Factorio Forums

With the addition of nuclear power in .15 I have run into an issue...I never need to use it. Solar power, while requiring a lot of space eventually, is cheap enough and easy enough and as long as you keep adding its 100% reliable even needing accumulators at night. Nuclear power is really cool but only necessary if you dont have the space for solar power, and since space is infinite I've yet to see the point in setting it up, and use all my uranium for nukes, because...nukes.

My idea for weather would include the following possible effects:

Cloudy: A very common variable condition which reduces the maximum solar output per panel that day from 1%-50% reduction.

Rainy: A condition which limits visibility and severely limits solar output, and causes electrical problems with all exposed electric circuits similar to not having enough power. (Im currently using exposed to mean has no flooring underneath which I always sort of imagined included an invisible ceiling.)

Windy: This would currently affect pollution, pushing it all in one direction at a variable speed. Right now it is easy to see where to cut production or add efficiency modules to prevent pollution from reaching biters, this would create a much larger potential threat aggro range, but randomized. Additionally wind turbines become a potential secondary source of infinite but unreliable green energy with solar, but at least as space consuming if not more so.

Thunderstorm: Rain here optional, but occasional lightning strikes can damage exposed equipment or start forest fires

I'm sure there could be others too and/or additional effects. Perhaps biter aggression based on the weather as well, etc etc. Either way, loving the game and having a really great time with .15. Thanks and keep up the great work! =)

The game already includes clouds as a cosmetic thing. Making them actually affect your solar output as they pass over panels would seem a logical extension.

The devs already said that they won't add new features in this factorio.

But in an expansion I would like to see more weather mechanics. Not only clouds and eclipses could make solar less reliable, but other phenomena like heilstorms, snowfalls, sandstorms, pollen clouds (depending on biome I guess) etc could also affect panels and other machines and make necessary maintainance and or repair, first manually and then using dedicated bots and/or other infrastructure as well.

It's kind of strange that once you build stuff you never have to touch it again.

Added to viewtopic.php?f=80&t=342#p133677 Events (Environmental Disasters and Weather) / Biome-Types