Friday Facts #438 - Space Age wrap up

[mcmase]

I think it is relatively low investment to design, but high impact for combat loving and mega base players. No downside since it is only related to leaderboards, not progression. For me, I never play past endgame because the factory is no longer producing something with a "goal", the only goal is expansion for expansion's sake. It would be nice to have a true endless war to consume everything the factory is producing.

I would actually pay another $5 for this feature.

But as others have said, new expansions almost don't feel right (at least until I've had a few years to really master Space Age). With each expansion, the complexity will exponentially increase, unless the expansion is very separate from what already exists. Because you'll have more features interacting a breaking... plus, at least for me, what we have now feels like a complete experience. Factorio is everything I imagined it would be and more, at a certain point the cost of entry will be too high for new players, and expansions will only ever serve a dwindling crowd of hard-core fans.

It's almost hard to imagine where they can go from here. Would have to be a completely different genre, since Factorio dominates the automation simulation genre. Very interested to see what else Wube has in store for us.

[Script_Coded]

Good job on getting here! It would be really interesting to get a FFF diving deep into the technical side of your testing setup. I imagine a lot has happened since FFF-60

[mcmase]

Really glad to have the whole music suite available now! The soundtrack really blew me away and I didn't expect it to grip me like it did. You all have done such an amazing job for this expansion!

Soundtrack was amazing. I've only so far made it to Vulcanus but the space exploration and Vulcanus music was phenomenal. I would just stand there and listen to it for a while each time.

Space Age truly delivered on its promises.

[johan]

The game I'm thinking about is related to WoW in a similar way as to how Factorio is related to Minecraft.

... and with that, you have basically already sold it to me.

Seriously though, I have great respect for what you have achieved in Factorio. And I'm looking forward to the next thing you come up with.

[Zool]

It sadens me to read that the time of „Friday facts“ may come to an end - your little stories and insights into the game development have a fixed place in my weekly routine now, and it is the most obvious feat. that sets you appart from soooo many other developers where, as a player, you feel like your only function is to pay as much as possible for as little game as possible. And here, I look at my time played on steam …. 5669 hours …

If I‘d have one wish to wube:
Make a couple of smaller DLC like „adding planet X“ that simply aim at adding new interesting places like once a year … but sure, we all know thatthe modding community can most likely do unbelievable thing with the 2.0 version that you have given us.

No matter what the future brings, you guys and ladys at wube will forever be my most-loved gamestudio

[quineotio]

Thank you

[BlueTemplar]

I'm a bit disappointed to read that Kovarex is going to play Wow while the rest of the team is fixing the bugs, i was expecting story of private jet, or sport cars, at least some golden toilets, or any important milestone of success.
[...]

Ah, but that's because you haven't seen his electrum-plated dimensions-crossing WoW mount !
(this is a joke, I have no idea...)

[Neutronium]

If I‘d have one wish to wube:
Make a couple of smaller DLC like „adding planet X“ that simply aim at adding new interesting places like once a year

I'd 100% pay for a subscription that does this. Keep a small handful of devs working on the project, and do a release 2-3x a year with some new random stuff added.

[meganothing]

I wont bother with all the statistics this time, but we moved form 0.34 lines of code per one buyer, to 0.24 lines of code per one buyer, so we are getting more efficient I guess

I demand to get told the names and contact details of all 3.1 co-owners of my line of code.

And I look forward to eventually having a line of code in Wowtorio as well

[bluerock]

The game I'm thinking about is related to WoW in a similar way as to how Factorio is related to Minecraft.

This reminded me of the "game" Progress Quest but here automation is taken to the extreme. You go through character creation but then after that everything is %100 automated and you can watch your character's adventures and progress without any further input, lol.

[adam_bise]

I want to restate, that without our almost 6,000 automated tests, we would never be (able to) avoid reintroducing old bugs by fixing new bugs, and we hope, that it gets more recognized, and gaming companies, will recognize this approach as the gold standard.

