Mechanical connections - Early game

[Callidetic]

I've read a few posts regarding early game and complexity around keeping everything fuelled at the burner stage. It could be simplified by giving the burners (mine, furnace) the ability to mechanically drive one inserter. No power needed, but the inserter would have to be in contact with the item driving it.

If mechanical power was also available from electric tier buildings (mine, assembling machines) then the parts could still be used as the player progresses. For anything other than the basic level inserter players would still use electrical power.

[ssilk]

I want to help:

What do you hope will your suggestion change?
How would you explain the gap between development-afford and complexity versus usage in game/playability/depth?

[Callidetic]

Thanks for your reply ssilk.

My objective would be to make the Burner Inserter still have value in the later game, and to take out some housekeeping and learning requirement for the player at the early stage of the game.

The reality is, unless it's trivial to implement from a developer perspective it's probably not worth doing. Thinking further, if implemented it would also mean redoing the tutorial missions, pushing the cost even higher.

[Gertibrumm]

The mechanical connection could be a a grid of belt drives like in old steam powered factories

belt-drive-factory-underwood-archives.jpg (229.89 KiB) Viewed 2227 times

The drive shaft grid could work like the current electric poles, connecting entities with belts.