feat: add Super Quality Module and let the super-beacon broadcast quality

Add a super_quality_module (category = "quality", effect = { quality = 1.0 })
granted by the Creative-tools sweep and stocked by the Creative Provider Chest,
giving a guaranteed at-least-+1 quality upgrade on a machine's output.

Add "quality" to super_beacon.allowed_effects so a single beacon can distribute
the effect, and align its distribution effectivity with the vanilla beacon
(1.5 baseline + 0.2 per quality level). Cover both with verify.py behavior
assertions. Deliberate data-stage no-ops (labs, empty-ingredient recipes,
roboport quality flag) are documented inline.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 <noreply@anthropic.com>

Author: jodli

changelog.txt

@@ -1,4 +1,12 @@
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+Version: 2.4.0
+Date: 2026-06-30
+  Features:
+    - Add a Super Quality Module: a creative module that guarantees the produced item is upgraded by at least one quality level (the engine's fixed cascade can still push it to +2/+3). It is granted by the normal Creative tools' recipe sweep and stocked by the Creative Provider Chest, alongside the other super modules.
+    - The Super Beacon now broadcasts the quality effect, so a single beacon fitted with the Super Quality Module can distribute the guaranteed quality upgrade to every nearby crafting machine.
+  Changes:
+    - The Super Beacon's distribution effectivity is raised from 0.5 to 1.5 and now scales with quality (+0.2 per level), mirroring the vanilla beacon so a legendary beacon reaches 2.5.
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Version: 2.3.0
 Date: 2026-06-29
   Features:

defines.lua

@@ -220,6 +220,7 @@ creative_mode_defines.names.items = {
   super_slow_module = creative_mode_defines.name_prefix .. "super-slow-module",
   super_consumption_module = creative_mode_defines.name_prefix .. "super-consumption-module",
   super_pollution_module = creative_mode_defines.name_prefix .. "super-pollution-module",
+  super_quality_module = creative_mode_defines.name_prefix .. "super-quality-module",
   belt_immunity_equipment = "belt-immunity-equipment",
   super_fusion_reactor_equipment = creative_mode_defines.name_prefix .. "super-fusion-reactor-equipment",
   super_personal_roboport_equipment = creative_mode_defines.name_prefix .. "super-personal-roboport-equipment",
@@ -307,6 +308,7 @@ creative_mode_defines.names.recipes = {
   super_slow_module = creative_mode_defines.name_prefix .. "super-slow-module",
   super_consumption_module = creative_mode_defines.name_prefix .. "super-consumption-module",
   super_pollution_module = creative_mode_defines.name_prefix .. "super-pollution-module",
+  super_quality_module = creative_mode_defines.name_prefix .. "super-quality-module",
   belt_immunity_equipment = creative_mode_defines.name_prefix .. "belt-immunity-equipment",
   super_fusion_reactor_equipment = creative_mode_defines.name_prefix .. "super-fusion-reactor-equipment",
   super_personal_roboport_equipment = creative_mode_defines.name_prefix .. "super-personal-roboport-equipment",
@@ -1726,6 +1728,10 @@ table.insert(
   creative_mode_defines.values.creative_provider_chest_additional_content_names,
   creative_mode_defines.names.items.super_pollution_module
 )
+table.insert(
+  creative_mode_defines.values.creative_provider_chest_additional_content_names,
+  creative_mode_defines.names.items.super_quality_module
+)
 
 table.insert(
   creative_mode_defines.values.creative_provider_chest_additional_content_names,

graphics/icons/super-quality-module.png

@@ -129,6 +129,7 @@ creative-mod_super-clean-module=Super clean module
 creative-mod_super-slow-module=Super slow module
 creative-mod_super-consumption-module=Super consumption module
 creative-mod_super-pollution-module=Super pollution module
+creative-mod_super-quality-module=Super quality module
 
