3d Factorio

[Tekky]

However, still, I can't believe that this will ever be implemented in Factorio 1.0. But it is a nice idea for Factorio 2.0.

Ok, I was wrong. According to Factorio Friday Facts #219, cliffs will be part of Factorio 1.0.

[olafthecat]

They look real nice!

[mrvn]

But they are just entities. So it's not like in other games where you can look down a cliff but can't look up a cliff. Or your turrets have more range from the top of a cliff.

[KoblerMan]

I know this is absolutely audacious to suggest, given how extremely ambitious the idea is, but I feel a need to say it anyways - Factorio: 3D mode.

Factorio is a top-down 2D game made mostly of sprites and textures. There's nothing extraordinary with that statement; granted, Factorio is an amazing, beautifully constructed game as it is, and it puts all of its indie peers to shame just with how fun and addicting it can be. BUT, (And that's a big "BUT"!) WHAT IF it was 3D?

Again, it's a big "what if". However, it's not totally impossible. Factorio's structures and player model are already 3D; the assets are made in Blender and are simply compressed into 2D sprites for gameplay. Now, I know what you're all going to say: "But KoblerMan, making Factorio into a 3D game would require a complete overhaul of the game engine!" "But KoblerMan, what about all the people running economical hardware who wouldn't be able to handle the game in 3D?" Or even: "But KoblerMan! Factorio should NEVER be a 3D game, because (insert arbitrary reason here)!"

I understand, it's very ambitious to suggest. And no, you're not entirely wrong. Factorio should be a game that is accessible to everyone. If that means keeping it 2D, there is nothing wrong with that. And I have no doubt that it would be a very big obstacle for the already very hard-working developers. The bugs created alone would be a nightmare.

Make no mistake, though - I do not want Factorio to be ONLY 3D. I want it to be 2D with the option of 3D to be open to anyone playing it! Think of a game like Prison Architect, where it is a primarily 2D game with a hidden 3D mode. A massive component to making this idea a reality is already implemented, too - the 3D models are already there!

I'm just asking that you all hear me out. I'm surprised an idea like this hasn't been posted on the forums yet, because it's crossed my mind countless times when I've been playing. It's definitely something I want to see. I'm not holding my breath, but it would be pretty awesome.

Thanks always for your consideration.

EDIT: Wow, I feel pretty foolish for not looking harder. Whoops.

[Koub]

[Koub] Merged into older topic with same suggestion.

[KoblerMan]

I'd like to clarify that my idea is more about 3D models instead of sprites, and less about terrain height differences and cliffs.

[mrvn]

I'd like to clarify that my idea is more about 3D models instead of sprites, and less about terrain height differences and cliffs.

Sounds like you just want to be able to choose your viewpoint instead of having a fixed top down view.

[mp0011]

3D models for vehicles and player should be also lighter and faster for lower specs computers (far less memory usage and texture swapping - few textures instead of 256 for each layer)

[KoblerMan]

I'd like to clarify that my idea is more about 3D models instead of sprites, and less about terrain height differences and cliffs.

Sounds like you just want to be able to choose your viewpoint instead of having a fixed top down view.

Yes, that's exactly correct. Factorio: First-Person Mode.

I have an idea of how combinators can correctly show their equation too, like instead of displaying it on the combinator itself (where looking at the less than and greater than signs at the wrong angle would be confusing). Basically, instead of showing the equation on a flat surface that only works in the current fixed camera angle of the game, it could have a 3D hologram texture that appears above it showing the equation which would rotate and follow the player. This would be a very simple way to display the information correctly. By extension, players might see things like the contents of containers in the same way.

Also, the yellow inserter arrows and the like showing direction can be textured on the ground where inserters and other things that use arrows are, directly below the model. It could activate when you look at, say, underground pipes, which would show the dotted lines leading to the other pipe when moused over.

3D models for vehicles and player should be also lighter and faster for lower specs computers (far less memory usage and texture swapping - few textures instead of 256 for each layer)

You know, I never thought of that. It would also make things like texturepacks and skins for trains, players, cars, and tanks easier since you wouldn't have to retexture. Every. Single. Sprite. Similarly, it would help with mods that add in new entities, especially moving ones.

The only thing I haven't really worked out is combat. Combat is very unique in Factorio, and in a first-person 3D game mechanics like shooting would be very different. There would probably have to be some kind of balance changes happening.

[mp0011]

Even if that 3D model (just really simple boxes with 2-3 texture layers to simulate and animate moving details - don't need to be more detailed in current resolution and zoom level) is in real time converted into flat texture(s) with transparency (like currently needed by game engine), and placed on the game grid, it still should be faster and more efficient to render, and also easier to create than current sprites system.

LOD of Quake 3 Arena (that's almost 20 years...?) models is enough (or above) for current zoom levels and game details. And that kind of models is really no taks for *any* GPU.
And adds new possibilities, like dynamic lighting when shooting, new gear (eg. team cape, more weapon and armour), new player models (from modders), far more animations, natural wheel spinning, visual effects (emergency train braking sparks, smoke) and so on...

3D models are not needed for static objects like buildings, pipes, concrete - only for aliens, player and vehicles.

[KoblerMan]

Even if that 3D model (just really simple boxes with 2-3 texture layers to simulate and animate moving details - don't need to be more detailed in current resolution and zoom level) is in real time converted into flat texture(s) with transparency (like currently needed by game engine), and placed on the game grid, it still should be faster and more efficient to render, and also easier to create than current sprites system.

LOD of Quake 3 Arena (that's almost 20 years...?) models is enough (or above) for current zoom levels and game details. And that kind of models is really no taks for *any* GPU.
And adds new possibilities, like dynamic lighting when shooting, new gear (eg. team cape, more weapon and armour), new player models (from modders), far more animations, natural wheel spinning, visual effects (emergency train braking sparks, smoke) and so on...

3D models are not needed for static objects like buildings, pipes, concrete - only for aliens, player and vehicles.

I mean, even with my specs, when I zoom out too much while playing and I have a sufficiently sized factory, my framerate can drop as low as 10-15 FPS. But I see your point, Minecraft (as poorly optimized as it is, it runs on java for christ's sake), suffers from a lot of the same issues. The big question is which would be more optimized? 3D, as awesome as it could be, WOULD need pretty much an overhaul of the game; as I said before, it's very audacious to suggest and even more ambitious of a project.