[0.17.4] Need option to disable Interaction error messages and error sound

[MiniHerc]

I am reporting this as a bug since I think the developers forgot to add the option to disable the interaction error messages. This applies to both the actual error message and the "Beep boop sound error".


First, please see this reddit post for an example of the annoyances I'm talking about: https://old.reddit.com/r/factorio/comme ... ant_reach/

As discussed in Friday Facts 261, https://www.factorio.com/blog/post/fff-261, under Interaction error messages header,

People sometimes struggled (in the beginning), to figure out why they can't interact with an object (open/mine/build, connect wires etc.) when it is too far away. We still keep the Beep Boop error sound and the different (yellowish) color, but we added a short flying text explaining the problem.

This would be fine if it was just for new players, but it still spams me with these error messages even though I have over 700 hours in this game. It would be fine if there was an option to disable them.. except there is no option to disable them.

This seems to be a glaring oversight by the developers. I hope it was not an intentional one.

Posted in the suggestion forum, viewtopic.php?f=6&t=66670, as well, although I believe the lack of an option to disable this annoying 'feature' is a bug, aka an oversight by the developers.

[MiniHerc]

TL;DR

An option is needed to disable the Interaction error messages and the error sound.

What ?

First, please see this reddit post for an example of the annoyances I'm talking about: https://old.reddit.com/r/factorio/comme ... ant_reach/

As discussed in Friday Facts 261, https://www.factorio.com/blog/post/fff-261, under Interaction error messages header,

People sometimes struggled (in the beginning), to figure out why they can't interact with an object (open/mine/build, connect wires etc.) when it is too far away. We still keep the Beep Boop error sound and the different (yellowish) color, but we added a short flying text explaining the problem.

This would be fine if it was just for new players, but it still spams me with these error messages even though I have over 700 hours in this game. It would be fine if there was an option to disable them.. except there is no option to disable them.

This seems to be a glaring oversight by the developers. I hope it was not an intentional one. I'm hoping the developers merely forgot to add the option to disable the interaction error messages. This applies to both the actual error message and the "Beep boop sound error".

Why ?

As the op of that Reddit post said,

Why exactly does it bother me? Because it feels like the game is telling me I'm doing something wrong - especially with the little "can't do that" error noise every time. It's prompting me to do everything *discreetly*, i.e. I have to run, stop, perform the action, then run again - at each step ensuring I'm in range of the action I want to perform or else I'll get the subconsciously dreaded error sound . I don't like that, it takes away from the streamlining that I'm used to, holding the mouse button down used to be a good bridge between continuous and discrete, but now it's as if the game is telling that it's wrong to do that.

I run and do stuff just as it comes into reach a *lot* (gotta go fast). I honestly found it bothered me enough that I didn't want to continue with my new 0.17 base.
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I posted this in the bug report forum as a bug, viewtopic.php?f=7&t=66668, as well, since I think not allowing us to disable the error messages/sounds is a bug. I'm duplicating the post here in case the mods don't agree that it's a bug.

[Koub]

[Koub] Not a bug : it works as intended. Please, no double posting. Your suggestion is valid however. Merged both posts into the same suggestion topic.
[Edit] Also related : viewtopic.php?f=6&t=65144