crafting time in the first phase, but have no effect on animations in the other phases.

There are five phases to a rocket launch.

===== Working =====
Rocket parts must be assembled in the silo before the rocket can be deployed.

The best possible time to assemble 100 rocket parts, based on the rocket part recipe and the module effects, is 1250 ticks, or ~20.833 seconds.

1250 ticks elapsed.

===== Preparing rocket for launch =====
The rocket is brought up out of the silo so a payload can be inserted, if any.

This animation lasts 890 ticks, or ~14.833 seconds.

2140 ticks elapsed.

===== Waiting to launch rocket =====
The payload must be inserted.

One fast inserter arm swing to insert a Satellite is 14 ticks, or ~0.233 seconds.

2154 ticks elapsed.

===== Launching rocket =====
The rocket is launched with the payload. This phase ends when the result inventory appears inside the silo.

1162 ticks, or ~19.367 seconds.

3316 ticks elapsed.

===== Reset =====
The silo door must close before the cycle begins again.

368 ticks, or ~6.133 seconds.

If a second rocket was buffered within the silo, this step is skipped.

=== Conclusions ===
'''Grand Total: 3684 ticks''', which gives a total cycle time of ~61.417 seconds, including time spent building rocket parts and inserting the payload.

With a build time of 1250 + 14, the delay from animations is 2420 ticks.[https://www.reddit.com/r/technicalfactorio/comments/x92gfa/more_empirical_measurements_on_rocket_silos/]

=== Space Age ===
In Space Age, the rocket silo gained the ability to buffer a second rocket ready to load and launch [https://factorio.com/blog/post/fff-405]. If a second rocket is ready, then the rocket silo skips the door close/open animation. This results in a rocket launch approximately every 27 seconds, with sufficient speed and/or productivity bonuses (enough to get 111 rocket parts per minute).

== Achievements ==
The rocket silo, which is used to win the base game, is directly connected to the following game-win-based achievements:
{{Achievement|smoke-me-a-kipper-i-will-be-back-for-breakfast}}
{{Achievement|no-time-for-chitchat}}
{{Achievement|there-is-no-spoon}}
{{Achievement|raining-bullets}}
{{Achievement|steam-all-the-way}}
{{Achievement|logistic-network-embargo}}
{{Achievement|so-long-and-thanks-for-all-the-fish}}

== Trivia ==
Prior to version [[version history/2.0.0#2.0.7|2.0]], the rocket could accept any item as cargo; however, most did nothing in particular and simply wasted the launch. Notable exceptions included:

{{Spoiler|button-text=Spoiler! Click to view.|message=
<ul><li> [[Vehicle]]s : When a vehicle was inserted into the payload slot, the player could enter the rocket like they would any other vehicle, then launch and ride it.
<ul><li> This allowed a fast-moving view of one's base (as the game world is internally 2-dimensional, the rocket actually simply moved north along the map), and then returned the player next to the launching silo once the launch animation had finished.
<ul><li> If all space near the rocket silo is occupied, the player is placed at spawn instead.</li>
<li> Wasted the launch, as the rocket's sole payload slot is occupied by the vehicle, rather than a satellite. (Having any number of satellites in the car's trunk or the "astronaut"s inventory does not count.)</li></ul></li>
<li>[[Space science pack]]: Returned one [[raw fish]] for every science pack that was launched, but no more than 100 raw fishes per launch.</li></ul>}}

== Gallery ==
<gallery widths=240px heights=240px>
File:Victoryv2.jpg|The victory screen
File:rocket_silo_rising_rocket.gif|The rocket rising and being primed for launch.
File:rocket_silo_launch.gif|The rocket launching.
File:Rocket_silo_gui_base_game.png|The rocket silo's GUI
File:Rocket_silo_gui_space_age.png|The rocket silo's GUI in Space Age
</gallery>

== History ==

{{history|2.0.7|
* Updated sprite for the rocket. A payload is now required to win the game.
* Rocket silos continue producing parts for the next rocket while the current rocket is being launched. Completing another rocket soon enough skips closing and reopening the doors.
* {{SA}} Rocket silo circuit connection can read orbital requests.}}

{{history|0.17.0|
* Updated sprite and changed dimensions from 9×10 to 9×9. A satellite is no longer required to win the game.}}

{{history|0.13.9|
* Rocket parts from building rockets in the silo now show in production statistics.}}

{{history|0.12.7|
* Updated icon.}}

{{history|0.12.4|
* Rocket silo now behaves correctly when out of electricity.}}

{{history|0.12.0|
* Introduced}}

== See also ==
* [[Satellite]]

{{SpaceNav}}
{{C|Space related}}

Uranium processing

2025-11-09T06:15:05Z

HeliGungir: /* Trivia */

{{Languages}}{{:Infobox:Uranium processing}}

'''Uranium processing''' is the only way to use [[uranium ore]] and the first source of [[uranium-235]] and [[uranium-238]] that is available to the [[player]]. The process has a 99.3% chance to produce 1 uranium-238 and a 0.7% chance to produce 1 uranium-235.

== Initiating the [[Kovarex enrichment process]] ==
Unlike most other crafting processes, uranium processing creates U-235 and U-238 based on probability, rather than in guaranteed deterministic amounts. Additionally, the Kovarex process requires a bulk stockpile of 40 units of the rare uranium-235 isotope to initiate in a single centrifuge. Therefore, planning uranium mining and processing for the Kovarex process takes certain considerations not encountered elsewhere in the game.

=== Expected value ===
As U-235 is created in centrifuges running uranium processing with ''p = 0.007'', the expected number of processing cycles to gain a single unit is ''E(1,p) = 1 ÷ p = ~143''. The expected number of cycles to gain 40 units is then ''E(40,p) = 40 × E(1,p)'' = '''~5,714 cycles'''. Note that running this many cycles requires mining 57,140 uranium ore, a non-trivial task.

However, given the nature of probability, it is impossible to guarantee that 40 units will be reached in this number of cycles; as a matter of fact, some mathematics yields that the probability that 5,714 cycles will produce ''at least'' 40 units of U-235 is only about 52%.

As each cycle takes 12 seconds, it takes on average 12 * 143 = 1716 seconds to produce 1 U-235 (assuming no productivity or speed modules). This can be turned into 10 [[uranium fuel cell]]s, each of which lasts 200 seconds, so in total 2000 seconds. That means one centrifuge constantly running can on average supply enough U-235 to produce enough fuel cells to continuously power one reactor. See [[Tutorial:Nuclear_power#Nuclear_reactor|Tutorial:Nuclear_power]]. The Kovarex enrichment process is a much more efficient way to produce U-235.

=== Confidence levels ===
[[File:Kovarex-prob-chart.png|300px|thumb|right|Probability of reaching 40 U-235 from uranium processing by number of cycles (click to enlarge)]]

Some further mathematics enables one to calculate the number of uranium processing cycles one must run to obtain ''at least'' 40 units of U-235 (given ''p = 0.007'') with a given level of confidence (probability of achieving the set goal).

As discussed in the previous section, the level of confidence corresponding to 5,714 cycles (for which the ''expected value'' of U-235 gained is 40) happens to be about 52% (or, in other words, with this number of cycles, one can expect to fail to reach 40 U-235 a bit less than once out of every 2 tries).

Some further example confidence levels that may be of interest to players are given in the table below. Consult the chart to the right for custom values.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
!style="width: 120px;" |Confidence level
!style="width: 100px;" |Failures
!Cycles required
|-
| 10% || 9 out of 10 || 4,595
|-
| 50% || 1 out of 2 || 5,667
|-
| 90% || 1 out of 10 || 6,894
|-
| 95% || 1 out of 20 || 7,272
|-
| 99% || 1 out of 100 || 8,015
|-
|}

== Trivia ==
* Uranium processing is the only probability-based crafting recipe in the base game, while {{SA}} Space Age adds several more probability-based recipes.

== History ==
{{History|0.15.0|
* Introduced}}

== See also ==
* [[Kovarex enrichment process]]

{{IntermediateNav}}
{{C|Materials}}

Uranium processing

2025-11-09T06:08:54Z

HeliGungir: /* Trivia */ Replaced a trivia line with a better-worded line from the kovarex enrichment page

{{Languages}}{{:Infobox:Uranium processing}}

'''Uranium processing''' is the only way to use [[uranium ore]] and the first source of [[uranium-235]] and [[uranium-238]] that is available to the [[player]]. The process has a 99.3% chance to produce 1 uranium-238 and a 0.7% chance to produce 1 uranium-235.

== Initiating the [[Kovarex enrichment process]] ==
Unlike most other crafting processes, uranium processing creates U-235 and U-238 based on probability, rather than in guaranteed deterministic amounts. Additionally, the Kovarex process requires a bulk stockpile of 40 units of the rare uranium-235 isotope to initiate in a single centrifuge. Therefore, planning uranium mining and processing for the Kovarex process takes certain considerations not encountered elsewhere in the game.

=== Expected value ===
As U-235 is created in centrifuges running uranium processing with ''p = 0.007'', the expected number of processing cycles to gain a single unit is ''E(1,p) = 1 ÷ p = ~143''. The expected number of cycles to gain 40 units is then ''E(40,p) = 40 × E(1,p)'' = '''~5,714 cycles'''. Note that running this many cycles requires mining 57,140 uranium ore, a non-trivial task.

However, given the nature of probability, it is impossible to guarantee that 40 units will be reached in this number of cycles; as a matter of fact, some mathematics yields that the probability that 5,714 cycles will produce ''at least'' 40 units of U-235 is only about 52%.

As each cycle takes 12 seconds, it takes on average 12 * 143 = 1716 seconds to produce 1 U-235 (assuming no productivity or speed modules). This can be turned into 10 [[uranium fuel cell]]s, each of which lasts 200 seconds, so in total 2000 seconds. That means one centrifuge constantly running can on average supply enough U-235 to produce enough fuel cells to continuously power one reactor. See [[Tutorial:Nuclear_power#Nuclear_reactor|Tutorial:Nuclear_power]]. The Kovarex enrichment process is a much more efficient way to produce U-235.

=== Confidence levels ===
[[File:Kovarex-prob-chart.png|300px|thumb|right|Probability of reaching 40 U-235 from uranium processing by number of cycles (click to enlarge)]]

Some further mathematics enables one to calculate the number of uranium processing cycles one must run to obtain ''at least'' 40 units of U-235 (given ''p = 0.007'') with a given level of confidence (probability of achieving the set goal).

As discussed in the previous section, the level of confidence corresponding to 5,714 cycles (for which the ''expected value'' of U-235 gained is 40) happens to be about 52% (or, in other words, with this number of cycles, one can expect to fail to reach 40 U-235 a bit less than once out of every 2 tries).

Some further example confidence levels that may be of interest to players are given in the table below. Consult the chart to the right for custom values.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
!style="width: 120px;" |Confidence level
!style="width: 100px;" |Failures
!Cycles required
|-
| 10% || 9 out of 10 || 4,595
|-
| 50% || 1 out of 2 || 5,667
|-
| 90% || 1 out of 10 || 6,894
|-
| 95% || 1 out of 20 || 7,272
|-
| 99% || 1 out of 100 || 8,015
|-
|}

== Trivia ==
* Uranium processing is currently the only probability-based crafting recipe in the base game.

== History ==
{{History|0.15.0|
* Introduced}}

== See also ==
* [[Kovarex enrichment process]]

{{IntermediateNav}}
{{C|Materials}}

Glossary

2025-10-08T06:25:58Z

HeliGungir: /* Roundabout */

{{Languages}}__NOTOC__
This page acts as a general glossary of all terms used in Factorio and its community. We recommend searching the page with {{keybinding|CTRL|F}} to find specific terms. The page is also organized alphabetically.

Additionally, you can click a letter below to be taken to that letter in the list, if you wish to search manually.

[[##|#]] [[#A|A]] [[#B|B]] [[#C|C]] [[#D|D]] [[#E|E]] [[#F|F]] [[#G|G]] [[#H|H]] [[#I|I]] [[#J|J]] [[#K|K]] [[#L|L]] [[#M|M]] [[#N|N]] [[#O|O]] [[#P|P]] [[#Q|Q]] [[#R|R]] [[#S|S]] [[#T|T]] [[#U|U]] [[#V|V]] [[#W|W]] [[#X|X]] [[#Y|Y]] [[#Z|Z]]

== # ==

;1-1, 1-2-1, 2-4, 4-8-4 and similar : A somewhat ambiguous shorthand notation for train configurations. The first number is usually the number of [[locomotive]]s at the head of the train, followed by the number of [[cargo wagon]]s or [[fluid wagon]]s, and optionally followed by the number of tail locomotives if it's a double-headed train. In general, the smaller numbers are the number of locomotives.

== A ==

; AP : Armor piercing, refers to [[piercing rounds magazine]].
;Ammo : [[Firearm magazine|Ammunition]], used for guns/rocket launchers/turrets, etc.
;Angel's mods : A term referring to the mods made by user ''Arch666Angel'', a popular modder who makes extremely popular difficulty/complexity mods that complement Bob's mods.
;Angelbobs : A community term that means a game with both Angel's mods and Bob's mods installed.
;Assembler : Another word for an [[assembling machine]].

== B ==

;BP : Short for [[blueprint]].
;Backed-up : Refers to a machine having no output, and so the input channel fills up. Can also refer to belts being backlogged due to low consumption. This is not necessarily a bad thing.
;Backpressure : What a machine, usually a belt segment or [[inserter]], experiences when delivery stalls because its target is backed up.
;Belt balancer : This is a belt setup that balances multiple belts to contain the same amount of resources, to maximize throughput. See [[balancers]].
;Belt compression : This term refers to ensuring that all items on a belt are right after each other, to ensure no space is wasted and highest throughput.
;Blackout : When your factory completely loses power. This typically happens at night when relying on solar+accumulator power, enemies destroying vital electric poles, or after a prolonged brownout when using electric mining drills and/or electric inserters (instead of their burner variants).
;Bob's mods : A term referring to the mods made by user ''bobingabout'', a popular modder who makes extremely popular difficulty/complexity mods that complement Angel's mods.
;Bots : Shorthand version for [[construction robot]] or [[logistic robot]]. Sometimes also refers to the [[Combat_robot_capsules|combat robots]] created from capsules.
;Bottleneck : A term that means a single point where resources are constrained, such as a slow part of a belt that slows down everything.
;Braiding : The space-saving technique of alternating between two or more different underground belt types (basic, fast and express) in a straight line, one tile wide. The different types of underground belts don't interfere with each other, and inserters can interact with the belt entrance and exit entities.
;Brownout : When your factory's machines are running slower than normal because it's not generating enough electricity.
;Buffer: A place where a stockpile of items is stored to be available when the production stops. Typically a chest.
;Bus : Short for [[#M|main bus]].

== C ==

;Capacity : Maximum amount of items/[[fluid system|fluids]] that can exist within something.
;Catchup : Period where a [[player]] joining a game is required to replay recent changes quickly, so they can be merged into the running game smoothly. Often happens on slow connections, or on servers with a lot going on.
;Chokepoint : Artificial or natural geography that funnels attackers into a narrow, movement-constricting area, making it more difficult for them to breach fortifications. Examples: peninsulas with narrow connections to the mainland, artificial land bridges to islands, nearby lakes, corridors through thick forests. Certain [[cliff]] formations can also present this issue.
;Coin : An item used in the Tight Spot campaign.
;Compression : Like Capacity but applies to belts only.
;Composter : A [[chests|chest]] used to store [[Spoilage_mechanics|spoilable]] items with the intention of spoiling them.
;Contaminated : A [[Transport belts|belt]] with incorrect items on it (such as [[coal]] on an iron belt). Can also refer to [[pipe]]s with mixed liquids.
;Cracktorio : A community term referring to the addictive qualities of Factorio, jokingly comparing the game to crack cocaine.

== D ==

;Daisy chaining : Some entities allow [[inserter]]s to insert and remove items from the same slots, including fuel in [[boiler]]s, ammo in [[gun turret]]s, [[science pack]]s in [[lab]]s, [[module]]s in [[beacon]]s, robots in [[roboport]]s, and any items in [[chests]]. 'Daisy chaining' is a technique that makes use of this mechanic in order to supply some machines with consumables (i.e. fuel, ammo or science packs) without having to use belts. You simply chain multiple machines together with inserters that take the items out of the previous machine and insert them directly into the next. It's sometimes referred to as 'stealing', as in 'coal stealing' or 'ammo stealing'.
;Death world : A map generation configuration that results in a large quantity of [[enemies]], to increase the game's difficulty.
;Double header : This is a term that refers to a train with [[locomotive]]s on both ends, making the train capable of driving in both directions. Opposite of a single header, or standard train. A shorthand example could be: 1-2-1 (locomotive-carriage-carriage-locomotive) or 2-4-2.
;Dragon's teeth : A series of alternating stone wall pillars outside the main wall fortification with the purpose of delaying the biters from reaching the wall. [[Wikipedia:Dragon's_teeth_(fortification)|Dragon's teeth]] were first deployed in the Second World War to delay and channel armoured units into minefields and other defenses. Also used in the 1997 game [[Wikipedia:Total Annihilation|Total Annihilation]].

== E ==

;eSPM : Effective [[science pack|science]] per minute. This is a measure of SPM that explicitly includes all the upgrades (e.g [[productivity module]]s, [[biolab]]s{{SA}}, [[Research productivity (research)|research productivity]]{{SA}}, and [[quality]]{{SA}}).
;Entity : Most things that can be manipulated in-game. Nearly everything in factorio is an entity. Any device, items, trees... Even the player is just an entity.
;Evolution : The development and growth of the native population. Over the course of a game, biters and spitters become bigger and more powerful. See [[Enemies#Evolution|evolution]].

== F ==

;FFF : The weekly blog that the developers make to talk about the development of Factorio. Expanded, it is Factorio Friday Facts, posted every Friday.
;FPS : Visual rendering speed, "frames per second". When this is reduced beneath 60, the game may stutter visually, jitter, or otherwise appear unstable. Low FPS will not necessarily result in low UPS, but they are loosely tied together.
;[[Fuel]] : Refers to any burnable item that can be used to fuel burner devices, such as [[wood]], [[coal]], etc.

== G ==

; GJ : Giga joule, a measurement of energy.
; GW : Giga watt, a measurement of power.
;Ghost : A translucent preview image that designates a position for the construction of an entity. [[Ghost]]s are created when you shift+click with an entity under your cursor, when you use the [[Rail_planner#Ghost_Planner|ghost rail planner]], when an entity is destroyed after you've researched construction robotics, and when you place a blueprint. Construction robots automatically attempt to construct ghosts within their logistic or personal roboport network, and if unable will create an alert for missing construction materials.
;Gigabase : An even larger megabase, typically has SPPM counts > 10k.

== H ==

; Hood : The overhead structure of an [[Underground belts|underground belt]]. When sideloading an underground belt with a [[transport belts|transport belt]], the hood blocks one lane and sideloads the other, which can be useful.

== I ==

;Inventory : The ability for an entity to hold items within it. Almost all entities have inventories.
;Item : Items represent the un-built version of a machine, tools, intermediate products etc. Typically, items are found on belts, in the player's inventory, and inside machines. Items can be provided to recipes to create other items.
;Item explosion : A phenomenon when a lot of items are spilled on the ground in a square-like fashion. Usually due to accidentally removing [[power armor]] when having a full inventory.
;Item request slot : A special request slot for machines with module slots that allows them to request the [[module]]s in the blueprint from which they were constructed. The [[deconstruction planner]] has a filter for canceling these requests.

== K ==

; kJ : Kilojoule, a measurement of energy.
; kW : Kilowatt, a measurement of power.
;Kovarex : The founding father of Factorio and where [[kovarex enrichment process]] gets its name from.

== L ==
;Lane : One side of a transport belt. Each belt has two lanes.
;Lane balancer : This is a belt setup that balances the two lanes on a belt to be equal, to maximize throughput. See [[balancer mechanics]].
;Legs : [[Exoskeleton]]
;Loader : An abandoned concept for a belt-based mechanism that continuously loads and unloads machines, as an alternative to inserters. Functional loader entities can still be found in the editor, and some mods give them a proper texture and make them available in regular games. Loaders are used in the official Team Production scenario.

== M ==

; MW : Mega watt, a measurement of power.
; MJ : Mega joule, a measurement of energy.
;Main bus : The opposite of spaghetti, this refers to placing multiple belts side by side containing one resource, and branching off of it in order to create setups. Allows for organized layout of resource transportation.
;Mall: Also known as store. A location in a factory that produces many types of different items that the player needs but in relatively small amounts.
;Marathon: A game mode where technologies and recipes are significantly more expensive.
;Map exchange string : A long piece of text that encodes the settings used to generate a map. See [[Map generator#Map exchange string|map exchange string]].
;Market : A building where you can buy items using coins. It's available in the editor and used in the Tight Spot campaign.
;Mats : Shorthand for materials.
;Megabase : A community term referring to a significantly large base that has been built over a significant time/effort. Often, these bases are quantified in terms of science packs per minute, or "SPPM". A base typically is considered a megabase when it can maintain 1k SPPM.
;Mod : This term refers to a script or collection of scripts that change how the game acts, adds new items/entities, etc.
;Modpack : A community term referring to a collection of mods that work well together.

== N ==

;Nauvis : The planet that Factorio takes place on. Used to be an internal name, but became canonical with version 2.0.
;Night steam : The strategy of relying on solar panels to generate electricity during the day and steam engines during the night.
;No path : A common error that means that a train cannot find a valid route to a train stop. See [[Railway#No_path|no path]].

== O ==

; Outpost : A small base created far away from a main base, usually to serve a single purpose like mining or production of a specific resource.

== P ==

;Priority splitter : A splitter design that directs as many resources as possible from a bus to an offshoot before letting excess items flow past. This is in contrast to a splitter that always distributes some percentage of items to both sides (depending on the particular arrangement of splitters).
;PAX (train) : Short for passenger train or player access station, another name for the [[Glossary#S|shuttle]].

== Q ==
;QoL : Quality of life, often refers to mods that increase ease of play.

== R ==

;RORO : Abbreviation for "Roll on, roll off" in the context of train station design. It means that trains arrive at the station at one end and leave the station at the other end (driving past the train stop), as opposed to terminus stations.
;RPM : Shorthand for rockets per minute.
;Rainbow belt : A transport belt with many different types of items on it, rather than the easier-to-manage one or two types of items. See [[#S|sushi belt]].
;Ribbon world : A world which has been set up to have limited space in one dimension (width or height), adding a new challenge. The smallest ribbon world in which you can launch a rocket is a map limited to a width or height of 9 tiles, the size of the rocket silo.
;River (belt) : A design strategy where items are continuously moving without looping or [[#B|backing up]] to be either processed or destroyed. Sometimes used as a strategy to handle [[Spoilage_mechanics|spoilable]] items.
;Roundabout (rail) : A circular rail junction that resembles real-world roundabouts for motor vehicles. Roundabouts allow trains to exit in any direction, including the direction they just came from. Small, simple roundabouts are known for their relatively poor throughput, and for long trains occasionally colliding with themselves.

== S ==

;SA : [[Space Age]], the offical Factorio expansion.
;Scenario : A map that has been saved via the [[map editor]]. Special scripting can be added to make simple "events".
;SE : [https://mods.factorio.com/mod/space-exploration Space Exploration], a popular mod created by Earendel, who later worked on Space Age.
;Seed : A number associated with each map that determines the outcome of certain pseudo-random processes, like terrain generation. All other settings being equal, different seeds result in vastly different terrain features. The seed is included in [[#M|map exchange strings]].
;Shuttle : A train for personal transportation around the factory. Sometimes called a taxi.
;Sideloading : This is a commonly used term that refers to running the end of a [[transport belt]] into the side of another, so that only the lane on the side of the belt that the other belt is on is filled. This is typically done to create a belt that carries two different resources side-by-side on the same belt.
;Smart furnace : A smelting setup that can process multiple materials (e.g. iron ore, copper ore, iron plates, stone).
;Spaghetti : [[File:spaghetti_example.png|thumb|200px|right|An example of a "spaghetti" setup with intertwining belts.]]A community term referring to the "spaghetti" look of many belts/entities placed in a disorganized fashion. Typically created by new players to Factorio. Generally, it will be moved away from as soon as the player realizes the logistical problems it causes. Note that not all "spaghetti" factories are necessarily inefficient.
;Speedrun : Attempting to beat the game as quickly as possible. World record attempts are compiled on [https://www.speedrun.com/factorio speedrun.com/factorio] and [https://www.speedrun.com/Space_Age speedrun.com/Space_Age]
;SPM : Science per minute. Prior to 2.0, this term was exclusively used to indicate the number of science packs produced by a factory (SPPM). Since 2.0, the game has added multiple UI elements that include some bonuses not previously included in SPM, now surfacing a value also referred to as effective SPM (eSPM). The [[Production statistics]] now shows a "Science" item, and the [[Research]] tooltip shows "Science per minute" as a single value. Due to the shift in meaning caused by the addition of these UI elements, this term now has some ambiguity.
;SPPM : Science packs per minute. Measured per type, so 1k SPPM will mean production of 1000 of each science pack type per minute, though military science is often excluded. Usually used to measure the size of very big bases, see [[#M|megabase]] and [[#G|gigabase]].
;Stacker : Also known as '''parking lot'''. A waiting bay for trains, allowing them to wait on different parallel tracks and not block each other until their destination becomes free. Recommended in front of large, multi-platform stations.
;Supply train: A train that usually for personal use that is used to carry mostly building materials like rails, conveyor belts, inserters, assembly machines etc..
;Sushi belt : The strategy of mixing many different types of items on transport belts to supply machines that need some or all of those items. It sacrifices throughput for compactness (and beauty). It looks colorful and diverse like a tray of sushi. Its perhaps most popular application is supplying labs with science packs. Sometimes called sushi bar or rainbow belt.
;Sushi river : A [[#R|river belt]] on which many different items are mixed, like a [[#S|sushi belt]].

== T ==

;TINS : Abbreviation of "There Is No Spoon", the name of the in-game achievement.
;Terminus : A train station design where trains come in and leave from the same side, thus requiring double-headed trains, unlike RORO stations.
;Throughput : A term that refers to the maximum amount of resources that can travel through something (such as a belt) in a certain amount of time. Usually quantified in items per second.
;Tick : The smallest measurable amount of time in Factorio. There are 60 ticks per second (when running at 60 UPS), and 3600 ticks in a minute.
;Tile : A piece of map. It is not really known how big it is, but for simplifying things we can assume that a tile is a quadratic with side of 1 meter.
;Time : Game time is normally identical with real time, one second in the game is one second in reality, but it can be faster or slower. For example, when the calculations for an update takes longer than a tick, the game slows down (aka UPS).
;Train bus : A popular alternative to the [[#M|main bus]] pattern. Instead of using a belt bus to provide materials for various production cells, a large rail system allows many trains to route materials between more distant cells, sometimes called subfactories. It's a UPS-friendlier strategy for large factories such as megabases.
;Trash can : A simple 'public utility' of sorts, which is an active provider that players can dump unwanted items into. Logistic robots pick them up and store them away. It's useful if you need to get rid of large quantities of items (such as [[wood]] or [[landfill]]) and your logistic trash slots are full.
;Turnaround (trains) : A rail design that allows trains to return the direction they just came from. This might be a loop, a U-turn, or a dead-end with a "turn around" train stop for two-headed trains to use. Note that a loop-style turnaround is has only one exit, while a loop with multiple exits is considered a roundabout.
;Turret : Stationary defense weapon. There are four types of turrets in Factorio, the [[laser turret]], [[gun turret]], [[flamethrower turret]] and [[artillery turret]]. [[Space Age]]{{SA}} adds the [[railgun turret]] and [[tesla turret]].
;Turret creep : The tactic of leap-frogging with turrets into hostile territory. It's very effective due to the strength and range of turrets. Typically done with laser turrets, blueprints and personal roboports, but can also be done by manually placing gun turrets and inserting ammo.

== U ==

;Upcycler: An assembly line designed to increase the [[quality]] of an intermediate or end product.
;UPS : Internal clock speed, "Updates Per Second". The game tries its best to maintain the ideal 60 UPS, but it is affected by the size and complexity of the game world and your computer hardware. A lower UPS means that the simulation runs slower. At 30 UPS everything would take twice as long as under ideal conditions. This is a common concern on megabases or when playing with many mods active. It can be set to more than 60 UPS by changing the game speed via script, processing power permitting. The Transport Belt Madness and Tight Spot campaigns are examples where the game speed can be increased.
;Underbelt : [[Underground belts|Underground belt]]
;Underpipe (Underground pipe) : [[Pipe to ground]]

== V ==
;Vanilla : Regular version of the game with no mods.

== W ==

;Wube : The company based in the Czech Republic that develops Factorio.

== Z ==

;Zoo : A group of biter or spitter nests around which the player has built a safe containment zone, i.e. a circle of turrets. Reasons for doing this include exploiting the nests' pollution absorption and automating the destruction of items (using requester chests near the nests).

{{C|Main}}

Glossary

2025-10-08T06:04:35Z

HeliGungir: /* T */ Added Turnaround (trains)

{{Languages}}__NOTOC__
This page acts as a general glossary of all terms used in Factorio and its community. We recommend searching the page with {{keybinding|CTRL|F}} to find specific terms. The page is also organized alphabetically.

Additionally, you can click a letter below to be taken to that letter in the list, if you wish to search manually.

[[##|#]] [[#A|A]] [[#B|B]] [[#C|C]] [[#D|D]] [[#E|E]] [[#F|F]] [[#G|G]] [[#H|H]] [[#I|I]] [[#J|J]] [[#K|K]] [[#L|L]] [[#M|M]] [[#N|N]] [[#O|O]] [[#P|P]] [[#Q|Q]] [[#R|R]] [[#S|S]] [[#T|T]] [[#U|U]] [[#V|V]] [[#W|W]] [[#X|X]] [[#Y|Y]] [[#Z|Z]]

== # ==

;1-1, 1-2-1, 2-4, 4-8-4 and similar : A somewhat ambiguous shorthand notation for train configurations. The first number is usually the number of [[locomotive]]s at the head of the train, followed by the number of [[cargo wagon]]s or [[fluid wagon]]s, and optionally followed by the number of tail locomotives if it's a double-headed train. In general, the smaller numbers are the number of locomotives.

== A ==

; AP : Armor piercing, refers to [[piercing rounds magazine]].
;Ammo : [[Firearm magazine|Ammunition]], used for guns/rocket launchers/turrets, etc.
;Angel's mods : A term referring to the mods made by user ''Arch666Angel'', a popular modder who makes extremely popular difficulty/complexity mods that complement Bob's mods.
;Angelbobs : A community term that means a game with both Angel's mods and Bob's mods installed.
;Assembler : Another word for an [[assembling machine]].

== B ==

;BP : Short for [[blueprint]].
;Backed-up : Refers to a machine having no output, and so the input channel fills up. Can also refer to belts being backlogged due to low consumption. This is not necessarily a bad thing.
;Backpressure : What a machine, usually a belt segment or [[inserter]], experiences when delivery stalls because its target is backed up.
;Belt balancer : This is a belt setup that balances multiple belts to contain the same amount of resources, to maximize throughput. See [[balancers]].
;Belt compression : This term refers to ensuring that all items on a belt are right after each other, to ensure no space is wasted and highest throughput.
;Blackout : When your factory completely loses power. This typically happens at night when relying on solar+accumulator power, enemies destroying vital electric poles, or after a prolonged brownout when using electric mining drills and/or electric inserters (instead of their burner variants).
;Bob's mods : A term referring to the mods made by user ''bobingabout'', a popular modder who makes extremely popular difficulty/complexity mods that complement Angel's mods.
;Bots : Shorthand version for [[construction robot]] or [[logistic robot]]. Sometimes also refers to the [[Combat_robot_capsules|combat robots]] created from capsules.
;Bottleneck : A term that means a single point where resources are constrained, such as a slow part of a belt that slows down everything.
;Braiding : The space-saving technique of alternating between two or more different underground belt types (basic, fast and express) in a straight line, one tile wide. The different types of underground belts don't interfere with each other, and inserters can interact with the belt entrance and exit entities.
;Brownout : When your factory's machines are running slower than normal because it's not generating enough electricity.
;Buffer: A place where a stockpile of items is stored to be available when the production stops. Typically a chest.
;Bus : Short for [[#M|main bus]].

