Notify users that you can't finish the game with no aliens.

[JasonC]

I am new to the game. After playing through some of the campaigns I started a new map and turned on peaceful mode and also set the alien encampments to "none", so there weren't any.

After 50+ hours or so invested in playing on this map, it looks like you need Alien Artifacts to unlock the later technologies. But there's no aliens on this map.

So that's that I guess... Kinda sucks...

Can you make a warning dialog pop up when generating a map that notifies you that you can't finish the game if you choose a configuration with no aliens? It would've saved me a lot of time...

That said, is there some way I can get alien artifacts without starting a new map? Like a mod or some hack or something?

0.12.29

[Supercheese]

There is the Crafted Artifacts mod: viewtopic.php?f=93&t=14258

Also the Alien Science mod: viewtopic.php?t=3373 -- even though it says 0.11 it will still work for 0.12.

Alternatively you can just cheat yourself in some artifacts using the console: https://wiki.factorio.com/index.php?title=Console

Code: Select all

/c game.local_player.insert{name="alien-artifact", count=1000}

[ShizukaMiyuki]

I think you're right, a warning should be given to the player if he/she plans to play with no aliens.

[Roboovce]

Agee and thats not so much work to do...

[ssilk]

Added to
viewtopic.php?f=80&t=13022 World Generation / Map Generator / Game Modes / Scenarios

[seronis]

Display this once and NEVER EVER AGAIN. I dont want spam added to something thats obvious.

[zytukin]

It doesn't need to be spam.
it could be something as simple as some text displayed over the Generate button on the Map Generator screen when 'None' is selected for the size of enemy bases.

Something like this.
Non-intrusive, not spam, wont show unless you have the generation set to not have enemy bases.

mapgen.jpg (191.65 KiB) Viewed 4775 times

[ssilk]

The problem with this suggestion is, that it is only one aspect of map generation, that can create a bad game experience.
Think for example to the spawn on an island.

And there is not only this solution to this problem. Another idea would be to generate alien eggs from another source. Some mods do that. Or produce alien eggs by somehow yourself.

Many possibilities. Not only this.

But the good point of this suggestion is in my eyes, that it should not be possible to generate worlds, that are not possible to win. Fully ACK.

[JasonC]

Display this once and NEVER EVER AGAIN. I dont want spam added to something thats obvious.

Definitely not every time. But also not just once in case you miss it the first time (accidentally click through or whatever). An effective way to do this is to just have a "Don't show this again" check box.

[JasonC]

The problem with this suggestion is, that it is only one aspect of map generation, that can create a bad game experience.

No need to warn for every bad game experience though. As a new player it was immediately obvious to me that some options would clearly ruin things (e.g. generating a map with no copper, or not having enough large patches of land to work in).

But the "no aliens" really does take you by surprise. It's clear that "no iron = not gonna work", but not really clear (the first time through) that "no alien = no alien artifacts = no science pack 4's = no late game tech research", and it's made even more insidious because "no aliens" is a pretty tempting option for new players (nobody says "boy I don't feel like dealing with all that coal right now, let me turn that off").

So yeah, I think only the "no aliens" is worth a warning.

[ssilk]

You can ruin your game also by having very much water: You may land on a very big island and after 20 hours you find out, that it is just an island and game is over.