Functional Blocks

[ssilk]

So you suggest, that it is not all a "free form". Sorry, it took a while for me to understand.

Well, what you probably mean are: frames, modular design, building on factory streets, automation streets, assembly lines, Star Wars like robot factories, car production...

Well, in my eyes the basic of such a technology are frames. We already have the flying robot frame https://wiki.factorio.com/index.php?tit ... obot_frame
But that simply can be made to a construction or logistic robot.

But the basic idea of a frame is similar to the modular armor in the power suit: You have slots and you can put items into it which change the behavior of finished entity.

So other frames are of course thinkable, like a car frame, a tank frame, etc. Depending on what/how many you plug into the frame the behavior changes.


Some threads for you to read:
viewtopic.php?f=76&t=338 Factories with built-in conveyor belts
viewtopic.php?f=27&t=992 A factory production line
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2756 Factory Designer like a 4x games Space Ship Designer
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=3142 Modular Inserters
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=3880 Suggestion: Modular Transport
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=4314 Transport Belt / Inserter Creation changes.
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=5463 Modular Tanks
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=5696 Long-distance robots
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=6012 Modular Locomotives
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=7233 Modular Tanks Expansion
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=8117 Modular Combat Robots
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=9291 More wagons types [Roboport, Turret, Battery, Logistic...]
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=10286 More types of module for Modular/Power Armor
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=12786 Modular Turrets
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=13286 Modular Vehicles
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=14473 Modular armor expansion
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=14595 Custom efficiency / modular machines
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=16492 Multipurpose modular platform wagons

[piriform]

Nope! As Sheriff Buford Pusser would say: "What we have heah is a failure to communicate!"
Take a look at the following diagram *

funcblockexmp.jpg (48.29 KiB) Viewed 8973 times

*This is a test


edit- updated the pic to make it more legible

[Koub]

The writing is very small and terribly pixelated, but the 3 is a car that generates energy and has some kind of loop back, correct ?

[piriform]

in this example . In general
p.s. thx for letting me know about the legibility. It was pretty bad. Hopefully now it's better.

[Koub]

Much better, thx
I'll keep on reading the topic, can't get myself to have a real opinion. I can't step back enough to see all the benefits/drawbacks and possible outcome of what you're suggesting.

[ssilk]

I won't support the suggestion in the pic, cause it's not clear for a player, which element could be coupled with which other element. The player has to guess. He needs to have luck to find a combination, which works well. Where are the limitations? I also miss a physical feedback. What I think that is really needed is some kind of "frame", a physical limitation. Some elements have to be placed on special points. The above pic doesn't show that. It's a completely free form.

But I know how a very similar idea can be implemented:
See this mod viewtopic.php?f=97&t=18637 NESTT: Build your base inside a train

What functionality the train has, depends on what is built INSIDE. And the inside works more or less exactly in the same way as the outside. Isn't that exactly what's wanted?

BTW: Such an element was planned for the stage after the rocket launch - building a spaceship.

[piriform]

I'm, of course, disappointed that you won't support the proposal and won't argue your decision.
In closing however I do wish to point out the following:

a)If you look at my previous posts you'll find a reference to NESTT, and yes there are some obvious similarities.
b)Frames are used in two contexts here. A recipe ingredient for robots, and containers for the plug ins. These should not be conflated.
c)Guessing and luck are not the most important factors. Problem solving skills, intuition and logical thinking are far more important and useful in devising a custom solution . No different than in starting to play with combinators (just ask any noob!). When you have a chance, why don't you ask the Designers whether they expected to see anything like some of the combinator creations.
d)Free form vs structure- I realize there are fans of both options. It is quite clear that we are pushing opposite sides of that spectrum. Merits of each can be debated ad nauseam (just like: Trekkie vs Star Wars fights).

PS I wish I could buy you a beer or five and convince you!. Auf Wiedersehen.

[ssilk]

When I go back to the post, where you mentioned the NESTT mod ( viewtopic.php?f=6&t=20759#p130929 ) and with my current knowledge now looked at that pic I finally understand that pic. Before it was just a pic. I didn't saw, that it should look like a car or so. Sorry, I can't help, I really didn't saw it.

Of course I read the sentence, where you mentioned the NESTT mod, but I saw no relevance in combination, which color the floor has.

That type of mixing relevance is also the problem with this suggestion and the reason because I asked many times, what you finally mean.

So I understand now also the second pic you posted above. And yes, if the first picture is the "frame" and the second "how everything inside that frame can work together", well, that looks promising.

[piriform]

Yes, I can be obscure at times, sometimes deliberately so. For example, I forgot to explain what the two little icons in the lower left hand corner represent

Still Curious

cube - collision box
smiley face- icon animation (i.e. the Skin)

Koub's comment got me thinking about the meta game. So let's say, this feature got implemented and implemented well at that. What does that mean for Factorio?

-Experienced, brave players will gain an entirely new corner of the sandbox to explore
-"Show your Creations" and "Gameplay Help" forum threads will explode
-"Bug Reports" will not, as bug reporting for this aspect of the game should be banned from the start
-Certain modes of play (e.g. RTS, dry semi-mobile outposts) will benefit
-Feature creep (i.e. demand for simple variants of the existing objects should be contained
-Development team's resources could then be redirected into adding new areas(i.e. not trains with lasers, OTOH fish with lasers? oh, wait!)
-Or perhaps they can concentrate on the "Big Problem"

Clearly the above is not a comprehensive nor balanced list. Perhaps I'm having a derp moment and missing the obvious, if so please wade in.

[ssilk]

For me it's clear, that this should not be a general feature. The way this normally gets implemented is first to enable the possibilities into the game, so that modders can use it. Most of that work is already done, what's missing is the functional layer, how everything is connected and how it will influence the linked entity. The next step is then to look, what is good (and bad) gameplay with this feature. That's are up to 2 years.