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Stack or dock factories?

Posted: Thu Sep 05, 2013 11:33 am
by sword2410
I had the following idea to suggest (possibly someone already suggested), how about the option (through research, of course) to "dock" (horizontal) or "stack" (vertical) the factories to automate a complete production chain?

Re: Stack or dock factories?

Posted: Thu Sep 05, 2013 2:13 pm
by zer0t3ch
sword2410 wrote:I had the following idea to suggest (possibly someone already suggested), how about the option (through research, of course) to "dock" (horizontal) or "stack" (vertical) the factories to automate a complete production chain?
That sounds awesome but I doubt it'll ever be added to the vanilla game, although a mod for it is quite plausible.

Re: Stack or dock factories?

Posted: Thu Sep 05, 2013 5:37 pm
by n9103
Seems like a non-feature to me, since even a single basic inserter can keep up with any factory's production with the inserter stack upgrades.
Even without the upgrades, two fast inserters can still keep up with everything short of a max speed boosted wire factory.

Re: Stack or dock factories?

Posted: Thu Sep 05, 2013 9:33 pm
by sword2410
n9103 wrote:Seems like a non-feature to me, since even a single basic inserter can keep up with any factory's production with the inserter stack upgrades.
Even without the upgrades, two fast inserters can still keep up with everything short of a max speed boosted wire factory.
I agree with your point of view, but the game is in alpha at this point and the enemies do not present much difficulty, when advancing development is probably also the difficulty / variety of them, so the less you have to defend surface would be better. :)

Think about the possibility of a complex with factories Level 3, you need only copper and iron, making blue packs with 2 inserters level 4 and takes 40% less space (docked) or 90% less (stacked) :mrgreen: , at this point I noticed the model "stacked" might not be entirely feasible, because probably obstruct vision by stacking many factories :? .

I propose that only factories only level 3 or more can implement this option, it would not affect the difficulty and the user chooses how to build manufacturing complex. 8-)

Re: Stack or dock factories?

Posted: Thu Sep 05, 2013 10:02 pm
by ssilk
You should have a look at the Factory thread.
https://forums.factorio.com/forum/vie ... f=5&t=1016

And I mean your idea lacks an important point: fun and movement. The fun comes, when I puzzle out a layout, which works and the movement from all the inserters, belts, logistic bots. :)

Re: Stack or dock factories?

Posted: Thu Sep 05, 2013 11:52 pm
by sword2410
ssilk wrote:You should have a look at the Factory thread.
https://forums.factorio.com/forum/vie ... f=5&t=1016

And I mean your idea lacks an important point: fun and movement. The fun comes, when I puzzle out a layout, which works and the movement from all the inserters, belts, logistic bots. :)
The idea of my proposal is that it has a chance to choose another way to assemble complex production, as well as they did with logistics bots :) , you must also choose to be making each module of the complex to make things work. 8-)

It is possible that my expectations are too high, but implementing a "red" factory dockable and to require 1 Factory Level 3 (green) and 4 inserters as a recipe I think it would be an interesting alternative. :)

Re: Stack or dock factories?

Posted: Sun Sep 08, 2013 7:21 pm
by _0rbit_
I would like to see factories on wheels, sort of like in the Game of Life. These would get transport belts running into them that provide them with all materials to create more transport belts. The factory moves; extends the transport belts behind it and moves again. Rinse and repeat ;)

Ideally you could set a waypoint for a walking-factory so that once you have discovered a resource you can just slowly produce your way towards it. Perhaps the factory when reaching the destination could then automatically pick up the transport belts it left behind; reverse their directions and move back to base.

Re: Stack or dock factories?

Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2013 5:44 am
by ssilk
Hm.
Things I like: movement of factories. Planing a path.

I think an assembly with an inbuilt requester and provider chest could do such stuff. It may have also an extra stack for coal, so that it is independent from power, and may produce also a bit of power for mindes etc. but a very big target for the creepers.

Re: Stack or dock factories?

Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2013 10:28 am
by _0rbit_
I am not into the whole modding system for Factorio; Is this something that could be modded into the game? I am willing to have a go at it :P