 [item-description]
 creative-mod_energy-absorption=Absorbing energy from the network. (You shouldn't hold this item. Return it ASAP!)
@@ -145,6 +146,7 @@ creative-mod_super-clean-module=Massively decreases machine pollution. Minimum p
 creative-mod_super-slow-module=Massively decreases machine speed. Minimum speed is 20%.
 creative-mod_super-consumption-module=Massively increases machine energy consumption.
 creative-mod_super-pollution-module=Massively increases machine pollution.
+creative-mod_super-quality-module=Guarantees the produced item is upgraded by at least one quality level.
 creative-mod_super-fusion-reactor-equipment=Generates unlimited power for your equipment.
 creative-mod_super-personal-roboport-equipment=Supports large numbers of robots. Large construction radius. Can recharge robots instantly without causing any energy.
 

locale/en/base.cfg

@@ -918,6 +918,10 @@ local function inserter(
 end
 
 -- Generates data for lab.
+-- Deliberate no-op: the vanilla lab declares no allowed_effects, and the
+-- LabPrototype engine default is "all effects except quality". We leave that
+-- default untouched on purpose, so the creative labs continue to reject quality
+-- modules — a quality effect on a lab is inert (labs roll no item quality).
 local function lab(entity_name, item_name, icon_name, on_animation_filename, off_animation_filename)
   local lab = table.deepcopy(data.raw["lab"]["lab"])
   lab.name = entity_name
@@ -2852,7 +2856,9 @@ data:extend({
     dying_explosion = "medium-explosion",
     collision_box = { { -1.2, -1.2 }, { 1.2, 1.2 } },
     selection_box = { { -1.5, -1.5 }, { 1.5, 1.5 } },
-    allowed_effects = { "consumption", "speed", "pollution", "productivity" },
+    -- "quality" added so the super-beacon can broadcast the super quality module across nearby
+    -- crafting machines (the "flood a base for quality testing" use case).
+    allowed_effects = { "consumption", "speed", "pollution", "productivity", "quality" },
     base_picture = {
       filename = creative_mode_defines.mod_directory .. "/graphics/entity/super-beacon-base.png",
       width = 116,
@@ -2890,7 +2896,10 @@ data:extend({
       filename = "__base__/sound/car-metal-impact.ogg",
       volume = 0.65,
     },
-    distribution_effectivity = 0.5,
+    -- Mirror the vanilla beacon's distribution-effectivity model: 1.5 baseline plus 0.2 per quality
+    -- level, so a legendary beacon reaches 2.5 just like vanilla.
+    distribution_effectivity = 1.5,
+    distribution_effectivity_bonus_per_quality_level = 0.2,
     module_slots = 7,
     module_info_icon_shift = { 0, 0.5 },
     module_info_multi_row_initial_height_modifier = -0.3,

prototypes/entity.lua

@@ -60,6 +60,10 @@ data:extend({
     stationing_offset = { 0, -0.6 },
     charging_station_shift = { 0, 0.5 },
     charging_station_count = 1000,
+    -- Deliberate no-op: charging_station_count_affected_by_quality is omitted
+    -- (defaults to false), so the station count stays a flat 1000. Intentional —
+    -- this equipment is only ever obtainable at normal quality, so a quality
+    -- scalar would never apply.
     charging_distance = 1.6,
     charging_threshold_distance = 5,
     categories = { "armor" },

prototypes/equipment.lua

@@ -863,6 +863,22 @@ data:extend({
     stack_size = 50,
     effect = { pollution = 2.5 },
   },
+  {
+    -- Super quality module
+    type = "module",
+    name = creative_mode_defines.names.recipes.super_quality_module,
+    icon_size = 32,
+    icon = creative_mode_defines.mod_directory .. "/graphics/icons/super-quality-module.png",
+    hidden = hidden,
+    subgroup = creative_mode_defines.names.item_subgroups.modules,
+    category = "quality",
+    tier = 50,
+    order = "i",
+    stack_size = 50,
+    -- 1.0 = 100%: guaranteed at-least-+1 level; the engine's fixed ~10% cascade
+    -- can still push to +2/+3. Values >1.0 are identical (cascade is fixed).
+    effect = { quality = 1.0 },
+  },
   -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
   {

