Helena Joyce
In the game Factorio, pollution is a key gameplay mechanic that is produced by many buildings involved in processing items. It is represented as an abstract cloud and spreads outwards at a steady rate. The primary sources of pollution in the game are steam burner boilers, resource extraction, and raw material processing. Players can reduce pollution by using efficiency modules and switching to cleaner energy sources such as solar power. While pollution has no direct impact on the player, it does affect the evolution factor of enemies, triggering attacks and determining their size. The game's depiction of pollution and its consequences sets it apart from other games, sparking discussions about its presentation of humanity's interaction with nature.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Visual Representation | Abstract "cloud" |
| Calculation | Per chunk, updated every 64 ticks (4 ticks more than a game-second) |
| Buildings that Produce Pollution | Buildings involved in processing items, such as steam burner boilers, resource extraction, raw material processing, etc. |
| Impact | Attracts "biters" that strive to destroy the pollution source; increases the evolution factor |
| Absorbers | Trees (absorb large amounts but degrade over time), spawners |
| Pollution Reduction | Solar panels, efficiency modules, hand mining and crafting |
| Pollution Increase | Modules with "+x% pollution" increase the pollution multiplier |
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What You'll Learn
- Pollution is produced by buildings involved in processing items
- Fire on the ground, burning trees, and boilers create pollution
- Pollution is represented as an abstract cloud updated every 64 ticks
- Pollution attracts Bitters, which strive to destroy the source
- Trees absorb pollution but will die if exposed for too long
Pollution is produced by buildings involved in processing items
In the game Factorio, pollution is a key gameplay mechanic that has a significant impact on the environment and the player's experience. Pollution is represented as an abstract "cloud", spreading outwards at a steady rate from its source. Notably, pollution is produced by many buildings involved in processing items, and it affects the evolution of enemies, triggering their attacks.
The production of pollution in Factorio is closely tied to the player's actions, specifically their industrial activities. Buildings with more modules tend to produce more pollution, and certain structures are major contributors to pollution levels. These include steam burner boilers, resource extraction sites like miners and oil rigs, and raw material processing facilities such as chemical plants, smelters, and centrifuges.
The impact of pollution on the game world is twofold. Firstly, it influences the evolution and behaviour of enemies, known as "biters". Pollution attracts biters, and their attacks become more significant as the pollution levels increase. Secondly, pollution affects the environment itself. Trees absorb pollution, but they degrade over time, turning into stumps and eventually dying. This dynamic encourages players to manage pollution levels and consider the placement of their polluting buildings to minimise negative consequences.
While there is no vanilla method to completely eliminate pollution in the game, players can employ strategies to reduce their pollution output. One approach is to use efficiency modules in structures like electric mining drills, oil rigs, and assemblers. These modules can significantly reduce energy consumption and, by extension, pollution levels. Another strategy is to transition from burner boiler-based power to cleaner alternatives like solar or nuclear power, which can drastically reduce pollution from energy generation.
Additionally, players can utilise the Bio-Industries mod, which offers various ways to produce goods more sustainably, including air purification, tree nurseries, and improved solar power generators. However, these structures may come with trade-offs, such as high costs or significant space requirements. Ultimately, while pollution is an inherent part of the game, players can strive to minimise its impact through careful management, technology choices, and strategic use of mods.
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Fire on the ground, burning trees, and boilers create pollution
In Factorio, fire on the ground, burning trees, and boilers all contribute to pollution. Fire on the ground and burning trees produce 0.3 pollution per minute. This means that in a game-second (64 ticks), these sources generate 0.01875 pollution. While this may seem insignificant, the pollution cloud produced by these fires can trigger biter attacks and determine the size of these attacks.
Boilers, which are commonly fuelled by coal, also contribute to pollution. The use of coal in boilers results in approximately 19 pollution per coal pulled out of the ground. Additionally, processing coal produces about 61.3 pollution and generates 4 MJ of electric energy. This means that in a coal-powered system, 4 MJ of electric energy creates approximately 80 pollution, resulting in 0.6 pollution per second.
While boilers can contribute to pollution, the type of furnace used in conjunction with boilers can impact the overall pollution output. For example, stone furnaces and steel furnaces produce varying levels of pollution. Stone furnaces are less efficient, requiring twice as many furnaces to produce the same output as steel furnaces. By using steel furnaces with boiler-driven electric drills, the pollution output is approximately 0.4275 higher.
It is important to note that the pollution produced by boilers and fires can have consequences in the game. The pollution cloud spreads outwards steadily and triggers attacks by biters, who will attempt to reach and destroy the source of pollution. Additionally, spawners absorb pollution and use it to assign enemies to attacks. While containing pollution may not prevent enemy evolution, it can reduce the frequency of attacks on the player.
