Pollution And Achievements: The Ultimate Link

In the game Factorio, players have been discussing whether adjusting pollution settings will impact their ability to achieve in-game achievements. Some players have suggested that turning off pollution is allowed and will not impact achievements. However, others have identified loopholes in the game where adjusting pollution settings, particularly in combination with other settings, can make the game easier and impact the ability to earn certain achievements. It is recommended that players use default settings when achievement hunting to avoid any potential impact on their progress.

Characteristics and values pertaining to turning off pollution and its impact on achievements in Factorio:

Turning off pollution doesn't disable achievements in Factorio

Turning off pollution in Factorio will not disable achievements in the game. However, using mods or console commands will disable achievements on that save. Steam achievements, in particular, will not be awarded in a modded game, although the game still tracks the achievements locally.

Some players have reported that they were able to earn achievements with biters disabled, so adjusting pollution settings should not affect the ability to earn achievements. The only settings that disable some achievements are peaceful mode and the setting that controls the number of biter bases. Setting it to none prevents them from being available to attack due to pollution.

It is worth noting that there are some achievement loopholes in the game, and some players have found ways to exploit these loopholes to earn achievements without actually completing the required tasks. For example, by setting a very big starting area and using trees to prevent attacks, some players have been able to achieve the "No Spoon" achievement without actually completing the associated challenge.

While the developers have closed some of these loopholes in the past, there are still ways for players to exploit them. Some players argue that these loopholes are intended and provide a way for players to make the game more interesting beyond just completing the basics. Achievements are typically used to keep players engaged and playing for longer, and it is normal for determined players to be able to complete them all.

However, turning off biters does disable some achievements

While adjusting pollution settings in Factorio does not affect achievements, turning off biters does disable some achievements. Biters are enemies in the game that are attracted to the player's factory by pollution. The pollution cloud is used to trigger biter attacks and determines the size of the attacks. By turning off biters, players can prevent attacks on their factory and make the game easier.

However, this modification disables specific achievements that require interaction with biters. For example, the “No Spoon" achievement may be affected by turning off biters as it involves a speed run with biters of various difficulties. Additionally, the “Lazy Bastard" achievement requires players to deal with biters and cannot be obtained if they are disabled.

It is important to note that using mods or console commands will also disable achievements. The game still tracks local achievements with mods, but Steam achievements are not awarded. Console commands will disable all achievements on that save. Therefore, players who wish to earn achievements should avoid using mods or console commands that directly impact biters or other achievement-related mechanics.

To summarize, while turning off pollution does not directly affect achievements, disabling biters will prevent players from obtaining certain achievements. Players should carefully consider their game settings if they intend to pursue specific achievements in Factorio.

The No Spoon achievement has a loophole where players can exploit pollution settings

The No Spoon achievement in Factorio has a loophole that players can exploit using pollution settings. While some achievements are disabled when certain settings are changed, such as peaceful mode and the setting that controls the number of biter bases, turning off pollution does not appear to disable any achievements. In fact, players have reported that they were still able to earn achievements with biters disabled, which suggests that adjusting pollution settings should not impact achievements.

However, there is a loophole specific to the No Spoon achievement that involves setting a very big starting area and using trees to prevent attacks for several hours. This loophole does not require the player to adjust pollution settings at all, and it has been discussed in the Factorio community as something that could potentially be closed in future updates. While some players argue that these loopholes add interest and challenge to the game, others believe that they should be closed to preserve the integrity of the achievements.

It's worth noting that the game developers have closed some abuse methods for the No Spoon achievement in the past. Additionally, while the game does track achievements locally, modding the game or using certain console commands can prevent the awarding of Steam achievements. For example, using the "/c" command in the Factorio console will disable all achievements for that world.

Overall, while turning off pollution does not appear to impact achievements, there is a specific loophole associated with the No Spoon achievement that players can exploit using a combination of settings, including pollution settings. However, this loophole may be closed in future updates, and using certain game modifications or console commands can also prevent the awarding of Steam achievements.

Using the /c command in Factorio's console disables achievements

Using the /c command in Factorio's console will disable achievements for that save. This is because the game detects any console command usage and subsequently disables achievements. Players are warned before using the command that it will disable achievements, and they must repeat the command to proceed.

Some players have accidentally used the /c command without realizing the consequences, and have sought ways to re-enable achievements. One way to do this is to load a previous save from before any commands were used. Another method involves modifying the contents of achievements.lua, though this requires some technical understanding.

It is worth noting that turning off pollution in Factorio does not disable achievements, as long as peaceful mode and the setting that controls the number of biter bases are not also turned off.

Mods can be used to accomplish achievements with no difficulty

Mods can affect the achievement system in Factorio, but it depends on the type of mod and the platform.

Using mods in Factorio will disable Steam achievements and reset the in-game ones. However, this only affects the achievement sync between the game and Steam. Players can still earn achievements in-game with mods enabled, but these will not be updated to Steam as long as the mods are active. This is because a separate instance of achievements is used when mods are installed.

To enable achievements on a save file with mods, players can use tools like the Factorio Achievement Enabler. This tool allows players to earn achievements in-game with mods enabled, but these achievements will not be registered with Steam.

It is important to note that using console commands or cheats will disable achievements on a save file, and these cannot be re-enabled without starting a new game or loading a saved game before enabling any mods or cheats.

In multiplayer, achievements can only be earned if the player has spent more than 50% of their time online on the map where the achievement is being awarded.

Players should also be aware that certain map settings, such as peaceful mode and no enemies mode, can disable specific achievements.

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