Some Ideas (Underground, Signs, Electric poles, GUI)

[Machtl]

Hi,

I have some ideas which I would like to share with you.

Underground

Using underground pipes and belts at it's current state gives you great possibilities, especially because the belts won't collide underground. I would propose to add an underground layer to Factorio. The player can push a button or a key to get into "underground-mode" (if needed technology is researched). In that mode he can erect certain special buildings like underground belts (can be connected to the surface via belt-to-ground buildings) to move items below surface. In the underground you need to take care of your belt routes, just like on the surface. You can also build to-surface-inserter which are placed on top of a belt and take an item below them and insert them into a building on top of them at the surface layer.
This would add the possibility for a tier 3 AM which takes 6 or more ingredients.

Signs

A wooden sign used to write down a note, just like in Minecraft

Digital Signs

A digital sign can be connected to red or green wire and displays information about the network. Useful to keep oversight of your item buffers.

Electric poles

The current electric poles take a huge space of one's factory. I would propose that certain big buildings like furnaces, AMs, steam engines, drills etc. can get a electric pole put onto them. So the collision box of the pole is completely inside the collision box of the building. Of course you would need extra images for the combination of a building with the pole, but I think this is not a big deal.

GUI

Show more information about entities. Max pump flow, max pipe flow, flow needed by a steam machine, boilers needed by a steam machine, exact assembling time of recipes etc.

There are more minor improvements in my mind but I think that is enough for today.
So what do you think?

mfG
Machtl

[MF-]

Having some sort of circuit-network <-> player interaction could be really useful.
Probably the same as in minecraft: levers, buttons, lamps?

[rk84]

Minecraft, Minecraft Everywhere.

[Nova]

@rk84: It is not for nothing a lot played.

[Dylems]

Minecraft, Minecraft Everywhere.

this game is not a copy of minecraft but we can be inspired by it. Great ideas

[Mysteria9]

Regarding the elcectric poles on top of buldings:
I'd say no. I like having to solve situations like this when playing, things like this would make the game too easy in my opinion.
As far as I know, a larger reach electric pole is coming, and that's all that's needed in my opinion.