Future Nuclear Power / Dirty Mining Mechanics
Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2016 5:16 pm
I posted this over on the factorio subreddit, but I thought I would share it here as well, I have modified the text below to reflect some of the more popular and feasible ideas from the reddit discussion. Discussion can be found here: https://www.reddit.com/r/factorio/comme ... uested_in/
I've been thinking about this a bit and I wanted to share. This idea is very realistic for a commercial release and fits closely within the core mechanics of the game while still introducing interesting new problems for the player to solve. It also remains within the game's bounds and realism.
Mining Uranium:
I propose mining uranium uses the in situ leach method (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_situ_leach). (This is currently one of the most common method of extracting uranium. It would require pumping suphiric acid (already in the game) into a mining location and uranium would exit in a liquid form before being sent to a chemical refinery to produce yellowcake uranium. The yellowcake is now a solid that can be transported around. Other ores could also be extracted with this method and could be considered the new "dirty mining" mechanic that has been discussed. Since methods of fluid transport are already being integrated, the inclusion of sulfuric acid would no longer be an issue.
Processing Uranium:
The yellowcake urainum is then processed in an assembler or chemical plant where the urainum is combined with steel plates to create a nuclear fuel rod that can be transported to a nuclear reactor.
Conversion into energy:
I imagine a nuclear reactor essentially taking the place of multiple boilers to power steam engines. Perhaps 1 reactor can power 10 steam engines or we introduce a new type of steam engine called a steam turbine? Optionally the reactor can produce waste that can be turned into weapons or armour, or launched into space. A nuclear reactor generates steam, so this can essentially be an upgrade to your boiler systems.
Discussion
I like the idea of a high powered fuel requiring liquid inputs to extract. This process would use mechanics that are already in the game, and would require the creation of only 2 new buildings (uranium mining equipment and a reactor) and 3 new items (yellowcake, liquid uranium, and uranium fuel rods) Additionally, any stage of the process could be condensed eg. just directly produce yellowcake from the mining equipment or deposit yellowcake into the reactor. This also creates a resource sink for sulfuric acid and steel, both of which could find a bit of extra use in the current game.
Compatibility with future mechanics and dirty mining:
Feasibly the process of extraction using sulfuric acid could be integrated within the proposed "dirty mining" mechanic that is already being discussed, as the use of acid to extract materials is used in a multitude of other extraction industries. Using this method could integrate the dirty mining equipment into the uranium mechanic to make it seem even more seamless and only unlocked once you have reached the "fluid management" stage of the game.
I've been thinking about this a bit and I wanted to share. This idea is very realistic for a commercial release and fits closely within the core mechanics of the game while still introducing interesting new problems for the player to solve. It also remains within the game's bounds and realism.
Mining Uranium:
I propose mining uranium uses the in situ leach method (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_situ_leach). (This is currently one of the most common method of extracting uranium. It would require pumping suphiric acid (already in the game) into a mining location and uranium would exit in a liquid form before being sent to a chemical refinery to produce yellowcake uranium. The yellowcake is now a solid that can be transported around. Other ores could also be extracted with this method and could be considered the new "dirty mining" mechanic that has been discussed. Since methods of fluid transport are already being integrated, the inclusion of sulfuric acid would no longer be an issue.
Processing Uranium:
The yellowcake urainum is then processed in an assembler or chemical plant where the urainum is combined with steel plates to create a nuclear fuel rod that can be transported to a nuclear reactor.
Conversion into energy:
I imagine a nuclear reactor essentially taking the place of multiple boilers to power steam engines. Perhaps 1 reactor can power 10 steam engines or we introduce a new type of steam engine called a steam turbine? Optionally the reactor can produce waste that can be turned into weapons or armour, or launched into space. A nuclear reactor generates steam, so this can essentially be an upgrade to your boiler systems.
Discussion
I like the idea of a high powered fuel requiring liquid inputs to extract. This process would use mechanics that are already in the game, and would require the creation of only 2 new buildings (uranium mining equipment and a reactor) and 3 new items (yellowcake, liquid uranium, and uranium fuel rods) Additionally, any stage of the process could be condensed eg. just directly produce yellowcake from the mining equipment or deposit yellowcake into the reactor. This also creates a resource sink for sulfuric acid and steel, both of which could find a bit of extra use in the current game.
Compatibility with future mechanics and dirty mining:
Feasibly the process of extraction using sulfuric acid could be integrated within the proposed "dirty mining" mechanic that is already being discussed, as the use of acid to extract materials is used in a multitude of other extraction industries. Using this method could integrate the dirty mining equipment into the uranium mechanic to make it seem even more seamless and only unlocked once you have reached the "fluid management" stage of the game.