== C ==

;Capacity : Maximum amount of items/[[fluid system|fluids]] that can exist within something.
;Catchup : Period where a [[player]] joining a game is required to replay recent changes quickly, so they can be merged into the running game smoothly. Often happens on slow connections, or on servers with a lot going on.
;Chokepoint : Artificial or natural geography that funnels attackers into a narrow, movement-constricting area, making it more difficult for them to breach fortifications. Examples: peninsulas with narrow connections to the mainland, artificial land bridges to islands, nearby lakes, corridors through thick forests. Certain [[cliff]] formations can also present this issue.
;Coin : An item used in the Tight Spot campaign.
;Compression : Like Capacity but applies to belts only.
;Composter : A [[chests|chest]] used to store [[Spoilage_mechanics|spoilable]] items with the intention of spoiling them.
;Contaminated : A [[Transport belts|belt]] with incorrect items on it (such as [[coal]] on an iron belt). Can also refer to [[pipe]]s with mixed liquids.
;Cracktorio : A community term referring to the addictive qualities of Factorio, jokingly comparing the game to crack cocaine.

== D ==

;Daisy chaining : Some entities allow [[inserter]]s to insert and remove items from the same slots, including fuel in [[boiler]]s, ammo in [[gun turret]]s, [[science pack]]s in [[lab]]s, [[module]]s in [[beacon]]s, robots in [[roboport]]s, and any items in [[chests]]. 'Daisy chaining' is a technique that makes use of this mechanic in order to supply some machines with consumables (i.e. fuel, ammo or science packs) without having to use belts. You simply chain multiple machines together with inserters that take the items out of the previous machine and insert them directly into the next. It's sometimes referred to as 'stealing', as in 'coal stealing' or 'ammo stealing'.
;Death world : A map generation configuration that results in a large quantity of [[enemies]], to increase the game's difficulty.
;Double header : This is a term that refers to a train with [[locomotive]]s on both ends, making the train capable of driving in both directions. Opposite of a single header, or standard train. A shorthand example could be: 1-2-1 (locomotive-carriage-carriage-locomotive) or 2-4-2.
;Dragon's teeth : A series of alternating stone wall pillars outside the main wall fortification with the purpose of delaying the biters from reaching the wall. [[Wikipedia:Dragon's_teeth_(fortification)|Dragon's teeth]] were first deployed in the Second World War to delay and channel armoured units into minefields and other defenses. Also used in the 1997 game [[Wikipedia:Total Annihilation|Total Annihilation]].

== E ==

;eSPM : Effective [[science pack|science]] per minute. This is a measure of SPM that explicitly includes all the upgrades (e.g [[productivity module]]s, [[biolab]]s{{SA}}, [[Research productivity (research)|research productivity]]{{SA}}, and [[quality]]{{SA}}).
;Entity : Most things that can be manipulated in-game. Nearly everything in factorio is an entity. Any device, items, trees... Even the player is just an entity.
;Evolution : The development and growth of the native population. Over the course of a game, biters and spitters become bigger and more powerful. See [[Enemies#Evolution|evolution]].

== F ==

;FFF : The weekly blog that the developers make to talk about the development of Factorio. Expanded, it is Factorio Friday Facts, posted every Friday.
;FPS : Visual rendering speed, "frames per second". When this is reduced beneath 60, the game may stutter visually, jitter, or otherwise appear unstable. Low FPS will not necessarily result in low UPS, but they are loosely tied together.
;[[Fuel]] : Refers to any burnable item that can be used to fuel burner devices, such as [[wood]], [[coal]], etc.

== G ==

; GJ : Giga joule, a measurement of energy.
; GW : Giga watt, a measurement of power.
;Ghost : A translucent preview image that designates a position for the construction of an entity. [[Ghost]]s are created when you shift+click with an entity under your cursor, when you use the [[Rail_planner#Ghost_Planner|ghost rail planner]], when an entity is destroyed after you've researched construction robotics, and when you place a blueprint. Construction robots automatically attempt to construct ghosts within their logistic or personal roboport network, and if unable will create an alert for missing construction materials.
;Gigabase : An even larger megabase, typically has SPPM counts > 10k.

== H ==

; Hood : The overhead structure of an [[Underground belts|underground belt]]. When sideloading an underground belt with a [[transport belts|transport belt]], the hood blocks one lane and sideloads the other, which can be useful.

== I ==

;Inventory : The ability for an entity to hold items within it. Almost all entities have inventories.
;Item : Items represent the un-built version of a machine, tools, intermediate products etc. Typically, items are found on belts, in the player's inventory, and inside machines. Items can be provided to recipes to create other items.
;Item explosion : A phenomenon when a lot of items are spilled on the ground in a square-like fashion. Usually due to accidentally removing [[power armor]] when having a full inventory.
;Item request slot : A special request slot for machines with module slots that allows them to request the [[module]]s in the blueprint from which they were constructed. The [[deconstruction planner]] has a filter for canceling these requests.

== K ==

; kJ : Kilojoule, a measurement of energy.
; kW : Kilowatt, a measurement of power.
;Kovarex : The founding father of Factorio and where [[kovarex enrichment process]] gets its name from.

== L ==
;Lane : One side of a transport belt. Each belt has two lanes.
;Lane balancer : This is a belt setup that balances the two lanes on a belt to be equal, to maximize throughput. See [[balancer mechanics]].
;Legs : [[Exoskeleton]]
;Loader : An abandoned concept for a belt-based mechanism that continuously loads and unloads machines, as an alternative to inserters. Functional loader entities can still be found in the editor, and some mods give them a proper texture and make them available in regular games. Loaders are used in the official Team Production scenario.

== M ==

; MW : Mega watt, a measurement of power.
; MJ : Mega joule, a measurement of energy.
;Main bus : The opposite of spaghetti, this refers to placing multiple belts side by side containing one resource, and branching off of it in order to create setups. Allows for organized layout of resource transportation.
;Mall: Also known as store. A location in a factory that produces many types of different items that the player needs but in relatively small amounts.
;Marathon: A game mode where technologies and recipes are significantly more expensive.
;Map exchange string : A long piece of text that encodes the settings used to generate a map. See [[Map generator#Map exchange string|map exchange string]].
;Market : A building where you can buy items using coins. It's available in the editor and used in the Tight Spot campaign.
;Mats : Shorthand for materials.
;Megabase : A community term referring to a significantly large base that has been built over a significant time/effort. Often, these bases are quantified in terms of science packs per minute, or "SPPM". A base typically is considered a megabase when it can maintain 1k SPPM.
;Mod : This term refers to a script or collection of scripts that change how the game acts, adds new items/entities, etc.
;Modpack : A community term referring to a collection of mods that work well together.

== N ==

;Nauvis : The planet that Factorio takes place on. Used to be an internal name, but became canonical with version 2.0.
;Night steam : The strategy of relying on solar panels to generate electricity during the day and steam engines during the night.
;No path : A common error that means that a train cannot find a valid route to a train stop. See [[Railway#No_path|no path]].

== O ==

; Outpost : A small base created far away from a main base, usually to serve a single purpose like mining or production of a specific resource.

== P ==

;Priority splitter : A splitter design that directs as many resources as possible from a bus to an offshoot before letting excess items flow past. This is in contrast to a splitter that always distributes some percentage of items to both sides (depending on the particular arrangement of splitters).
;PAX (train) : Short for passenger train or player access station, another name for the [[Glossary#S|shuttle]].

== Q ==
;QoL : Quality of life, often refers to mods that increase ease of play.

== R ==

;RORO : Abbreviation for "Roll on, roll off" in the context of train station design. It means that trains arrive at the station at one end and leave the station at the other end (driving past the train stop), as opposed to terminus stations.
;RPM : Shorthand for rockets per minute.
;Rainbow belt : A transport belt with many different types of items on it, rather than the easier-to-manage one or two types of items. See [[#S|sushi belt]].
;Ribbon world : A world which has been set up to have limited space in one dimension (width or height), adding a new challenge. The smallest ribbon world in which you can launch a rocket is a map limited to a width or height of 9 tiles, the size of the rocket silo.
;River (belt) : A design strategy where items are continuously moving without looping or [[#B|backing up]] to be either processed or destroyed. Sometimes used as a strategy to handle [[Spoilage_mechanics|spoilable]] items.
;Roundabout (trains) : A circular rail junction that resembles real-world roundabouts for motor vehicles. Roundabouts allow trains to exit in any direction, including the direction they just came from. Small, simple roundabouts are known for their relatively poor throughput, and for long trains occasionally colliding with themselves.

== S ==

;SA : [[Space Age]], the offical Factorio expansion.
;Scenario : A map that has been saved via the [[map editor]]. Special scripting can be added to make simple "events".
;SE : [https://mods.factorio.com/mod/space-exploration Space Exploration], a popular mod created by Earendel, who later worked on Space Age.
;Seed : A number associated with each map that determines the outcome of certain pseudo-random processes, like terrain generation. All other settings being equal, different seeds result in vastly different terrain features. The seed is included in [[#M|map exchange strings]].
;Shuttle : A train for personal transportation around the factory. Sometimes called a taxi.
;Sideloading : This is a commonly used term that refers to running the end of a [[transport belt]] into the side of another, so that only the lane on the side of the belt that the other belt is on is filled. This is typically done to create a belt that carries two different resources side-by-side on the same belt.
;Smart furnace : A smelting setup that can process multiple materials (e.g. iron ore, copper ore, iron plates, stone).
;Spaghetti : [[File:spaghetti_example.png|thumb|200px|right|An example of a "spaghetti" setup with intertwining belts.]]A community term referring to the "spaghetti" look of many belts/entities placed in a disorganized fashion. Typically created by new players to Factorio. Generally, it will be moved away from as soon as the player realizes the logistical problems it causes. Note that not all "spaghetti" factories are necessarily inefficient.
;Speedrun : Attempting to beat the game as quickly as possible. World record attempts are compiled on [https://www.speedrun.com/factorio speedrun.com/factorio] and [https://www.speedrun.com/Space_Age speedrun.com/Space_Age]
;SPM : Science per minute. Prior to 2.0, this term was exclusively used to indicate the number of science packs produced by a factory (SPPM). Since 2.0, the game has added multiple UI elements that include some bonuses not previously included in SPM, now surfacing a value also referred to as effective SPM (eSPM). The [[Production statistics]] now shows a "Science" item, and the [[Research]] tooltip shows "Science per minute" as a single value. Due to the shift in meaning caused by the addition of these UI elements, this term now has some ambiguity.
;SPPM : Science packs per minute. Measured per type, so 1k SPPM will mean production of 1000 of each science pack type per minute, though military science is often excluded. Usually used to measure the size of very big bases, see [[#M|megabase]] and [[#G|gigabase]].
;Stacker : Also known as '''parking lot'''. A waiting bay for trains, allowing them to wait on different parallel tracks and not block each other until their destination becomes free. Recommended in front of large, multi-platform stations.
;Supply train: A train that usually for personal use that is used to carry mostly building materials like rails, conveyor belts, inserters, assembly machines etc..
;Sushi belt : The strategy of mixing many different types of items on transport belts to supply machines that need some or all of those items. It sacrifices throughput for compactness (and beauty). It looks colorful and diverse like a tray of sushi. Its perhaps most popular application is supplying labs with science packs. Sometimes called sushi bar or rainbow belt.
;Sushi river : A [[#R|river belt]] on which many different items are mixed, like a [[#S|sushi belt]].

== T ==

;TINS : Abbreviation of "There Is No Spoon", the name of the in-game achievement.
;Terminus : A train station design where trains come in and leave from the same side, thus requiring double-headed trains, unlike RORO stations.
;Throughput : A term that refers to the maximum amount of resources that can travel through something (such as a belt) in a certain amount of time. Usually quantified in items per second.
;Tick : The smallest measurable amount of time in Factorio. There are 60 ticks per second (when running at 60 UPS), and 3600 ticks in a minute.
;Tile : A piece of map. It is not really known how big it is, but for simplifying things we can assume that a tile is a quadratic with side of 1 meter.
;Time : Game time is normally identical with real time, one second in the game is one second in reality, but it can be faster or slower. For example, when the calculations for an update takes longer than a tick, the game slows down (aka UPS).
;Train bus : A popular alternative to the [[#M|main bus]] pattern. Instead of using a belt bus to provide materials for various production cells, a large rail system allows many trains to route materials between more distant cells, sometimes called subfactories. It's a UPS-friendlier strategy for large factories such as megabases.
;Trash can : A simple 'public utility' of sorts, which is an active provider that players can dump unwanted items into. Logistic robots pick them up and store them away. It's useful if you need to get rid of large quantities of items (such as [[wood]] or [[landfill]]) and your logistic trash slots are full.
;Turnaround (trains) : A rail design that allows trains to return the direction they just came from. This might be a loop, a U-turn, or a dead-end with a "turn around" train stop for two-headed trains to use. Note that a loop-style turnaround is has only one exit, while a loop with multiple exits is considered a roundabout.
;Turret : Stationary defense weapon. There are four types of turrets in Factorio, the [[laser turret]], [[gun turret]], [[flamethrower turret]] and [[artillery turret]]. [[Space Age]]{{SA}} adds the [[railgun turret]] and [[tesla turret]].
;Turret creep : The tactic of leap-frogging with turrets into hostile territory. It's very effective due to the strength and range of turrets. Typically done with laser turrets, blueprints and personal roboports, but can also be done by manually placing gun turrets and inserting ammo.

== U ==

;Upcycler: An assembly line designed to increase the [[quality]] of an intermediate or end product.
;UPS : Internal clock speed, "Updates Per Second". The game tries its best to maintain the ideal 60 UPS, but it is affected by the size and complexity of the game world and your computer hardware. A lower UPS means that the simulation runs slower. At 30 UPS everything would take twice as long as under ideal conditions. This is a common concern on megabases or when playing with many mods active. It can be set to more than 60 UPS by changing the game speed via script, processing power permitting. The Transport Belt Madness and Tight Spot campaigns are examples where the game speed can be increased.
;Underbelt : [[Underground belts|Underground belt]]
;Underpipe (Underground pipe) : [[Pipe to ground]]

== V ==
;Vanilla : Regular version of the game with no mods.

== W ==

;Wube : The company based in the Czech Republic that develops Factorio.

== Z ==

;Zoo : A group of biter or spitter nests around which the player has built a safe containment zone, i.e. a circle of turrets. Reasons for doing this include exploiting the nests' pollution absorption and automating the destruction of items (using requester chests near the nests).

{{C|Main}}

Glossary

2025-10-08T05:57:49Z

HeliGungir: /* R */ Roundabout: Rewrite

{{Languages}}__NOTOC__
This page acts as a general glossary of all terms used in Factorio and its community. We recommend searching the page with {{keybinding|CTRL|F}} to find specific terms. The page is also organized alphabetically.

Additionally, you can click a letter below to be taken to that letter in the list, if you wish to search manually.

[[##|#]] [[#A|A]] [[#B|B]] [[#C|C]] [[#D|D]] [[#E|E]] [[#F|F]] [[#G|G]] [[#H|H]] [[#I|I]] [[#J|J]] [[#K|K]] [[#L|L]] [[#M|M]] [[#N|N]] [[#O|O]] [[#P|P]] [[#Q|Q]] [[#R|R]] [[#S|S]] [[#T|T]] [[#U|U]] [[#V|V]] [[#W|W]] [[#X|X]] [[#Y|Y]] [[#Z|Z]]

== # ==

;1-1, 1-2-1, 2-4, 4-8-4 and similar : A somewhat ambiguous shorthand notation for train configurations. The first number is usually the number of [[locomotive]]s at the head of the train, followed by the number of [[cargo wagon]]s or [[fluid wagon]]s, and optionally followed by the number of tail locomotives if it's a double-headed train. In general, the smaller numbers are the number of locomotives.

== A ==

; AP : Armor piercing, refers to [[piercing rounds magazine]].
;Ammo : [[Firearm magazine|Ammunition]], used for guns/rocket launchers/turrets, etc.
;Angel's mods : A term referring to the mods made by user ''Arch666Angel'', a popular modder who makes extremely popular difficulty/complexity mods that complement Bob's mods.
;Angelbobs : A community term that means a game with both Angel's mods and Bob's mods installed.
;Assembler : Another word for an [[assembling machine]].

== B ==

;BP : Short for [[blueprint]].
;Backed-up : Refers to a machine having no output, and so the input channel fills up. Can also refer to belts being backlogged due to low consumption. This is not necessarily a bad thing.
;Backpressure : What a machine, usually a belt segment or [[inserter]], experiences when delivery stalls because its target is backed up.
;Belt balancer : This is a belt setup that balances multiple belts to contain the same amount of resources, to maximize throughput. See [[balancers]].
;Belt compression : This term refers to ensuring that all items on a belt are right after each other, to ensure no space is wasted and highest throughput.
;Blackout : When your factory completely loses power. This typically happens at night when relying on solar+accumulator power, enemies destroying vital electric poles, or after a prolonged brownout when using electric mining drills and/or electric inserters (instead of their burner variants).
;Bob's mods : A term referring to the mods made by user ''bobingabout'', a popular modder who makes extremely popular difficulty/complexity mods that complement Angel's mods.
;Bots : Shorthand version for [[construction robot]] or [[logistic robot]]. Sometimes also refers to the [[Combat_robot_capsules|combat robots]] created from capsules.
;Bottleneck : A term that means a single point where resources are constrained, such as a slow part of a belt that slows down everything.
;Braiding : The space-saving technique of alternating between two or more different underground belt types (basic, fast and express) in a straight line, one tile wide. The different types of underground belts don't interfere with each other, and inserters can interact with the belt entrance and exit entities.
;Brownout : When your factory's machines are running slower than normal because it's not generating enough electricity.
;Buffer: A place where a stockpile of items is stored to be available when the production stops. Typically a chest.
;Bus : Short for [[#M|main bus]].

== C ==

;Capacity : Maximum amount of items/[[fluid system|fluids]] that can exist within something.
;Catchup : Period where a [[player]] joining a game is required to replay recent changes quickly, so they can be merged into the running game smoothly. Often happens on slow connections, or on servers with a lot going on.
;Chokepoint : Artificial or natural geography that funnels attackers into a narrow, movement-constricting area, making it more difficult for them to breach fortifications. Examples: peninsulas with narrow connections to the mainland, artificial land bridges to islands, nearby lakes, corridors through thick forests. Certain [[cliff]] formations can also present this issue.
;Coin : An item used in the Tight Spot campaign.
;Compression : Like Capacity but applies to belts only.
;Composter : A [[chests|chest]] used to store [[Spoilage_mechanics|spoilable]] items with the intention of spoiling them.
;Contaminated : A [[Transport belts|belt]] with incorrect items on it (such as [[coal]] on an iron belt). Can also refer to [[pipe]]s with mixed liquids.
;Cracktorio : A community term referring to the addictive qualities of Factorio, jokingly comparing the game to crack cocaine.

== D ==

;Daisy chaining : Some entities allow [[inserter]]s to insert and remove items from the same slots, including fuel in [[boiler]]s, ammo in [[gun turret]]s, [[science pack]]s in [[lab]]s, [[module]]s in [[beacon]]s, robots in [[roboport]]s, and any items in [[chests]]. 'Daisy chaining' is a technique that makes use of this mechanic in order to supply some machines with consumables (i.e. fuel, ammo or science packs) without having to use belts. You simply chain multiple machines together with inserters that take the items out of the previous machine and insert them directly into the next. It's sometimes referred to as 'stealing', as in 'coal stealing' or 'ammo stealing'.
;Death world : A map generation configuration that results in a large quantity of [[enemies]], to increase the game's difficulty.
;Double header : This is a term that refers to a train with [[locomotive]]s on both ends, making the train capable of driving in both directions. Opposite of a single header, or standard train. A shorthand example could be: 1-2-1 (locomotive-carriage-carriage-locomotive) or 2-4-2.
;Dragon's teeth : A series of alternating stone wall pillars outside the main wall fortification with the purpose of delaying the biters from reaching the wall. [[Wikipedia:Dragon's_teeth_(fortification)|Dragon's teeth]] were first deployed in the Second World War to delay and channel armoured units into minefields and other defenses. Also used in the 1997 game [[Wikipedia:Total Annihilation|Total Annihilation]].

== E ==

;eSPM : Effective [[science pack|science]] per minute. This is a measure of SPM that explicitly includes all the upgrades (e.g [[productivity module]]s, [[biolab]]s{{SA}}, [[Research productivity (research)|research productivity]]{{SA}}, and [[quality]]{{SA}}).
;Entity : Most things that can be manipulated in-game. Nearly everything in factorio is an entity. Any device, items, trees... Even the player is just an entity.
;Evolution : The development and growth of the native population. Over the course of a game, biters and spitters become bigger and more powerful. See [[Enemies#Evolution|evolution]].

== F ==

;FFF : The weekly blog that the developers make to talk about the development of Factorio. Expanded, it is Factorio Friday Facts, posted every Friday.
;FPS : Visual rendering speed, "frames per second". When this is reduced beneath 60, the game may stutter visually, jitter, or otherwise appear unstable. Low FPS will not necessarily result in low UPS, but they are loosely tied together.
;[[Fuel]] : Refers to any burnable item that can be used to fuel burner devices, such as [[wood]], [[coal]], etc.

== G ==

; GJ : Giga joule, a measurement of energy.
; GW : Giga watt, a measurement of power.
;Ghost : A translucent preview image that designates a position for the construction of an entity. [[Ghost]]s are created when you shift+click with an entity under your cursor, when you use the [[Rail_planner#Ghost_Planner|ghost rail planner]], when an entity is destroyed after you've researched construction robotics, and when you place a blueprint. Construction robots automatically attempt to construct ghosts within their logistic or personal roboport network, and if unable will create an alert for missing construction materials.
;Gigabase : An even larger megabase, typically has SPPM counts > 10k.

== H ==

; Hood : The overhead structure of an [[Underground belts|underground belt]]. When sideloading an underground belt with a [[transport belts|transport belt]], the hood blocks one lane and sideloads the other, which can be useful.

== I ==

;Inventory : The ability for an entity to hold items within it. Almost all entities have inventories.
;Item : Items represent the un-built version of a machine, tools, intermediate products etc. Typically, items are found on belts, in the player's inventory, and inside machines. Items can be provided to recipes to create other items.
;Item explosion : A phenomenon when a lot of items are spilled on the ground in a square-like fashion. Usually due to accidentally removing [[power armor]] when having a full inventory.
;Item request slot : A special request slot for machines with module slots that allows them to request the [[module]]s in the blueprint from which they were constructed. The [[deconstruction planner]] has a filter for canceling these requests.

== K ==

; kJ : Kilojoule, a measurement of energy.
; kW : Kilowatt, a measurement of power.
;Kovarex : The founding father of Factorio and where [[kovarex enrichment process]] gets its name from.

== L ==
;Lane : One side of a transport belt. Each belt has two lanes.
;Lane balancer : This is a belt setup that balances the two lanes on a belt to be equal, to maximize throughput. See [[balancer mechanics]].
;Legs : [[Exoskeleton]]
;Loader : An abandoned concept for a belt-based mechanism that continuously loads and unloads machines, as an alternative to inserters. Functional loader entities can still be found in the editor, and some mods give them a proper texture and make them available in regular games. Loaders are used in the official Team Production scenario.

== M ==

; MW : Mega watt, a measurement of power.
; MJ : Mega joule, a measurement of energy.
;Main bus : The opposite of spaghetti, this refers to placing multiple belts side by side containing one resource, and branching off of it in order to create setups. Allows for organized layout of resource transportation.
;Mall: Also known as store. A location in a factory that produces many types of different items that the player needs but in relatively small amounts.
;Marathon: A game mode where technologies and recipes are significantly more expensive.
;Map exchange string : A long piece of text that encodes the settings used to generate a map. See [[Map generator#Map exchange string|map exchange string]].
;Market : A building where you can buy items using coins. It's available in the editor and used in the Tight Spot campaign.
;Mats : Shorthand for materials.
;Megabase : A community term referring to a significantly large base that has been built over a significant time/effort. Often, these bases are quantified in terms of science packs per minute, or "SPPM". A base typically is considered a megabase when it can maintain 1k SPPM.
;Mod : This term refers to a script or collection of scripts that change how the game acts, adds new items/entities, etc.
;Modpack : A community term referring to a collection of mods that work well together.

== N ==

;Nauvis : The planet that Factorio takes place on. Used to be an internal name, but became canonical with version 2.0.
;Night steam : The strategy of relying on solar panels to generate electricity during the day and steam engines during the night.
;No path : A common error that means that a train cannot find a valid route to a train stop. See [[Railway#No_path|no path]].

== O ==

; Outpost : A small base created far away from a main base, usually to serve a single purpose like mining or production of a specific resource.

== P ==

;Priority splitter : A splitter design that directs as many resources as possible from a bus to an offshoot before letting excess items flow past. This is in contrast to a splitter that always distributes some percentage of items to both sides (depending on the particular arrangement of splitters).
;PAX (train) : Short for passenger train or player access station, another name for the [[Glossary#S|shuttle]].

== Q ==
;QoL : Quality of life, often refers to mods that increase ease of play.

== R ==

;RORO : Abbreviation for "Roll on, roll off" in the context of train station design. It means that trains arrive at the station at one end and leave the station at the other end (driving past the train stop), as opposed to terminus stations.
;RPM : Shorthand for rockets per minute.
;Rainbow belt : A transport belt with many different types of items on it, rather than the easier-to-manage one or two types of items. See [[#S|sushi belt]].
;Ribbon world : A world which has been set up to have limited space in one dimension (width or height), adding a new challenge. The smallest ribbon world in which you can launch a rocket is a map limited to a width or height of 9 tiles, the size of the rocket silo.
;River (belt) : A design strategy where items are continuously moving without looping or [[#B|backing up]] to be either processed or destroyed. Sometimes used as a strategy to handle [[Spoilage_mechanics|spoilable]] items.
;Roundabout (trains) : A circular rail junction that resembles real-world roundabouts for motor vehicles. Roundabouts allow trains to exit in any direction, including the direction they just came from. Small, simple roundabouts are known for their relatively poor throughput, and for long trains occasionally colliding with themselves.

== S ==

;SA : [[Space Age]], the offical Factorio expansion.
;Scenario : A map that has been saved via the [[map editor]]. Special scripting can be added to make simple "events".
;SE : [https://mods.factorio.com/mod/space-exploration Space Exploration], a popular mod created by Earendel, who later worked on Space Age.
;Seed : A number associated with each map that determines the outcome of certain pseudo-random processes, like terrain generation. All other settings being equal, different seeds result in vastly different terrain features. The seed is included in [[#M|map exchange strings]].
;Shuttle : A train for personal transportation around the factory. Sometimes called a taxi.
;Sideloading : This is a commonly used term that refers to running the end of a [[transport belt]] into the side of another, so that only the lane on the side of the belt that the other belt is on is filled. This is typically done to create a belt that carries two different resources side-by-side on the same belt.
;Smart furnace : A smelting setup that can process multiple materials (e.g. iron ore, copper ore, iron plates, stone).
;Spaghetti : [[File:spaghetti_example.png|thumb|200px|right|An example of a "spaghetti" setup with intertwining belts.]]A community term referring to the "spaghetti" look of many belts/entities placed in a disorganized fashion. Typically created by new players to Factorio. Generally, it will be moved away from as soon as the player realizes the logistical problems it causes. Note that not all "spaghetti" factories are necessarily inefficient.
;Speedrun : Attempting to beat the game as quickly as possible. World record attempts are compiled on [https://www.speedrun.com/factorio speedrun.com/factorio] and [https://www.speedrun.com/Space_Age speedrun.com/Space_Age]
;SPM : Science per minute. Prior to 2.0, this term was exclusively used to indicate the number of science packs produced by a factory (SPPM). Since 2.0, the game has added multiple UI elements that include some bonuses not previously included in SPM, now surfacing a value also referred to as effective SPM (eSPM). The [[Production statistics]] now shows a "Science" item, and the [[Research]] tooltip shows "Science per minute" as a single value. Due to the shift in meaning caused by the addition of these UI elements, this term now has some ambiguity.
;SPPM : Science packs per minute. Measured per type, so 1k SPPM will mean production of 1000 of each science pack type per minute, though military science is often excluded. Usually used to measure the size of very big bases, see [[#M|megabase]] and [[#G|gigabase]].
;Stacker : Also known as '''parking lot'''. A waiting bay for trains, allowing them to wait on different parallel tracks and not block each other until their destination becomes free. Recommended in front of large, multi-platform stations.
;Supply train: A train that usually for personal use that is used to carry mostly building materials like rails, conveyor belts, inserters, assembly machines etc..
;Sushi belt : The strategy of mixing many different types of items on transport belts to supply machines that need some or all of those items. It sacrifices throughput for compactness (and beauty). It looks colorful and diverse like a tray of sushi. Its perhaps most popular application is supplying labs with science packs. Sometimes called sushi bar or rainbow belt.
;Sushi river : A [[#R|river belt]] on which many different items are mixed, like a [[#S|sushi belt]].

== T ==

;TINS : Abbreviation of "There Is No Spoon", the name of the in-game achievement.
;Terminus : A train station design where trains come in and leave from the same side, thus requiring double-headed trains, unlike RORO stations.
;Throughput : A term that refers to the maximum amount of resources that can travel through something (such as a belt) in a certain amount of time. Usually quantified in items per second.
;Tick : The smallest measurable amount of time in Factorio. There are 60 ticks per second (when running at 60 UPS), and 3600 ticks in a minute.
;Tile : A piece of map. It is not really known how big it is, but for simplifying things we can assume that a tile is a quadratic with side of 1 meter.
;Time : Game time is normally identical with real time, one second in the game is one second in reality, but it can be faster or slower. For example, when the calculations for an update takes longer than a tick, the game slows down (aka UPS).
;Train bus : A popular alternative to the [[#M|main bus]] pattern. Instead of using a belt bus to provide materials for various production cells, a large rail system allows many trains to route materials between more distant cells, sometimes called subfactories. It's a UPS-friendlier strategy for large factories such as megabases.
;Trash can : A simple 'public utility' of sorts, which is an active provider that players can dump unwanted items into. Logistic robots pick them up and store them away. It's useful if you need to get rid of large quantities of items (such as [[wood]] or [[landfill]]) and your logistic trash slots are full.
;Turret : Stationary defense weapon. There are four types of turrets in Factorio, the [[laser turret]], [[gun turret]], [[flamethrower turret]] and [[artillery turret]]. [[Space Age]]{{SA}} adds the [[railgun turret]] and [[tesla turret]].
;Turret creep : The tactic of leap-frogging with turrets into hostile territory. It's very effective due to the strength and range of turrets. Typically done with laser turrets, blueprints and personal roboports, but can also be done by manually placing gun turrets and inserting ammo.

== U ==

;Upcycler: An assembly line designed to increase the [[quality]] of an intermediate or end product.
;UPS : Internal clock speed, "Updates Per Second". The game tries its best to maintain the ideal 60 UPS, but it is affected by the size and complexity of the game world and your computer hardware. A lower UPS means that the simulation runs slower. At 30 UPS everything would take twice as long as under ideal conditions. This is a common concern on megabases or when playing with many mods active. It can be set to more than 60 UPS by changing the game speed via script, processing power permitting. The Transport Belt Madness and Tight Spot campaigns are examples where the game speed can be increased.
;Underbelt : [[Underground belts|Underground belt]]
;Underpipe (Underground pipe) : [[Pipe to ground]]

== V ==
;Vanilla : Regular version of the game with no mods.

== W ==

;Wube : The company based in the Czech Republic that develops Factorio.

== Z ==

;Zoo : A group of biter or spitter nests around which the player has built a safe containment zone, i.e. a circle of turrets. Reasons for doing this include exploiting the nests' pollution absorption and automating the destruction of items (using requester chests near the nests).

{{C|Main}}

Glossary

2025-10-08T05:40:16Z

HeliGungir: Added some terms for underground entities

{{Languages}}__NOTOC__
This page acts as a general glossary of all terms used in Factorio and its community. We recommend searching the page with {{keybinding|CTRL|F}} to find specific terms. The page is also organized alphabetically.

Additionally, you can click a letter below to be taken to that letter in the list, if you wish to search manually.

