Info about Satisfactory Modeler:

Official game description:
Model your Satisfactory builds. Set up your machines however you like, adding optional limits to the number of any of those machines and the tool will calculate how the parts will flow and how many of each machine type are getting used.
This does advanced calculations that no other Satisfactory planning tool can do, including figuring out how splitters and mergers will split and merge and even priority splitting. This also supports outposts which allow you to logically group buildings together in sub-sections, allowing unlimited amount of canvas space to work.

Release date: Sep 17, 2024

Categories: Factory Building, Resource Management, Logistics Management, Production Optimization, Calculation Tool, Planning Tool

Feature scans:
- Wiki: score 10; verdict: Minimal External Data Dependency; summary: The user feedback is overwhelmingly positive, with the calculator being praised for factory planning and production balancing, effectively reducing reliance on spreadsheets and the in-game encyclopedia. Minor complaints include a missing tutorial and lack of error information, and one review notes the need for external references (Satisfactory and Excel) during use. However, no explicit complaints about farming, drop rates, inventory management, crafting requirements, quests, or maps are present, indicating minimal specific external data dependency.
- Proton/Linux: score 10; verdict: Works well with Proton; summary: The native Linux port of this Satisfactory tool is reported as laggy and visually glitchy, but Proton compatibility is excellent. Users consistently recommend running it via Proton, which works out of the box with no tweaks. Overall Linux experience is positive when using Proton.
- Steam Deck: score 45; verdict: Playable with Proton workaround; summary: The tool has a functional but flawed native Linux port, with users reporting lag, resolution, and color issues. However, it works well when forced to use Proton. Cloud saves are a positive feature. Overall, the experience requires manual Proton selection, making it not seamless on Steam Deck.

- Hardware Profile:
  - Summary: Both VRAM cohorts report generally smooth performance with only minor caveats, and no dominant performance problems.
  - Sample size: 57 (5% coverage)
  - Audience skew: Review sample is mostly Windows-based.
  - Windows 8-11GB VRAM (positive, 12 reports): Runs well overall, though it can freeze if pushed too hard.
  - Windows 12-15GB VRAM (positive, 11 reports): Buttery smooth performance even with large production lines and no reported lag.
  - Caveats: 57 of 1098 reviews expose hardware metadata.; Review sample is mostly Windows-based.
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: N/A
  - Story completion: N/A
  - Session length: 4.0h
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The first two quotes directly report session lengths of 4 hours and 45 minutes, indicating that play sessions can last from under an hour to several hours. I set sessionLength to 4 hours as a representative long session. The third quote confirms substantial total playtime in the tool, but no review mentions completing the tool or reaching an endgame state, so gameCompletion, storyCompletion, and endgame are set to null.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: Satisfactory Modeller has a steep learning curve that initially frustrates, but once mastered it becomes an essential and enjoyable planning tool, particularly for late-game factory optimization.
  - Stance: Clicks after
  - Anchor: When it 'clicks' or when the user learns how to use the tool
  - Time to anchor: N/A
  - Friction: learning curve; not intuitive; requires tutorial lookup; frustrating at the beginning
  - Unlock drivers: learning how to use it; once it clicks; figuring out the system; getting the hang of it
  - Conditions: late game; mid-late game; when planning complex factories; when committed to Satisfactory; when math and logistics become tedious; when planning before committing to recipes
- Player Archetypes:
  - Veteran Planner (buy)
    - Motivation: To replace tedious manual calculations and planning with a reliable digital tool for complex factories.
    - Playstyle: Plans large, sprawling factories in advance, often using the tool to verify ratios and recipes before building.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: veteran pioneer; headache notebook variety
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Newcomer Planner (buy)
    - Motivation: To learn and plan factories without being overwhelmed by complex calculations and recipes.
    - Playstyle: Starts with small projects, uses the tool to visualize production chains and understand recipe requirements.
    - Experience: newcomer
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: new player; newcomer
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Efficiency Optimizer (buy)
    - Motivation: To achieve perfect production ratios and minimize manual calculation errors in complex factories.
    - Playstyle: Uses the tool to calculate machine counts, overclocking, and resource distribution for efficient, high-throughput builds.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: efficient factory runner
    - Reference games: N/A


