Factorio Forums

So, instead of 4-spaces belts and 10-spaces pipes, it would be nice if we could have an unlimited amount of pipes/belts underground, using an underground-view.

We could switch to "underground view" and we could see and edit pipes/belts underground.

And we would only need a pipe/belt switcher for connecting over-view to underground-view.

And would allow us not to crash against long pseudo-underground-pipes when cruising with the car. If I had a cent for every time my entire oil operation stopped because I ran over a pipe, and thinking it was a tree I ignored it, I would have like 10 cents.

Also, to account for the extra effort it would take to put belts/pipes underground, it could cost 2 items to put one item when in underground mode. Or just leave it like that.

If it's just too much change, at least allow us to build super-long pipes. My oil operations shouldn't be stopped by a car.

Hm. Seems that an underground layer is really wanted: https://forums.factorio.com/forum/sea ... ayer&fid=6

ssilk wrote:Hm. Seems that an underground layer is really wanted: https://forums.factorio.com/forum/sea ... ayer&fid=6

That's because topside pipes especially are a pain in the ass. You either have to keep putting down pipe-to-ground stacks every 10 spaces and run the risk of driving through them and having to rebuild the pipeline there or have to build a topside pipeline at half the cost but completely untraversable. Belts are less problematic because you can't collide with them but the somewhat arbitrary and short distance you can travel with underground belts limits their utility, especially with wide high capacity belt systems. That belts carry any object inclusing the player can actually be helpful in getting around faster, but just as often it's a hindrance.

A (partially) buried belt and pipe system could take away the inconvenience of the current underground systems, make the crossing of larger underground distances possible, grants the possibility of having the car interact with current belts beyond being moved by them (the belts not being build for such weights for example could cause the car to damage or destroy the current topside belts, but not the partially buried ones) and leaving the belts and pipes partially buried makes it possible for them to be damaged by biters, even if they do not otherwise interact with the toplayer outside of the designated entry and exit points.

I want to point also to two very old posts:

https://forums.factorio.com/forum/vie ... f=6&t=1095

This is about bridges and in general about introducing "levels" or"layers". Forget about the details of that, but look at the main idea, that is still valid.

https://forums.factorio.com/forum/vie ... ?f=6&t=879
Also here: forget the details. The main idea is to dig a hole into the top layer.

Repeat: I mention that only to show you, that this layer stuff isn't very new. They have a long history and where always not implemented. So, if I had to choose between introducing this within the end of the year and finishing the alpha of Factorio, I would choose finishing the alpha-state.

ssilk wrote:I want to point also to two very old posts:

https://forums.factorio.com/forum/vie ... f=6&t=1095

This is about bridges and in general about introducing "levels" or"layers". Forget about the details of that, but look at the main idea, that is still valid.

https://forums.factorio.com/forum/vie ... ?f=6&t=879
Also here: forget the details. The main idea is to dig a hole into the top layer.

Repeat: I mention that only to show you, that this layer stuff isn't very new. They have a long history and where always not implemented. So, if I had to choose between introducing this within the end of the year and finishing the alpha of Factorio, I would choose finishing the alpha-state.

Well, I just hope we get:

- Longer underground pipes
- Or/and pipes without hitbox
- And the ability to actually change the direction of a pipe in the same way belts work. Why can't we run pipes next to each other without them jointing together? I spent 15 minutes putting a freaking small pump in multiple places of my oil network because I accidentally connected it to the water pipes and it was filled with water so my pumpjacks wouldn't work! It was awful :c

Because that isn't that easy. The devs cannot just add new items for every case, they need to find good ways to come out with less items for many cases.

ssilk wrote:Because that isn't that easy. The devs cannot just add new items for every case, they need to find good ways to come out with less items for many cases.

Well, an actual underground layer would be a more general solution than these weird 5-long straight-only items we have for underground ops now. But maybe I'm just spoiled by Dwarf Fortress, whose 1-man team moved the entire game from 2d to 3d as part of a patch.

No question that this would be possible, the implications to the game itself is the problem.

An underground layer for pipes and belts wouldn't solve much. Sure, they wouldn't be in your way, but you'd still have problems with them connecting to each other. Sure, you could just resurface before a crossover, but then you would still have pipes and belts above ground everywhere, where they weren't wanted in the first place.