[[##|#]] [[#A|A]] [[#B|B]] [[#C|C]] [[#D|D]] [[#E|E]] [[#F|F]] [[#G|G]] [[#H|H]] [[#I|I]] [[#J|J]] [[#K|K]] [[#L|L]] [[#M|M]] [[#N|N]] [[#O|O]] [[#P|P]] [[#Q|Q]] [[#R|R]] [[#S|S]] [[#T|T]] [[#U|U]] [[#V|V]] [[#W|W]] [[#X|X]] [[#Y|Y]] [[#Z|Z]]

== # ==

;1-1, 1-2-1, 2-4, 4-8-4 and similar : A somewhat ambiguous shorthand notation for train configurations. The first number is usually the number of [[locomotive]]s at the head of the train, followed by the number of [[cargo wagon]]s or [[fluid wagon]]s, and optionally followed by the number of tail locomotives if it's a double-headed train. In general, the smaller numbers are the number of locomotives.

== A ==

; AP : Armor piercing, refers to [[piercing rounds magazine]].
;Ammo : [[Firearm magazine|Ammunition]], used for guns/rocket launchers/turrets, etc.
;Angel's mods : A term referring to the mods made by user ''Arch666Angel'', a popular modder who makes extremely popular difficulty/complexity mods that complement Bob's mods.
;Angelbobs : A community term that means a game with both Angel's mods and Bob's mods installed.
;Assembler : Another word for an [[assembling machine]].

== B ==

;BP : Short for [[blueprint]].
;Backed-up : Refers to a machine having no output, and so the input channel fills up. Can also refer to belts being backlogged due to low consumption. This is not necessarily a bad thing.
;Backpressure : What a machine, usually a belt segment or [[inserter]], experiences when delivery stalls because its target is backed up.
;Belt balancer : This is a belt setup that balances multiple belts to contain the same amount of resources, to maximize throughput. See [[balancers]].
;Belt compression : This term refers to ensuring that all items on a belt are right after each other, to ensure no space is wasted and highest throughput.
;Blackout : When your factory completely loses power. This typically happens at night when relying on solar+accumulator power, enemies destroying vital electric poles, or after a prolonged brownout when using electric mining drills and/or electric inserters (instead of their burner variants).
;Bob's mods : A term referring to the mods made by user ''bobingabout'', a popular modder who makes extremely popular difficulty/complexity mods that complement Angel's mods.
;Bots : Shorthand version for [[construction robot]] or [[logistic robot]]. Sometimes also refers to the [[Combat_robot_capsules|combat robots]] created from capsules.
;Bottleneck : A term that means a single point where resources are constrained, such as a slow part of a belt that slows down everything.
;Braiding : The space-saving technique of alternating between two or more different underground belt types (basic, fast and express) in a straight line, one tile wide. The different types of underground belts don't interfere with each other, and inserters can interact with the belt entrance and exit entities.
;Brownout : When your factory's machines are running slower than normal because it's not generating enough electricity.
;Buffer: A place where a stockpile of items is stored to be available when the production stops. Typically a chest.
;Bus : Short for [[#M|main bus]].

== C ==

;Capacity : Maximum amount of items/[[fluid system|fluids]] that can exist within something.
;Catchup : Period where a [[player]] joining a game is required to replay recent changes quickly, so they can be merged into the running game smoothly. Often happens on slow connections, or on servers with a lot going on.
;Chokepoint : Artificial or natural geography that funnels attackers into a narrow, movement-constricting area, making it more difficult for them to breach fortifications. Examples: peninsulas with narrow connections to the mainland, artificial land bridges to islands, nearby lakes, corridors through thick forests. Certain [[cliff]] formations can also present this issue.
;Coin : An item used in the Tight Spot campaign.
;Compression : Like Capacity but applies to belts only.
;Composter : A [[chests|chest]] used to store [[Spoilage_mechanics|spoilable]] items with the intention of spoiling them.
;Contaminated : A [[Transport belts|belt]] with incorrect items on it (such as [[coal]] on an iron belt). Can also refer to [[pipe]]s with mixed liquids.
;Cracktorio : A community term referring to the addictive qualities of Factorio, jokingly comparing the game to crack cocaine.

== D ==

;Daisy chaining : Some entities allow [[inserter]]s to insert and remove items from the same slots, including fuel in [[boiler]]s, ammo in [[gun turret]]s, [[science pack]]s in [[lab]]s, [[module]]s in [[beacon]]s, robots in [[roboport]]s, and any items in [[chests]]. 'Daisy chaining' is a technique that makes use of this mechanic in order to supply some machines with consumables (i.e. fuel, ammo or science packs) without having to use belts. You simply chain multiple machines together with inserters that take the items out of the previous machine and insert them directly into the next. It's sometimes referred to as 'stealing', as in 'coal stealing' or 'ammo stealing'.
;Death world : A map generation configuration that results in a large quantity of [[enemies]], to increase the game's difficulty.
;Double header : This is a term that refers to a train with [[locomotive]]s on both ends, making the train capable of driving in both directions. Opposite of a single header, or standard train. A shorthand example could be: 1-2-1 (locomotive-carriage-carriage-locomotive) or 2-4-2.
;Dragon's teeth : A series of alternating stone wall pillars outside the main wall fortification with the purpose of delaying the biters from reaching the wall. [[Wikipedia:Dragon's_teeth_(fortification)|Dragon's teeth]] were first deployed in the Second World War to delay and channel armoured units into minefields and other defenses. Also used in the 1997 game [[Wikipedia:Total Annihilation|Total Annihilation]].

== E ==

;eSPM : Effective [[science pack|science]] per minute. This is a measure of SPM that explicitly includes all the upgrades (e.g [[productivity module]]s, [[biolab]]s{{SA}}, [[Research productivity (research)|research productivity]]{{SA}}, and [[quality]]{{SA}}).
;Entity : Most things that can be manipulated in-game. Nearly everything in factorio is an entity. Any device, items, trees... Even the player is just an entity.
;Evolution : The development and growth of the native population. Over the course of a game, biters and spitters become bigger and more powerful. See [[Enemies#Evolution|evolution]].

== F ==

;FFF : The weekly blog that the developers make to talk about the development of Factorio. Expanded, it is Factorio Friday Facts, posted every Friday.
;FPS : Visual rendering speed, "frames per second". When this is reduced beneath 60, the game may stutter visually, jitter, or otherwise appear unstable. Low FPS will not necessarily result in low UPS, but they are loosely tied together.
;[[Fuel]] : Refers to any burnable item that can be used to fuel burner devices, such as [[wood]], [[coal]], etc.

== G ==

; GJ : Giga joule, a measurement of energy.
; GW : Giga watt, a measurement of power.
;Ghost : A translucent preview image that designates a position for the construction of an entity. [[Ghost]]s are created when you shift+click with an entity under your cursor, when you use the [[Rail_planner#Ghost_Planner|ghost rail planner]], when an entity is destroyed after you've researched construction robotics, and when you place a blueprint. Construction robots automatically attempt to construct ghosts within their logistic or personal roboport network, and if unable will create an alert for missing construction materials.
;Gigabase : An even larger megabase, typically has SPPM counts > 10k.

== H ==

; Hood : The overhead structure of an [[Underground belts|underground belt]]. When sideloading an underground belt with a [[transport belts|transport belt]], the hood blocks one lane and sideloads the other, which can be useful.

== I ==

;Inventory : The ability for an entity to hold items within it. Almost all entities have inventories.
;Item : Items represent the un-built version of a machine, tools, intermediate products etc. Typically, items are found on belts, in the player's inventory, and inside machines. Items can be provided to recipes to create other items.
;Item explosion : A phenomenon when a lot of items are spilled on the ground in a square-like fashion. Usually due to accidentally removing [[power armor]] when having a full inventory.
;Item request slot : A special request slot for machines with module slots that allows them to request the [[module]]s in the blueprint from which they were constructed. The [[deconstruction planner]] has a filter for canceling these requests.

== K ==

; kJ : Kilojoule, a measurement of energy.
; kW : Kilowatt, a measurement of power.
;Kovarex : The founding father of Factorio and where [[kovarex enrichment process]] gets its name from.

== L ==
;Lane : One side of a transport belt. Each belt has two lanes.
;Lane balancer : This is a belt setup that balances the two lanes on a belt to be equal, to maximize throughput. See [[balancer mechanics]].
;Legs : [[Exoskeleton]]
;Loader : An abandoned concept for a belt-based mechanism that continuously loads and unloads machines, as an alternative to inserters. Functional loader entities can still be found in the editor, and some mods give them a proper texture and make them available in regular games. Loaders are used in the official Team Production scenario.

== M ==

; MW : Mega watt, a measurement of power.
; MJ : Mega joule, a measurement of energy.
;Main bus : The opposite of spaghetti, this refers to placing multiple belts side by side containing one resource, and branching off of it in order to create setups. Allows for organized layout of resource transportation.
;Mall: Also known as store. A location in a factory that produces many types of different items that the player needs but in relatively small amounts.
;Marathon: A game mode where technologies and recipes are significantly more expensive.
;Map exchange string : A long piece of text that encodes the settings used to generate a map. See [[Map generator#Map exchange string|map exchange string]].
;Market : A building where you can buy items using coins. It's available in the editor and used in the Tight Spot campaign.
;Mats : Shorthand for materials.
;Megabase : A community term referring to a significantly large base that has been built over a significant time/effort. Often, these bases are quantified in terms of science packs per minute, or "SPPM". A base typically is considered a megabase when it can maintain 1k SPPM.
;Mod : This term refers to a script or collection of scripts that change how the game acts, adds new items/entities, etc.
;Modpack : A community term referring to a collection of mods that work well together.

== N ==

;Nauvis : The planet that Factorio takes place on. Used to be an internal name, but became canonical with version 2.0.
;Night steam : The strategy of relying on solar panels to generate electricity during the day and steam engines during the night.
;No path : A common error that means that a train cannot find a valid route to a train stop. See [[Railway#No_path|no path]].

== O ==

; Outpost : A small base created far away from a main base, usually to serve a single purpose like mining or production of a specific resource.

== P ==

;Priority splitter : A splitter design that directs as many resources as possible from a bus to an offshoot before letting excess items flow past. This is in contrast to a splitter that always distributes some percentage of items to both sides (depending on the particular arrangement of splitters).
;PAX (train) : Short for passenger train or player access station, another name for the [[Glossary#S|shuttle]].

== Q ==
;QoL : Quality of life, often refers to mods that increase ease of play.

== R ==

;RORO : Abbreviation for "Roll on, roll off" in the context of train station design. It means that trains arrive at the station at one end and leave the station at the other end (driving past the train stop), as opposed to terminus stations.
;RPM : Shorthand for rockets per minute.
;Rainbow belt : A transport belt with many different types of items on it, rather than the easier-to-manage one or two types of items. See [[#S|sushi belt]].
;Ribbon world : A world which has been set up to have limited space in one dimension (width or height), adding a new challenge. The smallest ribbon world in which you can launch a rocket is a map limited to a width or height of 9 tiles, the size of the rocket silo.
;River (belt) : A design strategy where items are continuously moving without looping or [[#B|backing up]] to be either processed or destroyed. Sometimes used as a strategy to handle [[Spoilage_mechanics|spoilable]] items.
;Roundabout : This term refers to a type of path for trains, to allow the trains to enter the circle, and exit onto the exit rail that they path to. Generally recommended against, due to throughput and self collision issues.

== S ==

;SA : [[Space Age]], the offical Factorio expansion.
;Scenario : A map that has been saved via the [[map editor]]. Special scripting can be added to make simple "events".
;SE : [https://mods.factorio.com/mod/space-exploration Space Exploration], a popular mod created by Earendel, who later worked on Space Age.
;Seed : A number associated with each map that determines the outcome of certain pseudo-random processes, like terrain generation. All other settings being equal, different seeds result in vastly different terrain features. The seed is included in [[#M|map exchange strings]].
;Shuttle : A train for personal transportation around the factory. Sometimes called a taxi.
;Sideloading : This is a commonly used term that refers to running the end of a [[transport belt]] into the side of another, so that only the lane on the side of the belt that the other belt is on is filled. This is typically done to create a belt that carries two different resources side-by-side on the same belt.
;Smart furnace : A smelting setup that can process multiple materials (e.g. iron ore, copper ore, iron plates, stone).
;Spaghetti : [[File:spaghetti_example.png|thumb|200px|right|An example of a "spaghetti" setup with intertwining belts.]]A community term referring to the "spaghetti" look of many belts/entities placed in a disorganized fashion. Typically created by new players to Factorio. Generally, it will be moved away from as soon as the player realizes the logistical problems it causes. Note that not all "spaghetti" factories are necessarily inefficient.
;Speedrun : Attempting to beat the game as quickly as possible. World record attempts are compiled on [https://www.speedrun.com/factorio speedrun.com/factorio] and [https://www.speedrun.com/Space_Age speedrun.com/Space_Age]
;SPM : Science per minute. Prior to 2.0, this term was exclusively used to indicate the number of science packs produced by a factory (SPPM). Since 2.0, the game has added multiple UI elements that include some bonuses not previously included in SPM, now surfacing a value also referred to as effective SPM (eSPM). The [[Production statistics]] now shows a "Science" item, and the [[Research]] tooltip shows "Science per minute" as a single value. Due to the shift in meaning caused by the addition of these UI elements, this term now has some ambiguity.
;SPPM : Science packs per minute. Measured per type, so 1k SPPM will mean production of 1000 of each science pack type per minute, though military science is often excluded. Usually used to measure the size of very big bases, see [[#M|megabase]] and [[#G|gigabase]].
;Stacker : Also known as '''parking lot'''. A waiting bay for trains, allowing them to wait on different parallel tracks and not block each other until their destination becomes free. Recommended in front of large, multi-platform stations.
;Supply train: A train that usually for personal use that is used to carry mostly building materials like rails, conveyor belts, inserters, assembly machines etc..
;Sushi belt : The strategy of mixing many different types of items on transport belts to supply machines that need some or all of those items. It sacrifices throughput for compactness (and beauty). It looks colorful and diverse like a tray of sushi. Its perhaps most popular application is supplying labs with science packs. Sometimes called sushi bar or rainbow belt.
;Sushi river : A [[#R|river belt]] on which many different items are mixed, like a [[#S|sushi belt]].

== T ==

;TINS : Abbreviation of "There Is No Spoon", the name of the in-game achievement.
;Terminus : A train station design where trains come in and leave from the same side, thus requiring double-headed trains, unlike RORO stations.
;Throughput : A term that refers to the maximum amount of resources that can travel through something (such as a belt) in a certain amount of time. Usually quantified in items per second.
;Tick : The smallest measurable amount of time in Factorio. There are 60 ticks per second (when running at 60 UPS), and 3600 ticks in a minute.
;Tile : A piece of map. It is not really known how big it is, but for simplifying things we can assume that a tile is a quadratic with side of 1 meter.
;Time : Game time is normally identical with real time, one second in the game is one second in reality, but it can be faster or slower. For example, when the calculations for an update takes longer than a tick, the game slows down (aka UPS).
;Train bus : A popular alternative to the [[#M|main bus]] pattern. Instead of using a belt bus to provide materials for various production cells, a large rail system allows many trains to route materials between more distant cells, sometimes called subfactories. It's a UPS-friendlier strategy for large factories such as megabases.
;Trash can : A simple 'public utility' of sorts, which is an active provider that players can dump unwanted items into. Logistic robots pick them up and store them away. It's useful if you need to get rid of large quantities of items (such as [[wood]] or [[landfill]]) and your logistic trash slots are full.
;Turret : Stationary defense weapon. There are four types of turrets in Factorio, the [[laser turret]], [[gun turret]], [[flamethrower turret]] and [[artillery turret]]. [[Space Age]]{{SA}} adds the [[railgun turret]] and [[tesla turret]].
;Turret creep : The tactic of leap-frogging with turrets into hostile territory. It's very effective due to the strength and range of turrets. Typically done with laser turrets, blueprints and personal roboports, but can also be done by manually placing gun turrets and inserting ammo.

== U ==

;Upcycler: An assembly line designed to increase the [[quality]] of an intermediate or end product.
;UPS : Internal clock speed, "Updates Per Second". The game tries its best to maintain the ideal 60 UPS, but it is affected by the size and complexity of the game world and your computer hardware. A lower UPS means that the simulation runs slower. At 30 UPS everything would take twice as long as under ideal conditions. This is a common concern on megabases or when playing with many mods active. It can be set to more than 60 UPS by changing the game speed via script, processing power permitting. The Transport Belt Madness and Tight Spot campaigns are examples where the game speed can be increased.
;Underbelt : [[Underground belts|Underground belt]]
;Underpipe (Underground pipe) : [[Pipe to ground]]

== V ==
;Vanilla : Regular version of the game with no mods.

== W ==

;Wube : The company based in the Czech Republic that develops Factorio.

== Z ==

;Zoo : A group of biter or spitter nests around which the player has built a safe containment zone, i.e. a circle of turrets. Reasons for doing this include exploiting the nests' pollution absorption and automating the destruction of items (using requester chests near the nests).

{{C|Main}}

Glossary

2025-10-08T05:22:07Z

HeliGungir: /* S */ Speedrun: Rewrite, and links to speedrun.com

{{Languages}}__NOTOC__
This page acts as a general glossary of all terms used in Factorio and its community. We recommend searching the page with {{keybinding|CTRL|F}} to find specific terms. The page is also organized alphabetically.

Additionally, you can click a letter below to be taken to that letter in the list, if you wish to search manually.

[[##|#]] [[#A|A]] [[#B|B]] [[#C|C]] [[#D|D]] [[#E|E]] [[#F|F]] [[#G|G]] [[#H|H]] [[#I|I]] [[#J|J]] [[#K|K]] [[#L|L]] [[#M|M]] [[#N|N]] [[#O|O]] [[#P|P]] [[#Q|Q]] [[#R|R]] [[#S|S]] [[#T|T]] [[#U|U]] [[#V|V]] [[#W|W]] [[#X|X]] [[#Y|Y]] [[#Z|Z]]

== # ==

;1-1, 1-2-1, 2-4, 4-8-4 and similar : A somewhat ambiguous shorthand notation for train configurations. The first number is usually the number of [[locomotive]]s at the head of the train, followed by the number of [[cargo wagon]]s or [[fluid wagon]]s, and optionally followed by the number of tail locomotives if it's a double-headed train. In general, the smaller numbers are the number of locomotives.

== A ==

; AP : Armor piercing, refers to [[piercing rounds magazine]].
;Ammo : [[Firearm magazine|Ammunition]], used for guns/rocket launchers/turrets, etc.
;Angel's mods : A term referring to the mods made by user ''Arch666Angel'', a popular modder who makes extremely popular difficulty/complexity mods that complement Bob's mods.
;Angelbobs : A community term that means a game with both Angel's mods and Bob's mods installed.
;Assembler : Another word for an [[assembling machine]].

== B ==

;BP : Short for [[blueprint]].
;Backed-up : Refers to a machine having no output, and so the input channel fills up. Can also refer to belts being backlogged due to low consumption. This is not necessarily a bad thing.
;Backpressure : What a machine, usually a belt segment or [[inserter]], experiences when delivery stalls because its target is backed up.
;Belt balancer : This is a belt setup that balances multiple belts to contain the same amount of resources, to maximize throughput. See [[balancers]].
;Belt compression : This term refers to ensuring that all items on a belt are right after each other, to ensure no space is wasted and highest throughput.
;Blackout : When your factory completely loses power. This typically happens at night when relying on solar+accumulator power, enemies destroying vital electric poles, or after a prolonged brownout when using electric mining drills and/or electric inserters (instead of their burner variants).
;Bob's mods : A term referring to the mods made by user ''bobingabout'', a popular modder who makes extremely popular difficulty/complexity mods that complement Angel's mods.
;Bots : Shorthand version for [[construction robot]] or [[logistic robot]]. Sometimes also refers to the [[Combat_robot_capsules|combat robots]] created from capsules.
;Bottleneck : A term that means a single point where resources are constrained, such as a slow part of a belt that slows down everything.
;Braiding : The space-saving technique of alternating between two or more different underground belt types (basic, fast and express) in a straight line, one tile wide. The different types of underground belts don't interfere with each other, and inserters can interact with the belt entrance and exit entities.
;Brownout : When your factory's machines are running slower than normal because it's not generating enough electricity.
;Buffer: A place where a stockpile of items is stored to be available when the production stops. Typically a chest.
;Bus : Short for [[#M|main bus]].

== C ==

;Capacity : Maximum amount of items/[[fluid system|fluids]] that can exist within something.
;Catchup : Period where a [[player]] joining a game is required to replay recent changes quickly, so they can be merged into the running game smoothly. Often happens on slow connections, or on servers with a lot going on.
;Chokepoint : Artificial or natural geography that funnels attackers into a narrow, movement-constricting area, making it more difficult for them to breach fortifications. Examples: peninsulas with narrow connections to the mainland, artificial land bridges to islands, nearby lakes, corridors through thick forests. Certain [[cliff]] formations can also present this issue.
;Coin : An item used in the Tight Spot campaign.
;Compression : Like Capacity but applies to belts only.
;Composter : A [[chests|chest]] used to store [[Spoilage_mechanics|spoilable]] items with the intention of spoiling them.
;Contaminated : A [[Transport belts|belt]] with incorrect items on it (such as [[coal]] on an iron belt). Can also refer to [[pipe]]s with mixed liquids.
;Cracktorio : A community term referring to the addictive qualities of Factorio, jokingly comparing the game to crack cocaine.

== D ==

;Daisy chaining : Some entities allow [[inserter]]s to insert and remove items from the same slots, including fuel in [[boiler]]s, ammo in [[gun turret]]s, [[science pack]]s in [[lab]]s, [[module]]s in [[beacon]]s, robots in [[roboport]]s, and any items in [[chests]]. 'Daisy chaining' is a technique that makes use of this mechanic in order to supply some machines with consumables (i.e. fuel, ammo or science packs) without having to use belts. You simply chain multiple machines together with inserters that take the items out of the previous machine and insert them directly into the next. It's sometimes referred to as 'stealing', as in 'coal stealing' or 'ammo stealing'.
;Death world : A map generation configuration that results in a large quantity of [[enemies]], to increase the game's difficulty.
;Double header : This is a term that refers to a train with [[locomotive]]s on both ends, making the train capable of driving in both directions. Opposite of a single header, or standard train. A shorthand example could be: 1-2-1 (locomotive-carriage-carriage-locomotive) or 2-4-2.
;Dragon's teeth : A series of alternating stone wall pillars outside the main wall fortification with the purpose of delaying the biters from reaching the wall. [[Wikipedia:Dragon's_teeth_(fortification)|Dragon's teeth]] were first deployed in the Second World War to delay and channel armoured units into minefields and other defenses. Also used in the 1997 game [[Wikipedia:Total Annihilation|Total Annihilation]].

== E ==

;eSPM : Effective [[science pack|science]] per minute. This is a measure of SPM that explicitly includes all the upgrades (e.g [[productivity module]]s, [[biolab]]s{{SA}}, [[Research productivity (research)|research productivity]]{{SA}}, and [[quality]]{{SA}}).
;Entity : Most things that can be manipulated in-game. Nearly everything in factorio is an entity. Any device, items, trees... Even the player is just an entity.
;Evolution : The development and growth of the native population. Over the course of a game, biters and spitters become bigger and more powerful. See [[Enemies#Evolution|evolution]].

== F ==

;FFF : The weekly blog that the developers make to talk about the development of Factorio. Expanded, it is Factorio Friday Facts, posted every Friday.
;FPS : Visual rendering speed, "frames per second". When this is reduced beneath 60, the game may stutter visually, jitter, or otherwise appear unstable. Low FPS will not necessarily result in low UPS, but they are loosely tied together.
;[[Fuel]] : Refers to any burnable item that can be used to fuel burner devices, such as [[wood]], [[coal]], etc.

== G ==

; GJ : Giga joule, a measurement of energy.
; GW : Giga watt, a measurement of power.
;Ghost : A translucent preview image that designates a position for the construction of an entity. [[Ghost]]s are created when you shift+click with an entity under your cursor, when you use the [[Rail_planner#Ghost_Planner|ghost rail planner]], when an entity is destroyed after you've researched construction robotics, and when you place a blueprint. Construction robots automatically attempt to construct ghosts within their logistic or personal roboport network, and if unable will create an alert for missing construction materials.
;Gigabase : An even larger megabase, typically has SPPM counts > 10k.

== I ==

;Inventory : The ability for an entity to hold items within it. Almost all entities have inventories.
;Item : Items represent the un-built version of a machine, tools, intermediate products etc. Typically, items are found on belts, in the player's inventory, and inside machines. Items can be provided to recipes to create other items.
;Item explosion : A phenomenon when a lot of items are spilled on the ground in a square-like fashion. Usually due to accidentally removing [[power armor]] when having a full inventory.
;Item request slot : A special request slot for machines with module slots that allows them to request the [[module]]s in the blueprint from which they were constructed. The [[deconstruction planner]] has a filter for canceling these requests.

== K ==

; kJ : Kilojoule, a measurement of energy.
; kW : Kilowatt, a measurement of power.
;Kovarex : The founding father of Factorio and where [[kovarex enrichment process]] gets its name from.

== L ==
;Lane : One side of a transport belt. Each belt has two lanes.
;Lane balancer : This is a belt setup that balances the two lanes on a belt to be equal, to maximize throughput. See [[balancer mechanics]].
;Legs : [[Exoskeleton]]
;Loader : An abandoned concept for a belt-based mechanism that continuously loads and unloads machines, as an alternative to inserters. Functional loader entities can still be found in the editor, and some mods give them a proper texture and make them available in regular games. Loaders are used in the official Team Production scenario.

== M ==

; MW : Mega watt, a measurement of power.
; MJ : Mega joule, a measurement of energy.
;Main bus : The opposite of spaghetti, this refers to placing multiple belts side by side containing one resource, and branching off of it in order to create setups. Allows for organized layout of resource transportation.
;Mall: Also known as store. A location in a factory that produces many types of different items that the player needs but in relatively small amounts.
;Marathon: A game mode where technologies and recipes are significantly more expensive.
;Map exchange string : A long piece of text that encodes the settings used to generate a map. See [[Map generator#Map exchange string|map exchange string]].
;Market : A building where you can buy items using coins. It's available in the editor and used in the Tight Spot campaign.
;Mats : Shorthand for materials.
;Megabase : A community term referring to a significantly large base that has been built over a significant time/effort. Often, these bases are quantified in terms of science packs per minute, or "SPPM". A base typically is considered a megabase when it can maintain 1k SPPM.
;Mod : This term refers to a script or collection of scripts that change how the game acts, adds new items/entities, etc.
;Modpack : A community term referring to a collection of mods that work well together.

== N ==

;Nauvis : The planet that Factorio takes place on. Used to be an internal name, but became canonical with version 2.0.
;Night steam : The strategy of relying on solar panels to generate electricity during the day and steam engines during the night.
;No path : A common error that means that a train cannot find a valid route to a train stop. See [[Railway#No_path|no path]].

== O ==

; Outpost : A small base created far away from a main base, usually to serve a single purpose like mining or production of a specific resource.

== P ==

;Priority splitter : A splitter design that directs as many resources as possible from a bus to an offshoot before letting excess items flow past. This is in contrast to a splitter that always distributes some percentage of items to both sides (depending on the particular arrangement of splitters).
;PAX (train) : Short for passenger train or player access station, another name for the [[Glossary#S|shuttle]].

== Q ==
;QoL : Quality of life, often refers to mods that increase ease of play.

== R ==

;RORO : Abbreviation for "Roll on, roll off" in the context of train station design. It means that trains arrive at the station at one end and leave the station at the other end (driving past the train stop), as opposed to terminus stations.
;RPM : Shorthand for rockets per minute.
;Rainbow belt : A transport belt with many different types of items on it, rather than the easier-to-manage one or two types of items. See [[#S|sushi belt]].
;Ribbon world : A world which has been set up to have limited space in one dimension (width or height), adding a new challenge. The smallest ribbon world in which you can launch a rocket is a map limited to a width or height of 9 tiles, the size of the rocket silo.
;River (belt) : A design strategy where items are continuously moving without looping or [[#B|backing up]] to be either processed or destroyed. Sometimes used as a strategy to handle [[Spoilage_mechanics|spoilable]] items.
;Roundabout : This term refers to a type of path for trains, to allow the trains to enter the circle, and exit onto the exit rail that they path to. Generally recommended against, due to throughput and self collision issues.

== S ==

;SA : [[Space Age]], the offical Factorio expansion.
;Scenario : A map that has been saved via the [[map editor]]. Special scripting can be added to make simple "events".
;SE : [https://mods.factorio.com/mod/space-exploration Space Exploration], a popular mod created by Earendel, who later worked on Space Age.
;Seed : A number associated with each map that determines the outcome of certain pseudo-random processes, like terrain generation. All other settings being equal, different seeds result in vastly different terrain features. The seed is included in [[#M|map exchange strings]].
;Shuttle : A train for personal transportation around the factory. Sometimes called a taxi.
;Sideloading : This is a commonly used term that refers to running the end of a [[transport belt]] into the side of another, so that only the lane on the side of the belt that the other belt is on is filled. This is typically done to create a belt that carries two different resources side-by-side on the same belt.
;Smart furnace : A smelting setup that can process multiple materials (e.g. iron ore, copper ore, iron plates, stone).
;Spaghetti : [[File:spaghetti_example.png|thumb|200px|right|An example of a "spaghetti" setup with intertwining belts.]]A community term referring to the "spaghetti" look of many belts/entities placed in a disorganized fashion. Typically created by new players to Factorio. Generally, it will be moved away from as soon as the player realizes the logistical problems it causes. Note that not all "spaghetti" factories are necessarily inefficient.
;Speedrun : Attempting to beat the game as quickly as possible. World record attempts are compiled on [https://www.speedrun.com/factorio speedrun.com/factorio] and [https://www.speedrun.com/Space_Age speedrun.com/Space_Age]
;SPM : Science per minute. Prior to 2.0, this term was exclusively used to indicate the number of science packs produced by a factory (SPPM). Since 2.0, the game has added multiple UI elements that include some bonuses not previously included in SPM, now surfacing a value also referred to as effective SPM (eSPM). The [[Production statistics]] now shows a "Science" item, and the [[Research]] tooltip shows "Science per minute" as a single value. Due to the shift in meaning caused by the addition of these UI elements, this term now has some ambiguity.
;SPPM : Science packs per minute. Measured per type, so 1k SPPM will mean production of 1000 of each science pack type per minute, though military science is often excluded. Usually used to measure the size of very big bases, see [[#M|megabase]] and [[#G|gigabase]].
;Stacker : Also known as '''parking lot'''. A waiting bay for trains, allowing them to wait on different parallel tracks and not block each other until their destination becomes free. Recommended in front of large, multi-platform stations.
;Supply train: A train that usually for personal use that is used to carry mostly building materials like rails, conveyor belts, inserters, assembly machines etc..
;Sushi belt : The strategy of mixing many different types of items on transport belts to supply machines that need some or all of those items. It sacrifices throughput for compactness (and beauty). It looks colorful and diverse like a tray of sushi. Its perhaps most popular application is supplying labs with science packs. Sometimes called sushi bar or rainbow belt.
;Sushi river : A [[#R|river belt]] on which many different items are mixed, like a [[#S|sushi belt]].

== T ==

;TINS : Abbreviation of "There Is No Spoon", the name of the in-game achievement.
;Terminus : A train station design where trains come in and leave from the same side, thus requiring double-headed trains, unlike RORO stations.
;Throughput : A term that refers to the maximum amount of resources that can travel through something (such as a belt) in a certain amount of time. Usually quantified in items per second.
;Tick : The smallest measurable amount of time in Factorio. There are 60 ticks per second (when running at 60 UPS), and 3600 ticks in a minute.
;Tile : A piece of map. It is not really known how big it is, but for simplifying things we can assume that a tile is a quadratic with side of 1 meter.
;Time : Game time is normally identical with real time, one second in the game is one second in reality, but it can be faster or slower. For example, when the calculations for an update takes longer than a tick, the game slows down (aka UPS).
;Train bus : A popular alternative to the [[#M|main bus]] pattern. Instead of using a belt bus to provide materials for various production cells, a large rail system allows many trains to route materials between more distant cells, sometimes called subfactories. It's a UPS-friendlier strategy for large factories such as megabases.
;Trash can : A simple 'public utility' of sorts, which is an active provider that players can dump unwanted items into. Logistic robots pick them up and store them away. It's useful if you need to get rid of large quantities of items (such as [[wood]] or [[landfill]]) and your logistic trash slots are full.
;Turret : Stationary defense weapon. There are four types of turrets in Factorio, the [[laser turret]], [[gun turret]], [[flamethrower turret]] and [[artillery turret]]. [[Space Age]]{{SA}} adds the [[railgun turret]] and [[tesla turret]].
;Turret creep : The tactic of leap-frogging with turrets into hostile territory. It's very effective due to the strength and range of turrets. Typically done with laser turrets, blueprints and personal roboports, but can also be done by manually placing gun turrets and inserting ammo.

