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Chapter 8 ‐ Technology tree, labs, and science packs
Technologies are unlocked by doing research by consuming science packs into your labs. Technologies are ordered in a tree, where each technology offers a new recipe or bonus and possibly access to later technologies. Subsequent technologies require more time and additional types of science packs to research.
Science packs represent research equipment and supplies that can be used in labs. They are crafted using various components and they are consumed by labs in large quantities for research. Science packs look like Erlenmeyer flasks with a colored liquid inside, and players often refer to different packs by their liquid color.
Factorio has five main science packs, which are the ones needed to eventually unlock the rocket silo. Each new science pack type is a little more complex to craft, requiring more crafting steps and sometimes new gameplay mechanics. These main science packs in order of being unlocked are automation (red) science, logistics (green) science, chemical (blue) science, production (purple) science, and utility (yellow) science.
There are also two optional science packs. One of them is military (black) science, used to develop advanced weapons, mainly to use against biters. The other optional science pack is space (white) science, which requires launching a rocket (and so beating the game) before being used for upgrade-based technologies.
Your progress through the tech tree in Factorio is largely reflective of your progress through a Freeplay game. While there is not a strict consensus about it, the early game is often regarded as the pre-automation phase, the automation science phase, and about half of the logistics science phase, up until around when you begin oil processing. The inclusion of oil products leads to the tech tree to significantly branch out during the mid game, which can be considered as the later logistics science phase and the entire chemical science phase. From here you can pursue production science and utility science as independent avenues. The late game is often considered to begin when you are conducting both production science and utility science. The late game continues after launching your first rocket, if you prefer to keep going with the sentiment that "the factory must grow", always.
A lab is a 3x3 building that is dome-shaped and is full of various robots that conduct experiments. It requires electric power and science packs to operate, and it automatically starts consuming the relevant science packs to do research when the engineer has selected a technology to pursue. Multiple labs can run at the same time to speed up research as long as they are sufficiently supplied.
When being supplied via inserters, labs take only two of every science pack at a time. You can put an inserter between any two labs to make the first one feed the second one such that it has two of each science pack. By extending this logic, it is possible to arrange labs in a tree structure, with only the "root" lab having to collect science packs from chests or belts and every other lab would collect its pack from its neighbor until reaching the root. Larger trees of labs require more or faster inserters between labs in order to keep up with the science pack consumption rate.
The automation science pack recipe is available from the start of the game as the first main science pack (red). Players sometimes call it “red science” because of the color of the liquid.
It is the simplest to make, requiring only copper plates and iron gear wheels. The most important thing it unlocks is the assembling machine, which is core to automating production. However, the automation science phase itself can largely be completed using hand crafting.
The logistics science pack is unlocked using automation science packs and is the second main science pack (green). This science pack’s recipe requires transport belts and inserters. When you build a factory setup to produce these ingredient items, the game is actually encouraging you to start automating all of your production by pushing you to make large amounts of these two items. It also shows you that the items required to build the factories themselves can all be automated, making your life much easier. Until the mid game the only available automatic production is done using inserters and transport belts after all!
Logistics science opens up several branches of the technology tree including fluid handling, trains, cars, transport belt components, solar power, basic modules, and basic personal equipment.
The third main science pack (blue) is the chemical science pack, and it tends to be a challenge for new players since it requires new resources. Firstly it requires steel, which needs a ton of iron plates. More critically, chemical science requires basic oil processing but oil is located far away from the starting area on purpose. Chemical science research leads to a wide variety of technologies, including robotics, lasers, nuclear power, and upgraded machines.
The fourth main science pack (purple) is the production science pack and it is unlocked via chemical science. It is expensive, requiring large quantities of circuits and steel. Production science unlocks advanced versions of existing machines, advanced uranium processing techniques, and beacons.
The fifth and final main science pack (yellow) is the utility science pack and it is unlocked via chemical science, which means you do not have to have ongoing production science to get into utility science. It is the most complex science pack to craft because it requires advanced oil processing and assembling machines working with both solid and fluid ingredients. Utility science is required to unlock various advanced personal equipment and advanced robotics, including the rocket silo.
