Factorio Forums

TL;DR

An option in the map generator (or wherever) that lets you adjust how long the day/night cycle is respectively.


What ?

The suggested option lets you create maps that have non-standard day/night cycles and create interesting challenges. For example, it also gives you the option to create a map with no daylight (night only) where you cannot use solar power or if you don't like nights you could create a map that is daylight only. You could also create maps with very short nights or very short days.


Why ? WHY do you think it increases the value of Factorio as a game?

In short it adds variety (in maps/scenarios).

And variety adds more replay value.


And how do you propose to implement it?

Via a slider somewhere on the map generation menu.


(to anyone who briefly saw this thread a moment ago, I oopsed and accidentally posted it in the wrong sub-section of this forum )

I like the suggestion.

One could also add a slider for the length of entire day/night cycle, in addition to the slider you proposed.

It may be appropriate to also have another slider for the intensity of the sun during day. On the other hand, it may be more appropriate to make this a property of the individual biome, instead of a property of the entire planet. For example, placing solar panels in desert biomes should be more effective than placing them in temperate biomes. The idea of biomes having different properties has been discussed in the following threads:

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=3219 Biome resource variation
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=49048 Global map of the planet
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=62627 Select Starting Biome

Another thing that could effect the efficiency of solar power could be the weather. For example, when it is overcast (lots of clouds), solar power should be less effective. However, I'm not sure it it would be worth implementing weather in Factorio, as it would only make sense if it were biome-dependant.

Combined with the ability to vary biters aggressiveness at different times and you could get some interesting gameplay. Making biters defensive at one time (say at night), and aggressive during the other (during the day) would mean having a predictable, but larger, wave of biters at dawn. Make that dawn wave specfically come after the player and you've got an interesting situation where the player wants to be in a fortified location at dawn and ready to handle a large wave of biters.

I think you can adjust it with mods, but it would be better if you could just set it in the map options.