== U ==

;Upcycler: An assembly line designed to increase the [[quality]] of an intermediate or end product.
;UPS : Internal clock speed, "Updates Per Second". The game tries its best to maintain the ideal 60 UPS, but it is affected by the size and complexity of the game world and your computer hardware. A lower UPS means that the simulation runs slower. At 30 UPS everything would take twice as long as under ideal conditions. This is a common concern on megabases or when playing with many mods active. It can be set to more than 60 UPS by changing the game speed via script, processing power permitting. The Transport Belt Madness and Tight Spot campaigns are examples where the game speed can be increased.

== V ==
;Vanilla : Regular version of the game with no mods.

== W ==

;Wube : The company based in the Czech Republic that develops Factorio.

== Z ==

;Zoo : A group of biter or spitter nests around which the player has built a safe containment zone, i.e. a circle of turrets. Reasons for doing this include exploiting the nests' pollution absorption and automating the destruction of items (using requester chests near the nests).

{{C|Main}}

Glossary

2025-10-08T05:06:22Z

HeliGungir: /* S */ SE: Space Exploration

{{Languages}}__NOTOC__
This page acts as a general glossary of all terms used in Factorio and its community. We recommend searching the page with {{keybinding|CTRL|F}} to find specific terms. The page is also organized alphabetically.

Additionally, you can click a letter below to be taken to that letter in the list, if you wish to search manually.

[[##|#]] [[#A|A]] [[#B|B]] [[#C|C]] [[#D|D]] [[#E|E]] [[#F|F]] [[#G|G]] [[#H|H]] [[#I|I]] [[#J|J]] [[#K|K]] [[#L|L]] [[#M|M]] [[#N|N]] [[#O|O]] [[#P|P]] [[#Q|Q]] [[#R|R]] [[#S|S]] [[#T|T]] [[#U|U]] [[#V|V]] [[#W|W]] [[#X|X]] [[#Y|Y]] [[#Z|Z]]

== # ==

;1-1, 1-2-1, 2-4, 4-8-4 and similar : A somewhat ambiguous shorthand notation for train configurations. The first number is usually the number of [[locomotive]]s at the head of the train, followed by the number of [[cargo wagon]]s or [[fluid wagon]]s, and optionally followed by the number of tail locomotives if it's a double-headed train. In general, the smaller numbers are the number of locomotives.

== A ==

; AP : Armor piercing, refers to [[piercing rounds magazine]].
;Ammo : [[Firearm magazine|Ammunition]], used for guns/rocket launchers/turrets, etc.
;Angel's mods : A term referring to the mods made by user ''Arch666Angel'', a popular modder who makes extremely popular difficulty/complexity mods that complement Bob's mods.
;Angelbobs : A community term that means a game with both Angel's mods and Bob's mods installed.
;Assembler : Another word for an [[assembling machine]].

== B ==

;BP : Short for [[blueprint]].
;Backed-up : Refers to a machine having no output, and so the input channel fills up. Can also refer to belts being backlogged due to low consumption. This is not necessarily a bad thing.
;Backpressure : What a machine, usually a belt segment or [[inserter]], experiences when delivery stalls because its target is backed up.
;Belt balancer : This is a belt setup that balances multiple belts to contain the same amount of resources, to maximize throughput. See [[balancers]].
;Belt compression : This term refers to ensuring that all items on a belt are right after each other, to ensure no space is wasted and highest throughput.
;Blackout : When your factory completely loses power. This typically happens at night when relying on solar+accumulator power, enemies destroying vital electric poles, or after a prolonged brownout when using electric mining drills and/or electric inserters (instead of their burner variants).
;Bob's mods : A term referring to the mods made by user ''bobingabout'', a popular modder who makes extremely popular difficulty/complexity mods that complement Angel's mods.
;Bots : Shorthand version for [[construction robot]] or [[logistic robot]]. Sometimes also refers to the [[Combat_robot_capsules|combat robots]] created from capsules.
;Bottleneck : A term that means a single point where resources are constrained, such as a slow part of a belt that slows down everything.
;Braiding : The space-saving technique of alternating between two or more different underground belt types (basic, fast and express) in a straight line, one tile wide. The different types of underground belts don't interfere with each other, and inserters can interact with the belt entrance and exit entities.
;Brownout : When your factory's machines are running slower than normal because it's not generating enough electricity.
;Buffer: A place where a stockpile of items is stored to be available when the production stops. Typically a chest.
;Bus : Short for [[#M|main bus]].

== C ==

;Capacity : Maximum amount of items/[[fluid system|fluids]] that can exist within something.
;Catchup : Period where a [[player]] joining a game is required to replay recent changes quickly, so they can be merged into the running game smoothly. Often happens on slow connections, or on servers with a lot going on.
;Chokepoint : Artificial or natural geography that funnels attackers into a narrow, movement-constricting area, making it more difficult for them to breach fortifications. Examples: peninsulas with narrow connections to the mainland, artificial land bridges to islands, nearby lakes, corridors through thick forests. Certain [[cliff]] formations can also present this issue.
;Coin : An item used in the Tight Spot campaign.
;Compression : Like Capacity but applies to belts only.
;Composter : A [[chests|chest]] used to store [[Spoilage_mechanics|spoilable]] items with the intention of spoiling them.
;Contaminated : A [[Transport belts|belt]] with incorrect items on it (such as [[coal]] on an iron belt). Can also refer to [[pipe]]s with mixed liquids.
;Cracktorio : A community term referring to the addictive qualities of Factorio, jokingly comparing the game to crack cocaine.

== D ==

;Daisy chaining : Some entities allow [[inserter]]s to insert and remove items from the same slots, including fuel in [[boiler]]s, ammo in [[gun turret]]s, [[science pack]]s in [[lab]]s, [[module]]s in [[beacon]]s, robots in [[roboport]]s, and any items in [[chests]]. 'Daisy chaining' is a technique that makes use of this mechanic in order to supply some machines with consumables (i.e. fuel, ammo or science packs) without having to use belts. You simply chain multiple machines together with inserters that take the items out of the previous machine and insert them directly into the next. It's sometimes referred to as 'stealing', as in 'coal stealing' or 'ammo stealing'.
;Death world : A map generation configuration that results in a large quantity of [[enemies]], to increase the game's difficulty.
;Double header : This is a term that refers to a train with [[locomotive]]s on both ends, making the train capable of driving in both directions. Opposite of a single header, or standard train. A shorthand example could be: 1-2-1 (locomotive-carriage-carriage-locomotive) or 2-4-2.
;Dragon's teeth : A series of alternating stone wall pillars outside the main wall fortification with the purpose of delaying the biters from reaching the wall. [[Wikipedia:Dragon's_teeth_(fortification)|Dragon's teeth]] were first deployed in the Second World War to delay and channel armoured units into minefields and other defenses. Also used in the 1997 game [[Wikipedia:Total Annihilation|Total Annihilation]].

== E ==

;eSPM : Effective [[science pack|science]] per minute. This is a measure of SPM that explicitly includes all the upgrades (e.g [[productivity module]]s, [[biolab]]s{{SA}}, [[Research productivity (research)|research productivity]]{{SA}}, and [[quality]]{{SA}}).
;Entity : Most things that can be manipulated in-game. Nearly everything in factorio is an entity. Any device, items, trees... Even the player is just an entity.
;Evolution : The development and growth of the native population. Over the course of a game, biters and spitters become bigger and more powerful. See [[Enemies#Evolution|evolution]].

== F ==

;FFF : The weekly blog that the developers make to talk about the development of Factorio. Expanded, it is Factorio Friday Facts, posted every Friday.
;FPS : Visual rendering speed, "frames per second". When this is reduced beneath 60, the game may stutter visually, jitter, or otherwise appear unstable. Low FPS will not necessarily result in low UPS, but they are loosely tied together.
;[[Fuel]] : Refers to any burnable item that can be used to fuel burner devices, such as [[wood]], [[coal]], etc.

== G ==

; GJ : Giga joule, a measurement of energy.
; GW : Giga watt, a measurement of power.
;Ghost : A translucent preview image that designates a position for the construction of an entity. [[Ghost]]s are created when you shift+click with an entity under your cursor, when you use the [[Rail_planner#Ghost_Planner|ghost rail planner]], when an entity is destroyed after you've researched construction robotics, and when you place a blueprint. Construction robots automatically attempt to construct ghosts within their logistic or personal roboport network, and if unable will create an alert for missing construction materials.
;Gigabase : An even larger megabase, typically has SPPM counts > 10k.

== I ==

;Inventory : The ability for an entity to hold items within it. Almost all entities have inventories.
;Item : Items represent the un-built version of a machine, tools, intermediate products etc. Typically, items are found on belts, in the player's inventory, and inside machines. Items can be provided to recipes to create other items.
;Item explosion : A phenomenon when a lot of items are spilled on the ground in a square-like fashion. Usually due to accidentally removing [[power armor]] when having a full inventory.
;Item request slot : A special request slot for machines with module slots that allows them to request the [[module]]s in the blueprint from which they were constructed. The [[deconstruction planner]] has a filter for canceling these requests.

== K ==

; kJ : Kilojoule, a measurement of energy.
; kW : Kilowatt, a measurement of power.
;Kovarex : The founding father of Factorio and where [[kovarex enrichment process]] gets its name from.

== L ==
;Lane : One side of a transport belt. Each belt has two lanes.
;Lane balancer : This is a belt setup that balances the two lanes on a belt to be equal, to maximize throughput. See [[balancer mechanics]].
;Legs : [[Exoskeleton]]
;Loader : An abandoned concept for a belt-based mechanism that continuously loads and unloads machines, as an alternative to inserters. Functional loader entities can still be found in the editor, and some mods give them a proper texture and make them available in regular games. Loaders are used in the official Team Production scenario.

== M ==

; MW : Mega watt, a measurement of power.
; MJ : Mega joule, a measurement of energy.
;Main bus : The opposite of spaghetti, this refers to placing multiple belts side by side containing one resource, and branching off of it in order to create setups. Allows for organized layout of resource transportation.
;Mall: Also known as store. A location in a factory that produces many types of different items that the player needs but in relatively small amounts.
;Marathon: A game mode where technologies and recipes are significantly more expensive.
;Map exchange string : A long piece of text that encodes the settings used to generate a map. See [[Map generator#Map exchange string|map exchange string]].
;Market : A building where you can buy items using coins. It's available in the editor and used in the Tight Spot campaign.
;Mats : Shorthand for materials.
;Megabase : A community term referring to a significantly large base that has been built over a significant time/effort. Often, these bases are quantified in terms of science packs per minute, or "SPPM". A base typically is considered a megabase when it can maintain 1k SPPM.
;Mod : This term refers to a script or collection of scripts that change how the game acts, adds new items/entities, etc.
;Modpack : A community term referring to a collection of mods that work well together.

== N ==

;Nauvis : The planet that Factorio takes place on. Used to be an internal name, but became canonical with version 2.0.
;Night steam : The strategy of relying on solar panels to generate electricity during the day and steam engines during the night.
;No path : A common error that means that a train cannot find a valid route to a train stop. See [[Railway#No_path|no path]].

== O ==

; Outpost : A small base created far away from a main base, usually to serve a single purpose like mining or production of a specific resource.

== P ==

;Priority splitter : A splitter design that directs as many resources as possible from a bus to an offshoot before letting excess items flow past. This is in contrast to a splitter that always distributes some percentage of items to both sides (depending on the particular arrangement of splitters).
;PAX (train) : Short for passenger train or player access station, another name for the [[Glossary#S|shuttle]].

== Q ==
;QoL : Quality of life, often refers to mods that increase ease of play.

== R ==

;RORO : Abbreviation for "Roll on, roll off" in the context of train station design. It means that trains arrive at the station at one end and leave the station at the other end (driving past the train stop), as opposed to terminus stations.
;RPM : Shorthand for rockets per minute.
;Rainbow belt : A transport belt with many different types of items on it, rather than the easier-to-manage one or two types of items. See [[#S|sushi belt]].
;Ribbon world : A world which has been set up to have limited space in one dimension (width or height), adding a new challenge. The smallest ribbon world in which you can launch a rocket is a map limited to a width or height of 9 tiles, the size of the rocket silo.
;River (belt) : A design strategy where items are continuously moving without looping or [[#B|backing up]] to be either processed or destroyed. Sometimes used as a strategy to handle [[Spoilage_mechanics|spoilable]] items.
;Roundabout : This term refers to a type of path for trains, to allow the trains to enter the circle, and exit onto the exit rail that they path to. Generally recommended against, due to throughput and self collision issues.

== S ==

;SA : [[Space Age]], the offical Factorio expansion.
;Scenario : A map that has been saved via the [[map editor]]. Special scripting can be added to make simple "events".
;SE : [https://mods.factorio.com/mod/space-exploration Space Exploration], a popular mod created by Earendel, who later worked on Space Age.
;Seed : A number associated with each map that determines the outcome of certain pseudo-random processes, like terrain generation. All other settings being equal, different seeds result in vastly different terrain features. The seed is included in [[#M|map exchange strings]].
;Shuttle : A train for personal transportation around the factory. Sometimes called a taxi.
;Sideloading : This is a commonly used term that refers to running the end of a [[transport belt]] into the side of another, so that only the lane on the side of the belt that the other belt is on is filled. This is typically done to create a belt that carries two different resources side-by-side on the same belt.
;Smart furnace : A smelting setup that can process multiple materials (e.g. iron ore, copper ore, iron plates, stone).
;Spaghetti : [[File:spaghetti_example.png|thumb|200px|right|An example of a "spaghetti" setup with intertwining belts.]]A community term referring to the "spaghetti" look of many belts/entities placed in a disorganized fashion. Typically created by new players to Factorio. Generally, it will be moved away from as soon as the player realizes the logistical problems it causes. Note that not all "spaghetti" factories are necessarily inefficient.
;Speedrun : A term referring to attempting to quickly finish the game as soon as possible. At the time of this writing, the singleplayer record is just under two hours.
;SPM : Science per minute. Prior to 2.0, this term was exclusively used to indicate the number of science packs produced by a factory (SPPM). Since 2.0, the game has added multiple UI elements that include some bonuses not previously included in SPM, now surfacing a value also referred to as effective SPM (eSPM). The [[Production statistics]] now shows a "Science" item, and the [[Research]] tooltip shows "Science per minute" as a single value. Due to the shift in meaning caused by the addition of these UI elements, this term now has some ambiguity.
;SPPM : Science packs per minute. Measured per type, so 1k SPPM will mean production of 1000 of each science pack type per minute, though military science is often excluded. Usually used to measure the size of very big bases, see [[#M|megabase]] and [[#G|gigabase]].
;Stacker : Also known as '''parking lot'''. A waiting bay for trains, allowing them to wait on different parallel tracks and not block each other until their destination becomes free. Recommended in front of large, multi-platform stations.
;Supply train: A train that usually for personal use that is used to carry mostly building materials like rails, conveyor belts, inserters, assembly machines etc..
;Sushi belt : The strategy of mixing many different types of items on transport belts to supply machines that need some or all of those items. It sacrifices throughput for compactness (and beauty). It looks colorful and diverse like a tray of sushi. Its perhaps most popular application is supplying labs with science packs. Sometimes called sushi bar or rainbow belt.
;Sushi river : A [[#R|river belt]] on which many different items are mixed, like a [[#S|sushi belt]].

== T ==

;TINS : Abbreviation of "There Is No Spoon", the name of the in-game achievement.
;Terminus : A train station design where trains come in and leave from the same side, thus requiring double-headed trains, unlike RORO stations.
;Throughput : A term that refers to the maximum amount of resources that can travel through something (such as a belt) in a certain amount of time. Usually quantified in items per second.
;Tick : The smallest measurable amount of time in Factorio. There are 60 ticks per second (when running at 60 UPS), and 3600 ticks in a minute.
;Tile : A piece of map. It is not really known how big it is, but for simplifying things we can assume that a tile is a quadratic with side of 1 meter.
;Time : Game time is normally identical with real time, one second in the game is one second in reality, but it can be faster or slower. For example, when the calculations for an update takes longer than a tick, the game slows down (aka UPS).
;Train bus : A popular alternative to the [[#M|main bus]] pattern. Instead of using a belt bus to provide materials for various production cells, a large rail system allows many trains to route materials between more distant cells, sometimes called subfactories. It's a UPS-friendlier strategy for large factories such as megabases.
;Trash can : A simple 'public utility' of sorts, which is an active provider that players can dump unwanted items into. Logistic robots pick them up and store them away. It's useful if you need to get rid of large quantities of items (such as [[wood]] or [[landfill]]) and your logistic trash slots are full.
;Turret : Stationary defense weapon. There are four types of turrets in Factorio, the [[laser turret]], [[gun turret]], [[flamethrower turret]] and [[artillery turret]]. [[Space Age]]{{SA}} adds the [[railgun turret]] and [[tesla turret]].
;Turret creep : The tactic of leap-frogging with turrets into hostile territory. It's very effective due to the strength and range of turrets. Typically done with laser turrets, blueprints and personal roboports, but can also be done by manually placing gun turrets and inserting ammo.

== U ==

;Upcycler: An assembly line designed to increase the [[quality]] of an intermediate or end product.
;UPS : Internal clock speed, "Updates Per Second". The game tries its best to maintain the ideal 60 UPS, but it is affected by the size and complexity of the game world and your computer hardware. A lower UPS means that the simulation runs slower. At 30 UPS everything would take twice as long as under ideal conditions. This is a common concern on megabases or when playing with many mods active. It can be set to more than 60 UPS by changing the game speed via script, processing power permitting. The Transport Belt Madness and Tight Spot campaigns are examples where the game speed can be increased.

== V ==
;Vanilla : Regular version of the game with no mods.

== W ==

;Wube : The company based in the Czech Republic that develops Factorio.

== Z ==

;Zoo : A group of biter or spitter nests around which the player has built a safe containment zone, i.e. a circle of turrets. Reasons for doing this include exploiting the nests' pollution absorption and automating the destruction of items (using requester chests near the nests).

{{C|Main}}

Glossary

2025-10-08T04:36:07Z

HeliGungir: /* Item request slot */ Fix link

{{Languages}}__NOTOC__
This page acts as a general glossary of all terms used in Factorio and its community. We recommend searching the page with {{keybinding|CTRL|F}} to find specific terms. The page is also organized alphabetically.

Additionally, you can click a letter below to be taken to that letter in the list, if you wish to search manually.

[[##|#]] [[#A|A]] [[#B|B]] [[#C|C]] [[#D|D]] [[#E|E]] [[#F|F]] [[#G|G]] [[#H|H]] [[#I|I]] [[#J|J]] [[#K|K]] [[#L|L]] [[#M|M]] [[#N|N]] [[#O|O]] [[#P|P]] [[#Q|Q]] [[#R|R]] [[#S|S]] [[#T|T]] [[#U|U]] [[#V|V]] [[#W|W]] [[#X|X]] [[#Y|Y]] [[#Z|Z]]

== # ==

;1-1, 1-2-1, 2-4, 4-8-4 and similar : A somewhat ambiguous shorthand notation for train configurations. The first number is usually the number of [[locomotive]]s at the head of the train, followed by the number of [[cargo wagon]]s or [[fluid wagon]]s, and optionally followed by the number of tail locomotives if it's a double-headed train. In general, the smaller numbers are the number of locomotives.

== A ==

; AP : Armor piercing, refers to [[piercing rounds magazine]].
;Ammo : [[Firearm magazine|Ammunition]], used for guns/rocket launchers/turrets, etc.
;Angel's mods : A term referring to the mods made by user ''Arch666Angel'', a popular modder who makes extremely popular difficulty/complexity mods that complement Bob's mods.
;Angelbobs : A community term that means a game with both Angel's mods and Bob's mods installed.
;Assembler : Another word for an [[assembling machine]].

== B ==

;BP : Short for [[blueprint]].
;Backed-up : Refers to a machine having no output, and so the input channel fills up. Can also refer to belts being backlogged due to low consumption. This is not necessarily a bad thing.
;Backpressure : What a machine, usually a belt segment or [[inserter]], experiences when delivery stalls because its target is backed up.
;Belt balancer : This is a belt setup that balances multiple belts to contain the same amount of resources, to maximize throughput. See [[balancers]].
;Belt compression : This term refers to ensuring that all items on a belt are right after each other, to ensure no space is wasted and highest throughput.
;Blackout : When your factory completely loses power. This typically happens at night when relying on solar+accumulator power, enemies destroying vital electric poles, or after a prolonged brownout when using electric mining drills and/or electric inserters (instead of their burner variants).
;Bob's mods : A term referring to the mods made by user ''bobingabout'', a popular modder who makes extremely popular difficulty/complexity mods that complement Angel's mods.
;Bots : Shorthand version for [[construction robot]] or [[logistic robot]]. Sometimes also refers to the [[Combat_robot_capsules|combat robots]] created from capsules.
;Bottleneck : A term that means a single point where resources are constrained, such as a slow part of a belt that slows down everything.
;Braiding : The space-saving technique of alternating between two or more different underground belt types (basic, fast and express) in a straight line, one tile wide. The different types of underground belts don't interfere with each other, and inserters can interact with the belt entrance and exit entities.
;Brownout : When your factory's machines are running slower than normal because it's not generating enough electricity.
;Buffer: A place where a stockpile of items is stored to be available when the production stops. Typically a chest.
;Bus : Short for [[#M|main bus]].

== C ==

;Capacity : Maximum amount of items/[[fluid system|fluids]] that can exist within something.
;Catchup : Period where a [[player]] joining a game is required to replay recent changes quickly, so they can be merged into the running game smoothly. Often happens on slow connections, or on servers with a lot going on.
;Chokepoint : Artificial or natural geography that funnels attackers into a narrow, movement-constricting area, making it more difficult for them to breach fortifications. Examples: peninsulas with narrow connections to the mainland, artificial land bridges to islands, nearby lakes, corridors through thick forests. Certain [[cliff]] formations can also present this issue.
;Coin : An item used in the Tight Spot campaign.
;Compression : Like Capacity but applies to belts only.
;Composter : A [[chests|chest]] used to store [[Spoilage_mechanics|spoilable]] items with the intention of spoiling them.
;Contaminated : A [[Transport belts|belt]] with incorrect items on it (such as [[coal]] on an iron belt). Can also refer to [[pipe]]s with mixed liquids.
;Cracktorio : A community term referring to the addictive qualities of Factorio, jokingly comparing the game to crack cocaine.

== D ==

;Daisy chaining : Some entities allow [[inserter]]s to insert and remove items from the same slots, including fuel in [[boiler]]s, ammo in [[gun turret]]s, [[science pack]]s in [[lab]]s, [[module]]s in [[beacon]]s, robots in [[roboport]]s, and any items in [[chests]]. 'Daisy chaining' is a technique that makes use of this mechanic in order to supply some machines with consumables (i.e. fuel, ammo or science packs) without having to use belts. You simply chain multiple machines together with inserters that take the items out of the previous machine and insert them directly into the next. It's sometimes referred to as 'stealing', as in 'coal stealing' or 'ammo stealing'.
;Death world : A map generation configuration that results in a large quantity of [[enemies]], to increase the game's difficulty.
;Double header : This is a term that refers to a train with [[locomotive]]s on both ends, making the train capable of driving in both directions. Opposite of a single header, or standard train. A shorthand example could be: 1-2-1 (locomotive-carriage-carriage-locomotive) or 2-4-2.
;Dragon's teeth : A series of alternating stone wall pillars outside the main wall fortification with the purpose of delaying the biters from reaching the wall. [[Wikipedia:Dragon's_teeth_(fortification)|Dragon's teeth]] were first deployed in the Second World War to delay and channel armoured units into minefields and other defenses. Also used in the 1997 game [[Wikipedia:Total Annihilation|Total Annihilation]].

== E ==

;eSPM : Effective [[science pack|science]] per minute. This is a measure of SPM that explicitly includes all the upgrades (e.g [[productivity module]]s, [[biolab]]s{{SA}}, [[Research productivity (research)|research productivity]]{{SA}}, and [[quality]]{{SA}}).
;Entity : Most things that can be manipulated in-game. Nearly everything in factorio is an entity. Any device, items, trees... Even the player is just an entity.
;Evolution : The development and growth of the native population. Over the course of a game, biters and spitters become bigger and more powerful. See [[Enemies#Evolution|evolution]].

== F ==

;FFF : The weekly blog that the developers make to talk about the development of Factorio. Expanded, it is Factorio Friday Facts, posted every Friday.
;FPS : Visual rendering speed, "frames per second". When this is reduced beneath 60, the game may stutter visually, jitter, or otherwise appear unstable. Low FPS will not necessarily result in low UPS, but they are loosely tied together.
;[[Fuel]] : Refers to any burnable item that can be used to fuel burner devices, such as [[wood]], [[coal]], etc.

== G ==

; GJ : Giga joule, a measurement of energy.
; GW : Giga watt, a measurement of power.
;Ghost : A translucent preview image that designates a position for the construction of an entity. [[Ghost]]s are created when you shift+click with an entity under your cursor, when you use the [[Rail_planner#Ghost_Planner|ghost rail planner]], when an entity is destroyed after you've researched construction robotics, and when you place a blueprint. Construction robots automatically attempt to construct ghosts within their logistic or personal roboport network, and if unable will create an alert for missing construction materials.
;Gigabase : An even larger megabase, typically has SPPM counts > 10k.

== I ==

;Inventory : The ability for an entity to hold items within it. Almost all entities have inventories.
;Item : Items represent the un-built version of a machine, tools, intermediate products etc. Typically, items are found on belts, in the player's inventory, and inside machines. Items can be provided to recipes to create other items.
;Item explosion : A phenomenon when a lot of items are spilled on the ground in a square-like fashion. Usually due to accidentally removing [[power armor]] when having a full inventory.
;Item request slot : A special request slot for machines with module slots that allows them to request the [[module]]s in the blueprint from which they were constructed. The [[deconstruction planner]] has a filter for canceling these requests.

== K ==

; kJ : Kilojoule, a measurement of energy.
; kW : Kilowatt, a measurement of power.
;Kovarex : The founding father of Factorio and where [[kovarex enrichment process]] gets its name from.

== L ==
;Lane : One side of a transport belt. Each belt has two lanes.
;Lane balancer : This is a belt setup that balances the two lanes on a belt to be equal, to maximize throughput. See [[balancer mechanics]].
;Legs : [[Exoskeleton]]
;Loader : An abandoned concept for a belt-based mechanism that continuously loads and unloads machines, as an alternative to inserters. Functional loader entities can still be found in the editor, and some mods give them a proper texture and make them available in regular games. Loaders are used in the official Team Production scenario.

== M ==

; MW : Mega watt, a measurement of power.
; MJ : Mega joule, a measurement of energy.
;Main bus : The opposite of spaghetti, this refers to placing multiple belts side by side containing one resource, and branching off of it in order to create setups. Allows for organized layout of resource transportation.
;Mall: Also known as store. A location in a factory that produces many types of different items that the player needs but in relatively small amounts.
;Marathon: A game mode where technologies and recipes are significantly more expensive.
;Map exchange string : A long piece of text that encodes the settings used to generate a map. See [[Map generator#Map exchange string|map exchange string]].
;Market : A building where you can buy items using coins. It's available in the editor and used in the Tight Spot campaign.
;Mats : Shorthand for materials.
;Megabase : A community term referring to a significantly large base that has been built over a significant time/effort. Often, these bases are quantified in terms of science packs per minute, or "SPPM". A base typically is considered a megabase when it can maintain 1k SPPM.
;Mod : This term refers to a script or collection of scripts that change how the game acts, adds new items/entities, etc.
;Modpack : A community term referring to a collection of mods that work well together.

== N ==

;Nauvis : The planet that Factorio takes place on. Used to be an internal name, but became canonical with version 2.0.
;Night steam : The strategy of relying on solar panels to generate electricity during the day and steam engines during the night.
;No path : A common error that means that a train cannot find a valid route to a train stop. See [[Railway#No_path|no path]].

== O ==

; Outpost : A small base created far away from a main base, usually to serve a single purpose like mining or production of a specific resource.

== P ==

;Priority splitter : A splitter design that directs as many resources as possible from a bus to an offshoot before letting excess items flow past. This is in contrast to a splitter that always distributes some percentage of items to both sides (depending on the particular arrangement of splitters).
;PAX (train) : Short for passenger train or player access station, another name for the [[Glossary#S|shuttle]].

== Q ==
;QoL : Quality of life, often refers to mods that increase ease of play.

== R ==

;RORO : Abbreviation for "Roll on, roll off" in the context of train station design. It means that trains arrive at the station at one end and leave the station at the other end (driving past the train stop), as opposed to terminus stations.
;RPM : Shorthand for rockets per minute.
;Rainbow belt : A transport belt with many different types of items on it, rather than the easier-to-manage one or two types of items. See [[#S|sushi belt]].
;Ribbon world : A world which has been set up to have limited space in one dimension (width or height), adding a new challenge. The smallest ribbon world in which you can launch a rocket is a map limited to a width or height of 9 tiles, the size of the rocket silo.
;River (belt) : A design strategy where items are continuously moving without looping or [[#B|backing up]] to be either processed or destroyed. Sometimes used as a strategy to handle [[Spoilage_mechanics|spoilable]] items.
;Roundabout : This term refers to a type of path for trains, to allow the trains to enter the circle, and exit onto the exit rail that they path to. Generally recommended against, due to throughput and self collision issues.

== S ==

;SA : [[Space Age]], the offical Factorio expansion.
;Scenario : A map that has been saved via the [[map editor]]. Special scripting can be added to make simple "events".
;Seed : A number associated with each map that determines the outcome of certain pseudo-random processes, like terrain generation. All other settings being equal, different seeds result in vastly different terrain features. The seed is included in [[#M|map exchange strings]].
;Shuttle : A train for personal transportation around the factory. Sometimes called a taxi.
;Sideloading : This is a commonly used term that refers to running the end of a [[transport belt]] into the side of another, so that only the lane on the side of the belt that the other belt is on is filled. This is typically done to create a belt that carries two different resources side-by-side on the same belt.
;Smart furnace : A smelting setup that can process multiple materials (e.g. iron ore, copper ore, iron plates, stone).
;Spaghetti : [[File:spaghetti_example.png|thumb|200px|right|An example of a "spaghetti" setup with intertwining belts.]]A community term referring to the "spaghetti" look of many belts/entities placed in a disorganized fashion. Typically created by new players to Factorio. Generally, it will be moved away from as soon as the player realizes the logistical problems it causes. Note that not all "spaghetti" factories are necessarily inefficient.
;Speedrun : A term referring to attempting to quickly finish the game as soon as possible. At the time of this writing, the singleplayer record is just under two hours.
;SPM : Science per minute. Prior to 2.0, this term was exclusively used to indicate the number of science packs produced by a factory (SPPM). Since 2.0, the game has added multiple UI elements that include some bonuses not previously included in SPM, now surfacing a value also referred to as effective SPM (eSPM). The [[Production statistics]] now shows a "Science" item, and the [[Research]] tooltip shows "Science per minute" as a single value. Due to the shift in meaning caused by the addition of these UI elements, this term now has some ambiguity.
;SPPM : Science packs per minute. Measured per type, so 1k SPPM will mean production of 1000 of each science pack type per minute, though military science is often excluded. Usually used to measure the size of very big bases, see [[#M|megabase]] and [[#G|gigabase]].
;Stacker : Also known as '''parking lot'''. A waiting bay for trains, allowing them to wait on different parallel tracks and not block each other until their destination becomes free. Recommended in front of large, multi-platform stations.
;Supply train: A train that usually for personal use that is used to carry mostly building materials like rails, conveyor belts, inserters, assembly machines etc..
;Sushi belt : The strategy of mixing many different types of items on transport belts to supply machines that need some or all of those items. It sacrifices throughput for compactness (and beauty). It looks colorful and diverse like a tray of sushi. Its perhaps most popular application is supplying labs with science packs. Sometimes called sushi bar or rainbow belt.
;Sushi river : A [[#R|river belt]] on which many different items are mixed, like a [[#S|sushi belt]].

