Factorio Forums

Just a quick question, are there any intentions of letting us export blueprints from a map/save then re-import it when we've unlocked the tech into another save? That would be really awesome.

Good question. I was kind of disappointed when I realised that blueprints are not transfered from one game to another. There should be a blueprint-book where we can store them, so they are available in every world. And then, they should be stored in seperate files, so we can exchange them with other players.

I agree, a separate folder just for blueprints so we can use them between games would be great. Supcom had a pretty good blueprint system that might help as inspiration since they are both RTS style games at their core.

It was coded in LUA so I am not sure if its useful for Factorio but it might give some ideas.
http://supcom.wikia.com/wiki/Blueprint

This is not on the top of the list for now, thoug we are considering it for the future.

A basic implementation of using one blueprint from one savegame in a new map will never be too soon

I would say most important. I only see more sense in using blueprints, if I can reuse them.

I would go that far to say, this blueprint-function should be available from the first game-minute on and independant from an ingame-item.

Eg. I have designed my optimized layout for a research pack 1-production or my first furnace lines. I don't want to reinvent the wheel in every new game.

Even long before construction robots are available I could place the blueprint and just build the buildings manually into the ghost structure. At the moment I always have to tab out to compare to a screenshot I have taken from an earlier game or to print it out on paper.

BurnHard wrote:I would go that far to say, this blueprint-function should be available from the first game-minute on and independant from an ingame-item.

Well. I like the ghost building very much, but I dunno, if blueprints are needed so fast. I see in my mind, that the current game is only 1/3 of the end game, where we build rockets etc. Maximum.

Maybe a little bit earlier? But I think, most players don't know what to do with the blueprints yet.

Eg. I have designed my optimized layout for a research pack 1-production or my first furnace lines. I don't want to reinvent the wheel in every new game.

Well, I sometimes a automatic building would be nice, but then I think: red potion! Come one! I do that myself, not too difficult...

Even long before construction robots are available I could place the blueprint and just build the buildings manually into the ghost structure. At the moment I always have to tab out to compare to a screenshot I have taken from an earlier game or to print it out on paper.

Really? I build it everytime from scratch, because it is much more fun to see the differences in the layout.
But, well, maybe you're right, some would build it by hand, some by blueprint. Why not? Some musicans take samples and remix them, some do the samples and make everything themselves.
Again: Yes, a bit earlier, but not from start, I think this is too stupid.

BurnHard wrote:Eg. I have designed my optimized layout for a research pack 1-production or my first furnace lines. I don't want to reinvent the wheel in every new game.

Then what are you actually doing when you start a new game? If you just copy/paste you previous factory, then why restart? You have to research the same things every time, is that much different?

Create a 'base-in-a-box' with blueprints (or a series of them) and run far far away. Bring a roboport, some bots, power, and whatever building materials and just start fresh somewhere else. There really needs to be more out past the starting area for players to experience (if they choose) besides just the need for more resources.

syneris wrote:Then what are you actually doing when you start a new game? If you just copy/paste you previous factory, then why restart? You have to research the same things every time, is that much different?

Beating the old time? Trying new strategies? Play with less resources / more enemies? Sometimes I am spending hours only to minimize the place requirement and maximize output for subparts of my factory (eg science pack production). I use these sub-designs in my new games, this doesnt mean that the whole factory always looks the same. That always varies because of the placement of the orefields, lakes, enemies, etc.

Bleda wrote:Good question. I was kind of disappointed when I realised that blueprints are not transfered from one game to another. There should be a blueprint-book where we can store them, so they are available in every world. And then, they should be stored in seperate files, so we can exchange them with other players.

As development begins for 0.12, I wanted to bring this post to attention to the devs in the hopes that they will discuss this in meetings and hopefully decide to implement something like this in 0.12. I really love the idea of a "book" (maybe a tab in the crafting GUI) to store blueprints. I'm just tired of carrying around 5-10 blueprints or forgetting one in a box and having to run back from the edge of my base to get it.

Try Foreman Blue Print Manager mod: https://forums.factorio.com/forum/vie ... =14&t=6516

There is something like "book" that stores your blueprints and you can export blueprints to files and import them in another save.

I'd really like to see the blueprints/deconstruction planner made independent of any in-game items as well. Perhaps making them buttons next to the quick bars? Also, it would be nice if blueprints could be shared between saves.

Why? Because it's easier to fiddle with a design when you have that design available at the click of a button rather than needing to rebuild it from scratch.

Wenihal wrote:Try Foreman Blue Print Manager mod: https://forums.factorio.com/forum/vie ... =14&t=6516

There is something like "book" that stores your blueprints and you can export blueprints to files and import them in another save.

I know about the mod, I use it. Please carefully read my post again, it's not about importing/exporting blueprints.

i agree for blueprints, and ghost layout at start , cause im using it often, but not for en entire factory or a complete setup, mostly for a part of a setup i really like. rest of base depend on terrain, which is never the same, also for ressources location. but having my favorite layout for my train station, or a part of defenses, or a smelting area which i like to use often.
also, sometimes, i even use it to determine if i have enough space in the area i plan to place it, or if i need to move something before, or just to realise " 2 tiles short there " before starting building it
and others things like that... well, all that to say, i m up for shared blueprints between saves and players, ... its like all other features, its not because its there that you MUST use it.. if i prefer to build from scratch, its up to me
(but i ll like blueprints much more with that feature)

I agree that Blueprints need to be implemented much more widely, rather than just as something that you use to tell Construction Robots to build and where.

They should be usable in some capacity from the start of the game, and be shareable between players in multi-player. And ideally also saveable to the player's game account, so that they can be re-used in subsequent games.

Currently, the game feature where after you research Blueprint an item destroyed by the aliens will remain in "ghosted" form for 5 (?) minutes, is also a very useful reminder to a player who might want to manually re-build something destroyed, and in the exact same place and orientation as before, so I'd like that too to be available from gamestart, without needing to be researched. It's OK if it degrades faster, like in 90 seconds, that only being increased to 300s after you research a tech for it.