Scenario:
Lights start to flicker. Machines slow down. Something is going on, but what?
Oh?.. .wait… what’s smoking over there? is one of the generators over at the coal power plant on fire?
Oh dear, I shouldn’t have overloaded the power grid. I knew loading the power grid to 105% was a bad idea. With one of the generators out the factory is now overloading the grid to 130% instead, and the other generators will take too much damage and catch fire too. I better turn machines off and save what’s left of the power plant!
Yea that’s the idea I have for a mod: Grid overload.
Instead of tripping the fuse when hitting 100.000001% power consumption, I’d imagine things to slow down and flicker. The more one overloads the grid, the slower things run.
Say that one overloads the grid to 113%, the machine will only run at 87% of their set speed. Machines efficiency on overloaded grid: Machine_speed% - (Current_grid_load% - Max_grid_Load%)
If a connected generator is damaged (due to overheating as a result of being overloaded) it drops power output lowering the grid efficiency. (Reducing Max_grid_load%)
Let’s say the generators won’t start to reduce their output until 25% damaged or more. After that, the output reduces as it gets more damaged until it reaches a critical failure point where it will be irreparable. The whole unit has to be replaced instead of repaired.
Example on a machine at 100% speed: 100-(113-100) = 87% speed.
Example on a machine at 66% speed (underclocked) 66-(113-100) = 53% speed.
Example on a machine at 100% speed with only 80% grid efficiency: 100-(113-80) = 67% speed.
If the result is zero or less, the machine grinds to a halt.
If the grid load is less than Max_grid_load%, nothing applies. (Normal status)
As one can see, overloading will have cascading effects. How long one can run overloaded depends on how much punishment generations can take. Maybe it is worth to overload 125% for a short while just to get that few extra steel pipes out a wee bit faster. One can repair the generators later on.
What purpose would such a mod have? Benefits with added risks. Instead of suddenly tripping a fuse, things will still run, but at a cost.
Those who played Factorio (another factory building game, but 2D) kinda recognise this behaviour. There the power grid overload causes everything to slow down. Although with no damaging results.
Would this be doable as a mod?