== T ==

;TINS : Abbreviation of "There Is No Spoon", the name of the in-game achievement.
;Terminus : A train station design where trains come in and leave from the same side, thus requiring double-headed trains, unlike RORO stations.
;Throughput : A term that refers to the maximum amount of resources that can travel through something (such as a belt) in a certain amount of time. Usually quantified in items per second.
;Tick : The smallest measurable amount of time in Factorio. There are 60 ticks per second (when running at 60 UPS), and 3600 ticks in a minute.
;Tile : A piece of map. It is not really known how big it is, but for simplifying things we can assume that a tile is a quadratic with side of 1 meter.
;Time : Game time is normally identical with real time, one second in the game is one second in reality, but it can be faster or slower. For example, when the calculations for an update takes longer than a tick, the game slows down (aka UPS).
;Train bus : A popular alternative to the [[#M|main bus]] pattern. Instead of using a belt bus to provide materials for various production cells, a large rail system allows many trains to route materials between more distant cells, sometimes called subfactories. It's a UPS-friendlier strategy for large factories such as megabases.
;Trash can : A simple 'public utility' of sorts, which is an active provider that players can dump unwanted items into. Logistic robots pick them up and store them away. It's useful if you need to get rid of large quantities of items (such as [[wood]] or [[landfill]]) and your logistic trash slots are full.
;Turret : Stationary defense weapon. There are four types of turrets in Factorio, the [[laser turret]], [[gun turret]], [[flamethrower turret]] and [[artillery turret]]. [[Space Age]]{{SA}} adds the [[railgun turret]] and [[tesla turret]].
;Turret creep : The tactic of leap-frogging with turrets into hostile territory. It's very effective due to the strength and range of turrets. Typically done with laser turrets, blueprints and personal roboports, but can also be done by manually placing gun turrets and inserting ammo.

== U ==

;Upcycler: An assembly line designed to increase the [[quality]] of an intermediate or end product.
;UPS : Internal clock speed, "Updates Per Second". The game tries its best to maintain the ideal 60 UPS, but it is affected by the size and complexity of the game world and your computer hardware. A lower UPS means that the simulation runs slower. At 30 UPS everything would take twice as long as under ideal conditions. This is a common concern on megabases or when playing with many mods active. It can be set to more than 60 UPS by changing the game speed via script, processing power permitting. The Transport Belt Madness and Tight Spot campaigns are examples where the game speed can be increased.

== V ==
;Vanilla : Regular version of the game with no mods.

== W ==

;Wube : The company based in the Czech Republic that develops Factorio.

== Z ==

;Zoo : A group of biter or spitter nests around which the player has built a safe containment zone, i.e. a circle of turrets. Reasons for doing this include exploiting the nests' pollution absorption and automating the destruction of items (using requester chests near the nests).

{{C|Main}}

Selector combinator

2025-10-08T04:14:06Z

HeliGungir: /* History */ 2.0.67 wire connection point offset

{{Languages}}
{{:Infobox:Selector combinator}}

The '''selector combinator''' is part of the [[circuit network]] and one of four types of combinators available in the game (the other three being the [[constant combinator]], [[arithmetic combinator]] and [[decider combinator]]). It has four different modes of operation (or seven with [[Space Age]]{{SA}} enabled) to filter out various signals from an input wire.

== Function ==
The selector combinator can select a signal to output from one of the following modes of operation:

* '''Select input'''
** In this mode, the combinator sorts its input signals by value and outputs one of them at the same value.
** '''Sort descending''' (default): The signal with the highest value is selected.
** '''Sort ascending''': The signal with the lowest non-zero value is selected.
** '''Index''': Determines which position among the sorted values is selected, starting at 0, i.e. first (0), second (1), third (2).
*** If multiple signals are provided and index is out of bounds, then '''no signal''' is passed through. The valid bounds is 0 through 1 less the total quantity of input signals.
*** If a single input signal is provided, it is '''always''' passed through even if the index is out of bounds.
* '''Count inputs'''
** The combinator will count and output the number of unique inputs on the selected signal.
** The value of the input signals is not considered.
* '''Random input'''
** The combinator will pass through a random input signal every certain number of [[time#Ticks|game ticks]].
** By default, the combinator will update this every 1 tick, or 60 times per second.
** If there is only one input signal, it will be output after this threshold is met. If the input is removed before that happens, nothing will be output.
* '''Stack size'''
** The combinator will output the stack sizes of the input items.
** The combinator will not output any fluid or [[Circuit network#Virtual signals|virtual signals]].
** The value of the input items is not considered.
* '''Rocket capacity'''{{SA}}
** The combinator will output the rocket capacity of the input signals.
** The combinator will not output any fluids, virtual signals, or items too heavy for a rocket (the [[atomic bomb]] and [[rocket silo]].)
** The value of the input items is not considered.
* '''Quality filter'''{{SA}}
** The combinator will pass through any input signals that meet a conditional against a certain [[quality]]{{SA}} grade.
** The combinator can compare an input's quality that is greater than, less than, equal to, greater or equal to, less or equal to, or not equal to, any one quality grade.
** If comparing against ''any'' quality grade, the only valid comparison is ''equal to''.
* '''Quality transfer'''{{SA}}
** The combinator will take the selected ''target signal'' from its inputs and output it with a particular quality grade.
** If ''direct selection'' is selected, the combinator will attach the specified quality grade to the target signal, but only if that target signal is among the inputs.
** If ''select from input'' is selected, the combinator will search for the selected item within its inputs and apply the quality of selected input to the target signal, but only if both the selected input and the target signal are among the inputs.

== History ==
{{history|2.0.67|
* Fixed combinator's red and green wires would overlap when built vertically.}}

{{history|2.0.7|
* Introduced
}}

== See also ==
* [[Circuit network]]
* [[Combinators]]
** [[Decider combinator]]
** [[Arithmetic combinator]]
** [[Constant combinator]]
* [[Tutorial:Combinator tutorial|Combinator tutorial]]
* [[Tutorial:Circuit network cookbook|Circuit network cookbook]]

{{LogisticsNav}}
{{C|Circuit network}}

Decider combinator

2025-10-08T04:13:37Z

HeliGungir: /* History */ 2.0.67 wire connection point offset

{{Languages}}
{{:Infobox:Decider combinator}}

The '''decider combinator''' is part of the circuit network and one of four types of combinators available in the game (with the other three being the [[constant combinator]], [[arithmetic combinator]], and [[selector combinator]]). It is used to make comparisons of signals on the network.

[[File:Decider_combinator_gui.png|400px]]

== Function ==
The decider combinator allows specifying a list of conditions on the left side of the GUI and a list of outputs on the right side of the GUI. Generally whenever the conditions are satisfied the outputs are activated.

A condition consists of a "first" input signal, a comparison (>, <, =, >=, <=, !=), and a "second" input signal or constant. Additionally, for each input signal the input wires to read the signal from can be specified. If both red and green are checked, the input values are summed.

If more than one condition is added, it is possible to change the connection of those using the logical operators AND and OR. An AND condition will result in true if all terms are true. An OR condition will return true if at least one of the terms is true.

Each output has the option to specify a constant value, or to take the input count from specified wires. If both red and green are checked, the input values are summed.

The decider combinator can handle [[Circuit network#Logic signals|logic signals]]. The following table shows how different combinations of logic signals can be used:

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
|+Different output results when the conditions pass
|-
! align=right | Input →
!! rowspan=2 | No Each condition
!! rowspan=2 | Each condition present
|-
! align=left | ↓ Output
|-
!style="text-align: left"| Everything
| Evaluated on every signal that has a non-zero sum on the selected wires†
| -
|-
!style="text-align: left"| Anything
| Evaluated on one signal that has a non-zero sum on the selected wires†
| Evaluated on one signal that passes the Each conditions
|-
!style="text-align: left"| Each
| -
| Evaluated on Each passing signal
|-
!style="text-align: left"| Specific signal
| Evaluated on the specified signal
| Evaluated on Each passing signal, but the results are output on the specified signal instead
|-
|}

† wires can be selected even if a constant value is specified

With both the arithmetic and decider combinator, there is one tick (60th of a second) of latency before the output signal is ready to be used as an input into a circuit network.

== History ==
{{history|2.0.67|
* Fixed combinator's red and green wires would overlap when built vertically.}}

{{history|2.0.36|
* Decider combinator output constant can be changed.
}}

{{history|2.0.7|
* Received a UI overhaul.
** Now displays input signals when configuring combinators.
** Signals used by combinators can now be filtered between red, green, or both.
** Multiple and/or operations can be performed in a single decider combinator.
}}

{{history|1.1.13|
* Decider combinator can output an Anything signal, which returns exactly one matching signal.}}

{{history|0.15.0|
* Added additional operators to the Decider Combinator and Circuit Conditions.}}

{{history|0.13.0|
* Connected wires are highlighted when hovering over a combinator connected to the [[circuit network]].
* Combinators show input and output in alt mode.
* More virtual signals for combinators.
* Decider combinator "input count" option makes the combinator copy the count of the specified output signal from the input signals, instead of copying the count from the condition.
* New combinator graphics. }}

{{history|0.12.5|
* Combinators now emit light.}}

{{history|0.12.2|
* Combinators no longer turn off when no wires are connected.}}

{{history|0.12.0|
* Introduced}}

== See also ==
* [[Circuit network]]
* [[Combinators]]
** [[Arithmetic combinator]]
** [[Constant combinator]]
** [[Selector combinator]]
* [[Tutorial:Combinator tutorial|Combinator tutorial]]
* [[Tutorial:Circuit network cookbook|Circuit network cookbook]]

{{LogisticsNav}}
{{C|Circuit network}}

Arithmetic combinator

2025-10-08T04:12:55Z

HeliGungir: /* History */ 2.0.67 wire connection point offset

{{Languages}}
{{:Infobox:Arithmetic combinator}}
The '''arithmetic combinator''' is part of the [[circuit network]] and one of four types of combinators available in the game (along with the [[constant combinator]], [[decider combinator]], and [[selector combinator]]). Each arithmetic combinator can perform any one of the following mathematical operations on signals, and will show the corresponding symbol on its top:

[[File:arith_combinator_anim.png]]

* addition (+)
* subtraction (−)
* multiplication (*)
* division (/)
* modulo (%)
* exponentiation (^)
* bit shift left (<<)
* bit shift right (>>)
* bitwise AND (&)
* bitwise OR (|)
* bitwise XOR (^)

The arithmetic combinator accepts two input connections (red and green wires), and sends its output to both output connections. The input wires connect to the nubs on the left side of the sprite in the sidebar, while the outputs connect to the right side.

[[File:Arithmetic_combinator_gui.png|350px|GUI of the Arithmetic Combinator.]] 

== Function ==
The operands can be any single signal or a constant value. Up to one of the operands can be the [[Virtual signals#Each|''each'' virtual signal]]. For each signal operand, the input wires can be selected. If both wires are selected, the inputs are summed.

If neither operand is the ''each'' signal, the output must be a single signal. The operation is performed on the values of the chosen left and right signals, and the result is sent to the output on the specified signal.

If one operand is the ''each'' signal, then the output can be a single signal or the ''each'' signal. If the output is the ''each'' signal, then the operation is performed individually on the value of each input signal along with the value of the other operand, and each result is sent to the output on the same signal. If the output is a single signal, the operation is done on each of the input signals, the individual results are all added together, and that result is sent to the output on the specified signal.

== Notes on operations ==
When using '''division''', the result is truncated:
* 21 / 10 = 2
* 19 / 10 = 1
* −21 / 10 = −2
* −19 / 10 = −1
* 21 / −10 = −2
* 19 / −10 = −1
* −21 / −10 = 2
* −19 / −10 = 1

'''Modulo''', indicated using % as it is in most programming languages, is the remainder after division. For example, 13 % 3 is 1 (13 = 4 * 3 + 1). This can, for example, be combined with truncated division as described above to separate out individual digits of a number for use in building visual indicators:
* (24321 / 10000) % 10 = 2
* (24321 / 1000) % 10 = 4
* (24321 / 100) % 10 = 3
* (24321 / 10) % 10 = 2
* (24321 / 1) % 10 = 1

Negating the left operand of a modulo negates the result, while negating the right operand does nothing:
* 13 % 3 = 1
* 13 % −3 = 1
* −13 % 3 = −1
* −13 % −3 = −1

'''Bit shift right''' and '''Bit shift left''' deal with numbers in the [[:Wikipedia:Binary_number|binary]] representation. The 0's and 1's that make up a number are shifted in the specified direction which can result in a completely different number, due to the change in the binary value. The shift performed is called arithmetic shift, because it preserves the sign bit on bit shift right.
If shifting left, a 0 is inserted into the least significant bit (LSB), and the bit in the most significant bit (MSB) is lost.
If shifting right and the number is positive (MSB=0), a 0 is inserted into the MSB and the bit in the LSB is lost.
If shifting right and the number is negative (MSB=1), a 1 is inserted into the MSB to keep the sign and the bit in the LSB is lost.
[[File:Bitshiftleft.png|none|thumb|200px|Example of a 'bit shift left'.]] [[File:BitshiftRightZero.png|none|thumb|200px|Example of a 'bit shift right (positive number)'.]] [[File:BitshiftRightOne.png|none|thumb|200px|Example of a 'bit shift right (negative number)'.]]

== History ==
{{history|2.0.67|
* Fixed combinator's red and green wires would overlap when built vertically.}}

{{history|2.0.7|
* Received a UI overhaul.
** Now displays input signals when configuring combinators.
** Signals used by combinators can now be filtered between red, green, or both.
}}

{{history|0.15.0|
* Added Modulo, Power, Left Bit Shift, Right Bit Shift, Bitwise AND, Bitwise OR and Bitwise XOR to the Arithmetic Combinator.}}

{{history|0.13.0|
* Connected wires are highlighted when hovering over a combinator connected to the [[circuit network]].
* Combinators show input and output in alt mode.
* More virtual signals for combinators.
* New combinator graphics. }}

{{history|0.12.5|
* Combinators now emit light.}}

{{history|0.12.2|
* Combinators no longer turn off when no wires are connected.}}

{{history|0.12.0|
* Introduced}}

==See also==
* [[Circuit network]]
* [[Combinators]]
** [[Decider combinator]]
** [[Constant combinator]]
** [[Selector combinator]]
* [[Tutorial:Combinator tutorial|Combinator tutorial]]
* [[Tutorial:Circuit network cookbook|Circuit network cookbook]]

{{LogisticsNav}}
{{C|Circuit network}}

Constant combinator

2025-10-08T04:12:06Z

HeliGungir: /* History */ 2.0.7 logistic groups, 2.0.67 wire connection point offset

{{Languages}}
{{:Infobox:Constant combinator}}

The '''constant combinator''' is part of the circuit network and one of four types of combinators available in the game (the other three being the [[arithmetic combinator]], [[decider combinator]], and [[selector combinator]]). It constantly outputs the selected signal(s) to all connected wire networks without the need for a specific input, and can be turned on/off in the GUI manually. Most common uses include testing of composed circuitry or changing some user-defined settings by broadcasting a kind of a switching signal.

If the output of a combinator is desired to be switched on/off remotely or automatically, it is recommended to channel its output through a decider combinator. Unlike the other two combinators, the constant combinator does not require electricity to function.

[[File:constant_combinator_gui.png|350px|GUI of the constant combinator.]]

Constant combinators can use [[Logistic network#Logistics groups|named logistics groups]] to group constants, which can be shared with other logistic requesters. Logistic requests have two values for each signal: the minimum and maximum for the entity. The constant combinator will only output the minimum value. The UI for setting constants also cannot change the maximum value, so new entries in a group will set the maximum value to infinity. Modifying the constant for entries that have a maximum value set will not alter that maximum value.

== History ==
{{history|2.0.67|
* Fixed combinator's red and green wires would overlap when built vertically.}}

{{history|2.0.7|
* Constant combinators now use [[logistic group]]s for configuration and output.}}

{{history|0.13.0|
* Connected wires are highlighted when hovering over a combinator connected to the [[circuit network]].
* Combinators show input and output in alt mode.
* More virtual signals for combinators.
* Constant combinator can be rotated.
* New combinator graphics. }}

{{history|0.12.5|
* Combinators now emit light.}}

{{history|0.12.2|
* Combinators no longer turn off when no wires are connected.}}

{{history|0.12.0|
* Introduced}}

== See also ==
* [[Circuit network]]
* [[Combinators]]
** [[Arithmetic combinator]]
** [[Decider combinator]]
** [[Selector combinator]]
* [[Tutorial:Combinator tutorial|Combinator tutorial]]
* [[Tutorial:Circuit network cookbook|Circuit network cookbook]]

{{LogisticsNav}}
{{C|Circuit network}}

Fusion power cell

2025-10-03T03:15:55Z

HeliGungir: Reworked to better-match wording on the uranium fuel cell page

{{Languages}}
{{:Infobox:Fusion power cell}}
{{About/Space age}}
The '''fusion power cell''' is a [[fuel]] used exclusively by the [[fusion reactor]] to generate electricity. It cannot be used in other burner devices or [[vehicle]]s. It is unlocked on [[Aquilo]], and due to requiring [[ammonia]] (a fluid which cannot be [[barrel]]ed), can only be produced on Aquilo.

Unlike the [[uranium fuel cell]], fusion power cells are consumed at a dynamic speed based on the grid's demand, meaning that the [[circuit network]] is not needed to prevent wasting cells. In addition, they last 400 seconds at max consumption, allowing continuous power generation for a long time.

== History ==
{{history|2.0.7|
* Introduced in [[Space Age]]{{SA}} expansion.
}}

{{IntermediateNav}}
{{C|Components}}

Uranium fuel cell

2025-10-03T03:15:52Z

HeliGungir: Reworked to better-match wording on the nuclear reactor page

{{Languages}}{{:Infobox:Uranium fuel cell}}
The '''uranium fuel cell''' is a [[fuel]] used exclusively by the [[nuclear reactor]] to produce heat. It cannot be used in other burner devices or [[vehicle]]s.

Unlike [[boiler]]s, a nuclear reactor will continue to burn fuel regardless of heat consumption. A uranium fuel cells burns for 200 seconds.

Rather than completely consuming fuel, burning a uranium fuel cell results in a [[depleted uranium fuel cell]], which can be [[nuclear fuel reprocessing|reprocessed]] in a [[centrifuge]] to recover some [[uranium-238]].

== History ==

{{History|0.15.0|
* Introduced}}

== See also ==
* [[Power production#Nuclear power|Nuclear power]]
* [[Uranium-235]]

{{IntermediateNav}}
{{C|Components}}

Nuclear reactor

2025-10-03T03:00:37Z

HeliGungir: Reworked paragraph on fuel consumption and waste

{{Languages}}
{{:Infobox:Nuclear reactor}}
The '''nuclear reactor''' generates heat by burning [[uranium fuel cell]]s. Heat can be consumed by [[heat exchanger]]s to produce 500°C [[steam]], which can be consumed by [[steam turbine]]s to produce electricity.

Unlike [[boiler]]s, a nuclear reactor will continue to burn fuel regardless of heat consumption. A uranium fuel cells burns for 200 seconds. The maximum temperature of a nuclear reactor is 1000°C, and once reached, excess heat energy from the uranium fuel cell is wasted. To prevent wasting fuel, the temperature of a reactor can be read to a [[circuit network]] and used to enable fuel [[inserter]]s only when the temperature is relatively low. More heat energy can be stored by placing extra heat pipes. Alternatively, energy can be stored as steam in [[storage tank]]s or as electricity in [[accumulator]]s, which can also be read to control fuel inserters.

Rather than completely consuming fuel, burning a uranium fuel cell results in a [[depleted uranium fuel cell]]. These must be removed, else the reactor will stop consuming fuel. Depleted fuel cells can be [[nuclear fuel reprocessing|reprocessed]] in a [[centrifuge]] to recover some [[uranium-238]].

Nuclear reactors have a heat capacity of 10 MJ/°C. Thus, they can buffer 5 GJ of heat energy across their working range of 500°C to 1000°C, and require 4.85 GJ of energy to warm up from 15°C to 500°C when initially placed.

== Neighbour bonus ==
Reactors receive a bonus for adjacent operating reactors, which increases their effective thermal output by 100% per each such link. For example, two reactors operating next to each other will output a total of 160 MW of thermal energy, with each reactor producing 40 MW base and receiving 40 MW of neighbour bonus.

The Neighbour bonus only applies if:
* 2 reactors are directly adjacent to each other with all 3 heat connections directly connecting the two.
* Both reactors are fueled.

=== Double-row layout ===
The most efficient practical layout is an aligned double row of arbitrary length (number of reactors as needed). For even numbers of reactors, the total output of the array is <code> 160n − 160 MW</code> (where ''n'' = total number of reactors, and assuming all are fueled). Splitting the row, while possibly logistically beneficial, reduces total power output by 160 MW per split.

Odd numbers of reactors are inefficient in maximizing the bonus, but, if needed, the odd reactor should be aligned with one of the rows. Offsetting the longer row instead would not gain the extra reactor any bonus, while the reactor on the other end of the same row would lose its bonus as well. Placing the odd reactor between the ends of aligned rows would also lead to one fewer bonus, and also make the design un-tileable.

In any case however, such concerns are unlikely to arise until one has a very large base, as the individual output of reactors is massive, particularly with neighbour bonuses. As an example, a 5×2 reactor grid would produce 1,440 MW (1.44 GW), the equivalent of 1,600 steam engines, or 24,000 solar panels.

=== Square layout ===
Theoretically, a perfectly square grid of reactors with no spaces between would provide maximum bonus, as it minimizes the number of reactors with unlinked sides. This setup produces <code>200n − 160×sqrt(n) MW</code> (where ''sqrt(n)'' is the square root of the number of reactors).

However, while the heat pipe links will allow energy flow from reactors within the square, with no room around inner reactors, there will be no way to insert and remove fuel cells except manually (heat pipes are traversable by the player), which makes this setup impractical.

Furthermore, the gains compared to the double-row design are not large. After some calculation, one arrives at the expression for the ratio of the two (double-row design in denominator) as <code>(1.25n − sqrt(n)) ÷ (n − 1)</code> which evaluates to, for example, 1 for 4 reactors, 1.07 for 16 reactors, 1.16 for 100 reactors (considering only numbers that both an equal-length double row and a square can be built from), and so on. In the limit (infinite number of reactors), the ratio approaches 1.25 as the edge corrections become insignificant.

== Explosion ==
If a reactor is destroyed (by damage) while it is above 900°C, it will explode, having the same effects of an [[atomic bomb]]. This includes terrain modification in [[Space Age]], such as creating [[lava]] lakes on [[Vulcanus]] and [[ammoniacal solution]] lakes on [[Aquilo]].

This explosion has enough power to destroy nearby reactors, so one explosion can lead to a chain reaction of exploding reactors. [https://clips.twitch.tv/KathishShakingPieBIRB]

== History ==

{{History|0.18.0|
* Updated sound effects.}}

{{History|0.17.67|
* Heat pipes (also in reactors and heat exchangers) glow with high temperatures.}}

{{History|0.16.0|
* Changed nuclear reactor stack size to 10.}}

{{History|0.15.0|
* Introduced}}

== See also ==
* [[Power production#Nuclear power|Power production]]
* [[Heat pipe]]
* [[Steam turbine]]
* [[Tutorial:Nuclear power|Comprehensive guide on nuclear power]]

{{ProductionNav}}
{{C|Energy}}

Nuclear reactor

2025-10-03T02:37:17Z

HeliGungir:

{{Languages}}
{{:Infobox:Nuclear reactor}}
The '''nuclear reactor''' generates heat by burning [[uranium fuel cell]]s. Heat can be consumed by [[heat exchanger]]s to produce 500°C [[steam]], which can be consumed by [[steam turbine]]s to produce electricity.

Unlike other forms of power generation, it is load-independent – each fuel cell will always be used completely in 200 seconds, regardless of load or the temperature of the reactor. To prevent wasting fuel, the [[inserter]]s feeding fuel to the reactors can read the heat level of a reactor via the [[circuit network]], permitting them to only insert when the heat in the reactor is relatively low. Alternatively, excess power can be stored in [[accumulator]]s or as steam in [[storage tank]]s.

Rather than completely consuming fuel, burning a uranium fuel cell results in a [[depleted uranium fuel cell]]. These must be removed, else the reactor will stop consuming fuel. Depleted fuel cells can be [[nuclear fuel reprocessing|reprocessed]] in a [[centrifuge]] to recover some [[uranium-238]].

Nuclear reactors have a heat capacity of 10 MJ/°C. Thus, they can buffer 5 GJ of heat energy across their working range of 500°C to 1000°C, and require 4.85 GJ of energy to warm up from 15°C to 500°C when initially placed.

== Neighbour bonus ==
Reactors receive a bonus for adjacent operating reactors, which increases their effective thermal output by 100% per each such link. For example, two reactors operating next to each other will output a total of 160 MW of thermal energy, with each reactor producing 40 MW base and receiving 40 MW of neighbour bonus.

The Neighbour bonus only applies if:
* 2 reactors are directly adjacent to each other with all 3 heat connections directly connecting the two.
* Both reactors are fueled.

=== Double-row layout ===
The most efficient practical layout is an aligned double row of arbitrary length (number of reactors as needed). For even numbers of reactors, the total output of the array is <code> 160n − 160 MW</code> (where ''n'' = total number of reactors, and assuming all are fueled). Splitting the row, while possibly logistically beneficial, reduces total power output by 160 MW per split.

Odd numbers of reactors are inefficient in maximizing the bonus, but, if needed, the odd reactor should be aligned with one of the rows. Offsetting the longer row instead would not gain the extra reactor any bonus, while the reactor on the other end of the same row would lose its bonus as well. Placing the odd reactor between the ends of aligned rows would also lead to one fewer bonus, and also make the design un-tileable.

In any case however, such concerns are unlikely to arise until one has a very large base, as the individual output of reactors is massive, particularly with neighbour bonuses. As an example, a 5×2 reactor grid would produce 1,440 MW (1.44 GW), the equivalent of 1,600 steam engines, or 24,000 solar panels.

=== Square layout ===
Theoretically, a perfectly square grid of reactors with no spaces between would provide maximum bonus, as it minimizes the number of reactors with unlinked sides. This setup produces <code>200n − 160×sqrt(n) MW</code> (where ''sqrt(n)'' is the square root of the number of reactors).

However, while the heat pipe links will allow energy flow from reactors within the square, with no room around inner reactors, there will be no way to insert and remove fuel cells except manually (heat pipes are traversable by the player), which makes this setup impractical.

Furthermore, the gains compared to the double-row design are not large. After some calculation, one arrives at the expression for the ratio of the two (double-row design in denominator) as <code>(1.25n − sqrt(n)) ÷ (n − 1)</code> which evaluates to, for example, 1 for 4 reactors, 1.07 for 16 reactors, 1.16 for 100 reactors (considering only numbers that both an equal-length double row and a square can be built from), and so on. In the limit (infinite number of reactors), the ratio approaches 1.25 as the edge corrections become insignificant.

== Explosion ==
If a reactor is destroyed (by damage) while it is above 900°C, it will explode, having the same effects of an [[atomic bomb]]. This includes terrain modification in [[Space Age]], such as creating [[lava]] lakes on [[Vulcanus]] and [[ammoniacal solution]] lakes on [[Aquilo]].

This explosion has enough power to destroy nearby reactors, so one explosion can lead to a chain reaction of exploding reactors. [https://clips.twitch.tv/KathishShakingPieBIRB]

== History ==

{{History|0.18.0|
* Updated sound effects.}}

{{History|0.17.67|
* Heat pipes (also in reactors and heat exchangers) glow with high temperatures.}}

{{History|0.16.0|
* Changed nuclear reactor stack size to 10.}}

{{History|0.15.0|
* Introduced}}

== See also ==
* [[Power production#Nuclear power|Power production]]
* [[Heat pipe]]
* [[Steam turbine]]
* [[Tutorial:Nuclear power|Comprehensive guide on nuclear power]]

{{ProductionNav}}
{{C|Energy}}

Nuclear reactor

2025-10-03T01:46:40Z

HeliGungir:

{{Languages}}
{{:Infobox:Nuclear reactor}}
The '''nuclear reactor''' generates heat by burning [[uranium fuel cell]]s. Heat can be consumed by [[heat exchanger]]s to produce 500°C [[steam]], which can be consumed by [[steam turbine]]s to produce electricity.

Unlike other forms of power generation, it is load-independent – each fuel cell will always be used completely in 200 seconds, regardless of load or the temperature of the reactor. To prevent wasting fuel, the [[inserter]]s feeding fuel to the reactors can read the heat level of a reactor via the [[circuit network]], permitting them to only insert when the heat in the reactor is relatively low. Alternatively, excess power can be stored in [[accumulator]]s or as steam in [[storage tank]]s.

Rather than completely consuming the fuel, burning a uranium fuel cell results in a [[depleted uranium fuel cell]]. These must be removed, else the reactor will stop consuming fuel. Depleted fuel cells can be [[nuclear fuel reprocessing|reprocessed]] in a [[centrifuge]] to recover some [[uranium-238]].

Nuclear reactors have a heat capacity of 10 MJ/°C. Thus, they can buffer 5 GJ of heat energy across their working range of 500°C to 1000°C, and require 4.85 GJ of energy to warm up from 15°C to 500°C when initially placed.

== Neighbour bonus ==
Reactors receive a bonus for adjacent operating reactors, which increases their effective thermal output by 100% per each such link. For example, two reactors operating next to each other will output a total of 160 MW of thermal energy, with each reactor producing 40 MW base and receiving 40 MW of neighbour bonus.

The Neighbour bonus only applies if:
* 2 reactors are directly adjacent to each other with all 3 heat connections directly connecting the two.
* Both reactors are fueled.

=== Double-row layout ===
The most efficient practical layout is an aligned double row of arbitrary length (number of reactors as needed). For even numbers of reactors, the total output of the array is <code> 160n − 160 MW</code> (where ''n'' = total number of reactors, and assuming all are fueled). Splitting the row, while possibly logistically beneficial, reduces total power output by 160 MW per split.

Odd numbers of reactors are inefficient in maximizing the bonus, but, if needed, the odd reactor should be aligned with one of the rows. Offsetting the longer row instead would not gain the extra reactor any bonus, while the reactor on the other end of the same row would lose its bonus as well. Placing the odd reactor between the ends of aligned rows would also lead to one fewer bonus, and also make the design un-tileable.

In any case however, such concerns are unlikely to arise until one has a very large base, as the individual output of reactors is massive, particularly with neighbour bonuses. As an example, a 5×2 reactor grid would produce 1,440 MW (1.44 GW), the equivalent of 1,600 steam engines, or 24,000 solar panels.

=== Square layout ===
Theoretically, a perfectly square grid of reactors with no spaces between would provide maximum bonus, as it minimizes the number of reactors with unlinked sides. This setup produces <code>200n − 160×sqrt(n) MW</code> (where ''sqrt(n)'' is the square root of the number of reactors).

However, while the heat pipe links will allow energy flow from reactors within the square, with no room around inner reactors, there will be no way to insert and remove fuel cells except manually (heat pipes are traversable by the player), which makes this setup impractical.

Furthermore, the gains compared to the double-row design are not large. After some calculation, one arrives at the expression for the ratio of the two (double-row design in denominator) as <code>(1.25n − sqrt(n)) ÷ (n − 1)</code> which evaluates to, for example, 1 for 4 reactors, 1.07 for 16 reactors, 1.16 for 100 reactors (considering only numbers that both an equal-length double row and a square can be built from), and so on. In the limit (infinite number of reactors), the ratio approaches 1.25 as the edge corrections become insignificant.

== Explosion ==
If a reactor is destroyed (by damage) while it is above 900°C, it will explode, having the same effects of an [[atomic bomb]]. This includes terrain modification in [[Space Age]], such as creating [[lava]] lakes on [[Vulcanus]] and [[ammoniacal solution]] lakes on [[Aquilo]].

