Factorio Forums

Defence Systems on Trains

As an addition to the already implemented artillery it would be very need to add also the other defensive types on trains, to make a full functional "war train " or just a small defence system on the run.

What ?

Some additional wagons that got gun turrets, laser turrets or flame thrower on it.

Gun turrents may be the easiest way of getting a, lets call it war train, to run. Just add one or more wagons to a train that got like 2 cannons fitting on top. This wagon got a small storage that can be filled with ammo or cargo too. Can be a smaller version of a cargo wagon.

Laser and Flame Thrower may be litte different because they need electricity or fluid.
For the Flame Thrower i can think about a wagon that got a tank and a turret on top, or a liquid wagon + the flame thrower wagon (so a two wagon setup)
The same could be possible with the laser turret, a battery with some turrets on top, or a dedicated generator that runs with fossile fuel and powers the wohl train. This generator wagon could also be work as a mobile generator for a new base.
The two wagon setup could be more efficient at combat or have just a cargo that can be used as normal as addition to the turrets on top.

May the range has to be adjusted to not be just awful.

Why ?

As the artillery draws some attention to trains as an aggressor it could lead to some not so nice effects if a train has to stop on a light it usually don't do. Like in the middle of nowhere. Normal you don't have a defence line there so the trains got the attention but can not defence itself after the biters are there.
Also you can use the "war train" to build deep into the biters area, i think about using blue prints to add some rails and the train defence system will help to clear the way.
It also can be a first defence system for a new base, while you are working on it.
This idea can with some additions lead to an mobile defence line, where the trains got calls or can trigger somehow a switch if they discover enemies nearby to stop and fight.



I would like to have some suggestions what can be add too or how could that work well? May this idea is already somewhere so sorry if i post it again. I just looked at some pages of the ideas section and could not find something similar.

This seems like something the player can solve on their own without relying on any extra train stuff.

Trains can only automate themselves to locations that you build. Part of building an artillery base would probably include some turret defense, right? If you're manually driving a train then you have a personal roboport to set up any kind of defense on the fly. Carry guns, power poles or even oil on your train, set up a defense perimeter blueprint and go nuts.

Train guns wouldn't be very effective anyway because if biters attack the train head on it only leaves one or two cars capable of defense.

Have a look at this mod, which adds power grids to vehicles https://mods.factorio.com/mods/Optera/VehicleGrid

I feel there are already many ways to deal with biters though (many OP ways..). Having war trains too, might be a step too far?

Maybe a war train is a step too far, yes. The point is that we have artillery already on trains and all your points hits this too. Why do i have to put a artillery on a train if i drive it myself .... i can setup a "blueprint attack base" near the train im sitting in ... or if the train only shoots in the train station .... couldn't i place just an artillery in this base? there is no need to have it on the train.
i was just pointing out that if we have artillery on the train we might want other stuff too to make it useful or combinable. I do like trains and i hope there will be more about that in the future like a requester wagon or a roboport wagon or some other stuff ... yes there is a mod about that im sure, thats also ok.

That a war train would not that effektiv if it is attacked on front or back while not moving thats true.... but i think that could be solved with some extra ideas like shooting while driving (at a given maximum speed) or with some turrets on the head or a panzer train like the already existing tank. There could be a lot thats fits just right into the idea of having artillery on it.