Factorio Forums

Hi Factorio Community,

I've been playing Factorio for a while now, and I absolutely love the game. However, one thing that has always stood out to me is how abstract the Science Packs are. I feel like making them less abstract could add an extra layer of depth and immersion to the game.

Here are a few ideas I had:

More Detailed Components: Break down Science Packs into more specific items that represent real-world scientific tools or research materials. For example, instead of a generic "Science Pack," we could have items like "Microscope Parts," "Chemistry Sets," or "Research Papers."

Research Trees: Introduce more complex research trees where different branches of science require different types of specific components. This could make the research aspect feel more realistic and rewarding.

Crafting Mini-Games: Implement mini-games or more intricate crafting processes for creating Science Packs. This could involve assembling various parts in a specific order or using certain tools.

Visual Changes: Add more detailed animations or visual representations of the research process. Seeing the scientists or labs in action could make the research feel more tangible.

Integration with Game Lore: Tie the Science Packs more closely with the game’s story and world-building. This could involve discovering new technologies through exploration or interacting with the game’s environment in unique ways.

I'd love to hear the community's thoughts on these ideas. Has anyone else felt the same way about Science Packs? Are there any mods or existing features that already address this?

Looking forward to your feedback!

Best regards,

This should go in Mod Ideas/Requests! I really like the idea of more varied science packs, with different processes for each science pack. If you'd like a mod which does this then I'd be happy to make such a mod. Of course you may want to look into making your mod yourself instead of someone else doing it.

Koub wrote: ↑

Mon Jul 29, 2024 11:09 am

[Koub] Merged into an older thread with the same suggestion, and moved the whole thread in Ideas and Suggestions.

Are they the same suggestion?
One seems to be discussing the pooling of research and how every lab contributes continuously instead of in chunks, and the other is talking about the abstract design of science packs and how they're just bottles of 'science' that simply get consumed.

PennyJim wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 31, 2024 10:32 pm

Koub wrote: ↑

Mon Jul 29, 2024 11:09 am

[Koub] Merged into an older thread with the same suggestion, and moved the whole thread in Ideas and Suggestions.

Are they the same suggestion?
One seems to be discussing the pooling of research and how every lab contributes continuously instead of in chunks, and the other is talking about the abstract design of science packs and how they're just bottles of 'science' that simply get consumed.

Wow you're actually totally right, apologies. I guess I was too focused on the almost identical title.
[Koub] Threads re-split.

Now that it is a suggestion someone could implement it as a mod. Unfortunately, while I could do some of the changes mentioned in the original post, i have no idea how to make a custom GUI yet and could not make the custom crafting mini-games. I would however completely agree with a science pack overhaul mod.

I feel like most of this “abstractness” comes from their item sprite. Otherwise it’s pretty obvious what they’re supposed to be. They’re materials to be used for tests and experiments, that take place inside of labs. How the basic starter labs are equipped to run all those tests in such a small space, well, I feel like that’s a different question

Sidenote, but I like the way Industrial Revolution 3 mod handles the concept. They’re renamed to “analysis packs”, and their icons are changed to be little package boxes presumably full of materials. That way the idea is presented much more clearly, I think.