My Suggestion For Freeplay Endgame

[damienreave]

So here's my idea for one possible endgame to the free play mode scenario, to replace building a Rocket Defense.

In the beginning, the game tells you this: "Pirates have stranded you on a random planet, deep in uncharted space, with only hostile Biters for company. Your task is to build a warp capable ship, and get the pieces into space one by one, in order to make your way back home."

Everything else remains the same, until you'd normally be able to unlock Rocket Defense. In this scenario, a new technology, Space Flight, replaces Rocket Defense. The cost is the same. Space Flight unlocks the construction of a Launch Pad Frame and production of Rocket Fuel. Getting home will require completing six phases.

Phase One: Building the Launch Pad.

The Launch Pad is a 5x5 building that acts as an Assembling Machine, with its own unique set of items only it can build (rocket parts and space ship parts). You start by constructing a Launch Pad Frame (built out of 1000 steel, in your inventory). That puts down the 5x5 building, but until it is complete, it can only act like a chest to hold the rest of the components. The full Launch Pad is built out of 5000 steel, 5000 stone bricks, 50 Assembling Machine 3s, 10 Speed Module 3s, 10 Productivity Module 3s, and 10 Efficiency Module 3s. When all the components are put in, it will automatically build itself into the full Launch Pad over 30 seconds and consume the parts.

Phase Two: Test Flight.

You need to make sure you can get a rocket into space. The test flight requires a Rocket Command Module, a Rocket Engine. It should be noted that each rocket you launch will generate a massive amount of pollution, potentially inciting attacks.

A Rocket Command Module is built from 200 steel, 100 processing units, 200 advanced circuits, and 500 batteries.

A Rocket Engine is built from 500 steel, 100 electronic circuits, and 1000 rocket fuel.

Rocket Fuel is made in a chemical plant, and is built from Heavy Oil, Light Oil, and Alien Artifacts. 1 Alien Artifact is consumed for every 100 units of rocket fuel created. It is a liquid carried in pipes.

Phase Three: Communication Satellite.

Since you must stay on the ground to conduct operations, you'll need to get a satellite up in orbit to help you construct your ship. The rocket to launch your satellite will require a Rocket Command Module, a Rocket Cargo Module, and a Rocket Engine, plus the Satellite itself.

A Rocket Cargo Module is built from 500 steel, 100 electronic circuits, 100 copper coils, and 100 iron gear wheels.

The Communication Satellite is built from 100 steel, and 500 processing units.

Phase Four: Space Ship Assembler.

You'll need a device that can assemble your ship in space. It will be heavy, so it will require a much bigger rocket than the previous launches. This phase's rocket will need a Rocket Command Module, three Rocket Cargo Modules, and four Rocket Engines. In addition, you'll need the Space Ship Assembler itself.
A Space Ship Assembler is built from 500 steel, 25 Assembling Machine 3s, 20 Speed Module 3s, 20 Productivity Module 3s, and 20 Efficiency Module 3s.

Phase Five: Your Vessel Home

Its time to build the ship that will bring you home. You'll have to launch it in parts, and each space ship part will require its own rocket. Each piece you launch will need a Rocket Command Module, A Rocket Cargo Module, and two Rocket Engines, plus the part itself.

Your space ship must have: a Cockpit, a Hull, a Navigation Computer, a Weapons Array, and two Warp Engines.

A Cockpit is built from 500 steel, and 500 advanced circuits.

A Hull is built from 2000 steel.

A Navigation Computer is built from 500 processing units and 500 advanced circuits.

A Weapons Array is built from 500 Steel, 500 Rockets, and 500 Laser Turrets.

A Warp Engine is built from 1000 Steel, 1000 Batteries, 100 processing units, and 100 alien artifacts.

Phase Six: Almost There

Now, your ship is complete. All that is required is one more rocket to bring you up into orbit, and you'll be home in no time. You'll need one last Rocket Command Module, and a Rocket Engine.

And that's it! You win.

[AssaultRaven]

I confess that I've imagined exactly this sort situation before, except as idle day-dreaming instead of as a game idea, where somebody is stranded on a planet and has to bootstrap a one-person industrial revolution.

I had forgotten about it entirely until reading this post. Not even Factorio itself reminded me of it. But now that I've remembered it, I have to say that I agree wholeheartedly: making it the final goal to get into space, one of our own civilizations crowning achievements to date, is much more appealing than the current goal!

[damienreave]

Yeah, I deliberately modeled the early stages after our own progress in space (test flight, communication satellite) in order to evoke that general feel. Glad you enjoyed it! The numbers and exact steps almost certainly need a bit of tweaking, but the general idea is all I really wanted to get across.

[OBAMA MCLAMA]

this appears to be pretty thought out. And honestly, the stages and everything sounds much more entertaining than the current "build this and done"

i think the end game is also a very tedious task though. going out and killing spawners and honestly get annoying at times. I normally run out and kill a worth of around 100-300 alien artifacts then head home for a while and build things

[ssilk]

https://forums.factorio.com/forum/vie ... 394#p27872

- Don't try to change the game. The game is much bigger than your simple idea. There are thousands of good ideas in Factorio. Don't try to change it in one post!

I admit, your idea is a elegant way to come from now to a very clear end.
And the details and numbers of the produced items look like very much thought over that. But I think the numbers are a bit too low, cause I show you some factories, which build that with some small modification within half an hour...

So, after my first "no", I find this idea not so bad, because it brings the game in a context, where it is possible to leave this bad place and finish the story in a defined way; but I would like more the current idea ( of building rockets to bring down the colonists), because that is more promising.

Hm, perhaps so:
- you are suddenly alone on this planet and the only way to finish is to leave the planet. This is a nice story. Pirates or being a scout? Could be left open, but I admit, that the pirate scenario is a bit more logical.
- you need to build up a factory (Well, that's clear) for that reasons:
--- survive, protection, defense and fight against the native live
--- building rockets to come back
- you can choose two ways to achieve that:
--- completely alone, very polluting, against the natives.
--- with the help of the natives (domesticating).
- And this second way opens up the chance to come back sometimes for Factorio 2.