This explosion has enough power to destroy nearby reactors, so one explosion can lead to a chain reaction of exploding reactors. [https://clips.twitch.tv/KathishShakingPieBIRB]

== History ==

{{History|0.18.0|
* Updated sound effects.}}

{{History|0.17.67|
* Heat pipes (also in reactors and heat exchangers) glow with high temperatures.}}

{{History|0.16.0|
* Changed nuclear reactor stack size to 10.}}

{{History|0.15.0|
* Introduced}}

== See also ==
* [[Power production#Nuclear power|Power production]]
* [[Heat pipe]]
* [[Steam turbine]]
* [[Tutorial:Nuclear power|Comprehensive guide on nuclear power]]

{{ProductionNav}}
{{C|Energy}}

Nuclear reactor

2025-10-03T01:23:54Z

HeliGungir:

{{Languages}}
{{:Infobox:Nuclear reactor}}
The '''nuclear reactor''' generates heat by burning [[uranium fuel cell]]s. Heat can be consumed by [[heat exchanger]]s to produce 500°C [[steam]], which can be consumed by [[steam turbine]]s to produce electricity.

Unlike other forms of power generation, it is load-independent – each fuel cell will always be used completely in 200 seconds, regardless of load or the temperature of the reactor. To prevent wasting fuel, the [[inserter]]s feeding fuel to the reactors can read the heat level of a reactor via the [[circuit network]], permitting them to only insert when the heat in the reactor is relatively low. Alternatively, excess power can be stored in [[accumulator]]s or as steam in [[storage tank]]s.

Rather than completely consuming the fuel, burning a uranium fuel cell results in [[depleted uranium fuel cell]]s. These must be removed, else the reactor will stop consuming fuel. Depleted fuel cells can be [[nuclear fuel reprocessing|reprocessed]] in a [[centrifuge]] to recover some [[uranium-238]].

Nuclear reactors have a heat capacity of 10 MJ/°C. Thus, they can buffer 5 GJ of heat energy across their working range of 500°C to 1000°C, and require 4.85 GJ of energy to warm up from 15°C to 500°C when initially placed.

== Neighbour bonus ==
Reactors receive a bonus for adjacent operating reactors, which increases their effective thermal output by 100% per each such link. For example, two reactors operating next to each other will output a total of 160 MW of thermal energy, with each reactor producing 40 MW base and receiving 40 MW of neighbour bonus.

The Neighbour bonus only applies if:
* 2 reactors are directly adjacent to each other with all 3 heat connections directly connecting the two.
* Both reactors are fueled.

=== Double-row layout ===
The most efficient practical layout is an aligned double row of arbitrary length (number of reactors as needed). For even numbers of reactors, the total output of the array is <code> 160n − 160 MW</code> (where ''n'' = total number of reactors, and assuming all are fueled). Splitting the row, while possibly logistically beneficial, reduces total power output by 160 MW per split.

Odd numbers of reactors are inefficient in maximizing the bonus, but, if needed, the odd reactor should be aligned with one of the rows. Offsetting the longer row instead would not gain the extra reactor any bonus, while the reactor on the other end of the same row would lose its bonus as well. Placing the odd reactor between the ends of aligned rows would also lead to one fewer bonus, and also make the design un-tileable.

In any case however, such concerns are unlikely to arise until one has a very large base, as the individual output of reactors is massive, particularly with neighbour bonuses. As an example, a 5×2 reactor grid would produce 1,440 MW (1.44 GW), the equivalent of 1,600 steam engines, or 24,000 solar panels.

=== Square layout ===
Theoretically, a perfectly square grid of reactors with no spaces between would provide maximum bonus, as it minimizes the number of reactors with unlinked sides. This setup produces <code>200n − 160×sqrt(n) MW</code> (where ''sqrt(n)'' is the square root of the number of reactors).

However, while the heat pipe links will allow energy flow from reactors within the square, with no room around inner reactors, there will be no way to insert and remove fuel cells except manually (heat pipes are traversable by the player), which makes this setup impractical.

Furthermore, the gains compared to the double-row design are not large. After some calculation, one arrives at the expression for the ratio of the two (double-row design in denominator) as <code>(1.25n − sqrt(n)) ÷ (n − 1)</code> which evaluates to, for example, 1 for 4 reactors, 1.07 for 16 reactors, 1.16 for 100 reactors (considering only numbers that both an equal-length double row and a square can be built from), and so on. In the limit (infinite number of reactors), the ratio approaches 1.25 as the edge corrections become insignificant.

== Explosion ==
If a reactor is destroyed (by damage) while it is above 900°C, it will explode, having the same effects of an [[atomic bomb]]. This includes terrain modification in [[Space Age]], such as creating [[lava]] lakes on [[Vulcanus]] and [[ammoniacal solution]] lakes on [[Aquilo]].

This explosion has enough power to destroy nearby reactors, so one explosion can lead to a chain reaction of exploding reactors. [https://clips.twitch.tv/KathishShakingPieBIRB]

== History ==

{{History|0.18.0|
* Updated sound effects.}}

{{History|0.17.67|
* Heat pipes (also in reactors and heat exchangers) glow with high temperatures.}}

{{History|0.16.0|
* Changed nuclear reactor stack size to 10.}}

{{History|0.15.0|
* Introduced}}

== See also ==
* [[Power production#Nuclear power|Power production]]
* [[Heat pipe]]
* [[Steam turbine]]
* [[Tutorial:Nuclear power|Comprehensive guide on nuclear power]]

{{ProductionNav}}
{{C|Energy}}

Nuclear reactor

2025-10-03T01:19:18Z

HeliGungir: Reworded paragraph on depleted fuel cells

{{Languages}}
{{:Infobox:Nuclear reactor}}
The '''nuclear reactor''' generates heat by burning [[uranium fuel cell]]s. Heat can be consumed by [[heat exchanger]]s to produce 500°C [[steam]], which can be consumed by [[steam turbine]]s to produce electricity.

Unlike other forms of power generation, it is load-independent – each fuel cell will always be used completely in 200 seconds, regardless of load or the temperature of the reactor. To prevent wasting fuel, the [[inserter]]s feeding fuel to the reactors can read the heat level of a reactor via the [[circuit network]], permitting them to only insert when the heat in the reactor is relatively low. Alternatively, excess power can be stored in [[accumulator]]s or as steam in [[storage tank]]s.

Rather than completely consuming the fuel, burning fuel in a nuclear reactor results in [[depleted uranium fuel cell]]s. These must be removed, else the reactor will stop consuming fuel. Depleted fuel cells can be [[nuclear fuel reprocessing|reprocessed]] in a [[centrifuge]] to recover some [[uranium-238]].

Nuclear reactors have a heat capacity of 10 MJ/°C. Thus, they can buffer 5 GJ of heat energy across their working range of 500°C to 1000°C, and require 4.85 GJ of energy to warm up from 15°C to 500°C when initially placed.

== Neighbour bonus ==
Reactors receive a bonus for adjacent operating reactors, which increases their effective thermal output by 100% per each such link. For example, two reactors operating next to each other will output a total of 160 MW of thermal energy, with each reactor producing 40 MW base and receiving 40 MW of neighbour bonus.

The Neighbour bonus only applies if:
* 2 reactors are directly adjacent to each other with all 3 heat connections directly connecting the two.
* Both reactors are fueled.

=== Double-row layout ===
The most efficient practical layout is an aligned double row of arbitrary length (number of reactors as needed). For even numbers of reactors, the total output of the array is <code> 160n − 160 MW</code> (where ''n'' = total number of reactors, and assuming all are fueled). Splitting the row, while possibly logistically beneficial, reduces total power output by 160 MW per split.

Odd numbers of reactors are inefficient in maximizing the bonus, but, if needed, the odd reactor should be aligned with one of the rows. Offsetting the longer row instead would not gain the extra reactor any bonus, while the reactor on the other end of the same row would lose its bonus as well. Placing the odd reactor between the ends of aligned rows would also lead to one fewer bonus, and also make the design un-tileable.

In any case however, such concerns are unlikely to arise until one has a very large base, as the individual output of reactors is massive, particularly with neighbour bonuses. As an example, a 5×2 reactor grid would produce 1,440 MW (1.44 GW), the equivalent of 1,600 steam engines, or 24,000 solar panels.

=== Square layout ===
Theoretically, a perfectly square grid of reactors with no spaces between would provide maximum bonus, as it minimizes the number of reactors with unlinked sides. This setup produces <code>200n − 160×sqrt(n) MW</code> (where ''sqrt(n)'' is the square root of the number of reactors).

However, while the heat pipe links will allow energy flow from reactors within the square, with no room around inner reactors, there will be no way to insert and remove fuel cells except manually (heat pipes are traversable by the player), which makes this setup impractical.

Furthermore, the gains compared to the double-row design are not large. After some calculation, one arrives at the expression for the ratio of the two (double-row design in denominator) as <code>(1.25n − sqrt(n)) ÷ (n − 1)</code> which evaluates to, for example, 1 for 4 reactors, 1.07 for 16 reactors, 1.16 for 100 reactors (considering only numbers that both an equal-length double row and a square can be built from), and so on. In the limit (infinite number of reactors), the ratio approaches 1.25 as the edge corrections become insignificant.

== Explosion ==
If a reactor is destroyed (by damage) while it is above 900°C, it will explode, having the same effects of an [[atomic bomb]]. This includes terrain modification in [[Space Age]], such as creating [[lava]] lakes on [[Vulcanus]] and [[ammoniacal solution]] lakes on [[Aquilo]].

This explosion has enough power to destroy nearby reactors, so one explosion can lead to a chain reaction of exploding reactors. [https://clips.twitch.tv/KathishShakingPieBIRB]

== History ==

{{History|0.18.0|
* Updated sound effects.}}

{{History|0.17.67|
* Heat pipes (also in reactors and heat exchangers) glow with high temperatures.}}

{{History|0.16.0|
* Changed nuclear reactor stack size to 10.}}

{{History|0.15.0|
* Introduced}}

== See also ==
* [[Power production#Nuclear power|Power production]]
* [[Heat pipe]]
* [[Steam turbine]]
* [[Tutorial:Nuclear power|Comprehensive guide on nuclear power]]

{{ProductionNav}}
{{C|Energy}}

Nuclear reactor

2025-10-03T01:07:57Z

HeliGungir: Reworked sentence on heat, steam, and electricity

{{Languages}}
{{:Infobox:Nuclear reactor}}
The '''nuclear reactor''' generates heat by burning [[uranium fuel cell]]s. Heat can be consumed by [[heat exchanger]]s to produce 500°C [[steam]], which can be consumed by [[steam turbine]]s to produce electricity.

Unlike other forms of power generation, it is load-independent – each fuel cell will always be used completely in 200 seconds, regardless of load or the temperature of the reactor. To prevent wasting fuel, the [[inserter]]s feeding fuel to the reactors can read the heat level of a reactor via the [[circuit network]], permitting them to only insert when the heat in the reactor is relatively low. Alternatively, excess power can be stored in [[accumulator]]s or as steam in [[storage tank]]s.

Instead of completely consuming the fuel, burning fuel in a nuclear reactor results in [[depleted uranium fuel cell]]s. These used up cells can be [[nuclear fuel reprocessing|reprocessed]] in a [[centrifuge]] to get back some of the uranium used to create the fuel cells. The reactor will not burn more fuel if it has too many depleted fuel cells, so they must be removed.

Nuclear reactors have a heat capacity of 10 MJ/°C. Thus, they can buffer 5 GJ of heat energy across their working range of 500°C to 1000°C, and require 4.85 GJ of energy to warm up from 15°C to 500°C when initially placed.

== Neighbour bonus ==
Reactors receive a bonus for adjacent operating reactors, which increases their effective thermal output by 100% per each such link. For example, two reactors operating next to each other will output a total of 160 MW of thermal energy, with each reactor producing 40 MW base and receiving 40 MW of neighbour bonus.

The Neighbour bonus only applies if:
* 2 reactors are directly adjacent to each other with all 3 heat connections directly connecting the two.
* Both reactors are fueled.

=== Double-row layout ===
The most efficient practical layout is an aligned double row of arbitrary length (number of reactors as needed). For even numbers of reactors, the total output of the array is <code> 160n − 160 MW</code> (where ''n'' = total number of reactors, and assuming all are fueled). Splitting the row, while possibly logistically beneficial, reduces total power output by 160 MW per split.

Odd numbers of reactors are inefficient in maximizing the bonus, but, if needed, the odd reactor should be aligned with one of the rows. Offsetting the longer row instead would not gain the extra reactor any bonus, while the reactor on the other end of the same row would lose its bonus as well. Placing the odd reactor between the ends of aligned rows would also lead to one fewer bonus, and also make the design un-tileable.

In any case however, such concerns are unlikely to arise until one has a very large base, as the individual output of reactors is massive, particularly with neighbour bonuses. As an example, a 5×2 reactor grid would produce 1,440 MW (1.44 GW), the equivalent of 1,600 steam engines, or 24,000 solar panels.

=== Square layout ===
Theoretically, a perfectly square grid of reactors with no spaces between would provide maximum bonus, as it minimizes the number of reactors with unlinked sides. This setup produces <code>200n − 160×sqrt(n) MW</code> (where ''sqrt(n)'' is the square root of the number of reactors).

However, while the heat pipe links will allow energy flow from reactors within the square, with no room around inner reactors, there will be no way to insert and remove fuel cells except manually (heat pipes are traversable by the player), which makes this setup impractical.

Furthermore, the gains compared to the double-row design are not large. After some calculation, one arrives at the expression for the ratio of the two (double-row design in denominator) as <code>(1.25n − sqrt(n)) ÷ (n − 1)</code> which evaluates to, for example, 1 for 4 reactors, 1.07 for 16 reactors, 1.16 for 100 reactors (considering only numbers that both an equal-length double row and a square can be built from), and so on. In the limit (infinite number of reactors), the ratio approaches 1.25 as the edge corrections become insignificant.

== Explosion ==
If a reactor is destroyed (by damage) while it is above 900°C, it will explode, having the same effects of an [[atomic bomb]]. This includes terrain modification in [[Space Age]], such as creating [[lava]] lakes on [[Vulcanus]] and [[ammoniacal solution]] lakes on [[Aquilo]].

This explosion has enough power to destroy nearby reactors, so one explosion can lead to a chain reaction of exploding reactors. [https://clips.twitch.tv/KathishShakingPieBIRB]

== History ==

{{History|0.18.0|
* Updated sound effects.}}

{{History|0.17.67|
* Heat pipes (also in reactors and heat exchangers) glow with high temperatures.}}

{{History|0.16.0|
* Changed nuclear reactor stack size to 10.}}

{{History|0.15.0|
* Introduced}}

== See also ==
* [[Power production#Nuclear power|Power production]]
* [[Heat pipe]]
* [[Steam turbine]]
* [[Tutorial:Nuclear power|Comprehensive guide on nuclear power]]

{{ProductionNav}}
{{C|Energy}}

Map structure

2025-08-30T03:48:03Z

HeliGungir: /* Chunk */

{{Languages}}
'''Map structure''' describes the division of the game world into standard [[Units|units]]: tiles and chunks. Tiles are the building blocks of the game, upon which all distance and area measurements are based. Chunks are blocks of 32×32 tiles used for various area-based calculations.

== Tile ==
[[File:MapStructure-GridExample.png|thumb|right|400px|The tile grid shown in-game; chunks (32×32 tiles) are indicated by the thicker black lines. Click to see at higher resolution.]]

A '''tile''' is a square which defines the smallest possible piece of the game world; the map is built on a grid of tiles. The tile is the basis for all area and distance measurement. Entity sizes are defined in terms of tiles; for example the [[rocket silo]] - the largest entity in the game - is 9 tiles wide and 9 tiles high, usually referred to as 9×9. The smallest possible entity size is therefore one tile, 1×1. Examples of 1×1 entities include [[transport belts]] and [[chests]].

The [[Map_generator#Maximum_map_size_and_used_memory|maximum size of the map]] is a square 2 million tiles on each side, a total of 4 trillion tiles. In practice the map in an average game is likely to be in the range of hundreds of thousands of tiles up to a few million at most.

=== Tile grid alignment ===

Almost all placeable entities are aligned to the tile grid when placed in the game. Exceptions include the [[land mine]] and vehicles such as the [[car]], [[tank]], [[locomotive]] and [[wagon]]s. Non-placeable entities that do not align to the grid include [[enemies]], [[tree]]s and decoratives.

[[File:MapStructure-PlaceableOffGridExample.png|thumb|none|300px|A few entities can be placed without aligning to the tile grid; this example shows cars, tanks and landmines.]]

=== Example distances ===

* Area covered by [[Radar]]: about 200 tiles diameter (100 tiles in each direction, bounded to the matching [[#Chunk|chunk]]).
* It takes about 1 minutes and 52 seconds for a player to run 1000 tiles without being given a speed boost (such as via an [[exoskeleton]]).

=== Real world size analogy ===

One tile is generally assumed to be one square meter in size. This measurement is proven to be technically true, and can be verified in-game. A test conducted via car will reveal that covering 250 tiles at 208.0 km/h (57.777 m/s) will take 260 game ticks (4.333 s). Using this data, it can be proven that <code>57.777 m/s ÷ (250 tiles / 4.333 s) ≈ 1 m/tile</code>.


== Chunk ==

[[File:radar_revealing_sectors.gif|thumb|220px|Animation of radars revealing chunks.]]

The map is divided into a grid of '''chunks''', each 32x32 tiles (1024 tiles total).

Several mechanics work on a chunk-by-chunk basis:
* The map is generated chunk-by-chunk during play. A 20x20 chunk area around each player is slowly generated over time, or immediately if revealed directly and not yet generated.
* [[Player|Players]], [[Radar|radars]], [[Roboport|roboports]], [[Spidertron|spidertrons]], and fired [[Artillery|artillery shells]] reveal chunks and provide [[Radar#Coverage|live coverage]] in remote view on a chunk basis.
* [[Pollution]] and [[Spores|spores]]{{SA}} are calculated and spread on a chunk basis. (This can generate chunks without revealing them.)
* [[Enemies#Expansions|Enemy expansion]] is calculated on a chunk basis.
* [[Demolisher]]{{SA}} territories are chunk-aligned.
* Enemy pathfinding works in multiple stages, and the first stage is chunk-based. [https://factorio.com/blog/post/fff-317] An unintended result is enemies tend to walk along chunk borders. Also biters and spitters will sometimes attack obstacles at chunk borders that they would normally navigate around.
* To reduce computation, entire chunks are set inactive when nothing important is happening in them. E.g.: Chunks with only fish or idling enemies may be set inactive, halting their idle movement.

== Visualizing tiles and chunks in-game ==

A tile grid overlay is available which shows the grid upon which the map is built:

* The grid can be shown whenever the player pauses the game (by default with {{Keybinding|shift|space}}).
** This is configured under Settings->Interface->'''Show grid when game is paused'''.
* To see the grid while the game is still running, [[Debug mode|debug settings]] can be used:
** Pressing {{Keybinding|F4}} will show the '''Debug settings''' window.
** Ticking '''show-tile-grid''' under '''always''' will show the grid at all times; ticking it under '''debug''' will show it only when debug mode is activated.
** If '''debug''' is chosen the grid will become visible whenever {{Keybinding|F5}} is used to enable debug display. Configuring debug mode in this way allows {{Keybinding|F5}} to be used as a convenient toggle for turning the grid on and off, which can be useful when attempting to place entities according to a neat and/or symmetrical design.

{{C|Main}}

Map structure

2025-08-30T03:43:03Z

HeliGungir: /* Chunk */ Removed misleading "second definition" of the term chunk

{{Languages}}
'''Map structure''' describes the division of the game world into standard [[Units|units]]: tiles and chunks. Tiles are the building blocks of the game, upon which all distance and area measurements are based. Chunks are blocks of 32×32 tiles used for various area-based calculations.

== Tile ==
[[File:MapStructure-GridExample.png|thumb|right|400px|The tile grid shown in-game; chunks (32×32 tiles) are indicated by the thicker black lines. Click to see at higher resolution.]]

A '''tile''' is a square which defines the smallest possible piece of the game world; the map is built on a grid of tiles. The tile is the basis for all area and distance measurement. Entity sizes are defined in terms of tiles; for example the [[rocket silo]] - the largest entity in the game - is 9 tiles wide and 9 tiles high, usually referred to as 9×9. The smallest possible entity size is therefore one tile, 1×1. Examples of 1×1 entities include [[transport belts]] and [[chests]].

The [[Map_generator#Maximum_map_size_and_used_memory|maximum size of the map]] is a square 2 million tiles on each side, a total of 4 trillion tiles. In practice the map in an average game is likely to be in the range of hundreds of thousands of tiles up to a few million at most.

=== Tile grid alignment ===

Almost all placeable entities are aligned to the tile grid when placed in the game. Exceptions include the [[land mine]] and vehicles such as the [[car]], [[tank]], [[locomotive]] and [[wagon]]s. Non-placeable entities that do not align to the grid include [[enemies]], [[tree]]s and decoratives.

[[File:MapStructure-PlaceableOffGridExample.png|thumb|none|300px|A few entities can be placed without aligning to the tile grid; this example shows cars, tanks and landmines.]]

=== Example distances ===

* Area covered by [[Radar]]: about 200 tiles diameter (100 tiles in each direction, bounded to the matching [[#Chunk|chunk]]).
* It takes about 1 minutes and 52 seconds for a player to run 1000 tiles without being given a speed boost (such as via an [[exoskeleton]]).

=== Real world size analogy ===

One tile is generally assumed to be one square meter in size. This measurement is proven to be technically true, and can be verified in-game. A test conducted via car will reveal that covering 250 tiles at 208.0 km/h (57.777 m/s) will take 260 game ticks (4.333 s). Using this data, it can be proven that <code>57.777 m/s ÷ (250 tiles / 4.333 s) ≈ 1 m/tile</code>.


== Chunk ==

[[File:radar_revealing_sectors.gif|thumb|220px|Animation of radars revealing chunks.]]

The map is divided into a grid of '''chunks''', each 32x32 tiles (1024 tiles total).

Several mechanics work on a chunk-by-chunk basis:
* The map is generated chunk-by-chunk during play. A 20x20 chunk area around each player is slowly generated over time, or immediately if revealed and not yet generated.
* [[Player|Players]], [[Radar|radars]], [[Roboport|roboports]], [[Spidertron|spidertrons]], and fired [[Artillery|artillery shells]] reveal chunks and provide [[Radar#Coverage|live coverage]] in remote view on a chunk basis.
* [[Pollution]] and [[Spores|spores]]{{SA}} are calculated and spread on a chunk basis. (This can generate chunks without revealing them.)
* [[Enemies#Expansions|Enemy expansion]] is calculated on a chunk basis.
* [[Demolisher]]{{SA}} territories are chunk-aligned.
* Enemy pathfinding works in multiple stages, and the first stage is chunk-based. [https://factorio.com/blog/post/fff-317] An unintended result is enemies tend to walk along chunk borders. Also biters and spitters will sometimes attack obstacles at chunk borders that they would normally navigate around.
* To reduce computation, entire chunks are set inactive when nothing important is happening in them. E.g.: Chunks with only fish or idling enemies may be set inactive, halting their idle movement.

== Visualizing tiles and chunks in-game ==

A tile grid overlay is available which shows the grid upon which the map is built:

* The grid can be shown whenever the player pauses the game (by default with {{Keybinding|shift|space}}).
** This is configured under Settings->Interface->'''Show grid when game is paused'''.
* To see the grid while the game is still running, [[Debug mode|debug settings]] can be used:
** Pressing {{Keybinding|F4}} will show the '''Debug settings''' window.
** Ticking '''show-tile-grid''' under '''always''' will show the grid at all times; ticking it under '''debug''' will show it only when debug mode is activated.
** If '''debug''' is chosen the grid will become visible whenever {{Keybinding|F5}} is used to enable debug display. Configuring debug mode in this way allows {{Keybinding|F5}} to be used as a convenient toggle for turning the grid on and off, which can be useful when attempting to place entities according to a neat and/or symmetrical design.

{{C|Main}}

Map structure

2025-08-30T03:28:04Z

HeliGungir: /* Chunk */ SA stuff, pathfinding, more reworking

{{Languages}}
'''Map structure''' describes the division of the game world into standard [[Units|units]]: tiles and chunks. Tiles are the building blocks of the game, upon which all distance and area measurements are based. Chunks are blocks of 32×32 tiles used for various area-based calculations.

== Tile ==
[[File:MapStructure-GridExample.png|thumb|right|400px|The tile grid shown in-game; chunks (32×32 tiles) are indicated by the thicker black lines. Click to see at higher resolution.]]

A '''tile''' is a square which defines the smallest possible piece of the game world; the map is built on a grid of tiles. The tile is the basis for all area and distance measurement. Entity sizes are defined in terms of tiles; for example the [[rocket silo]] - the largest entity in the game - is 9 tiles wide and 9 tiles high, usually referred to as 9×9. The smallest possible entity size is therefore one tile, 1×1. Examples of 1×1 entities include [[transport belts]] and [[chests]].

The [[Map_generator#Maximum_map_size_and_used_memory|maximum size of the map]] is a square 2 million tiles on each side, a total of 4 trillion tiles. In practice the map in an average game is likely to be in the range of hundreds of thousands of tiles up to a few million at most.

=== Tile grid alignment ===

Almost all placeable entities are aligned to the tile grid when placed in the game. Exceptions include the [[land mine]] and vehicles such as the [[car]], [[tank]], [[locomotive]] and [[wagon]]s. Non-placeable entities that do not align to the grid include [[enemies]], [[tree]]s and decoratives.

[[File:MapStructure-PlaceableOffGridExample.png|thumb|none|300px|A few entities can be placed without aligning to the tile grid; this example shows cars, tanks and landmines.]]

=== Example distances ===

* Area covered by [[Radar]]: about 200 tiles diameter (100 tiles in each direction, bounded to the matching [[#Chunk|chunk]]).
* It takes about 1 minutes and 52 seconds for a player to run 1000 tiles without being given a speed boost (such as via an [[exoskeleton]]).

=== Real world size analogy ===

One tile is generally assumed to be one square meter in size. This measurement is proven to be technically true, and can be verified in-game. A test conducted via car will reveal that covering 250 tiles at 208.0 km/h (57.777 m/s) will take 260 game ticks (4.333 s). Using this data, it can be proven that <code>57.777 m/s ÷ (250 tiles / 4.333 s) ≈ 1 m/tile</code>.


== Chunk ==

[[File:radar_revealing_sectors.gif|thumb|220px|Animation of radars revealing chunks.]]A '''chunk''' is a unit defined as either an area of the map 32×32 tiles in size (containing 1024 tiles in total) ''or'' a distance of 32 tiles.

Chunks are used for:
* The map is generated chunk-by-chunk during play. A 20x20 chunk area around each player is slowly generated over time, or immediately if revealed and not yet generated.
* [[Player|Players]], [[Radar|radars]], [[Roboport|roboports]], [[Spidertron|spidertrons]], and fired [[Artillery|artillery shells]] reveal chunks and provide [[Radar#Coverage|live coverage]] in remote view on a chunk basis.
* [[Pollution]] and [[Spores|spores]]{{SA}} are calculated and spread on a chunk basis. (This can generate chunks without revealing them.)
* [[Enemies#Expansions|Enemy expansion]] is calculated on a chunk basis.
* [[Demolisher]]{{SA}} territories are chunk-aligned.
* Enemy pathfinding works in multiple stages, and the first stage is chunk-based. [https://factorio.com/blog/post/fff-317] An unintended result is enemies tend to walk along chunk borders. Also biters and spitters will sometimes attack obstacles at chunk borders that they would normally navigate around.
* To reduce computation, entire chunks are set inactive when nothing important is happening in them. E.g.: Chunks with only fish or idling enemies may be set inactive, halting their idle movement.

== Visualizing tiles and chunks in-game ==

A tile grid overlay is available which shows the grid upon which the map is built:

* The grid can be shown whenever the player pauses the game (by default with {{Keybinding|shift|space}}).
** This is configured under Settings->Interface->'''Show grid when game is paused'''.
* To see the grid while the game is still running, [[Debug mode|debug settings]] can be used:
** Pressing {{Keybinding|F4}} will show the '''Debug settings''' window.
** Ticking '''show-tile-grid''' under '''always''' will show the grid at all times; ticking it under '''debug''' will show it only when debug mode is activated.
** If '''debug''' is chosen the grid will become visible whenever {{Keybinding|F5}} is used to enable debug display. Configuring debug mode in this way allows {{Keybinding|F5}} to be used as a convenient toggle for turning the grid on and off, which can be useful when attempting to place entities according to a neat and/or symmetrical design.

{{C|Main}}

Map structure

2025-08-30T01:51:31Z

HeliGungir: /* Chunk */

{{Languages}}
'''Map structure''' describes the division of the game world into standard [[Units|units]]: tiles and chunks. Tiles are the building blocks of the game, upon which all distance and area measurements are based. Chunks are blocks of 32×32 tiles used for various area-based calculations.

== Tile ==
[[File:MapStructure-GridExample.png|thumb|right|400px|The tile grid shown in-game; chunks (32×32 tiles) are indicated by the thicker black lines. Click to see at higher resolution.]]

A '''tile''' is a square which defines the smallest possible piece of the game world; the map is built on a grid of tiles. The tile is the basis for all area and distance measurement. Entity sizes are defined in terms of tiles; for example the [[rocket silo]] - the largest entity in the game - is 9 tiles wide and 9 tiles high, usually referred to as 9×9. The smallest possible entity size is therefore one tile, 1×1. Examples of 1×1 entities include [[transport belts]] and [[chests]].

The [[Map_generator#Maximum_map_size_and_used_memory|maximum size of the map]] is a square 2 million tiles on each side, a total of 4 trillion tiles. In practice the map in an average game is likely to be in the range of hundreds of thousands of tiles up to a few million at most.

=== Tile grid alignment ===

Almost all placeable entities are aligned to the tile grid when placed in the game. Exceptions include the [[land mine]] and vehicles such as the [[car]], [[tank]], [[locomotive]] and [[wagon]]s. Non-placeable entities that do not align to the grid include [[enemies]], [[tree]]s and decoratives.

[[File:MapStructure-PlaceableOffGridExample.png|thumb|none|300px|A few entities can be placed without aligning to the tile grid; this example shows cars, tanks and landmines.]]

=== Example distances ===

* Area covered by [[Radar]]: about 200 tiles diameter (100 tiles in each direction, bounded to the matching [[#Chunk|chunk]]).
* It takes about 1 minutes and 52 seconds for a player to run 1000 tiles without being given a speed boost (such as via an [[exoskeleton]]).

=== Real world size analogy ===

One tile is generally assumed to be one square meter in size. This measurement is proven to be technically true, and can be verified in-game. A test conducted via car will reveal that covering 250 tiles at 208.0 km/h (57.777 m/s) will take 260 game ticks (4.333 s). Using this data, it can be proven that <code>57.777 m/s ÷ (250 tiles / 4.333 s) ≈ 1 m/tile</code>.


== Chunk ==

[[File:radar_revealing_sectors.gif|thumb|220px|Animation of radars revealing chunks.]]A '''chunk''' is a unit defined as either an area of the map 32×32 tiles in size (containing 1024 tiles in total) ''or'' a distance of 32 tiles.

Chunks are used for:
* [[Player|Players]], [[Radar|radars]], [[Roboport|roboports]], [[Spidertron|spidertrons]], and fired [[Artillery|artillery shells]] provide visibility in [[remote view]] on a chunk basis.
* The map is generated on a chunk basis. A 20x20 chunk area around each player is slowly generated over time, and chunks are generated immediately when revealed by radars, spidertrons, etc.
* Chunks are "switched off" to save CPU cycles. If nothing important happens in a chunk (e.g. nothing has moved except [[fish]]) the chunk is not computed in the next [[Time#Ticks|tick]].
* The [[pollution]] model is based on chunks, and pollution spreads to neighboring chunks.
* [[Enemies#Expansions|Enemy expansion]] is evaluated on a per-chunk basis.

== Visualizing tiles and chunks in-game ==

A tile grid overlay is available which shows the grid upon which the map is built:

* The grid can be shown whenever the player pauses the game (by default with {{Keybinding|shift|space}}).
** This is configured under Settings->Interface->'''Show grid when game is paused'''.
* To see the grid while the game is still running, [[Debug mode|debug settings]] can be used:
** Pressing {{Keybinding|F4}} will show the '''Debug settings''' window.
** Ticking '''show-tile-grid''' under '''always''' will show the grid at all times; ticking it under '''debug''' will show it only when debug mode is activated.
** If '''debug''' is chosen the grid will become visible whenever {{Keybinding|F5}} is used to enable debug display. Configuring debug mode in this way allows {{Keybinding|F5}} to be used as a convenient toggle for turning the grid on and off, which can be useful when attempting to place entities according to a neat and/or symmetrical design.

