Factorio - Factories, Conveyors, Pollution and Monsters - alpha

I would like to introduce you all to a game called Factorio.

It's a game where you mine some minerals, but that's boring, so you should make a miner to do that for you. Now you need some gears, but that's boring, so make a factory to make that for you, but now you need factories to build factories! And you need to connect it all together with conveyor belts!

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All while your machines are belching out pollution and agrivating the natives, who really don't like you. So you must defend against them!

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Oh yeah, there is SCIENCE too.

The game is in late alpha, but I've dumped 50 hours into a map and didn't quite get through all the tech yet.

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And watch the shiney trailer - on youtube!

Factorio check it out, it's awesome!
 

dio82

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[url=http://arstechnica.com/civis/viewtopic.php?p=26895021#p26895021:24yefnqx said:
Ironfist-04[/url]":24yefnqx]This is on my radar as well. Sips has a couple videos of it. I played the demo and enjoyed it, but haven't purchased. It looks like it gets pretty complex towards "end game".

I have impulse purchased Factorio after playing the demo, and I am not regretting a single second of it. The game is an absolute blast!
Things don't really become more complex towards the "end game". But rather, the game keeps you on your toes for something like 30 hours.

I'll post pictures of my rebuilt base perhaps tomorrow or on the weekend.
 

Drizzt321

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[url=http://arstechnica.com/civis/viewtopic.php?p=29395111#p29395111:3i22kwn8 said:
Cabal[/url]":3i22kwn8]But we already know how that series ends, you forget a critical piece of wall, and cranky bug monsters eat you and your factory. ;)

Heh, no kidding.

Or if you use DyTech, you didn't get to mining crystal fast enough so that giant spitter keeps destroying the tier-1 laser towers without getting hurt opening a hole for the giant biters to take down the wall and wreak havoc.
 

JustBreathe

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[url=http://arstechnica.com/civis/viewtopic.php?p=26900445#p26900445:2kejxfob said:
Drizzt321[/url]":2kejxfob]*groan* Ok, so, last night all of a sudden it was 4am. Awesome though :) I worked out how a good setup to have all the smelting going through one conveyor belt with continual coal replenishment. Now for the big challenge, working out how to put together an efficient factory complex that doesn't turn into a messy tangle.

Sounds like Slaves to Armok: God of Blood: Chapter 3: Dwarf Fortress 3: Factory Science Fun Time to me.

...I love this concept.
 

Cabal

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Big update on Friday, I am holding off, since I have not "won" my current map. I will probably rush the end and start a new map for the update. From perusing Reddit here are the big changes:

- You can now place floor textures (Stone brick or concrete), we can now build roads, and floors. Players and vehicles get a move bonus on these surfaces. THIS IS MY FETISH. (I love building paths in Minecraft)
- Laser turrets are no longer 1x1. They are 2x2. But now do 4x damage. Don't load an old game in 0.12 if this is an issue. Keep in mind, one turret will overkill anything but the largest enemies. Plan accordingly, as swarms will make it to the wall now.
- End game tech "Rocket Defense" changed to "Missile Silo". Once placed you also have to feed it resources to "build" a rocket to win the game. The item itself no longer takes modules in it's construction, thank christ. Now it takes 1000x Steel....
- Corners of belts no longer "decompress" the outside lane. This was "realistic" but non-intuitive before. Nice QOL change.

Thought I would do a quick "Things I wish I knew before starting" list. In no particular order:

- Leave space for walkways or roads (even pre 0.12) between "sections" of your base. The map is infinite, there is no reason to bunch everything up. Eventually you can wall and defend an almost unlimited area. Spread out!.
- Further to the previous. "Main Bus" factories look cool, but are annoyingly complicated to build and horribly inefficient. Try it once but know what you are getting into. I can't see needing to move anything except Iron, Steel, Coal, and Copper around the base with belts at end game. Make gears and wire local to the item you are constructing. Use logistic (logi) bots for (most) everything else seems to be the way to go. Maybe have a belt for batteries and green cards at the start and move that to logi at end game.
- Plan, plan, plan, and PLAN. No your smeltery will not only ever be this big (talking firmly about myself here). It will in fact be 5x as large, and need 3 output belts... if not more.
- Don't just plop oil infrastructure machines down and "figure it out later", just DON'T. :facepalm:
- If resources are tight, and you can't afford full perimeter defense coverage, make a "Panic Room". a small square area ringed with walls, and full of turrets. Put a chest of extra ammo in here, maybe a chest of fish. If mobs attack your base, engage them. The AI is stupid and will chase you ignoring all else if they see you. Then just run into your panic room and let the turrets handle it. :flail:

If I think of more later I'll post more.
 