Amen to that!

[Mavets]

oh my god, it hurts so much to hear that my favorite game won't continue to evolve.
I will hope that you will still think about releasing at least not big paid add-ons.

The factory must grow.

p.s. and add finally please quality for trains to increase the cells.

[Dial-up]

Once this phase is done, we want to start preparing the last major release (for the forseeable future at least) for Factorio: 2.1
We don't know exactly what it will be, but some of the more risky changes related to mod interface, quality of life, graphical tweaks... basically changes too big for putting into 2.0 stable

I hope it will be at least a lua update to 5.3/5.4

Graphics mode tests

I'm interested in knowing a couple of things, as I saw each set of tests on each screen is a set on a specific tests set or several, why is that? Why don't you try to balance the running time of the tests so that they finish at the same time, from my side I think that if until all the tests are finished, then you can't do anything else in the background, then balancing should have some effect. I also see that in the test window 2:2 (2 from the top, 2 from the left) at timecodes 0:24-0:43 nothing happens, as if the game is frozen, what is this test for? A pause? Evolution? I'm interested to know.

[Worloq]

Very long term, dedicated player here. 1500 hours? I think my buddy and I were playing co-op 0.X Factorio for a year before we even realized it was not an official release. Anyway, congrats on Space Age. Wonderful expansion of the core gameplay, and how great to bring Earendel in house.

I'm wondering if Kovarex's teaser analogy is slightly permuted?

The game I'm thinking about is related to WoW in a similar way as to how Factorio is related to Minecraft.

So,
New:WoW = Factorio:Minecraft
is confusing. It suggests an isometric RTS with vastly more complex RPG/RTS(unit) mechanics?

But
New:WoW = Minecraft:Factorio
seems clearer? A 1st/3rd person RPG/RTS hybrid with rich 4X or RTS(crafting) mechanics? MMO?

Thrilled to see what comes next, regardless.

Thanks again!

[Merssedes]

We don't know exactly what it will be, but some of the more risky changes related to mod interface, quality of life, graphical tweaks... basically changes too big for putting into 2.0 stable.

Including another attempt to force enable smart belts for everyone? >_>

[Rinin]

Please before you leave improve combinators and quality interactions. It's the only thing that feels neglected in this expansion.
In general operating combinators without knowing the item type and or quality beforehand is between a huge pain and impossible task.

[RocketManChronicles]

Thank you for this game!

As a player that had 20,000+ hours in 1.1 and earlier (many modded and vanilla playthroughs), Space Age will keep me going towards 50,000+! You are the best game devs I have come across and certainly would have happily paid $60+ for each Factorio and Factorio: Space Age. Please make sure the team has fun with all the progress and effort they've made.

Could not be a happier gamer than I am today!

The factory must grow...

[Mango]

The game I'm thinking about is related to WoW in a similar way as to how Factorio is related to Minecraft.

If Factorio = Minecraft - dimension + automation
then RPGtorio = WoW - dimension + automation

...isometric rpg where you automate leveling. Sounds like clicker heroes

[richyyoung]

Congrats its great fun.

Personally i hope for either more factorio content, or maybe try something a little more ambitious with a first person factorio / factory game.

you have a dedicated fan base, who like base / factory building, I'm sure we will be interested in what ever you do next. its an underserviced new genre, create by you.

but if you are asking as a factorio play would i want to play WOW. No. even if it was free.

[perahoky]

to be honest i think you should make a 3D factorio. this 2D factorio is just too old now.
yes i know you denied that but its the most reasonable way because it gives you so much more possibilities.
Factorio 3D:
- height differencies and mountains
- rivers and lakes
- boats and ships
- oceans with ocean mining
- caves and deep mining
- big gas giant mining (talking of space age)
- airplanes
- 3 dimensional building (transport belts crossing)

you dont like it but thats no reason and still reasonable.
yes i am aware of all competitors. this is not a discussion.