I was on vacation when I first read this, but the conversation about game design and WoW was something I wanted to chime in on. As an avid gamer who is very particular about the games I like to play, I tend to pay a lot of attention to game's design choices and their consequences (especially in the ...

*anticipation for 0.17 stable intensifies*

The very notion of something being 'genuinely' random is itself questionable. Many examples people would put forth as 'random' are, in fact, quite deterministic, just that we usually lack accurate and complete enough information to predict it. I have wondered whether its possible to make a machine t...

Marathon deathworld is meant to be very difficult. Even moreso now that pollution is an issue. I'm sure there are people out there who find marathon deathworld too easy, and add some more challenge like mods to make the experience even more difficult, but they probably are a minority. Try to build ...

I don't like the BOP change. Because the problem with BOP isn't actually BOP itself. It's the lack of easy access to solutions to the new problems it creates. I think most people will figure out, easily enough how to set up their first Oil Refinery and hook all the pipes into storage tanks for the r...

In map gen settings, set the starting area size WAY up (maybe all the way to it's maximum). This will significantly delay when you start having to deal with the natives compared to default settings. This will give you a LOT more time to get starting before having to address dealing with them. Learni...

It can "handle" both directions, it just makes a difference. A fluid box that has fluid removed from it already does not move as much fluid in the direction next in sequence. No one likes the behaviour but it's not something you can just "fix", it needs a completely new and diff...

I agree that it would be nice for the devs to give the proper formulae for trains now, I've tried doing the math with the new vehicle modifiers on fuel and haven't been able to get numbers that match in game behavior, so the models I was using (which worked up to 0.15 more or less) is no longer vali...

Ok, maybe it has been fixed (simple enough to test in experimental, though I'm not set up atm to do so and am lazy...)

The problem of needing to spend copious amounts of time setting up mines in Giga-factory ultra-late game was largely solved by the addition of mining productivity research that's infinitely repeatable (in 0.15, btw). Now, if you invest enough in it, your miners start giving a non-trivial multiplier ...

I know this report isn't for the latest experimental release but I am almost sure the problem still exists in the current experimental release (it's easy to test too). The problem is that trains lose speed when they finish burning a given unit of fuel and start on the next one, even though that next...

If you care about power, use Assembler 3 with 1x Speed 3 and 3x Efficiency 3 You can only lower energy consumption to 20%. That's achievable with 3 of the far cheaper Efficiency 1s. Or 2 Efficiency 2 It's not if you have a speed 3 module in there, which increases energy consumption by 70%; you need...

It's not necessarily a bad idea to set up buffer chests on Science pack production early on, as it's easy to make lots of the early packs from relatively little setup and running material costs. You can then deficit spend later on without upgrading your setup until your reserve is depleted. This is...

If the tank becomes potent enough to face end-game threat, and to be on par with a MkII power armor ... then what's the point of the power armor ? Mobility and possibility to use large number of construction bots. I think the tank should remain the good mid-game tool to fight biters it already is, ...

afaik, modularizing the logistics robots is more efficient, not only for practical reasons, but for game performance reasons too. I seem to recall the devs stating that the algorithm for assigning jobs to logistics robots grows roughly n^3 relative to number of active bots within a given logistics a...

I posted in here a while ago (pg. 1), but I feel the need to provide more input given that most people seem to be suggesting the tank is, perhaps outside of it's currently +100% damage MG, pretty much a niche option at best. From my own fairly extensive experience use the tank (mostly in a 140 hr. l...

"what reason remains to use the tank at all instead of your personal smg if they both deal the same damage? Or turrets which still do get a damage bonus?" #1: Longer range (20 v 18 iirc) #2: Fire rate (15 v 10 iirc) #3: It's mobile (unlike turrets, which also have 18 range, not 20) #4: If ...

It's not necessarily a bad idea to set up buffer chests on Science pack production early on, as it's easy to make lots of the early packs from relatively little setup and running material costs. You can then deficit spend later on without upgrading your setup until your reserve is depleted. This is ...

As nice as Very Low Frequency is for getting large, spaced out patches (train friendly). It does cause a LOT of variability with how your starting area will be. The unplayable one is probably actually doable, but certainly not comfortable (big question is whether or not you can find oil that's acce...

I personally see that the ores in starting area are very low and scarce. I don't mind expanding or making my way through bugs to clear some patches, but this is becomming ridiculous. I'm pressing regenerate over and over, just to see patches of ~700k of coal, copper and iron, some times no iron, so...