{{C|Main}}

Map structure

2025-08-30T01:07:06Z

HeliGungir: /* Chunk */ Split map generation and map revealing into separate bullet points

{{Languages}}
'''Map structure''' describes the division of the game world into standard [[Units|units]]: tiles and chunks. Tiles are the building blocks of the game, upon which all distance and area measurements are based. Chunks are blocks of 32×32 tiles used for various area-based calculations.

== Tile ==
[[File:MapStructure-GridExample.png|thumb|right|400px|The tile grid shown in-game; chunks (32×32 tiles) are indicated by the thicker black lines. Click to see at higher resolution.]]

A '''tile''' is a square which defines the smallest possible piece of the game world; the map is built on a grid of tiles. The tile is the basis for all area and distance measurement. Entity sizes are defined in terms of tiles; for example the [[rocket silo]] - the largest entity in the game - is 9 tiles wide and 9 tiles high, usually referred to as 9×9. The smallest possible entity size is therefore one tile, 1×1. Examples of 1×1 entities include [[transport belts]] and [[chests]].

The [[Map_generator#Maximum_map_size_and_used_memory|maximum size of the map]] is a square 2 million tiles on each side, a total of 4 trillion tiles. In practice the map in an average game is likely to be in the range of hundreds of thousands of tiles up to a few million at most.

=== Tile grid alignment ===

Almost all placeable entities are aligned to the tile grid when placed in the game. Exceptions include the [[land mine]] and vehicles such as the [[car]], [[tank]], [[locomotive]] and [[wagon]]s. Non-placeable entities that do not align to the grid include [[enemies]], [[tree]]s and decoratives.

[[File:MapStructure-PlaceableOffGridExample.png|thumb|none|300px|A few entities can be placed without aligning to the tile grid; this example shows cars, tanks and landmines.]]

=== Example distances ===

* Area covered by [[Radar]]: about 200 tiles diameter (100 tiles in each direction, bounded to the matching [[#Chunk|chunk]]).
* It takes about 1 minutes and 52 seconds for a player to run 1000 tiles without being given a speed boost (such as via an [[exoskeleton]]).

=== Real world size analogy ===

One tile is generally assumed to be one square meter in size. This measurement is proven to be technically true, and can be verified in-game. A test conducted via car will reveal that covering 250 tiles at 208.0 km/h (57.777 m/s) will take 260 game ticks (4.333 s). Using this data, it can be proven that <code>57.777 m/s ÷ (250 tiles / 4.333 s) ≈ 1 m/tile</code>.


== Chunk ==

[[File:radar_revealing_sectors.gif|thumb|220px|Animation of radars revealing chunks.]]A '''chunk''' is a unit defined as either an area of the map 32×32 tiles in size (containing 1024 tiles in total) ''or'' a distance of 32 tiles.

Chunks are used for:
* Visibility in Remote View. [[Player|Players]], [[Radar|radars]], [[Roboport|roboports]], [[Spidertron|spidertrons]], and fired [[Artillery|artillery shells]] provide visibility on a chunk-by-chunk basis.
* Map generation. The map is slowly generated over time in a 20x20 chunk area around the player, or immediately when chunks are revealed by the player, radars, etc.
* Chunks are "switched off" to save CPU cycles. If nothing important happens in a chunk (e.g. nothing has moved except [[fish]]) the chunk is not computed in the next [[Time#Ticks|tick]].
* The [[pollution]] model is based on chunks, and pollution spreads to neighboring chunks.
* [[Enemies#Expansions|Enemy expansion]] is evaluated on a per-chunk basis.

== Visualizing tiles and chunks in-game ==

A tile grid overlay is available which shows the grid upon which the map is built:

* The grid can be shown whenever the player pauses the game (by default with {{Keybinding|shift|space}}).
** This is configured under Settings->Interface->'''Show grid when game is paused'''.
* To see the grid while the game is still running, [[Debug mode|debug settings]] can be used:
** Pressing {{Keybinding|F4}} will show the '''Debug settings''' window.
** Ticking '''show-tile-grid''' under '''always''' will show the grid at all times; ticking it under '''debug''' will show it only when debug mode is activated.
** If '''debug''' is chosen the grid will become visible whenever {{Keybinding|F5}} is used to enable debug display. Configuring debug mode in this way allows {{Keybinding|F5}} to be used as a convenient toggle for turning the grid on and off, which can be useful when attempting to place entities according to a neat and/or symmetrical design.

{{C|Main}}

Map structure

2025-08-30T00:46:25Z

HeliGungir: /* Chunk */ Moved detailed info about enemy expansions to Enemies#Expansions

{{Languages}}
'''Map structure''' describes the division of the game world into standard [[Units|units]]: tiles and chunks. Tiles are the building blocks of the game, upon which all distance and area measurements are based. Chunks are blocks of 32×32 tiles used for various area-based calculations.

== Tile ==
[[File:MapStructure-GridExample.png|thumb|right|400px|The tile grid shown in-game; chunks (32×32 tiles) are indicated by the thicker black lines. Click to see at higher resolution.]]

A '''tile''' is a square which defines the smallest possible piece of the game world; the map is built on a grid of tiles. The tile is the basis for all area and distance measurement. Entity sizes are defined in terms of tiles; for example the [[rocket silo]] - the largest entity in the game - is 9 tiles wide and 9 tiles high, usually referred to as 9×9. The smallest possible entity size is therefore one tile, 1×1. Examples of 1×1 entities include [[transport belts]] and [[chests]].

The [[Map_generator#Maximum_map_size_and_used_memory|maximum size of the map]] is a square 2 million tiles on each side, a total of 4 trillion tiles. In practice the map in an average game is likely to be in the range of hundreds of thousands of tiles up to a few million at most.

=== Tile grid alignment ===

Almost all placeable entities are aligned to the tile grid when placed in the game. Exceptions include the [[land mine]] and vehicles such as the [[car]], [[tank]], [[locomotive]] and [[wagon]]s. Non-placeable entities that do not align to the grid include [[enemies]], [[tree]]s and decoratives.

[[File:MapStructure-PlaceableOffGridExample.png|thumb|none|300px|A few entities can be placed without aligning to the tile grid; this example shows cars, tanks and landmines.]]

=== Example distances ===

* Area covered by [[Radar]]: about 200 tiles diameter (100 tiles in each direction, bounded to the matching [[#Chunk|chunk]]).
* It takes about 1 minutes and 52 seconds for a player to run 1000 tiles without being given a speed boost (such as via an [[exoskeleton]]).

=== Real world size analogy ===

One tile is generally assumed to be one square meter in size. This measurement is proven to be technically true, and can be verified in-game. A test conducted via car will reveal that covering 250 tiles at 208.0 km/h (57.777 m/s) will take 260 game ticks (4.333 s). Using this data, it can be proven that <code>57.777 m/s ÷ (250 tiles / 4.333 s) ≈ 1 m/tile</code>.


== Chunk ==

[[File:radar_revealing_sectors.gif|thumb|220px|Animation of radars revealing chunks.]]A '''chunk''' is a unit defined as either an area of the map 32×32 tiles in size (containing 1024 tiles in total) ''or'' a distance of 32 tiles.

Chunks are used for:
* Map generation. When the [[player]] moves, has a [[radar]] explore the map via sectors, or has [[artillery shell]]s fired across long distances, the map is revealed in chunks.
* Chunks are "switched off" to save CPU cycles. If nothing important happens in a chunk (e.g. nothing has moved except [[fish]]) the chunk is not computed in the next [[Time#Ticks|tick]].
* The [[pollution]] model is based on chunks, and pollution spreads to neighboring chunks.
* [[Enemies#Expansions|Enemy expansion]] is evaluated on a per-chunk basis.

== Visualizing tiles and chunks in-game ==

A tile grid overlay is available which shows the grid upon which the map is built:

* The grid can be shown whenever the player pauses the game (by default with {{Keybinding|shift|space}}).
** This is configured under Settings->Interface->'''Show grid when game is paused'''.
* To see the grid while the game is still running, [[Debug mode|debug settings]] can be used:
** Pressing {{Keybinding|F4}} will show the '''Debug settings''' window.
** Ticking '''show-tile-grid''' under '''always''' will show the grid at all times; ticking it under '''debug''' will show it only when debug mode is activated.
** If '''debug''' is chosen the grid will become visible whenever {{Keybinding|F5}} is used to enable debug display. Configuring debug mode in this way allows {{Keybinding|F5}} to be used as a convenient toggle for turning the grid on and off, which can be useful when attempting to place entities according to a neat and/or symmetrical design.

{{C|Main}}

Enemies

2025-08-30T00:43:51Z

HeliGungir: /* Expansions */ Major rewrite of enemy expansion section

{{Languages}}
{{Stub}}
[[File:biter_intro.png|175px|right]]'''Enemies''' are creatures that want to [[Damage|harm]] the [[player]]. They are the native inhabitants of the extraterrestrial worlds on which the player is operating. Enemies show up on the map as red dots.

On [[Nauvis]], the enemies are arthropods which live in organic nests. They are encountered in three species: Biters, Spitters, and Worms (though the nickname "Biters" is often used collectively for all of them).

More enemies can be encountered on other planets with the [[Space Age]] expansion. On the planet [[Gleba]]{{SA}}, there are pentapods which come in three variants: Wrigglers, Strafers, and Stompers. On the planet [[Vulcanus]]{{SA}}, there are the Demolishers.

Each species comes in a range of sizes, where larger specimens have more health and do more damage.

== Achievements ==
Enemies are directly connected to the following achievements:
{{Achievement|it-stinks-and-they-dont-like-it}}
{{Achievement|steamrolled}}
{{Achievement|art-of-siege}}
{{Achievement|keeping-your-hands-clean}}
{{Achievement|it-stinks-and-they-do-like-it}}
{{Achievement|get-off-my-lawn}}
{{Achievement|if-it-bleeds}}
{{Achievement|we-need-bigger-guns}}
{{Achievement|Size-doesnt-matter}}

==Creatures==
===Biters===
Biters are one of two main antagonists in the base game. They come in four sizes: small, medium, big and behemoth. In the beginning of a game, there will only be the small ones. With increasing [[pollution]], they will become bigger, related to the enemy's [[#Evolution|evolution]]. As common sense may suggest, their method of attack is a straightforward charge to "bite" things.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Picture !! Name !! Info
|-
| [[File:small_biter.png|center]] || Small Biter
| Weakest of biters, can be easily killed with a pistol.
* Planet: Nauvis
* Health: 15
* Damage: 7 Physical
* Attack speed: 1.71/s
* Speed: 43.2km/h
* Range: 1
* Pollution to join attack: 4
|-
| [[File:medium_biter.png|center]] || Medium Biter
| Stronger and slightly faster than the small biter. Can pose a problem for and even kill weaker players.
* Planet: Nauvis
* Health: 75
* Damage: 15 Physical
* Attack speed: 1.71/s
* Speed: 51.8km/h
* Range: 1
* Pollution to join attack: 20

[[Damage#Resistance|Resistances]]:
*Explosion: 0/10%
*Physical: 4/10%
|-
| [[File:big_biter.png|center]] || Big Biter
| Dangerous, resistant to small arms. Can attack through walls, hitting objects directly behind them. Hatches from spoiled [[biter egg|biter eggs]], however it won't be at full health when this happens.
* Planet: Nauvis
* Health: 375
* Damage: 30 Physical
* Attack speed: 1.71/s
* Speed: 49.7km/h
* Range: 2
* Pollution to join attack: 80

Resistances:
*Explosion: 0/10%
*Physical: 8/10%
|-
| [[File:behemoth_biter.png|center]] || Behemoth Biter
| Extremely durable and nearly immune to small arms, except for the strongest ordnance. Can attack through walls, hitting objects directly behind them.
* Planet: Nauvis
* Health: 3000
* Damage: 90 Physical
* Attack speed: 1.2/s
* Speed: 64.8km/h
* Range: 2
* Pollution to join attack: 400

Resistances:
*Explosion: 12/10%
*Physical: 12/10%

|}

===Spitters===
'''Spitters''' are much like [[Enemies#Biters|biters]] and only appear slightly later on in the game as the evolution factor increases. Their main difference from biters is their ranged attack. Using predictive aiming, they spit a stream of acid at enemies which leaves behind a puddle of acid where it hits the ground. Due to the spitters' predictive aiming, the acid stream can be dodged by suddenly changing walking directions or standing still.[https://factorio.com/blog/post/fff-279] Both the stream and the puddle of acid deal damage over time and slow down players and vehicles. Most entities of the game have a much lower resistance to acid than other damage types (including [[turret]]s and [[armor]]), so spitters are effectively more potent against the player and their factories. Their behavior and size classification are the same as with biters, but their health is universally lower and they are resistant exclusively against explosives, with no physical resistance.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Picture !! Name !! Info
|-
| [[File:small_spitter.png|center]] || Small Spitter
| Weakest of spitters. Easy to kill with any weapon, but attacks at range.
* Planet: Nauvis
* Health: 10
* Range: 13
* Pollution to join attack: 4
* Speed: 40.0km/h

Acid projectile:
* Attack speed: 0.6/s
* Area of effect size: 1
* Damage (on contact): 12 Acid

Acid puddle:
* Lifetime: 32 seconds
* Damage: 7.2 Acid/second
* Applies effect (on contact):
** Movement/vehicle speed modifier: 60%
** Duration: 2 seconds

|-
| [[File:medium_spitter.png|center]] || Medium Spitter
| Stronger and slower than the smaller version. Can pose a problem for and even kill weaker players.
* Planet: Nauvis
* Health: 50
* Range: 14
* Pollution to join attack: 12
* Speed: 35.6km/h

Acid projectile:
* Attack speed: 0.6/s
* Area of effect size: 1.25
* Damage (on contact): 24 Acid

Acid puddle:
* Lifetime: 32 seconds
* Damage: 28.8 Acid/second
* Applies effect (on contact):
** Movement/vehicle speed modifier: 50%
** Duration: 2 seconds

Resistances:
*Explosion: 0/10%
|-
| [[File:big_spitter.png|center]] || Big Spitter
| An even bulkier spitter and so can take more damage.
* Planet: Nauvis
* Health: 200
* Range: 15
* Pollution to join attack: 30
* Speed: 32.4km/h

Acid projectile:
* Attack speed: 0.6/s
* Area of effect size: 1.35
* Damage (on contact): 36 Acid

Acid puddle:
* Lifetime: 32 seconds
* Damage: 130 Acid/second
* Applies effect (on contact):
** Movement/vehicle speed modifier: 40%
** Duration: 2 seconds

Resistances:
*Explosion: 0/15%
|-
| [[File:behemoth_spitter.png|center]] || Behemoth Spitter
| The bulkiest of the spitters and so can take even more damage.
* Planet: Nauvis
* Health: 1500
* Range: 16
* Pollution to join attack: 200
* Speed: 32.4km/h

Acid projectile:
* Attack speed: 0.6/s
* Area of effect size: 1.75
* Damage (on contact): 60 Acid

Acid puddle:
* Lifetime: 32 seconds
* Damage: 360 Acid/second
* Applies effect (on contact):
** Movement/vehicle speed modifier: 30%
** Duration: 2 seconds

Resistances:
*Explosion: 0/30%
|}

===Worms===

The Worms are natural allies of biters and spitters and will attack the player if they get close enough with an attack similar to spitters'. They act like static [[turret]]s and will not follow attackers. They rely on high damage, great range and splash damage to keep the player away from the worms and the nests they protect, but either one of these advantages can be overcome. Unlike other enemies, they are also highly resistant to fire. They will spit acid at the player, which can also leave acidic puddles on the ground that can still damage players and vehicles, as well as slow them both down and leave a brief acidic, damaging effect for a few seconds. However, placed buildings and tiles are unaffected by the acid puddles, but still take damage normally by the acid projectile.

Worms come in 4 sizes, their power increasing with size. Like biters and spitters, behemoth, big and medium worms spawning is influenced by the evolution factor. Worms are only created during enemy expansion when a certain evolution factor requirement is fulfilled. This is 0.3 for the medium worm, 0.5 for the big worm and 0.9 for the behemoth worm. Below these evolution factors, worms can only be created by the map generation. In map generation, the game restricts higher tier worms behind the distance from the starting point. The further away the player goes from the starting area, the stronger the worms become.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Picture !! Name !! Info
|-
| [[File:Small worm.png|center]] || Small Worm
| A weak worm. It is still capable of killing the player unless it is targeted as priority.
* Health: 200
* Range: 25

Acid projectile:
* Attack speed: 0.66/s
* Area of effect size: 1.4
* Damage (on contact): 36 Acid

Acid puddle:
* Lifetime: 32 seconds
* Damage: 21.6 Acid/second
* Applies effect (on contact):
** Duration: 2 seconds
** Movement/vehicle speed modifier: 60%
|-
| [[File:Medium worm.png|center]] || Medium Worm
| Medium worms are dangerous to even more advanced players. They should be handled with care.
* Health: 500
* Range: 30

Acid projectile:
* Attack speed: 0.66/s
* Area of effect size: 1.55
* Damage (on contact): 48 Acid

Acid puddle:
* Lifetime: 32 seconds
* Damage: 57.6 Acid/second
* Applies effect (on contact):
** Duration: 2 seconds
** Movement/vehicle speed modifier: 50%

Resistances:
*Explosion: 5/15%
*Fire: 2/50%
*Laser: 20%
*Physical: 5/0%
|-
| [[File:Big worm.png|center]] || Big Worm
| Big worms are not as much more dangerous as resilient. They are almost immune to common gunfire of any sort.
* Health: 1500
* Range: 38

Acid projectile:
* Attack speed: 0.66/s
* Area of effect size: 1.75
* Damage (on contact): 72 Acid

Acid puddle:
* Lifetime: 32 seconds
* Damage: 259 Acid/second
* Applies effect (on contact):
** Duration: 2 seconds
** Movement/vehicle speed modifier: 40%

Resistances:
*Explosion: 10/30%
*Fire: 3/70%
*Laser: 50%
*Physical: 10/0%
|-
| [[File:Behemoth worm.png|center]] || Behemoth Worm
| Behemoth worms are the most dangerous of worms. With twice as much health as big worms and a significantly higher range, they can even challenge experienced players.
* Health: 3000
* Range: 48

Acid projectile:
* Attack speed: 0.66/s
* Area of effect size: 2
* Damage (on contact): 96 Acid

Acid puddle:
* Lifetime: 32 seconds
* Damage: 691 Acid/second
* Applies effect (on contact):
** Duration: 2 seconds
** Movement/vehicle speed modifier: 30%

Resistances:
*Explosion: 10/30%
*Fire: 3/70%
*Laser: 80%
*Physical: 10/0%
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Picture !! Description
|-
| [[File:worm.gif]] || A worm's attack animation.
|-
|}

===Wrigglers {{SA}}===
Wrigglers are the biter equivalents of the planet Gleba, as they are standard melee enemies. True to their name, they flail and squirm their digits to move around and attack. Much like how biters and spitters spawn from nests, wrigglers spawn from egg rafts. Destroying egg rafts will spawn a group of more premature wrigglers, which are wrigglers that slowly lose health over time until they die. Strafers can launch flying versions of premature wrigglers at their target.

Killing strafers and stompers can summon even more premature wrigglers. The wrigglers that spawn from the corpses of strafers and stompers will match the size of the larger enemy that was killed. For example, killing a small strafer or stomper will spawn small premature wriggers, while killing a medium strafer or stomper will spawn medium premature wrigglers.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Picture !! Name !! Info
|-
| [[File:wriggler_small.png|center]] || Small Wriggler
| The weakest and smallest of all wrigglers.
* Planet: Gleba
* Health: 100
* Damage: 3.75 Physical + 3.75 Poison
* Range: 1.1
* Speed: 34.6km/h

Resistances:
*Laser: 50%
|-
| [[File:wriggler_medium.png|center]] || Medium Wriggler
| Slightly stronger and faster than small wrigglers, and can still pose a threat for weaker players.
* Planet: Gleba
* Health: 200
* Damage: 5 Physical + 5 Poison
* Range: 1.4
* Speed: 38.9km/h

Resistances:
*Laser: 50%
|-
| [[File:wriggler_big.png|center]] || Big Wriggler
| The strongest and fastest of all wrigglers. Hatches from spoiled [[Pentapod egg|Pentapod eggs]] but won't be at full health when this happens.
* Planet: Gleba
* Health: 400
* Damage: 8 Physical + 8 Poison
* Range: 1.8
* Speed: 43.2km/h

Resistances:
*Laser: 50%
|}

===Strafers {{SA}}===
Native to the planet Gleba, strafers are large yet scrawny five-legged pentapod creatures with the unique behavior of constantly circling around players while attacking them, rather than making a beeline straight for the player, unlike any other type of enemy in the game. They will fire flying premature wrigglers toward the player, essentially adding more enemies to the fight.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Picture !! Name !! Info
|-
| [[File:strafer_small.png|center]] || Small Strafer
| The weakest and smallest of all strafers.
* Planet: Gleba
* Health: 800
* Shooting speed: 0.5/s
* Range: 22.0
* Speed: 62.2km/h

Projectile:
*Range: 110
*Area of effect: 1
**Damage: 67.5 Explosive

Resistances:
*Laser: 50%
*Physical: 2/10%
|-
| [[File:strafer_medium.png|center]] || Medium Strafer
| Slightly stronger and faster than the small strafer.
* Planet: Gleba
* Health: 1400
* Shooting speed: 0.5/s
* Range: 25.0
* Speed: 77.8km/h

Projectile:
*Range: 125
*Area of effect: 1
**Damage: 90 Explosive

Resistances:
*Laser: 50%
*Physical: 2/10%
|-
| [[File:strafer_big.png|center]] || Big Strafer
| Strongest, fastest and most resilient of strafers.
* Planet: Gleba
* Health: 2400
* Shooting speed: 0.5/s
* Range: 28.0
* Speed: 98.3km/h

Projectile:
*Range: 140
*Area of effect: 1
**Damage: 144 Explosive

Resistances:
*Laser: 50%
*Physical: 2/10%
|}

===Stompers {{SA}}===
Native to the planet Gleba, stompers are extremely large, five-legged pentapod creatures with limbs that look similar to a starfish, and seem to have natural, jagged exoskeleton armor that provides high resistances to many types of damage. They are very powerful melee enemies that use their brute force to attack [[player]]s by simply stomping toward them, while spitting a close-ranged acid that slows down players and [[Vehicles]]. Their large size and high damage can destroy buildings instantly. They will spawn premature wrigglers upon death.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Picture !! Name !! Info
|-
| [[File:stomper_small.png|center]] || Small Stomper
| The weakest and smallest of all stompers, but still powerful.
* Planet: Gleba
* Health: 3500
* Range: 5.8
* Speed: 41.6 km/h

Acid splash:
*Lifetime: 32 seconds
*Applied effects (on contact):
**Duration: 2 seconds
**Movement speed: 60% speed
**Vehicle speed: 30% speed
*Damage (on contact): 1.5/s Acid
*Area of effect size: 1.58
**Damage: 0.5 Acid

Resistances:
*Impact: 80%
*Laser: 80%
*Physical: 2/50%
|-
| [[File:stomper_medium.png|center]] || Medium Stomper
| Larger and more dangerous version of a stomper.
* Planet: Gleba
* Health: 8000
* Range: 7.8
* Speed: 54.1km/h

Acid splash:
*Lifetime: 32 seconds
*Applied effects (on contact):
**Duration: 2 seconds
**Movement speed: 60% speed
**Vehicle speed: 30% speed
*Damage (on contact): 6/s Acid
*Area of effect size: 2.1
**Damage: 1 Acid

Resistances:
*Impact: 80%
*Laser: 80%
*Physical: 2/50%
|-
| [[File:stomper_big.png|center]] || Big Stomper
| Larger, fastest and most dangerously aggressive version of a stomper.
* Planet: Gleba
* Health: 15000
* Range: 10.4
* Speed: 68.5km/h

Acid splash:
*Lifetime: 32 seconds
*Applied effects (on contact):
**Duration: 2 seconds
**Movement speed: 60% speed
**Vehicle speed: 30% speed
*Damage (on contact): 15.36/s Acid
*Area of effect size: 2.8
**Damage: 1.6 Acid

Resistances:
*Impact: 80%
*Laser: 80%
*Physical: 2/50%
|}

=== Demolishers {{SA}} ===
Native to the planet Vulcanus, demolishers are horrendously large worm-like creatures that roam across the land and lava. Each individual demolisher patrols a defined territory, and building structures in their territory will disturb them and cause them to attack.

Demolishers have three types of offense. On physical contact they do high damage to the player, and instantly destroy buildings and cliffs. They release a smoke cloud that slows the player and damages any nearby bots. And at range, they cause explosions to erupt from the ground, Due to their high damage resistances and extremely fast health regeneration, killing them requires advanced and upgraded weaponry, or massive quantities of bullets. They can also coil around the player to prevent them from escaping, and are completely immune to the [[slowdown capsule|slowdown capsule's]] effect.

Once killed, they leave behind remains similar to that of black volcanic rock, which contain [[tungsten ore]].

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Picture !! Name !! Info
|-
| [[File:demolisher_small.png|center]] || Small Demolisher
| The weakest and smallest of demolishers, but still very destructive.
* Planet: Vulcanus
* Health: 30000
* Regeneration: 2400/s

Resistances:
*Electric: 20/20%
*Explosion: 60% (head), 99% (body)
*Fire: 100%
*Impact: 100%
*Laser: 100%
*Physical: 50% (head), 5/50% (body)
*Poison: 10% (head), 50% (body)
|-
| [[File:demolisher_medium.png|center]] || Medium Demolisher
| Larger and more dangerous version of a demolisher.
* Planet: Vulcanus
* Health: 100000
* Regeneration: 7800/s

Resistances:
*Electric: 20/20%
*Explosion: 60% (head), 99% (body)
*Fire: 100%
*Impact: 100%
*Laser: 100%
*Physical: 50% (head), 5/50% (body)
*Poison: 10% (head), 50% (body)
|-
| [[File:demolisher_big.png|center]] || Big Demolisher
| The largest and most dangerous creature in the game.
* Planet: Vulcanus
* Health: 300000
* Regeneration: 24000/s

Resistances:
*Electric: 20/20%
*Explosion: 60% (head), 99% (body)
*Fire: 100%
*Impact: 100%
*Laser: 100%
*Physical: 50% (head), 5/50% (body)
*Poison: 10% (head), 50% (body)
|}

=== Nests ===
Nests in the wild will have their max health increase with evolution factor exponentially, up to 10 times their starting health.

Biter and spitter nests can be captured by firing a [[capture bot rocket]] from a [[rocket launcher]] at a nest. After the nest is captured, it must be given [[bioflux]] to maintain and continuously create [[biter egg]]s. If the nest is not maintained, it will slowly lose 1 health per second, but when fed, it will gain 1 health per second.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Picture !! Name !! Description
|-
| [[File:biter_nest.png|center]] || Biter spawner
|
* Planet: Nauvis
* Health: 350 (3500 at max evolution)

Resistances:
*Explosion: 5/0%
*Fire: 3/60%
*Physical: 2/15%
|-
| [[File:spitter_nest.png|center]] || Spitter spawner
|
* Planet: Nauvis
* Health: 350 (3500 at max evolution)

Resistances:
*Explosion: 5/0%
*Fire: 3/60%
*Physical: 2/15%
|-
| [[File:egg_raft.png|center]] || Egg raft
|
* Planet: Gleba
* Spawns a horde of premature wrigglers when destroyed.
* Health: 500 (5000 at max evolution)

Resistances:
*Explosive: 5/15%
*Fire: 3/60%
*Physical: 2/15%
|-
| [[File:egg_raft_small.png|center]] || Small egg raft
|
* Planet: Gleba
* Spawns a horde of premature wrigglers when destroyed.
* Health: 100 (1000 at max evolution)

Resistances:
*Explosive: 5/15%
*Fire: 3/60%
*Physical: 2/15%
|}

=== Expansions ===
[[map generator|By default]], enemies on Nauvis and Gleba {{SA}} try to expand into "unclaimed" territory to create new bases.

The game assigns a score to every [[Map structure#Chunk|chunk]] in a 7 chunk radius around existing spawners. Only chunks with land are considered on Nauvis, and only chunks with marsh are considered on Gleba. This score starts at 1.0 and is penalized by player structures and enemy spawners inside and near the chunk, to a minimum of 0.0.

Every 60 to 4 minutes, the game selects a chunk at random as the target for an expansion attempt, weighted by the chunk scores. Then 5 to 20 enemy units from the closest spawners assemble into an expansion group and walk to the expansion target. The time between expansion attempts and the size of expansion groups is random, but weighted by evolution factor.

When the expansion group reaches its target, each unit will begin dying in sequence to randomly create a spawner or a worm after some delay. This destroys any entities in the way, including members of the expansion group. Any unit can create any spawner or worm that is native to the planet.

* Biter nest, spitter nest and the four sizes of worms can only spawn on land tiles, on Nauvis.
* {{SA}} Egg raft and small egg raft can only spawn on marsh tiles, on Gleba.
* Medium worm, big worm and behemoth worm can only spawn when evolution factor is over 0.3, 0.5, and 0.9 respectively. [https://gist.github.com/Bilka2/aa88490c23124a6f214c02c73a368aa7]

==Defense==
[[File:kills_gui.png|thumb|220px|right|"Kills" tab on the [[production statistics]] screen.]]Nests spawn biters and spitters freely. However, biters and spitters will only aggressively engage the player's factory if the pollution cloud of the factory reaches a nest because pollution is consumed to send biters or spitters to join the next attack. Every 1 to 10 minutes (random) the mustered biters launch an attack. If not all biters have arrived at the rendezvous point by that time, they will wait up to an additional 2 minutes for stragglers. The attack then proceeds to their target over the shortest path possible, accounting for terrain, but not for player entities that could pose an obstacle (like [[wall]]s).

If there is a clear path somewhere around those obstacles, the biters will attempt to go around. If there is no clear passage or a clear passage would mean deviating too far from the original course, the biters will attack whatever is in their way to go through. This can be exploited to an extent; creating mazes at regular intervals along a barrier can direct the biters through a gauntlet not dissimilar to tower defense.

However, if a biter comes in proximity of a [[Military units and structures|military unit or structure]], it will prioritize these and attempt to immediately attack them instead, again trying to reach the new target over the shortest possible path with no too great detours, if possible.

==Evolution==
[[File:Evolution Biters.png|thumb|right|400px|Spawn chances of biters from biter spawners by evolution factor.]]
[[File:Evolution Spitters.png|thumb|right|400px|Spawn chances of spitters from spitter spawners by evolution factor.]]
[[File:Evolution Weights.png|thumb|right|400px|Weight graph of both spawners by evolution factor. The values shown are primarily for indicating when certain types start and stop spawning, for actual chances refer to the tables or other charts.]]
The evolution factor is a global variable that determines what kind of biters will be spawned. You can check the variable in the dev console via the following command (does not disable achievements):

/evolution

The evolution factor goes from 0 (not evolved at all) to 1 (maximal evolution). The evolution factor can only increase.

This command also provides percentages for the three sources; each one is the percent of the (unsquashed) total evolution that is contributed by that source.

Besides choosing what kind of biter will be spawned, the evolution factor also influences the spawning interval. This interval (<code>spawning_cooldown</code> in the <code>enemy-spawner</code> definition) is interpolated between 360 (0 evolution) and 150 (1 evolution) game ticks (= 6 to 2.5 seconds).

=== Methods of increasing ===

The evolution factor is increased by three kinds of events:

* The passage of time very slightly increases the evolution factor.
* The global [[Pollution|pollution production]] increases the evolution factor.
* Destroying [[Enemies#Nests|nests]] significantly increases the evolution factor.

The default settings are:

{| class="wikitable"
!Source per
!Variable in <code>enemy_evolution</code>
!Evolution increase
!Pollution equivalent
|-
| [[Time#Seconds|Second]] || <code>time_factor</code> || 0.000004 || 267/minute
|-
| Destroyed enemy spawner || <code>destroy_factor</code> || 0.002 || 2222
|-
| 1 Pollution unit || <code>pollution_factor</code> || 0.0000009 || 1
|}
Note that all spawners (not worms) generate the same amount of evolution when destroyed.

These values can be set during [[Map_generator#Enemy|world generation]]: the values in the dialog box are multiplied by 10^-7 for time and pollution, and 10^-5 for spawner destruction. In game, they can be found in <code>game.map_settings.enemy_evolution</code>, though checking or modifying them is considered using cheats.

