Plasma Beacon
A beacon running on fusion plasma. Plasma in, hot fluoroketone out. Long range, high effect transmission, heavy diminishing returns — built to stand in the second row behind ordinary beacons.
Entity
- Size 5×5, supply area 17×17 tiles
- No electricity, runs on fusion plasma only
- Every unit of plasma leaves as hot fluoroketone
- Plasma is consumed by volume, not by energy content — its temperature makes no difference
- Both fluids pass through, one connection per side each — beacons chain directly
- Counts only other plasma beacons, so vanilla beacons stack on top
- Cannot be rotated or flipped. Pipe layout is fixed, mirrored across both axes
- Buffer ~10 s at normal quality, ~4 s at legendary
- One fusion reactor (4 plasma/s) runs four beacons at normal quality
| Quality | Effect transmission | Plasma |
|---|---|---|
| Normal | 2.5 | 1.0/s |
| Uncommon | 3.0 | 1.3/s |
| Rare | 3.5 | 1.6/s |
| Epic | 4.0 | 1.9/s |
| Legendary | 5.0 | 2.5/s |
Quality does not affect supply area or module slots.
The rate does not depend on plasma temperature. The beacon is throughput-limited rather than energy-limited: it needs a quantity of plasma flowing through it and hands the same quantity back as hot fluoroketone. A fusion reactor puts out 4 plasma/s whatever its neighbour bonus, so a beacon costs a quarter of a reactor at any temperature.
Technology
- Prerequisites: Quantum processor, Cryogenic plant, Fusion reactor, Effect transmission
- 2000 units, 60 s, all ten science packs up to cryogenic
Recipe
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Quantum processor | 50 |
| Holmium plate | 100 |
| Superconductor | 50 |
| Tungsten plate | 100 |
- 30 s, assembler or cryogenic plant
- Craftable on Aquilo only
- Plus 2 beacons with the "Beacons required to craft" setting on
Settings (startup)
| Setting | Range | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Module slots | 2 – 8 | 4 |
| Effect transmission | 1.5 – 4.0 | 2.5 |
| Allow productivity modules | on / off | off |
| Allow quality modules | on / off | off |
| Mirror pipe layout | on / off | off |
| Beacons required to craft | on / off | off |
Speed and efficiency modules are always allowed.
Because the Plasma Beacon cannot be flipped, mirroring the pipe layout is the only way to move its connections. It applies to every plasma beacon at once and disconnects the pipes of beacons that are already built.
Effect transmission
Factor applied to the modules' own effect. Four Speed Module 3 are +200%; at factor 2.5 the machine receives +500%.
Every value in both tables is the total that arrives at one machine, from all Plasma Beacons (PB) covering it together. Look up a single cell — the cells are never added to each other.
Values assume the default of 2.5 and all PB at the same quality:
| Quality | 1 PB | 2 PB | 3 PB | 4 PB | 5 PB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Normal | 2.50 | 3.00 | 3.17 | 3.25 | 3.30 |
| Uncommon | 3.00 | 3.60 | 3.80 | 3.90 | 3.96 |
| Rare | 3.50 | 4.20 | 4.43 | 4.55 | 4.62 |
| Epic | 4.00 | 4.80 | 5.07 | 5.20 | 5.28 |
| Legendary | 5.00 | 6.00 | 6.33 | 6.50 | 6.60 |
Two PB give a machine 3.00, not 2.50 + 3.00 = 5.50. Every beacon added lowers
what each single one contributes, so the total barely moves.
The same totals as a concrete speed bonus, with four Speed Module 3 (normal
quality) in every PB:
| Quality | 1 PB | 2 PB | 3 PB | 4 PB | 5 PB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Normal | +500% | +600% | +633% | +650% | +660% |
| Uncommon | +600% | +720% | +760% | +780% | +792% |
| Rare | +700% | +840% | +887% | +910% | +924% |
| Epic | +800% | +960% | +1013% | +1040% | +1056% |
| Legendary | +1000% | +1200% | +1267% | +1300% | +1320% |
Only the first plasma beacon pays off. Each further one adds +20%, +5.6%, +2.6%, +1.5%, capped at +40% over a single beacon — while costing full plasma and producing full fluoroketone.
Required
- Space Age
Nothing else. Without any plasma pipe mod, the plasma beacon docks straight onto a fusion reactor's plasma output.
Recommended Mods
- HD Plasma Duct — plasma ducts (plasma pipes), so beacons can stand away from the reactor.
Recommended setting: "Unlock with fusion" On, so the ducts arrive with fusion research instead of promethium - Plasma Handling — plasma pumps for larger duct layouts. Ducts reach 32 tiles and the beacon does not extend that; beyond it, use the pumps or raise the duct range in
HD Plasma Duct's startup settings - Assembling Plant — an endgame assembling machine
- Chemical Complex — an endgame chemical plant
- Nuclear Furnace — an endgame furnace that burns uranium fuel
AI
Mod concept & design by Morlot.
Implementation developed with the help of Claude (AI assistant by Anthropic).