This mod really improved my game, but when using bob's mods, there is not so much incentive to use these - bobs furnaces go up to 5 module slots, whistle stop has 6, but bob's assembly machiens have 6 module slots and whistle stop's only has 5, so there is little reason (for me) to use these factories. It would be great if they had 7 slots when bob's assembly machies are loaded.

Also, I never found big chemical factories - is this by design or an oversight? They would be great to whiste-stopify refinery setups.

Ok, the assembly machines also do chemical recipes - took me 7 games to realise this :) The module slot number in the presence of bob's mods is a real thing though - maybe making their number configurable via a setting might be an easy way to make everybody happy?

Well, there are other reasons to use it: Its crafting speed, its automatic loaders, it size which supports more belts and more beacons, its more efficient use of productivity modules because of its speed.

But fewer module slots means less productivity and I could see that trumping all other concerns.

Honestly I feel like I'm already putting in almost a game breaking amount of slots. How would you feel about a more restrained proposal: I'll add logic that says IF bob's mod is installed, then I'll up the whistle stop assembly machines from 5 to 6 so it'll tie bobs.

Is that enough that you would use them? Do you feel it needs to be 7 or needs to be configurable? Also, is bob's assembly machines the only thing that you've seen beat my mod in number of modules? If that is the case I may just try to detect the presence of Bob's Assembly Machines mod specifically to key off of.