While you get to make a lot of things in Factorio, one of the most important items you will need are Science Packs. These packs for them basis of the tech tree research progression in-game. The most common science packs that you will find yourself using are Blue, Green, and Red (Red being the easiest to produce).
We briefly touched upon science packs in our beginner’s guide to Factorio, but this guide is going to give you the low down on what goes into each pack and what level of research you are going to need to make everything.
How to Produce Blue Science Packs in Factorio
Out of the three types of science we are going to look at in this guide, Blue Science is the most demanding. Also referred to as science pack 3, this is the third tier of research and is used to advance existing technologies.
From the outset, you will need Advanced Circuits, Electric Mining Drill, and an Engine Unit. You will also need to research Advanced Electronics.
Blue Science recipe
All of the main components for Blue Science pack will require you to use Assembly Machine 2, as the recipes consist of 3 or more materials. So let’s break down those components to see how complex Blue science packs are.
Advanced Circuit
About halfway through the game, you will find yourself in need of a lot of high-end technology — and Advanced Circuits are used in almost all of them! They are a very crucial part of the end game, and as such, they do require quite a bit to make.
Advanced Circuit recipe
While the recipe itself seems relatively easy, it does require Plastic Bars. These can only be crafted if you have done a bit more research:
Electric Mining Drill
We are already quite familiar with the Electric Mining Drill. They are one of the first things you upgrade once you have started to generate electricity.
Electric Mining Drill recipe
Engine Unit
The Engine Units in-game are mainly used to create vehicles — so it makes sense that the higher tier technologies require them, as you will start to move things around the map and create trucks and cars etc.
They require the Engine technology to have been researched, but only need pretty basic materials to make. Once you have the tech and the materials, these Engine Units will open up a whole new aspect of the game.
Engine Unit recipe
Green Science Pack Production
Before you are able to produce Blue Science packs, you are going to have to make Green Science packs. Green Science (or science pack 2) make up the bulk of the earlier stages of tech tree progression. You need to prepare to make LOTS of them!
Green Science recipe
Looking at them, you’d be forgiven for thinking that because they only require two pretty standard components, they are easy and quick to make — but unfortunately you would be wrong. Green Science packs need basic Inserters and Transport Belt pieces.
Let’s break these down…
Inserters
Inserter recipe
Inserters require specific technology to make them, and are one of the earliest items you can craft. As you can see, they are made of basic components — but because they’re composed of 3 items, for automated production, they can only be made in an Assembly Machine 2 (which you get when you unlocked the Automation 2 technology).
- Note: For efficiency purposes, it is recommended that you aim to get this technology as soon as you can.
Transport Belt
Transport Belt recipe
Again, Transport Belts only require basic components and can be created straight away. Since they only require two components to make them, they can be made via an Assembly Machine 1 — which you get from researching Automation.
Red Science Pack Production
The easiest has been left until last! They require only two components, and one of them comes straight out of a furnace. Red Science needs Copper Plate and Iron Gear Wheels. The wheels can be made straight from iron plates.
Red Science recipe
Automated production of Red and Green Science is relatively straightforward. The majority of components can be crafted as soon as you have researched Automation. You just have to wait until you have researched the next level of it to be able to make inserters in an assembly machine. Blue, on the other hand, will take considerably longer to sort out.
There are plenty of blueprints and information on how to create an effective automated production of all the science packs — but before diving in and copying another’s design, we highly recommend that you go and try to design one yourself so that you know how it works. Also, every map is different, so yours might end up having the raw materials in totally a different place!
Once you have nailed your science pack production, you can then begin to look at Labs and progressing up the tech research tree!
Time to get researching in the Lab
There you go! We hope that this guide to the blue, green, and red science packs in Factorio will give you a much-needed boost in the right direction. Make sure you check out our other Factorio guides for more help keeping your factories running smoothly:
- The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Factorio
- Complete Guide to Oil Processing in Factorio
- How to Get Sulfuric Acid in Factorio
- Complete Guide to Generating Nuclear Power in Factorio
Published: Jul 21, 2017 07:00 pm