Artisan Archive

As I'm sure you all know, the factory bugs introduced in the August "Big Patch" are still plaguing us, even after the August 20th "fix". I decided to post here instead of on the tech support forum in the hopes of having our correspondent escalate this issue. This is not just a problem for Artisans. It affects all crafting professions who use factories. Also there are still a few issues with factories that existed even before the Big Patch problems.

Listed below are the results of my latest test. This is basically a list of all the problems I've found with factories. Please note that I only use Equipment factories, so I can not actually speak about other types. I realize that this is very old news, but I want to put all of the problems down on one post.

As soon as I logged on today, I made three junk schematics. I used these schematics to swap out those that were already in my factories. I then redeeded all three factories. After redeeding, I created a brand new schematic for Control Units, and a brand new schematic for Micro Sensor Suites. I used an old schematic for Memory Modules also. All schematics were originally created with 1000 uses.

1. Schematic Slot "Remove Schematic" option is non-functional. When the "Remove Schematic" button is pressed, the interface closes and the schematic in use is left in the schematic slot. This means that the only way to remove the schematic in use is to replace it with another schematic. This problem is 100% repeatable, and was introduced in the August Big Patch.

2. Factory Production halts after producing 100 items (4 crates). When production stops, the factory simply states that it has "stopped making items". There is no further indication of the cause (such as there would be if an ingredient had run out.) This is the predominant bug with factories right now, and was introduced with the August Big Patch. This bug has several potential work-arounds, which seem tointermitently work. They are listed below.

Workaround 1: remove all items from the Output Hopper and begin production again. I have gotten this to work only once, after the very first run ona new deed.

Workaround 2: remove the schematic (see Problem 1 above) and empty the Input hopper. Replace the schematic, place all ingredients back into the Input Hopper and begin production again. This has worked for me 2 out of 3 attempts.

Workaround 3: Swap schematics and ingredients between factories, and begin production again. This worked for me when both factories were malfunctioning and Workaround 2 did not work. I got this to work 2 out of 4 attempts.

Workaround 4: Redeed the factory. This doesn't seem to do much more than start the problem cycle over again, but it will at least let you make 100 more items.

3. Factory production halts after making 75 items (3 crates). This only happened to me when making the Micro Sensor Suites, which is the only item I attempted that needed prefabricated components (as opposed to just raw materials). As there are many caveats to this type of production, I will detail my method for doing this. First, I put the Sensor Suite schematic in the slot, and then listed the ingredients needed for the factory run. I placed the ingredients into the Ingredient Hopper in the exact order they were listed. (For those who don't know, Micro Sensor Suites have Control Units, GP Memory Modules, and Energy Distributors listed as optional components. In the case of the prefab components, I placed the actual crates in the input hopper. It is important to note here that Control Units were the second ingredient listed. When adding the raw materials needed for the Sensor Suites, I added enough materials to make one extra suite. That is, I added enough to make 101 Sensor Suites, even though I only had enough prefab components to make 100 items. The end result of all of this was that the factory stopped at 75 items, and reported that it was out of the ingredient Control Units. When I checked the Ingredient Hopper, there was still a crate of Control Units there. However, the raw materials needed to produce oneSensor Suitehad been "eaten". Subsequent attempts to start the factory resulted in the same "out of control units" message and in resources being "eaten". As this was the first time I was ever able to get crates in the input hopper to work, I don't know for certain when this bug was introduced.

4. When using schematics with prefab components, raw materials are consumed with no resulting item being produced. This is the reason I add enough raw materials for 1 extra item when making items (such as the Micro Sensor Suite) with prefab components. If this is not done, then the factory will "eat" raw materials for one item, but will not consume the corresponding prefab components. It will then issue a message that production has stopped and 0 items have been produced. This bug has existed for as long as I've been using factories.

I think my next step for testing will be to make something that uses a different crate size, such as weapon powerups, which make crates of 10. Then I can find out if the problem occurs at 100 items or at 4 crates.

That's all the info I have to contribute on the situation. Thank you very much for your time. If anyone has anything to add, any quirk that I've missed, please post it.

-Renzer

1. Duplicated

2. I have the same problem. it seems to be items made and not necessarily crates produced. I ran 3 different factories with 3 different 1000 unitpowerup schematics and enough materials for 200 units. all three factories did the same thing. Stopped at 100 units made. no error message, just as if I had set it for 100 units.

While i did this, I tested another theory on a 4th factory and did 5 seperate 25 unit runs with 5 different schematics. Still no luck. It created the first 100 units flawlessly, but at the 101st unit (with a completely new schematic, i might add) it ate resources and stopped at 0 units made.

I haven't tried the workarounds other than redeeding so far.

3. Duplicated under the same conditions.

4. Also duplicated under the same conditions.

I had a problem with powerups. Got through two runs (100 units each run). 3rd time put in a schematic and materials. Start the factory and it eats enough materials for 1 unit (6 chemical, 4 mineral) then stops with the message "Your factory has stopped and has produced 0 units). Neat. Can't get it started. Will try again after the reboot today.

Anyone know a work around? I really don't want to lose the schematic if possible, also I have nine days of maintenance in there and a ton of power, would hate to lose all that.

1. Duplicated


2. I have been experiencing this since the "Big Patch" as well, however I am not getting a reliable "100 item" or 4 crate point of stopping. The last run I did made it to 150. This is using a 1000 schematic for synthetic cloth. A previous run made 106 items before stopping. I don't have the figures for every run that has stopped but I do recall that they vary widely. Part of the variation could be because I pull crates out while the factory is going, if I need them. The 150 run was the first run on a new 1000 schematic and I didnt remove any crates from the output hopper during the run.

I just tried Workaround 1 and 2, neither of them worked for me. I don't have a second factory so can't try workaround 3, though this really just seems a variation on workaround 2. When I say it doesn't work, I mean I get a message saying the manufacting station stopped making items and 0 items were made. It seems to take the ingredients for 1 item each time it does this.

Workaround 4 is what I have been using and its getting to be a real pain. At least the factory keeps the power that was in it on redeeding now.


3. I don't make things in the factory that require components, but its good to hear that its taking the items from crates without having to empty them by hand


Thanks for providing information in a non-flaming manner - hopefully the devs will have a read and figure out how to fix it.

Having a noob problem with my factories....i made a schematic and i talked to people in the game that said in options for the factory there should be some option for putting in the schematic but ill be darned if i can find it....how do i get my schmatic in the factory?

You have different factories. If you have set up the wrong factory and you have a schematic that needs to go in other kind of factory you wont get the schematic option

SO makinf a food schematic, then putting up an equipment factory, then go to options you wont see a add schematic option

but making a food schematic, then putting up a food factory , then you will have that option

i have a food and chem ....trying to make tissue

hrm.. well, it doesn't actually say "add schematic here". The option is under 4) Options, hover your mouse over that for a moment and you get a bigger list, one of which will be "access schematic slot" or something very near to that. Choose that one, and it will bring up a window for you to select the schematic you want to load into the factory.

Then you have to put your ingredients in the ingredient hopper, then TELL IT TO RUN. Maybe most people aren't dunces, but I've loaded up my factory before and it happily stored my goods while I waited for it to mail me... /snicker

Cheers!