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Pollution is represented as an abstract cloud updated every 64 ticks
In the game Factorio, pollution is a key feature that sets it apart from other games in the genre. While games like Terraria and Minecraft depict resource acquisition and processing as pollution-free, Factorio takes a different approach. It acknowledges that pollution results from production and has consequences for both the in-game world and the player. This unique aspect of the game has sparked discussions and analyses regarding its environmental narrative.
Pollution in Factorio is represented as an abstract "cloud," with calculations and updates occurring every 64 ticks or game seconds. This cloud is visible on the map when the "pollution" setting is enabled, appearing as a blocky red cloud. It is produced by buildings involved in processing items and spreads steadily outwards. Notably, the evolution factor is influenced not by the spreading or absorbed pollution but by the pollution produced by the player's machinery at each tick. This dynamic ensures that enemies will evolve at a consistent rate, regardless of the player's efforts to contain pollution.
The pollution cloud serves as a trigger for biter attacks and determines the scale of these attacks. Players can modify pollution settings through map generation options or disable it entirely. Additionally, the game offers ways to reduce pollution, such as utilizing efficiency modules, transitioning to cleaner energy sources like solar panels, and strategically placing high-polluting items near forests to leverage the pollution-absorbing capacity of trees.
While Factorio incorporates environmental themes, it also presents a complex narrative that straddles the line between productive and destructive depictions of humanity's interaction with nature. The game's open-ended nature allows for endless expansion, resource exploitation, and pollution production, which can lead to varying interpretations among players regarding its environmental message.
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Pollution attracts Bitters, which strive to destroy the source
In the game Factorio, pollution is represented as an abstract "cloud" that is updated per chunk every 64 ticks. It is produced by buildings involved in processing items and spreads outwards at a steady rate. This pollution cloud triggers Biter attacks and determines the size of the attacks.
There are several ways to reduce pollution in Factorio. One way is to focus on the biggest sources of pollution, which are typically steam burner boilers, resource extraction (miners, oil rigs), and raw material processing (chemical plants, smelters, and centrifuges). By using efficiency modules in these buildings, players can significantly reduce the pollution they generate. For example, using three efficiency modules in every electric mining drill and oil rig can reduce pollution by 80%.
Another way to reduce pollution is to move away from burner boiler-based power, as burner boilers are extremely polluting. Solar power and nuclear power are less polluting alternatives. Additionally, trees absorb pollution, so maintaining forests near polluting buildings can help reduce pollution levels. However, if the pollution levels are too high, the trees will start to die and absorb less pollution, leading to a vicious cycle of increasing pollution.
While it is not possible to completely eliminate pollution in the base game, mods can provide additional options for greener production methods, such as air purification and tree nurseries. These methods may come with trade-offs, such as high costs or increased space requirements. Ultimately, managing pollution in Factorio is a complex task that requires careful consideration of energy sources, building efficiency, and the surrounding environment.
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Trees absorb pollution but will die if exposed for too long
In the game Factorio, pollution is produced by buildings involved in processing items and the spread of pollution triggers biter attacks. Trees absorb pollution in the game, but they will start to die if they absorb too much pollution. This creates a vicious cycle of higher pollution levels, resulting in more dead trees.
Trees in the real world also absorb pollution and remove air pollutants. They achieve this through several means, including reducing air temperature, reducing energy consumption in buildings, and directly removing pollutants from the air. Urban forests, for example, can remove multiple tons of ozone, gaseous air pollution, and particulate matter each year.
Trees have tiny pores on their leaf surfaces called stomata that take in air, including toxic pollutants. Once inside the leaf, the gases diffuse into intercellular spaces and react with inner-leaf surfaces, permanently converting pollutants. However, ground-level ozone can significantly reduce tree growth, injure foliage, and make trees more susceptible to insects and diseases.
To reduce pollution in Factorio, players can use efficiency modules in electric mining drills and oil rigs, switch to less polluting power sources like solar or nuclear, and avoid building near deserts or open areas. In the real world, urban planning can incorporate trees to reduce air pollution, improve air quality, and create better habitats for both people and wildlife.
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Frequently asked questions
Many buildings involved in processing items produce pollution, including steam burner boilers, resource extraction, and raw material processing.
Using efficiency modules in your assemblers and miners can help reduce pollution. You can also try to generate clean energy by using solar panels instead of burning coal.
Pollution is represented as a red cloud in the game. It can have consequences for both the world and the player, including the evolution of enemies and attacks from "biters".
Biters are native inhabitants of the planet in Factorio that are attracted to pollution. They will strive to reach the source of pollution and destroy it.
Pollution can cause trees to die over time, reducing the amount of pollution absorbed by the environment. This can lead to higher pollution levels and more dead trees.
