Factorio Forums

Hi,

I couldn't help but noticing that the satellite doesn't really have a purpose. The launches produce "space science packs", but you can't do anything with them either.

If satellites would do anything useful, a new "game goal" could be to keep producing them. For example, they could reveal unexplored map tiles over time, even replacing radar if you have enough of them.

I'm writing this because I too ran out of ideas what to do once you get to the rocket stage in the game. I have this smoothly running base, but it's at a standstill because I don't need to produce anything. While this is the case, there is no point in exploring new mineral fields because even the existing ones are not utilized, no need to create more trains because they don't run anyway, no... you get the picture.

In games like the Anno series you can always seek to increase the number of your citizens, which creates demand which you have to serve by producing more of everything. In Factorio I can see no such mechanism. "Hunting numbers" (just produce something and store it, even if nobody needs it) is not my thing, and there really isn't a "consumer" in Factorio.

Regards

When you say you "Can't do anything with" space science packs, do you mean other than pursuing infinite research?

I'm not sure I can really see the difference (granted I don't have any knowledge of anno, apart from what you just shared). What is the difference between having a science per minute parameter and a population count. One produces infinite research that increase mine production (or bot flying speed, ignoring military upgrades) the other produces more resources?

Both increase demand. Villagers have needs, science production needs raw materials (and intermediate products) and power.

Factorio's story technically ends at the first satellite launch. After that it is up to the player to set new goals. Maybe you want to make a really large base with high science per minute, maybe you want to make a base following certain design paradigms or maybe you want to impose some extra limitations on yourself creating a new design challenge to overcome.

Edit: And that's without considering mods, which can be a way to create a new game experience for yourself.

2.Edit: This is not saying I would oppose creating more purpose post victory if wube choose to do so.

What you say is true: After launching a rocket, most people set their own goals, such as science per minute or rockets launched per minute.

Or they start over with a few mods.

Or they start over with restrictions, such as no bots.

It's true that you ultimately produce for the sake of producing, but it's not true that you can't do anything after the basic research is done or that space science is useless. There is infinite science that gets ever more expensive. And it's useful - especially mining productivity and robot worker speed. But also some other things like artillery range and speed if you play with biters.

https://wiki.factorio.com/Technologies# ... chnologies

It's a sandbox game just like the Anno series. There too you have to set your own goals. There is no incentive to build huge settlements there either other than you wanting to

Actually, you're not wrong: Producing those endless technologies would in effect be the "consumer" I was talking about.

I hadn't seen it this way before.

Regards

This is very similar to real life. Many things seem completely useless to some people since they do not bring any direct profit/benefit. But there is always an indirect benefit. Previous commentators have already explained everything to you)
Moreover, progress cannot be linearly infinite.