Pollution production is the total pollution produced by [[Pollution#Polluters|buildings]], not the pollution spreading on the map, so it is not reduced by trees or other absorbers.
e.g. : 10 boilers produce 300 pollution in one minute, raising the evolution factor by around 0.00027 in that minute.

After totaling up all the evolution from these sources, this quantity is squashed to fit in the range <code>[0, 1)</code> by applying <code>evolution_factor = total_evolution / (1 + total_evolution)</code>.

Equivalently, marginal increases in evolution are reduced by multiplying the increase by <code>(1 - evolution_factor)²</code>. So for instance destroying enemy spawners in the beginning of the game results in increase of evolution factor by 0.002 while doing this when the evolution factor is 0.5 the increase is only 0.0005.

This also means that the evolution factor approaches 1 asymptotically - generally, increases past 0.9 or so are ''very'' slow and the number never actually reaches 1.0.

{| class="wikitable"
!Evolution factor
!Pollution equivalent
!Appearance
|-
| 10% || 123k ||
|-
| 20% || 278k || Medium Biter
|-
| 25% || 370k || Small Spitter
|-
| 30% || 476k ||
|-
| 40% || 741k || Medium Spitter
|-
| 50% || 1.111M || Big Biter, Big Spitter
|-
| 60% || 1.667M ||
|-
| 70% || 2.592M ||
|-
| 80% || 4.444M ||
|-
| 90% || 10M || Behemoth Biter, Behemoth Spitter
|-
| 95% || 21M ||
|-
| 99% || 110M ||
|}

=== Spawn chances by evolution factor ===

The probability charts show the chances of each type of biter/spitter for each spawner at all evolution levels.

<div id="evoChecker"></div>

=== Advanced: Evolution factor components and computation ===
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="width:calc(100%-400px); overflow:auto;">
This section has charts plotting the individual evolution factor components and discusses possibilities for manually estimating the evolution factor.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

[[File:Evolution_factor_by_time.png|400px|thumb|right|1. Single-component evolution factor increase with time]]
[[File:Evolution_factor_by_spawners.png|400px|thumb|right|2. Single-component evolution factor increase with destroyed spawners]]
[[File:Evolution_factor_by_pollution.png|400px|thumb|right|3. Single-component evolution factor increase with pollution]]

'''Notes'''

* Data from version 1.1.50.

* All charts end at approximately an evolution factor of 0.90.

* The calculation steps for time and spawner kills match those used by the game, so these charts should be accurate. The pollution chart assumes a pollution production of 1000 units per second, and due to the recursive nature of the chart values will slightly diverge at different pollution rates. The effect of this is negligible for any reasonable amount pollution production, however.

* Given that the game reports the actual evolution factor (console: <code>/evolution</code>) whenever the player wishes, these charts are intended primarily to help estimate the impact of planned base expansions and similar activities on the evolution factor's future development.

'''Comments'''

These charts (click to enlarge) represent the situation where each evolution factor component (time, pollution, destroyed spawners) is the ''only'' component contributing to the evolution factor in that entire game. They are therefore '''not realistic''', as in a typical game all three components will contribute, some at varying times and intensities.

Because of how contributions to the evolution factor (EF) are calculated (multiplied by <code>(1 - current EF)</code>), it is '''not''' possible to simply add the values indicated by these charts for a game's time passed, pollution generated, and / or spawners destroyed so far to retrieve the total evolution factor.

For example, if 24 hours have passed (single-component EF =~ 0.25), 200,000 pollution units were released (single-component EF =~ 0.15), and 400 spawners were destroyed (single-component EF =~ 0.45), the actual evolution factor will '''not''' be (0.25 + 0.15 + 0.45 =) ~0.85.

However, the evolution factor will always be '''less''' than the sum of all individual components as indicated by these charts, and '''at least''' as high as the highest individual component. Thus, using the values from above, the EF will be ''at least'' 0.35 and ''less than'' 0.85. A smarter approach is required to compute the current evolution factor.

'''Individual components'''

The individual components of evolution can be approximated from <code>/evolution</code>:

Given the evolution factor, the unsquashed evolution is <code>unsquashed = evolution_factor / (1 - evolution_factor)</code>. Multiply this by the percentage for a given component to get its approximate unsquashed contribution. Of course, total pollution and spawner kills can also be found on the [[Production_statistics|production statistics]] screen, and time passed can be found using the <code>/time</code> command, so it's not fully necessary.

The actual factors can be found in <code>game.forces.enemy.evolution_factor_by_time</code>, <code>...evolution_factor_by_killing_spawners</code>, and <code>...evolution_factor_by_pollution</code>, if you don't mind disabling achievements.

</div></div>

== Trivia ==
*Despite their drastically different origins, enemies from different planets will always act as allies against the player. They will even reside around each other's nests when not attacking players, even if the type of nest does not match that of the residing creature. Even demolishers will circle around nests without harming or destroying them. Since enemies only spawn on their respective planets, this is not normally seen in gameplay unless a [[biter egg]]{{SA}} or [[pentapod egg]]{{SA}} spoils after being brought to another planet or the enemies are placed near each other in the [[map editor]].

*Demolishers{{SA}} were originally designed for [[Fulgora]]{{SA}}, but was later moved to [[Vulcanus]]{{SA}} because it was too similar to the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dune_(franchise) Dune franchise].

== Gallery ==
<gallery widths=270px heights=140px>
File:player_near_enemy_nests.png|The player near some enemy nests and worms.
File:player_worms_acid.png|The player among acid puddles created by attacking worms.
File:player_attacked_by_biters.png|Both the player and some buildings getting attacked by biters.
File:enemy_nests_mapgen.png|Enemy nests seen in a map generation preview (deathworld setting).
File:turret_wall_biters.png|Line of gun turrets defending against biters.
File:titlescreen_enemies.png|Enemies seen at the title screen.
File:gleba_pentapods_preview.png|Pentapod enemies seen on Gleba.

File:demolisher_chases_player.png|A demolisher chases the player on Vulcanus.
</gallery>

== History ==
{{history|2.0.18|
* Demolisher{{SA}} health bars will always be visible for at least 1 tick after they take any damage, even if they fully regenerate the damage in the same tick
}}

{{history|2.0.17|
* Gleba evolution is now more gradual. {{SA}}
* Small stomper moves more slowly and deals less damage. {{SA}}
* Stomper pentapod vision range is reduced from 40 to 30. {{SA}}
* Medium and big wriggler pentapod health is increased. {{SA}}
}}

{{history|2.0.7|
* Wrigglers, strafers, stompers and demolishers have been added with the [[Space Age]]{{SA}} expansion.
* Spawners will have their health increase with evolution (3500 with max evolution).
* Significantly increased medium, big and behemoth worm stats as well as their laser resistances.
}}

{{history|0.17.0|
* Behemoth worm added.}}

{{history|0.15.0|
* Increased the damage, range, and health of worms.
* Decreased health and resist of Behemoth biters.}}

{{history|0.13.10|
* Biters and other units won't become aggressive as a result of friendly-fire.}}

{{history|0.13.0|
* Big and behemoth enemies now spawn 50% slower.
* Changed the way evolution factor approaches the maximum (1).
** The addition of evolution factor was changed from addition * (1 - evolution) to addition * (1 - evolution)^2
** This means that the progress gets more slower towards the high values.}}

{{history|0.12.26|
* Running biters over with a vehicle will now anger them in peaceful mode.}}

{{history|0.12.0|
* Updated sounds for enemies.}}

{{history|0.11.17|
* Items dropped by enemies([[Archive:alien artifact|*]]) are now collected automatically and from longer distances.}}

{{history|0.11.6|
* Range of spitters is now 15, less than turrets.}}

{{history|0.11.0|
* Spitters added.
* Drawing of enemies optimised, so adding new colors does not impact VRAM.
* Blood splashes on death are now procedural.}}

{{history|0.9.0|
* Turrets no longer search for enemies when none are near.
* Biters can no longer destroy the shipwreck in the 3rd new hope campaign.}}

{{history|0.8.1|
* Further improvement to enemy AI.}}

{{history|0.8.0|
* Decreased the range of medium worm from 25 to 20.}}

{{history|0.7.2|
* Biter AI improved.}}

{{history|0.7.1|
* Peaceful mode added for freeplay.}}

{{history|0.7.0|
* Enemy creepers were replaced by small, medium and big biters.
* Enemy turrets were replaced by small, medium and big shooting worms.
* Enemies move and attack in groups.
* Enemies wander around their base when they have nothing to do.
* Enemies call for help when attacked.
* Enemies can create new bases.
* Enemies can now destroy all player creations they find.}}

{{history|0.1.0|
* Introduced, called 'creepers'}}

== See also ==
* [[Damage]]
* [[Pollution]]

{{EnvironmentNav}}

Military units and structures

2025-08-29T00:36:51Z

HeliGungir: /* History */

{{Languages}}
Some units and structures are marked as '''Military units''' or '''Military structures''' and are high priority targets for enemy forces. They will be attacked on sight by:

* [[Enemies#Biters|Biters]], [[Enemies#Spitters|spitters]], and [[Enemies#Worms|worms]].
* [[Gun_turret|Turrets]], [[Combat_robot_capsules|combat robots]], and [[personal laser defense]].
* The [[player]], when holding down "shoot enemy" {{Keybinding|space}}.

There are a few exceptions:
* [[Artillery turret]]s and [[Artillery wagon]]s will not attack units automatically, they only attack structures automatically.
* Enemies are not "distracted" by [[Construction robot|Construction]] and [[Logistic robot|Logistic Robots]], so enemies will not enter combat on sight. However, enemies already in combat will prioritize these robots like any other military unit.
* [[Land mine|Land mines]] are only targeted by enemies during the first 2 seconds after placement, as they arm and bury in the ground. Also, enemies do not enter combat when triggering and taking damage from a land mine.

__TOC__

== Modding ==
Military units and structures are identified by [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/EntityWithOwnerPrototype.html#is_military_target a flag] on [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/EntityWithOwnerPrototype.html EntityWithOwnerPrototype]. This can be changed by [[modding]], except for units and unit spawners. The ''default'' military prototypes are listed in the table below.

== Military units ==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Icon !! Name !! Default force !! Prototype
|-
| [[File:Player.png|center|32px]]
| [[Player]]
| player
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/CharacterPrototype.html character]
|-
| [[File:Defender_capsule.png|center|32px]]
| [[Defender capsule]]
| player
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/CombatRobotPrototype.html combat-robot]
|-
| [[File:Distractor_capsule.png|center|32px]]
| [[Distractor capsule]]
| player
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/CombatRobotPrototype.html combat-robot]
|-
| [[File:Destroyer_capsule.png|center|32px]]
| [[Destroyer capsule]]
| player
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/CombatRobotPrototype.html combat-robot]
|-
| [[File:Construction_robot.png|center|32px]]
| [[Construction robot]]
| player
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/ConstructionRobotPrototype.html construction-robot]
|-
| [[File:Logistic_robot.png|center|32px]]
| [[Logistic robot]]
| player
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/LogisticRobotPrototype.html logistic-robot]
|-
| [[File:Land_mine.png|center|32px]]
| [[Land mine]]
| player
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/LandMinePrototype.html land-mine]
|-
| [[File:small_biter.png|center|64px]]
| [[Enemies#Biters|Small biter]]
| enemy
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/UnitPrototype.html unit]
|-
| [[File:small_spitter.png|center|72px]]
| [[Enemies#Spitters|Small spitter]]
| enemy
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/UnitPrototype.html unit]
|-
| [[File:medium_biter.png|center|64px]]
| [[Enemies#Biters|Medium biter]]
| enemy
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/UnitPrototype.html unit]
|-
| [[File:medium_spitter.png|center|72px]]
| [[Enemies#Spitters|Medium spitter]]
| enemy
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/UnitPrototype.html unit]
|-
| [[File:big_biter.png|center|64px]]
| [[Enemies#Biters|Big biter]]
| enemy
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/UnitPrototype.html unit]
|-
| [[File:big_spitter.png|center|72px]]
| [[Enemies#Spitters|Big spitter]]
| enemy
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/UnitPrototype.html unit]
|-
| [[File:behemoth_biter.png|64px]]
| [[Enemies#Biters|Behemoth biter]]
| enemy
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/UnitPrototype.html unit]
|-
| [[File:behemoth_spitter.png|center|72px]]
| [[Enemies#Spitters|Behemoth spitter]]
| enemy
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/UnitPrototype.html unit]
|-
|}

== Military structures ==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Icon !! Name !! Default force !! Prototype
|-
| [[File:Gun_turret.png|center|32px]]
| [[Gun turret]]
| player
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/AmmoTurretPrototype.html ammo-turret]
|-
| [[File:Flamethrower_turret.png|center|32px]]
| [[Flamethrower turret]]
| player
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/FluidTurretPrototype.html fluid-turret]
|-
| [[File:Laser_turret.png|center|32px]]
| [[Laser turret]]
| player
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/ElectricTurretPrototype.html electric-turret]
|-
| [[File:Artillery_turret.png|center|32px]]
| [[Artillery turret]]
| player
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/ArtilleryTurretPrototype.html artillery-turret]
|-
| [[File:Small_worm.png|center|50px]]
| [[Enemies#Worms|Small worm]]
| enemy
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/TurretPrototype.html turret]
|-
| [[File:Medium_worm.png|center|50px]]
| [[Enemies#Worms|Medium worm]]
| enemy
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/TurretPrototype.html turret]
|-
| [[File:Big_worm.png|center|50px]]
| [[Enemies#Worms|Big worm]]
| enemy
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/TurretPrototype.html turret]
|-
| [[File:Behemoth_worm.png|center|50px]]
| [[Enemies#Worms|Behemoth worm]]
| enemy
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/TurretPrototype.html turret]
|-
| [[File:Biter_nest.png|center|50px]]
| [[Enemies#Nests|Biter spawner]]
| enemy
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/EnemySpawnerPrototype.html unit-spawner]
|-
| [[File:Spitter_nest.png|center|50px]]
| [[Enemies#Nests|Spitter spawner]]
| enemy
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/EnemySpawnerPrototype.html unit-spawner]
|-
|
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/PlayerPortPrototype.html Player port]
|
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/PlayerPortPrototype.html player-port]
|-
|
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/SimpleEntityWithForcePrototype.html SimpleEntityWithForce]
|
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/SimpleEntityWithForcePrototype.html simple-entity-with-force]
|}

== History ==
{{History|2.0.7|
* [[Radar|Radars]] are no longer military units
* Compilatron removed
}}

{{History|0.18.0|
* [[Construction robot|Construction]] and [[Logistic robot|Logistic Robots]] can no longer distract enemies
}}

{{C|Main}}

Military units and structures

2025-08-26T02:57:55Z

HeliGungir:

{{Languages}}
Some units and structures are marked as '''Military units''' or '''Military structures''' and are high priority targets for enemy forces. They will be attacked on sight by:

* [[Enemies#Biters|Biters]], [[Enemies#Spitters|spitters]], and [[Enemies#Worms|worms]].
* [[Gun_turret|Turrets]], [[Combat_robot_capsules|combat robots]], and [[personal laser defense]].
* The [[player]], when holding down "shoot enemy" {{Keybinding|space}}.

There are a few exceptions:
* [[Artillery turret]]s and [[Artillery wagon]]s will not attack units automatically, they only attack structures automatically.
* Enemies are not "distracted" by [[Construction robot|Construction]] and [[Logistic robot|Logistic Robots]], so enemies will not enter combat on sight. However, enemies already in combat will prioritize these robots like any other military unit.
* [[Land mine|Land mines]] are only targeted by enemies during the first 2 seconds after placement, as they arm and bury in the ground. Also, enemies do not enter combat when triggering and taking damage from a land mine.

__TOC__

== Modding ==
Military units and structures are identified by [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/EntityWithOwnerPrototype.html#is_military_target a flag] on [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/EntityWithOwnerPrototype.html EntityWithOwnerPrototype]. This can be changed by [[modding]], except for units and unit spawners. The ''default'' military prototypes are listed in the table below.

== Military units ==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Icon !! Name !! Default force !! Prototype
|-
| [[File:Player.png|center|32px]]
| [[Player]]
| player
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/CharacterPrototype.html character]
|-
| [[File:Defender_capsule.png|center|32px]]
| [[Defender capsule]]
| player
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/CombatRobotPrototype.html combat-robot]
|-
| [[File:Distractor_capsule.png|center|32px]]
| [[Distractor capsule]]
| player
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/CombatRobotPrototype.html combat-robot]
|-
| [[File:Destroyer_capsule.png|center|32px]]
| [[Destroyer capsule]]
| player
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/CombatRobotPrototype.html combat-robot]
|-
| [[File:Construction_robot.png|center|32px]]
| [[Construction robot]]
| player
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/ConstructionRobotPrototype.html construction-robot]
|-
| [[File:Logistic_robot.png|center|32px]]
| [[Logistic robot]]
| player
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/LogisticRobotPrototype.html logistic-robot]
|-
| [[File:Land_mine.png|center|32px]]
| [[Land mine]]
| player
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/LandMinePrototype.html land-mine]
|-
| [[File:small_biter.png|center|64px]]
| [[Enemies#Biters|Small biter]]
| enemy
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/UnitPrototype.html unit]
|-
| [[File:small_spitter.png|center|72px]]
| [[Enemies#Spitters|Small spitter]]
| enemy
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/UnitPrototype.html unit]
|-
| [[File:medium_biter.png|center|64px]]
| [[Enemies#Biters|Medium biter]]
| enemy
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/UnitPrototype.html unit]
|-
| [[File:medium_spitter.png|center|72px]]
| [[Enemies#Spitters|Medium spitter]]
| enemy
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/UnitPrototype.html unit]
|-
| [[File:big_biter.png|center|64px]]
| [[Enemies#Biters|Big biter]]
| enemy
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/UnitPrototype.html unit]
|-
| [[File:big_spitter.png|center|72px]]
| [[Enemies#Spitters|Big spitter]]
| enemy
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/UnitPrototype.html unit]
|-
| [[File:behemoth_biter.png|64px]]
| [[Enemies#Biters|Behemoth biter]]
| enemy
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/UnitPrototype.html unit]
|-
| [[File:behemoth_spitter.png|center|72px]]
| [[Enemies#Spitters|Behemoth spitter]]
| enemy
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/UnitPrototype.html unit]
|-
|}

== Military structures ==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Icon !! Name !! Default force !! Prototype
|-
| [[File:Gun_turret.png|center|32px]]
| [[Gun turret]]
| player
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/AmmoTurretPrototype.html ammo-turret]
|-
| [[File:Flamethrower_turret.png|center|32px]]
| [[Flamethrower turret]]
| player
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/FluidTurretPrototype.html fluid-turret]
|-
| [[File:Laser_turret.png|center|32px]]
| [[Laser turret]]
| player
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/ElectricTurretPrototype.html electric-turret]
|-
| [[File:Artillery_turret.png|center|32px]]
| [[Artillery turret]]
| player
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/ArtilleryTurretPrototype.html artillery-turret]
|-
| [[File:Small_worm.png|center|50px]]
| [[Enemies#Worms|Small worm]]
| enemy
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/TurretPrototype.html turret]
|-
| [[File:Medium_worm.png|center|50px]]
| [[Enemies#Worms|Medium worm]]
| enemy
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/TurretPrototype.html turret]
|-
| [[File:Big_worm.png|center|50px]]
| [[Enemies#Worms|Big worm]]
| enemy
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/TurretPrototype.html turret]
|-
| [[File:Behemoth_worm.png|center|50px]]
| [[Enemies#Worms|Behemoth worm]]
| enemy
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/TurretPrototype.html turret]
|-
| [[File:Biter_nest.png|center|50px]]
| [[Enemies#Nests|Biter spawner]]
| enemy
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/EnemySpawnerPrototype.html unit-spawner]
|-
| [[File:Spitter_nest.png|center|50px]]
| [[Enemies#Nests|Spitter spawner]]
| enemy
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/EnemySpawnerPrototype.html unit-spawner]
|-
|
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/PlayerPortPrototype.html Player port]
|
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/PlayerPortPrototype.html player-port]
|-
|
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/SimpleEntityWithForcePrototype.html SimpleEntityWithForce]
|
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/SimpleEntityWithForcePrototype.html simple-entity-with-force]
|}

== History ==
{{History|2.0.7|
* [[Radar|Radars]] are no longer a military units
* Compilatron removed
}}

{{History|0.18.0|
* [[Construction robot|Construction]] and [[Logistic robot|Logistic Robots]] can no longer distract enemies
}}

{{C|Main}}

Military units and structures

2025-08-26T02:57:45Z

HeliGungir: /*Summary | Exceptions*/ More info about land mines

{{Languages}}
Some units and structures are marked as '''Military units''' or '''Military structures''' and are high priority targets for enemy forces. They will be attacked on sight by:

* [[Enemies#Biters|Biters]], [[Enemies#Spitters|spitters]], and [[Enemies#Worms|worms]].
* [[Gun_turret|Turrets]], [[Combat_robot_capsules|combat robots]], and [[personal laser defense]].
* The [[player]], when holding down "shoot enemy" {{Keybinding|space}}.

There are a few exceptions:
* [[Artillery turret]]s and [[Artillery wagon]]s will not attack units automatically, they only attack structures automatically.
* Enemies are not "distracted" by [[Construction robot|Construction]] and [[Logistic robot|Logistic Robots]], so enemies will not enter combat on sight. However, enemies already in combat will prioritize these robots like any other military unit.
* [[Land mine|Land mines]] are only targeted by enemies during the first 2 seconds after placement, as they arm and bury in the ground. Also, enemies do not enter combat when triggering and taking damage from a land mine.

__TOC__

== Modding ==
Military units and structures are identified by [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/EntityWithOwnerPrototype.html#is_military_target a flag] on [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/EntityWithOwnerPrototype.html EntityWithOwnerPrototype]. This can be changed by [[modding]], except for units and unit spawners. The ''default'' military prototypes are listed in the table below.

== Military units ==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Icon !! Name !! Default force !! Prototype
|-
| [[File:Player.png|center|32px]]
| [[Player]]
| player
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/CharacterPrototype.html character]
|-
| [[File:Defender_capsule.png|center|32px]]
| [[Defender capsule]]
| player
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/CombatRobotPrototype.html combat-robot]
|-
| [[File:Distractor_capsule.png|center|32px]]
| [[Distractor capsule]]
| player
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/CombatRobotPrototype.html combat-robot]
|-
| [[File:Destroyer_capsule.png|center|32px]]
| [[Destroyer capsule]]
| player
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/CombatRobotPrototype.html combat-robot]
|-
| [[File:Construction_robot.png|center|32px]]
| [[Construction robot]]
| player
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/ConstructionRobotPrototype.html construction-robot]
|-
| [[File:Logistic_robot.png|center|32px]]
| [[Logistic robot]]
| player
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/LogisticRobotPrototype.html logistic-robot]
|-
| [[File:Land_mine.png|center|32px]]
| [[Land mine]]
| player
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/LandMinePrototype.html land-mine]
|-
| [[File:small_biter.png|center|64px]]
| [[Enemies#Biters|Small biter]]
| enemy
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/UnitPrototype.html unit]
|-
| [[File:small_spitter.png|center|72px]]
| [[Enemies#Spitters|Small spitter]]
| enemy
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/UnitPrototype.html unit]
|-
| [[File:medium_biter.png|center|64px]]
| [[Enemies#Biters|Medium biter]]
| enemy
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/UnitPrototype.html unit]
|-
| [[File:medium_spitter.png|center|72px]]
| [[Enemies#Spitters|Medium spitter]]
| enemy
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/UnitPrototype.html unit]
|-
| [[File:big_biter.png|center|64px]]
| [[Enemies#Biters|Big biter]]
| enemy
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/UnitPrototype.html unit]
|-
| [[File:big_spitter.png|center|72px]]
| [[Enemies#Spitters|Big spitter]]
| enemy
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/UnitPrototype.html unit]
|-
| [[File:behemoth_biter.png|64px]]
| [[Enemies#Biters|Behemoth biter]]
| enemy
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/UnitPrototype.html unit]
|-
| [[File:behemoth_spitter.png|center|72px]]
| [[Enemies#Spitters|Behemoth spitter]]
| enemy
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/UnitPrototype.html unit]
|-
|}

== Military structures ==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Icon !! Name !! Default force !! Prototype
|-
| [[File:Gun_turret.png|center|32px]]
| [[Gun turret]]
| player
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/AmmoTurretPrototype.html ammo-turret]
|-
| [[File:Flamethrower_turret.png|center|32px]]
| [[Flamethrower turret]]
| player
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/FluidTurretPrototype.html fluid-turret]
|-
| [[File:Laser_turret.png|center|32px]]
| [[Laser turret]]
| player
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/ElectricTurretPrototype.html electric-turret]
|-
| [[File:Artillery_turret.png|center|32px]]
| [[Artillery turret]]
| player
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/ArtilleryTurretPrototype.html artillery-turret]
|-
| [[File:Small_worm.png|center|50px]]
| [[Enemies#Worms|Small worm]]
| enemy
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/TurretPrototype.html turret]
|-
| [[File:Medium_worm.png|center|50px]]
| [[Enemies#Worms|Medium worm]]
| enemy
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/TurretPrototype.html turret]
|-
| [[File:Big_worm.png|center|50px]]
| [[Enemies#Worms|Big worm]]
| enemy
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/TurretPrototype.html turret]
|-
| [[File:Behemoth_worm.png|center|50px]]
| [[Enemies#Worms|Behemoth worm]]
| enemy
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/TurretPrototype.html turret]
|-
| [[File:Biter_nest.png|center|50px]]
| [[Enemies#Nests|Biter spawner]]
| enemy
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/EnemySpawnerPrototype.html unit-spawner]
|-
| [[File:Spitter_nest.png|center|50px]]
| [[Enemies#Nests|Spitter spawner]]
| enemy
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/EnemySpawnerPrototype.html unit-spawner]
|-
|
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/PlayerPortPrototype.html Player port]
|
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/PlayerPortPrototype.html player-port]
|-
|
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/SimpleEntityWithForcePrototype.html SimpleEntityWithForce]
|
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/SimpleEntityWithForcePrototype.html simple-entity-with-force]
|}

== History ==
{{History|2.0.7|
* [[Radar|Radars]] are no longer a military units
* Compilatron removed
}}

{{History|0.18.0|
* [[Construction robot|Construction]] and [[Logistic robot|Logistic Robots]] can no longer distract enemies
}}

{{C|Main}}

Military units and structures

2025-08-26T02:40:47Z

HeliGungir: /*Summary |*/ Add exception

{{Languages}}
Some units and structures are marked as '''Military units''' or '''Military structures''' and are high priority targets for enemy forces. They will be attacked on sight by:

* [[Enemies#Biters|Biters]], [[Enemies#Spitters|spitters]], and [[Enemies#Worms|worms]].
* [[Gun_turret|Turrets]], [[Combat_robot_capsules|combat robots]], and [[personal laser defense]].
* The [[player]], when holding down "shoot enemy" {{Keybinding|space}}.

There are a few exceptions:
* [[Artillery turret]]s and [[Artillery wagon]]s will not attack units automatically, they only attack structures automatically.
* Enemies are not "distracted" by [[Construction robot|Construction]] and [[Logistic robot|Logistic Robots]], so enemies will not enter combat on sight. However, enemies already in combat will prioritize these robots like any other military unit.
* [[Land mine|Land Mines]] are only visible and targetable by enemies during the 2 seconds they take to arm and bury in the ground.

__TOC__

== Modding ==
Military units and structures are identified by [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/EntityWithOwnerPrototype.html#is_military_target a flag] on [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/EntityWithOwnerPrototype.html EntityWithOwnerPrototype]. This can be changed by [[modding]], except for units and unit spawners. The ''default'' military prototypes are listed in the table below.

== Military units ==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Icon !! Name !! Default force !! Prototype
|-
| [[File:Player.png|center|32px]]
| [[Player]]
| player
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/CharacterPrototype.html character]
|-
| [[File:Defender_capsule.png|center|32px]]
| [[Defender capsule]]
| player
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/CombatRobotPrototype.html combat-robot]
|-
| [[File:Distractor_capsule.png|center|32px]]
| [[Distractor capsule]]
| player
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/CombatRobotPrototype.html combat-robot]
|-
| [[File:Destroyer_capsule.png|center|32px]]
| [[Destroyer capsule]]
| player
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/CombatRobotPrototype.html combat-robot]
|-
| [[File:Construction_robot.png|center|32px]]
| [[Construction robot]]
| player
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/ConstructionRobotPrototype.html construction-robot]
|-
| [[File:Logistic_robot.png|center|32px]]
| [[Logistic robot]]
| player
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/LogisticRobotPrototype.html logistic-robot]
|-
| [[File:Land_mine.png|center|32px]]
| [[Land mine]]
| player
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/LandMinePrototype.html land-mine]
|-
| [[File:small_biter.png|center|64px]]
| [[Enemies#Biters|Small biter]]
| enemy
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/UnitPrototype.html unit]
|-
| [[File:small_spitter.png|center|72px]]
| [[Enemies#Spitters|Small spitter]]
| enemy
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/UnitPrototype.html unit]
|-
| [[File:medium_biter.png|center|64px]]
| [[Enemies#Biters|Medium biter]]
| enemy
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/UnitPrototype.html unit]
|-
| [[File:medium_spitter.png|center|72px]]
| [[Enemies#Spitters|Medium spitter]]
| enemy
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/UnitPrototype.html unit]
|-
| [[File:big_biter.png|center|64px]]
| [[Enemies#Biters|Big biter]]
| enemy
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/UnitPrototype.html unit]
|-
| [[File:big_spitter.png|center|72px]]
| [[Enemies#Spitters|Big spitter]]
| enemy
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/UnitPrototype.html unit]
|-
| [[File:behemoth_biter.png|64px]]
| [[Enemies#Biters|Behemoth biter]]
| enemy
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/UnitPrototype.html unit]
|-
| [[File:behemoth_spitter.png|center|72px]]
| [[Enemies#Spitters|Behemoth spitter]]
| enemy
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/UnitPrototype.html unit]
|-
|}

== Military structures ==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Icon !! Name !! Default force !! Prototype
|-
| [[File:Gun_turret.png|center|32px]]
| [[Gun turret]]
| player
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/AmmoTurretPrototype.html ammo-turret]
|-
| [[File:Flamethrower_turret.png|center|32px]]
| [[Flamethrower turret]]
| player
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/FluidTurretPrototype.html fluid-turret]
|-
| [[File:Laser_turret.png|center|32px]]
| [[Laser turret]]
| player
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/ElectricTurretPrototype.html electric-turret]
|-
| [[File:Artillery_turret.png|center|32px]]
| [[Artillery turret]]
| player
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/ArtilleryTurretPrototype.html artillery-turret]
|-
| [[File:Small_worm.png|center|50px]]
| [[Enemies#Worms|Small worm]]
| enemy
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/TurretPrototype.html turret]
|-
| [[File:Medium_worm.png|center|50px]]
| [[Enemies#Worms|Medium worm]]
| enemy
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/TurretPrototype.html turret]
|-
| [[File:Big_worm.png|center|50px]]
| [[Enemies#Worms|Big worm]]
| enemy
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/TurretPrototype.html turret]
|-
| [[File:Behemoth_worm.png|center|50px]]
| [[Enemies#Worms|Behemoth worm]]
| enemy
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/TurretPrototype.html turret]
|-
| [[File:Biter_nest.png|center|50px]]
| [[Enemies#Nests|Biter spawner]]
| enemy
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/EnemySpawnerPrototype.html unit-spawner]
|-
| [[File:Spitter_nest.png|center|50px]]
| [[Enemies#Nests|Spitter spawner]]
| enemy
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/EnemySpawnerPrototype.html unit-spawner]
|-
|
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/PlayerPortPrototype.html Player port]
|
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/PlayerPortPrototype.html player-port]
|-
|
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/SimpleEntityWithForcePrototype.html SimpleEntityWithForce]
|
| [https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/SimpleEntityWithForcePrototype.html simple-entity-with-force]
|}

== History ==
{{History|2.0.7|
* [[Radar|Radars]] are no longer a military units
* Compilatron removed
}}

{{History|0.18.0|
* [[Construction robot|Construction]] and [[Logistic robot|Logistic Robots]] can no longer distract enemies
}}

{{C|Main}}