prototypes/item.lua

@@ -523,6 +523,18 @@ data:extend({
     results = { { type = "item", name = creative_mode_defines.names.items.super_pollution_module, amount = 1 } },
     enabled = false,
   },
+  {
+    -- Super quality module
+    -- Deliberate no-op: like every recipe here, ingredients = {} so the engine
+    -- resolves can_set_quality to false (this module item is craftable at normal
+    -- quality only). Intentional — cheat items are already maxed, so quality
+    -- variants of the module itself would have no functional payoff.
+    type = "recipe",
+    name = creative_mode_defines.names.recipes.super_quality_module,
+    ingredients = {},
+    results = { { type = "item", name = creative_mode_defines.names.items.super_quality_module, amount = 1 } },
+    enabled = false,
+  },
   -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
   {

prototypes/recipe.lua

@@ -480,6 +480,39 @@ def cmd_behavior(args: argparse.Namespace) -> int:
                 "true",
                 "super_boiler_placed",
             ),
+            # super_quality_module_effect_applied: place a quality-capable crafting machine
+            # (assembling-machine-2 allows the "quality" effect by vanilla default), read its
+            # baseline resolved quality effect, insert the creative super-quality-module into its
+            # module inventory, and read the effect again. LuaEntity.effects is a flat table keyed
+            # by effect type (e.g. { quality = 0.5 } before, { quality = 1.5 } after for AM-2). The
+            # module's effect = { quality = 1.0 } must raise the resolved quality by >= 1.0
+            # (guaranteed at-least-+1 upgrade). Proves the module's effect is legal in a module slot
+            # AND carries the intended magnitude: the engine accepted both the category and the
+            # effect key, and the delta is the module's full contribution.
+            _assert_rcon(
+                sb,
+                '/c local s = game.surfaces["cm_verify"] '
+                'local m = s.create_entity{name="assembling-machine-2", position={14, 12}, force="player"} '
+                "local before = (m.effects and m.effects.quality) or 0 "
+                'm.get_module_inventory().insert{name="creative-mod_super-quality-module", count=1} '
+                "local after = (m.effects and m.effects.quality) or 0 "
+                "rcon.print(tostring(after - before >= 1.0))",
+                "true",
+                "super_quality_module_effect_applied",
+            ),
+            # super_quality_module_beacon_insertable: validates the Phase-2 super_beacon
+            # allowed_effects edit end-to-end. Place a super-beacon and insert the
+            # super-quality-module into its module inventory; a successful insert (count == 1)
+            # proves the "quality" allowed-effects gate now admits the module for distribution.
+            # Before the edit the engine would reject the insert (insert returns 0).
+            _assert_rcon(
+                sb,
+                '/c local s = game.surfaces["cm_verify"] '
+                'local b = s.create_entity{name="creative-mod_super-beacon", position={18, 12}, force="player"} '
+                'rcon.print(tostring(b.get_module_inventory().insert{name="creative-mod_super-quality-module", count=1} == 1))',
+                "true",
+                "super_quality_module_beacon_insertable",
+            ),
         ]
         # Let the server tick so the per-tick refill runs on the just-placed thruster.
         time.sleep(1.0)
@@ -553,6 +586,8 @@ def cmd_behavior(args: argparse.Namespace) -> int:
                 "asteroid_spawning_rate_restore",
                 "item_source_to_crafter_placed",
                 "super_boiler_placed",
+                "super_quality_module_effect_applied",
+                "super_quality_module_beacon_insertable",
                 "creative_thruster_refuels",
                 "item_source_feeds_crafter",
                 "super_boiler_heats_fluid",