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Best Satisfactory factory planning tool (weight 0.5): Users consistently praise this tool as the best third-party calculator for planning Satisfactory factories, highlighting its ability to handle complex resource manufacturing and support blueprints and outposts. It is considered almost indispensable for preplanning and designing efficient production lines.
- Easy to use with clean UI (weight 0.18): The tool is praised for its intuitive and clean user interface, making it easy to learn and use for anyone. Its simplicity does not compromise functionality, as it remains powerful enough for complex planning tasks.
- Saves time and simplifies planning (weight 0.14): The tool significantly reduces the time and effort required for planning factories, making the process less confusing and more precise. Users report saving hours of manual planning and being able to plan larger builds with ease.
- Scales from small to megafactories (weight 0.13): The tool is useful for planning factories of all sizes, from small early-game setups to massive late-game megafactories. It scales effectively with factory size, helping users tune and organize production lines at any stage.
- Helps calculate ratios and efficiency (weight 0.13): The tool assists in planning factory ratios, machine counts, and input/output flows, ensuring efficient production. It removes guesswork by providing accurate calculations, which is crucial for optimizing factory performance.
- Superior to online calculators (weight 0.1): Users note that the tool offers capabilities beyond what online calculators provide, including built-in math and logistics support. It simplifies calculations and reduces the need for manual math, making it a more comprehensive solution.
- Allows recipe customization (weight 0.08): The tool enables precise recipe selection and modification, allowing users to test different combinations and optimize production. Its drag-and-drop recipe selection is considered better than other tools like satisfactorytools.
- Highly useful and versatile (weight 0.08): Users describe the tool as extremely useful and versatile, applicable to a wide range of planning needs. It is praised for its utility across different aspects of factory design and management.
- Enables full factory modeling (weight 0.08): The tool allows users to create detailed models of their factories with customization options, helping visualize the final result. It provides a basic framework that can be refined to match specific requirements.
- Game changer for Satisfactory players (weight 0.08): The tool is considered a game changer for serious Satisfactory players, offering features that significantly enhance the gameplay experience. It is regarded as the best Satisfactory tool available.

Common complaints:
- Steep learning curve (weight 0.34): Multiple clusters highlight that the tool is not intuitive and has a significant learning curve, requiring time and effort to master. Users find it difficult to figure out initially and often need external help.
- Calculation performance issues (weight 0.22): The tool suffers from slow calculations, freezes, and crashes, especially with large or complex production chains. Users report long processing times and the tool becoming unresponsive.
- UI is clunky (weight 0.16): The user interface is described as clunky, not user-friendly, and inconsistent, with unusual choices and unclear interactions. This hampers usability and contributes to confusion.
- Large builds become unusable (weight 0.12): The tool becomes laggy, slow, or crashes with large builds, and stops calculating at a certain number of connections. This limits its usefulness for complex factories.
- Limited splitter and merger control (weight 0.11): Users cannot adjust split ratios or configure splitters and mergers as flexibly as in the game, limiting usability. This includes inability to split unevenly or set custom ratios.
- Constraint handling is poor (weight 0.11): The tool overrides constraints, cannot lock them well, and has issues with setting minimums or respecting map limits. This leads to unexpected results and manual calculations.
- Incorrect data and recipes (weight 0.08): The tool has incorrect data for some overclocked miners and includes buildings that do not exist in the game, reducing accuracy. It also misses some recipes and buildings.
- Missing snap and grid features (weight 0.07): There is no option to snap to adjacent structures or display a grid, which would help with precise placement. This is a notable omission for planning layouts.
- Byproduct recycling issues (weight 0.06): The tool cannot feed byproducts back into their own production chains and has trouble with feedback loops, causing calculation errors and infinite loops.
- Overclocking input limitations (weight 0.05): The tool does not allow decimal overclock speeds and requires fractions, which is inconvenient. It also lacks options for fractional machines and overrun diversion.
- No save or load (weight 0.05): The tool lacks save/load functionality and a delete-everything option, making it difficult to manage multiple projects or start over.
- Lacks transport options (weight 0.02): The tool does not include transport options such as trucks, trains, and drones, limiting its usefulness for planning full logistics networks.

