Pipes 80% underground or longer segments

[BurnHard]

To be honest, the current situation with pipes is not really satisfactory. I supply my base with some exteriour oilfields. If I don't want to trap myself in, I have to build this silly underground-pipe-segment-constructions over and over again (see picture)

Screenshot 2014-02-24 20.14.42.jpg (240.31 KiB) Viewed 8353 times

This habit was "ok" when we only had to manage short pipes for the water supply.

Possible Solution 1: Make the reach of underground pipes minimum 20 tiles or more, maybe up to 100 tiles. Let us use the normal pipes for building underground, with the current underground pipes as connectors from surface to underground.

Possible Solution 2: The normal pipes are lowered a specific amount into the ground, so that maybe only the top 20% of its height is visible with the window, but so they are low enough, that they work like the transport belts or rail tracks now. You can walk or drive over them.

[andzoak]

I'm for the introducing two new type of pipes. Long underground pipes and extra long underground pipes.

First type needs two normal underground pipes and number of pipes equal to "extra length" of that pipes. We could craft it in pairs like underground pipes. It could need some iron plates too. Length of long undergrond pipes can be approximately 2.5 times length of normal underground pipes.

Extra long underground pipes needs a pump to be crafted and needs to be powered to work. It's length could be 3-4 times longer than long underground pipes.

[immibis]

Combining part of both ideas, there could be a new type of pipe that can be walked over and is slightly more expensive.

[BurnHard]

I'd like to bring this thread up once again and hope of a bit of a discussion. As andzoak mentionend a expensive pipe with engine in recipe for larger distances (eg 100 tiles) could work. The end tiles need power or else its works like a closed valve.

[Sedado77]

I'm for the introducing two new type of pipes. Long underground pipes and extra long underground pipes.

First type needs two normal underground pipes and number of pipes equal to "extra length" of that pipes. We could craft it in pairs like underground pipes. It could need some iron plates too. Length of long undergrond pipes can be approximately 2.5 times length of normal underground pipes.

Extra long underground pipes needs a pump to be crafted and needs to be powered to work. It's length could be 3-4 times longer than long underground pipes.

+1 to this idea, PLUS the hability to walk and DRIVE over pipes.
This would be important for other thing as well...
I've saw lots of peolple using pipes as walls... and it works great! Even if the pipes are easier to destroy, their cost makes them morer viable in the start of the game that actual walls, and i think this isn't right... since a 3wide pipe wall is strong enough to withstand an attack of 2 big bitters...

if you AND the bitters coud walk over them, it would be more balanced IMO.

[foursaken]

For me, limitations presented by belts, pipes, etc. in Factorio are what keeps it interesting. If you don't have to think about the consequences of putting down a pipe in that particular place, then the game has lost something.

Just my 2c.

[ssilk]

I don't really like the pipes. What I want is some look and feel of industry. I would like to see the pipes most times, but on the other side they are in the way. What about transparent overhead-pipes? Like underground pipes? Straight pipes?

Dunno.

[Tivec]

For me, limitations presented by belts, pipes, etc. in Factorio are what keeps it interesting. If you don't have to think about the consequences of putting down a pipe in that particular place, then the game has lost something.

Just my 2c.

While I agree with you saying it is part of the challenge, having an extra type of pipe that costs more (steel + iron plates) and goes 100% under ground would be nice. Imagine that it goes under ground or is "submerged" in it, but to connect to overground pipes or factories, you'd have to use steel ground to surface pipe perhaps. Just my few cent into this discussion.

[dusho]

In other thread I was already proposing walkable pipes that are 2/3 underground.

For me, limitations presented by belts, pipes, etc. in Factorio are what keeps it interesting. If you don't have to think about the consequences of putting down a pipe in that particular place, then the game has lost something.

Just my 2c.

this will be still there even with walkable pipes, as you can't place anything on them. only thing that will go away it getting trapped or stuck or misusing it as wall
Also, factory would look better again, with all the fluent pipes going everywhere without need of putting everything below ground.
Pipes should be placed exactly like belts are (so no autorotation and stuff), so it will stop making T junctions automatically, and you can have pipes next to each other

[BurnHard]

Yes, with the "2/3-part-underground pipe" all tiles with pipes would still be occupied for other buildings, but walkable, such like belts. It would give the factory a more active and lively touch, and we could even add more chem plants or machines that need liquid without causing problems walking around in our own factory. It would make the complicated barreling of oil etc obsolete to some point (with the later introduced oiltank-waggons), transporting fluids in masses over large distances, thats what pipelines are for

I imagine to look somethink like this: http://philosophers-stone.co.uk/wordpre ... es142.jpeg

[Sir Nick]

Maybe we'd be better off consulting the existing methods of pipe construction? For example, a quick Google search brought up this baby:

Translated into Factorio dimensions, it would be a two-wide structure akin to rail tracks that the player, a car or a train can pass under. Pipes as we have them now can connect to it and interact eithout a problem. The throughput of this, ofc, should be much higher than a single pipeline now.

[rlerner]

Quite some time ago, catwalks were suggested for walking over splitters and underground belt entrances/exits. We can now walk over them.

Still, I would love to see catwalks implemented which allow me to walk above machinery, belts, and so on. It would be a new item that I know has had demand in the past, and would resolve the "physical barricade" issue. If we can build them while we walk on them, (e.g. laying down a path, instead of a fixed-size catwalk), this would also help resolve the issue of bridges and water.

If we wanted to go even more crazy with it, we can use catwalks as platforms to run belts over water, or place robo-ports in the middle of the water since, over large oceans, the logistics robots tend to crash often.

[immibis]

If semi-underground pipes are chosen (as opposed to overhead pipes or overhead walkways; as a 2D game, I think it would be a lot of work to implement either of those), should they still have windows?

[BurnHard]

If semi-underground pipes are chosen (as opposed to overhead pipes or overhead walkways; as a 2D game, I think it would be a lot of work to implement either of those), should they still have windows?

Well they should have It would add a bit of colour to the base

Regarding the "lot of work". Semi underground would just need somehow adopted graphic and need one internal flag that says "walkable". Do I see that wrong?

[immibis]

If semi-underground pipes are chosen (as opposed to overhead pipes or overhead walkways; as a 2D game, I think it would be a lot of work to implement either of those), should they still have windows?

Well they should have It would add a bit of colour to the base

I was thinking that if there are two types of pipes, it would be another reason to not just use underground pipes everywhere (the way everyone uses pipes-to-ground now).

Regarding the "lot of work". Semi underground would just need somehow adopted graphic and need one internal flag that says "walkable". Do I see that wrong?

Read it again. It's a different thing that would be a lot of work.

[MF-]

Still.. all that would need exceptions for hot/warm liquids.
I expect burried pipe to lose heat much faster (and be dangerous to you and your car's feet)