Friday Facts #356 - Blueprint library for real

[Jonathan88]

I'm glad you've managed to recover from your burnout, many people in similar positions wouldn't have been managed to come through, so well done - we all appreciate everything you've put into this game so it's good to know you're doing well.

The story of your child learning to play the game you created, and in the process getting you back into it is so perfectly fitting it feels like it should be in a movie!

[Leris]

Thanks for sharing this story! Now I ponder letting my 4 yr olds play some Factorio as well maybe...

Here are some other games they enjoy:
- Putt-putt series from the 90s in the SCRUM adventure style of Maniac Mansion or Monkey Island, and with lots funny interactive elements and child-friendly game-play: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Putt-Putt_(series)
- Snipperclips on the Nintendo Switch is a sweet little multiplayer logic puzzle game where you cut each other into fitting shapes or balance or bounce objects as you soon figure out: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snipperclips
- 2048 was a big hype a few years back and has obviously cooled off, but the game-play is simple and addictive still, as well as many clients available for mobile and all platforms, or even just playable via website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2048_(video_game)

Really need a metacritic of sorts with recommendations for different child's ages. Not only video-games but books and tv-shows and all..

[trad_emark]

This is the kind of change that makes me want to play again!

[kovarex]

Thanks for sharing this story! Now I ponder letting my 4 yr olds play some Factorio as well maybe...

Here are some other games they enjoy:
- Putt-putt series from the 90s in the SCRUM adventure style of Maniac Mansion or Monkey Island, and with lots funny interactive elements and child-friendly game-play: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Putt-Putt_(series)
- Snipperclips on the Nintendo Switch is a sweet little multiplayer logic puzzle game where you cut each other into fitting shapes or balance or bounce objects as you soon figure out: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snipperclips
- 2048 was a big hype a few years back and has obviously cooled off, but the game-play is simple and addictive still, as well as many clients available for mobile and all platforms, or even just playable via website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2048_(video_game)

Really need a metacritic of sorts with recommendations for different child's ages. Not only video-games but books and tv-shows and all..

Thanks for recommendations. Btw, you probably missed this http://kovarex.com/2048/

[Xorimuth]

Thanks for recommendations. Btw, you probably missed this http://kovarex.com/2048/

Awesome! Looks like you're missing a few of the graphics updates there

[FuzzyOne]

This is the best FFF I've ever read! Thank you so much for sharing your personal journey. I am on a journey of my own and your story is so inspirational.

The Blueprint update is absolutely amazing. It will be great to see it included in v1.0 as I believe it is the finishing touch for this part of the game.

[Illiou]

What a pleasant surprise to see improvements coming to the blueprint library before 1.0. And even 2 minutes before what I could already see becoming Factorio Saturday Facts.

Thank you for this very interesting insight into your life and thoughts. It's nice to hear you managed to find new motivation for your work on Factorio, through playing it with your son no less. Must have been quite fascinating to see how he interacts with the game at such a young age, too.
I also really liked the little detail of your son learning numbers just through playing Factorio - a perfect example of how learning works best: as a side note to something greater that you are motivated to achieve.

[Nova]

This is a great FFF, one of the best. Things I like about it:

• The deeper view of your work / life / mind, kovarex.
• The evolution of the blueprint library.
• Being able to use blueprints in the mapview. So awesome!
• That random "fuck" in there when you realized the agreement was already made 2 years ago. Nice reminder that Factorio is not some United States based company, but from good ol' Praque.

Still not sure if I like advancing the release date to an earlier day, but I understand your reasoning. I just hope there will be 1.1 and 1.2, at least. Really want that spidertron, even if it's totally overpowered. Remember, being overpowered is sometimes the most fun.
Then again, the game was already worth the money multiple versions before, so I can't really complain at all.

[5thHorseman]

I'm so happy you were able to get out of your funk.

The new blueprint stuff is amazing but your mental health is the most important thing of all.

[vedrit]

Your struggle with motivation and programming out of guilt rather than joy or excitement is a struggle I am currently going through. I started a game project back around 2013 or 2014 and have been working on it mostly solo. Currently, I haven't done any serious work on it since...some time last year. Whenever I think about it, I get hit with guilt because it's my dream game, and I know that I'll love the end-result. But there's just so much to do, so much I have done and need to re-do that I just... can't bring myself to do it. Whenever I open the editor I suddenly feel very drained, like all the life has been sucked out of me.

Any way, looks like the blueprint library is coming along nicely. I particularly love that we can build from the map. Some blueprints, like those shown in the preview, are huge, and having to zoom in to place them doesn't work out so well, sometimes.

[kovarex]

Thanks for recommendations. Btw, you probably missed this http://kovarex.com/2048/

Awesome! Looks like you're missing a few of the graphics updates there

Yea, the old low res icons stretched were a pain. It is updated now

[Xorimuth]

Thanks for recommendations. Btw, you probably missed this http://kovarex.com/2048/

Awesome! Looks like you're missing a few of the graphics updates there

Yea, the old low res icons stretched were a pain. It is updated now

Mmmm beautiful

[_Attila_]

Very nice BP features. Perhaps now I can get into playing some of the more complex mods and nicely store my vanilla BPs in just ONE book of books.

As for the burnout, welcome back.

[Matthias_Wlkp]

I don't play the game that much anymore, but I always read FFF - it's my mandatory post-lunchtime activity (I'm on EST, so as long as you post before 6-pm, I'm happy ). Your journey is very inspiring and the personal bits add another layer of depth into it. Your example shows that there is a way to fight burnout, if you can find inspiration again.

Thank you for sharing!

[imTheSupremeOne]

Great blog and surprise! I already can't understand how could I play without this before <3

p.s. me reading changes, live:

[aljo]

I like the BP library changes, but what would really make it perfect IMO is the ability to edit a BP in place, specifically to add things to it. There are times where I'll BP a big section of whatever, then slowly turn off things I don't need. And if it's a complicated area, maybe it takes a few minutes. But, wait, I accidentally removed something I didn't want to remove, and I already saved it! Great, now I get to re-blueprint the whole thing again, removing stuff, and hopefully not accidentally remove something I didn't want to otherwise I'll just have to rinse and repeat just to add back in that ONE rail signal.

[Seaish]

This is probably the greatest FFF of all. It's so nice to get out of burnout, and there's so many great blueprint improvements.

What really stuck with me, though, is that a kid just gave a suggestion about his favorite game and had his own dad add it more or less immediately. Living in a world where a game fundamentally changes based on your wishes without knowing the effort and machinery that takes is so pure. And being able to offer that world must be an amazing experience.

[NoQ]

At this point, I thought, that I would come back to work with full power, but I just couldn't. When I tried to work, I had this strong, almost physical feeling of disgust, that was impossible to overcome. It was clear to me at this point, this is the the typical burnout situation.

kovarex, as a fellow burned out developer: This isn't always entirely a motivation problem - you should see a doctor about this. It may take some time to figure out what exactly is going on but neurologists and/or psychiatrists may prescribe you some meds that'll help with this sort of stuff. See if you also have "brain fog" and/or various headaches, they're closely related and you can use these terms to describe the problem. Might also be a depression of some sort. Like, in any case, regardless of your motivation and ultimate purpose in life, you deserve to feel better.

[slaved34ler]

Ok, but where is the mirroring?

[yblondinca]

I too was a little concerned when I checked for the FFF this afternoon and didn't seen anything posted yet. Looks like this one was worth the wait. Quite the read and I am very happy to hear that you are doing better and bonding with your son . These are the things in life that really matter!

Thank you again for making such an amazing game possible for all of us.