Now with Quality being a part of the game, the old style of "make more better machine with older machine" is kind of deprecated.

Would it not be, at this point, better to rework the mod to use one unified machine and just have the player upgrade it via quality?
Or, if they don't have Quality active, introduce increased production via researchable recipes, rather than having to devote an entire city block just to build a bajillion machines?

I used to like this back in the day, but now that I'm zipping across interplanetary space, these MK1s, 2s and 3s everywhere are really starting to aggrevate me and wishing they could just be upgraded and I didn't have to build an entire production chain just to make them.

Thoughts?

Hi hardcore fella,
Hmmm - it is an interesting point that you're making here. I'm still a fan of the "multiple tiers" approach, as every machine has its own stats, base production, and crafting speed, and you can definitively see the difference from a tier to another. (1x-3x speed, base production, hp and def stats, etc.)

Furthermore, it is also worth notice that the needing to recursive upgrade a building can be a problem or an advantage when working with quality.
- To have a tier 3 machine at legendary quality you need multiple different intermediate items to be at that level.
- BUT, if you stack quality processes over quality processes each one works like a multiplier for the next, so in the end it is easier to obtain a legendary quality mk3 crusher than a mk1. (Always if you have a somewhat steady supply of the other items required for the tier 3.)

I say this because your idea is really interesting in matters of modularity and simplicity, but has some major flaws:
- Having only a mk1 crusher would penalyze you in the early game, since you can't access the perks of mk2 and mk3 crushers or machines without needing to involve quality gambling.
- Having only a mk1 crusher would also penalise you in the lategame, as quality levels act like multipliers, so base stats really matter in this issue.
(Mk1: Speed 1 becomes for instance 4, Mk3: Speed 3 becomes 12.)
- The midgame would become really too easy, as playing around with bonus productivity via technologies would instantly boost the overall production of all the factories you have created up to the point in which you research the technology itself. I'd have to put like an insane tech requirement to balance this, and despite that it would result in a nerf for the lategame, as you can already reach - if I'm not wrong - the 300% productivity bonus limit.

But your idea has some potential in other fields. I'll gladly consider it in the future. Thank you for the thread and hope you're having a great time playing my mods! (I'm still open to thoughts on the issue btw.)
_77

Loving the insight, and I see where you're coming from. I'll give it another round of thoughts. :)

:D