Gameplay feedback:
- Factory planning and calculation tool (weight 0.63): The tool is widely used for planning and calculating factory layouts, production lines, and resource requirements in Satisfactory. It helps users model entire factories, including machine counts, alternate recipes, and raw resources.
- Useful for large factories (weight 0.3): The tool is particularly helpful for planning and optimizing large or megafactories, ensuring 100% efficiency and maximum resource node consumption. It supports complex end-game factory setups.
- Supports alternate recipes and logistics (weight 0.12): Users highlight the tool's ability to test alternate recipes, plan logistics, and manage complex production chains. It supports exploring recipe combos and optimizing factory efficiency.
- Features outpost and linking (weight 0.08): The tool includes an 'Outpost' feature to simulate module factories and allows linking them with item flows. This helps in planning multiple interrelated factories and controlling their interactions.
- Includes power and overclocking calculations (weight 0.08): The tool provides calculations for power usage, sink points, overclocking, and build costs. It also supports marking machines as overclocked or using power shards and sloops.
- Visualizes builds and layouts (weight 0.04): The tool allows visualizing builds and factory layouts, helping users understand the spatial arrangement of machines. This aids in planning and testing designs.
- Supports bottom-up and top-down planning (weight 0.02): Users can plan factories using both bottom-up and top-down approaches, offering flexibility in design. This is useful for different planning styles and complex projects.
- Handles new game mechanics (weight 0.02): The tool is updated to handle new v1.2 mechanics, ensuring compatibility with the latest game features. This keeps it relevant for current players.
- Includes byproduct processing calculations (weight 0.02): The tool calculates byproduct processing, which is important for managing waste and secondary outputs in production chains. This feature aids in efficient resource utilization.
- Local software not website (weight 0.02): The tool is local software rather than a website, which may appeal to users who prefer offline access. This could be a differentiator from online calculators.
- Click and drag interface (weight 0.02): The tool features a click-and-drag interface for adding features, making it easier to use. This improves user experience and reduces friction.

Performance notes:
- Performance issues with large builds (weight 0.19): Multiple users report that the tool becomes slow, crashes, or freezes when handling large or complex builds. This includes long processing times, memory leaks, and unpredictable failures on large models.
- Good performance on low-end PCs (weight 0.1): Several users report that the tool runs smoothly on low-end hardware, with minimal resource usage and no lag when viewing factory growth. This suggests the tool is generally well-optimized for typical use cases.
- Native Linux port issues (weight 0.05): Users of the native Linux port report lag, weird resolution, and off colors, indicating that the Linux version has specific performance and display problems that need attention.

Recommendations:
- Strongly recommended overall (weight 0.36): A large number of reviewers give the tool a strong, unreserved recommendation, with no reason not to use it. It is praised as a valuable companion for both casual and hardcore players.
- Must-have for factory planning (weight 0.34): The tool is widely considered essential for planning factories in Satisfactory, especially for large or complex builds. Many reviewers describe it as a must-have or almost mandatory for players at any scale.
- Useful for late-game phases (weight 0.1): Reviewers recommend using the tool for later phases of the game, such as Phase 3, Phase 4, and beyond, where factories become more complex. It is considered invaluable for sprawling compounds in the late game.
- Not recommended by some (weight 0.06): A few reviewers do not recommend the tool, with one saying to stop using it and another saying not to bother. One review is not a solid yes or no, and another notes potential detective work for complex models.

Other player notes:
- Preferred over Satisfactory Calculator (weight 0.28): Reviewers consistently compare this tool favorably to the Satisfactory Calculator, citing its ease of use, more control, and lack of ads. It is seen as a superior alternative for planning and calculation.
- Essential companion for Satisfactory (weight 0.21): The tool is described as an indispensable accessory for Satisfactory, with some saying you can hardly play without it. It is considered borderline necessary for mid and late game factory management.
- Free with no ads (weight 0.15): The tool is completely free to use and has no ads, unlike many web-based alternatives. This is a major positive point for users who are tired of ad-filled online calculators.
- Developer praised and active (weight 0.12): The developer, David Price, is praised for being active and responsive, regularly updating the tool with bug fixes and quality-of-life improvements. This ongoing support is highly valued by users.
- Outpost feature for organization (weight 0.11): The outpost feature helps users organize production lines and makes calculations and changes easier to maintain. It is recommended for starters and experienced players alike.
- Lacks language support (weight 0.1): Several users note the lack of Russian and French translations, which can be a barrier for non-English speakers. Some mention that Russian support was added later, but French is still missing.
- Requests for feature additions (weight 0.09): Users suggest adding features like asterisks for part limits, coloring connection lines, text blocks for notes, and a grid option. These would enhance organization and usability.
- Manual mode for large factories (weight 0.06): The tool includes a manual calculation mode that speeds up calculations for large production chains. This is a key feature for users managing complex factories.
- Mod support and file editing (weight 0.05): The tool supports mods like ModelerModRecipes and allows adding items by editing files directly. Users request more mod support for items not in the base game.
- Wish for other game versions (weight 0.02): Users express a desire for versions of the tool for other factory games like Factorio, Captain of Industry, and Oddsparks. This indicates the tool's potential beyond Satisfactory.

