Electriefied area around factories

[ssilk]

It would make the game more playable, if a factory, steam engine and everything, which is big and electrified had an area of one (or more) fields around it, where it can provide electricity by itself if connected. For example, the inserters around a factory would be auto-connected, if the factory is connected. Or, if a steam engine has an area of two fields around it, it could make sense to build the power production in a completely different way than yet (use more pipes).

The reason is, that

- there is no sense in connecting every little inserter with a pole. Just takes time and doesn't bring the game forward.
- It reduces the cable mess - the more dense, the less mess (cables) should there. This is like in reality.
- It would enable to build a more compacted production-street.
- And a new game-element is also, that directly connected factories need only one connection to the power-lines (like Sim City 2000), which makes it much easier to build compact structures, which should make the structures looking "more natural".

Note: Sometimes it's nice to think about wicked problems how to connect this inserter with power. But this game element (how to connect an inserter) is already in the game with the belts and doubling it with the poles doesn't make it twice as fun but twice the work! And later in the game this element is lost with the bigger poles. I think the sense of the poles is just to connect all big parts of a production with power and the small parts should connect themselves.

[MF-]

Why don't you build a handful of substations?
Where would you put the green/red circuit network wiring if there were no poles?

I believe that wiring stuff is the part of the challenge.