The military science pack (black) is unlocked early on, using automation and logistics science. It is needed to research advanced weapons such as tanks, combat robots, flame weapons, personal defenses, and advanced turrets.
The space science pack (white) is unlocked after the rocket silo, and it requires launching satellites to generate, meaning that you officially complete a freeplay game before getting into space science. Space science packs are not used to unlock any new machines but they are used for infinitely repeatable technology research.
As the first group of researchable technologies, these technologies require only automation science packs, while future groups require additional packs. Also, many of these technologies do not have prerequisites, meaning that you have many research options from the start.
The main technology tree path to take starts with Automation, which unlocks assembling machines and allows you to scale up your production with them.
Another key research that is worth getting immediately is Logistics, which unlocks underground belts and splitters.
The third key technology to research is the Logistic Science Pack, which will allow entering the next phase of research.
With only these three technologies unlocked you can comfortably set up a nice small factory that automatically produces automation and logistics science packs and delivers them to a handful of labs. After that you will not need to craft science packs by hand until the mid game, or perhaps ever.
Next on the main path is Electronics. While this technology unlocks no recipes or bonuses, it unlocks several key technologies down the path.
Similarly important is Steel Processing. Steel is not really needed until halfway through the logistics science phase, but you need to unlock it anyway and it may be nice to dedicate one furnace or two to it early on. Meanwhile, researching steel lets you research the Steel Axe technology, which upgrades your hand-mining speed significantly without having to craft the axe itself.
An optional technology is Optics, which unlocks lamps, but more importantly is needed to research solar power later on, which is also optional but quite useful.
The remaining technologies are about combat. Turrets and Stone Walls are defensive structures, and the technology named “Military” allows unlocking new weapons and weapon upgrades. These technologies are optional, and mostly useless if you are playing without any enemies. They may be worthwhile in peaceful mode, however, in case you intend to expand into enemy territories.
The main path through this phase requires researching Automation 2, which unlocks level 2 assembling machines, and researching Engines, which are used in vehicles and fluid pumps.
The main path continues with Fluid Handling, which is necessary for Oil Processing, which is in turn necessary for Chemical Science Packs and later research.
After Oil Processing, Sulfur Processing is needed to produce sulfur pieces, and researching Plastics is needed to then research (and craft) Advanced Electronic Circuits.
Once you have researched all these technologies, you are able to produce chemical science packs, which require the three ingredients of engine units, sulfur pieces, and advanced electronic circuits.
Apart from the main path, the Logistics Science Phase of the tech tree has some other branches needed for later phases. These technologies unlock new game mechanics but are also ingredients for later science packs or rocket parts. Here is the list: Logistics 2 and Railway are researched to produce rails, Advanced Material Processing is needed for crafting advanced furnaces, Concrete is required for building the rocket silo, Batteries are used in robotics, and tier 1 modules have differing uses. Notably, you are not required to build any railway systems, only the rail units themselves are needed as ingredients.
Optional technologies of the Logistics Science Phase are various, including Solar Energy and Electric Energy Accumulators as alternative power sources, Circuit Networks for logic systems, automobiles and automated railway systems for transport, and finally modular armor and armor equipment for utility purposes.
Military technologies in this phase include Explosives, which are used in weapons but also to remove cliffs, and the military science pack, which greatly extends the military side of the tech tree.
If you are playing without any enemies, it is recommended to not research the technology named “Military Science Pack” so that the technology menu will not later be crowded by a list of military technologies that it unlocks. None of these technologies are useful outside of combat except for the very late game. Meanwhile, peaceful mode players may be interested in these technologies for offensive purposes, but the accessibility of combat features is not yet complete.
The main path requires Advanced Oil Processing, and Advanced Material Processing 2, and Advanced Electronics 2. These lead to various technologies and items that allow you to craft later science packs and finally the rocket parts.
One technology on this main path is robotics. You need to produce the flying robot frames unlocked with this technology for science packs, but researching and building complete worker robots is optional.
Other optional technologies of the Chemical Science Phase are those related to uranium and lasers.
More details and later sections of the Tech Tree Guide can be written upon request.