Emotions:
- Satisfaction (weight 0.3): The tool is highly praised for simplifying factory planning, saving time, and handling complex calculations with ease. Users find it intuitive, responsive, and superior to other planning methods, making it an essential companion for building efficient factories.
- Appreciation (weight 0.15): Users appreciate the tool's extensive features, accuracy, and the developer's active involvement in improvements. It is seen as a life-saver for large builds, providing essential planning capabilities that reduce complexity and enhance the Satisfactory experience.
- Frustration (weight 0.13): Frustration arises from usability issues such as a steep learning curve, lack of instructions, and unintuitive controls. Performance problems like lag, crashes, and calculation failures on complex builds also contribute to user dissatisfaction.
- Relief (weight 0.08): The tool alleviates the mental burden of factory planning by handling calculations and logistics, making the game more accessible and less overwhelming. Users feel relieved that they no longer need to manually compute numbers, which prevents burnout and enhances enjoyment.
- Love (weight 0.03): Users express strong affection for the tool due to its ease of use, intuitive design, and ability to organize and optimize factory layouts. It is considered the best planning tool for Satisfactory, providing total control and enabling fully optimized plans.
- Gratitude (weight 0.03): Gratitude is expressed towards the developer for creating a free, well-maintained tool that significantly aids factory planning. Users describe it as a godsend that saves time and effort, making complex projects manageable.
- Admiration (weight 0.03): The tool is admired for being simple yet powerful, indispensable, and one of the best free programs available for Satisfactory planning. Its effectiveness and ease of use earn high praise, with some suggesting it should be integrated into the game.
- Excitement (weight 0.03): Excitement stems from the tool's utility in planning larger builds, discovering new features, and its addictive nature that enhances creativity. Users are eager to utilize it more, finding it both fun and efficient for factory design.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.02): Enthusiasm is driven by the tool's exceptional ease of use and its role as a must-have for preplanning and complex endgame factories. Users are thrilled by its game-changing capabilities and consider it superior to alternatives.
- Approval (weight 0.02): Approval is given for the tool's essential role in late-game Satisfactory, with features so helpful they should be part of the base game. Its simplicity and power for planning resources and testing recipes earn strong endorsement.
- Satisfied (weight 0.02): Users feel satisfied with the tool's versatility, ease of learning, and the level of control it offers. Features like premade modules and built-in math enhance planning, meeting user expectations and evolving with new additions.
- Amazement (weight 0.01): Amazement is expressed at the tool being free despite its high utility and functionality, surpassing even paid DLCs. Users are impressed by its capabilities and the value it provides at no cost.
- Confusion (weight 0.01): Confusion arises from the tool's initial learning curve, with users finding it unintuitive without an introduction. Differences in naming and configuration of splitters and mergers compared to the game add to the confusion.
- Regret (weight 0.01): Users regret not discovering the tool earlier, having spent hundreds of hours doing manual calculations. They wish they had known about it sooner to save time and effort in factory planning.
- Frustrated (weight 0.01): Frustration is caused by technical issues such as recipe connections zeroing out values, lag, and inability to handle large builds due to CPU demands. The tool's UX, which differs from other apps, also requires significant adjustment.
- Amusement (weight 0.01): Users find it amusing that they spend more time using the tool than playing the game itself, due to its engaging and easy-to-use nature. This leads to forgetting small details in the main game, adding a humorous element.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.01): Enjoyment comes from watching factories grow without performance issues and the overall enhancement of the Satisfactory experience. The tool makes planning and building more enjoyable, contributing to a positive gameplay experience.
- Preference (weight 0.01): Users prefer this tool over web-based alternatives like Satisfactory Calculator, citing its superior functionality and ease of use. It is favored for its comprehensive features and better performance.
- Appreciative (weight 0.01): Users are appreciative of the tool's usefulness and its ability to help tune factories effectively. It is described as 'gold' for its value in optimizing production.
- Strong approval (weight 0.01): Strong approval is given as the tool is considered almost mandatory for Satisfactory, with users unable to imagine playing without it. Its simplicity and power make it the best planner available.}