Factorio Forums

Proposal

Allow clicking/holding and dragging the middle mouse button to offset the view from the player. Perhaps something similar to the middle mouse button in chrome.

Reasoning

Sometimes when playing factorio, I'll notice that something is having problems in another part of my base (maybe it's being attacked or some belt is getting low on resources). Rather than having to walk all the way over there, figure out what's wrong, return to a storage area to get supplies and then walking back to fix it, I propose a method of seeing details of the world without having to walk there. Using the middle mouse button would make sense as it is already related to changing the view with scrolling.

Balance

This may seem overpowered, but I believe that new map features in 0.15 would impact balance in much the same way, particularly the map zoom feature mentioned in the latest FFF. The problem (based on my assumptions of the future map view) with using the new map to look at relatively close areas, is that it's slower (press "M", find spot, zoom in all the way) than simply holding down middle click and move the view to a spot. If balance became an issue, areas not covered by radar or player sight could be grayed out/hidden(maybe static-y to show loss of signal) when viewed using middle click. This would further increase advantages of radar. In addition, research could be added to increase players maximum visible area (maybe add radars for modular armor instead of a tech) or players maximum middle mouse viewing range.

Also

Taking screenshots (I'm sure there is a mod for this) usually requires that the player is centered in the image. Adding the ability to offset the view from the player would help with this problem.

Conclusion

Any flaws, feedback, additional ideas or links to mods already providing this functionality would be greatly appreciated.

Perhaps a command to enable this functionality?

I would like that cause sometimes things of the GUI are in the way.

And it makes sense only if you are able to place also into that area. Perhaps something like a drone: if you move the mouse a drone will start. And acts like the player. As soon as you walk again the drone comes back automatically