Factory setup
Shut down a power network from a power pole
The official Demo V8 notes say pressing E on a power pole lets you shut down the whole electricity network. Treat this as a network-wide action, not a switch for one machine.
V8 is the version that introduced the documented control. It is not the latest Demo version. If your build shows a different interaction prompt, use that prompt instead of assuming an old key binding still applies.
On this page
Check the network before using the pole control
- Decide what you need to stop. If the problem is an unwanted belt exit, use the belt-end method instead. Cutting electricity has a much wider scope than closing one output.
- Identify the intended pole and its connected machines. A whole-network action can interrupt scanners as well as production. Trace the route and keep unscanned hay away from SELL or fuel processing before making changes.
- Read the interaction shown by your build. The September 11 notes name E on a power pole. If that interaction is available, use it to shut down the intended network; otherwise stop and record the current prompt.
- Inspect the result. Check the connected machine and network indicators. If your intended machines keep running, do not assume they belong to the network you switched off. Inspect their connections before repeating the action.
The notes establish a shutdown control, but do not describe the current restart menu, a per-machine isolation switch or an exact reach distance. Follow your build's displayed controls when restoring production; this guide does not invent a second key sequence.
A power shortage is a different problem
The same V8 update added a visual notification when power drops below the required threshold. A shortage warning is not proof that someone used the pole shutdown control.
In the October 7 “Power” thread, Beavernugs7 asks for a more compact setup after placing 42 furnaces. GameOverRIP suggests furnace upgrades, but supplies no measured output, consumption table or compact layout. The reply's comments about future power options are player speculation.
Before buying additional equipment, compare the demand and supply actually displayed in your build and check whether your existing generators are supplied and upgraded. This is a diagnostic checklist, not a proven optimal generator ratio. We cannot derive one from the thread's furnace count.
Keep the three factory checks separate
- Power: are the relevant machines connected and operating?
- Water: use the shared-network connection diagram to inspect pump and pulper ports; connected pipes alone do not prove adequate supply.
- Hay: trace each outgoing branch through the scanner route before sale or burning. A powered factory can still have an unscanned bypass.
For a failed interaction, report the Demo build, the pole's prompt and which connected machines changed state. For a capacity question, include the actual upgrade levels and displayed supply/demand. Those are separate questions and need different evidence.
Sources & version
Official references and attributed community reports, not our own gameplay test. Version-specific advice may change after a Demo update.