TL;DR
Add a "Toggle ghosts" button to the shortcut bar to enable and disable ghost entity visibility.What ?
A "Toggle ghosts" feature would allow users to selectively enable and disable the visibility of all ghost entities at once. Similarly to the "Toggle "Alt-mode"" feature, the "Toggle ghosts" feature would be entirely client-side, with no impact on server-side execution.- When enabled (default), ghosts behave as they currently do in the base game.
- When disabled, ghosts are hidden. Hidden ghosts are not rendered, nor are they selectable by blueprinting tools or the hand. When holding a placeable entity or blueprint that overlaps with a hidden ghost, that ghost is temporarily displayed.
(Note that I have also added the upcoming "Redo" button to the shortcut bar, to illustrate that there is a good space for the "Toggle ghosts" button.)
Why ?
Ghost entities often get in the way, especially in the early-game and mid-game. Ghosts can make foot and vehicle navigation a nightmare, often causing the player to get stuck on cliffs, rocks, and trees. Ghosts are difficult to work around when clearing out space for them, and it is very easy to accidentally delete a ghost when trying to cut down trees or remove rocks. The inability to disable ghosts can obscure a factory's size, making it difficult to keep track of progress as well as efficiently check which ghosts are yet to be built.The "Toggle ghosts" feature is a simple idea which addresses a simple problem. The ability to disable ghosts is a feature which would fit seamlessly into the existing Factorio experience without disrupting the status quo. It feels as though this feature has been missing from the game, rather than it being a game-changing improvement.
Thank you for reading: Your feedback in welcome!
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