Drizzt321

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[url=http://arstechnica.com/civis/viewtopic.php?p=29415123#p29415123:27xa2z6x said:
Malbec[/url]":27xa2z6x]This looks great, I have bookmarked it. The site FAQ says multiplayer is being worked on - anyone aware of a time-frame for it to be implemented?

If I recall, there's a multi-player in the later 0.11, but not sure it's 100% stable. I don't know, never used it.

0.12 is a BIG update. Taking a bit to get used to the lager laser installations. And unfortunately all the mods need to get updated, so the TimeButtons mod won't work :( Which means I actually need to sit through producing all of the modules & such. *sigh*

I bet Dytech will be updated pretty quick though. Whoa, and I just noticed the forums have a whole new 0.12 mods and expanded mods sub-forums.
 
[url=http://arstechnica.com/civis/viewtopic.php?p=29420789#p29420789:j47t3maw said:
Jakal[/url]":j47t3maw]This "game" does not appear to be on Steam, therefore I am left with no option but to accept that it doesn't exist and that these "screenshots" are just fancy MSPaint pics.
Yeah I've been wanting this for a while but felt it was overpriced, so I was hoping for a Steam sale. Except it's not on Steam so no sales...
 

Drizzt321

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[url=http://arstechnica.com/civis/viewtopic.php?p=29421453#p29421453:onte35qh said:
Cabal[/url]":eek:nte35qh]I don't feel it's overpriced at all, but I am biased. I have played 67 hours on my first map. For like 25$ CAD that is a steal. I started a new more planned playthrough on 0.12 last night and expect similar duration.

Yes indeed. I've gotten a TON of hours out of the game. Add in some of the pretty cool mods people have made, and I find it's well worth it.

[url=http://arstechnica.com/civis/viewtopic.php?p=29422587#p29422587:onte35qh said:
Cabal[/url]":eek:nte35qh]For those that are new, 0.12 is not released to the auto updater, you have to download the experimental build. I played it for like 5 hours yesterday with ZERO issues. I can't claim 100% you won't, but this guy's experimental code is better than a lot of AAA's release code. :facepalm:

I've played several hours myself, no crashes and no problems (except for mods that haven't been updated yet).

EDIT:
Mortus, it's so cute how clueless you are :p You know you can place boxes & furnaces directly in front of the drills and it'll feed right into it :p And wood can be used as fuel instead of coal as well, it's just not nearly as long lasting.
EDIT2:
And don't be confused, the arms won't fully load up a particular type of material to max capacity.
And you should probably skip the burner arms, since you can pretty quickly get up to electric power with just a bit of copper, and then it gets a lot more efficient. since you can put arms & such anywhere with an electric pole, and you don't need to worry about coal (for now) except into the furnaces and to power the water heaters for steam generators.
EDIT3:
And you have the inserts wrong. For 0.11, you need to put it either directly adjoining the belt will grab from the belt, or the 1 square past the end of the belt, since the items go off the end of the belt onto the ground. (FYI, for 0.12 they don't go off the end of the belt)
 

Cabal

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[url=http://arstechnica.com/civis/viewtopic.php?p=29427533#p29427533:qkdlqp0v said:
Tegid[/url]":qkdlqp0v]How do you get the factories to display what they are making?


I am in trouble here. I'm currently terrible at this game, but I'm having an awesome time and was up way too late last night playing it. I keep wanting to start over and "do it right" and then never really do. It's all still way too ad hoc.

Hit alt. :)
 
[url=http://arstechnica.com/civis/viewtopic.php?p=29428319#p29428319:1bn0nf83 said:
Cabal[/url]":1bn0nf83]Thanks!

My first try was no where that neat, believe me it was totally jank balls. :D

It just looks so cool though. The graphics for this game have this sort of retro while also almost risk of rain while almost sorta Command and Conquer while also having awesome zerg like bug hordes that just shitwreck you.

It's basically hitting all my buttons visually. I wish there was a steam demo or something to give it a crack before diving in. Is there plans for big multiplayer or just co-op?