Friday Facts #257 - NPE/Campaign update

[Klonan]

https://www.factorio.com/blog/post/fff-257

[MrMeep]

I like the new changes. Now Rocket Silo Tech isn't like "Here are 10 new items you have to craft 1000 of each" and it is more streamlined.

[morhp]

The science/rocket part changes sound great. I always found it somewhat boring that all the rocket parts were only used for the space rocket.

[DarkMatterMatt]

I assume underground belts work across the shallow water? If that's the case make sure you make the gaps big so players can't just 'import' resources from different areas.

[deef0000dragon1]

I like the majority of the science changes.

I do have to say tho, if 0.17 is still the plan for the 1.0 candidate, its a poor decision to have the shallow water not be in free play. Especially for the fact that the campaign feels like just a large tutorial for free play. Imagine then having something missing in the main game after experiencing it in this "tutorial" campaign.

I feel like this hearkens back to the fff on the map editor. Why have multiple different systems? You merged the map maker into the basic game play to make it one system. Why should the free play and campaign be any different? having major differences between them is, imo, a poor choice. at least for the base campaign. (expansion campaigns, modded campaigns, and scenarios aside)

edit: My main point is that it would feel like a massive obvious oversight to not have a terrain feature that is in the game and prominent in the campaign NOT exist in the free play. As if the game was not completely finished or polished.

[HammerPiano]

Can't wait to try the new campaign!
I like that you split the rocket research into number of technologies, the possibility to get the rocket fuel early is very convenient.

Can you add to the escape pod the ability to ride it, just like where you can ride a vehicle when you launch it to space?
I wonder if the escape pod will lead to the development of the space platform....

[morhp]

My main point is that it would feel like a massive obvious oversight to not have a terrain feature that is in the game and prominent in the campaign NOT exist in the free play. As if the game was not completely finished or polished.

I also would like to see shallow water in free play (if it doesn't cause issues), but I think you're exaggerating a bit. Most games have some special features or terrain inside their campaign that don't appear in randomly generated free-play maps. For example Age of Empires 2 features bridges in the campaign that don't exist in randomly generated maps. Many other games like Command & Conquer or StarCraft II feature several campaign specific buildings and units that don't appear if free play.

[ledow]

Shallow water... now maybe you could do something about the fish!

(i.e. put automated fish-traps on the shallow water!)

Also, make it cheaper to dirt-over the shallow water

But this should be the solution in the map generator for putting the player on an island.... shallow water to the surrounding land so you at least have a way for the player to move out a decent distance rather than being stuck on an island.

[Philip017]

so many good ideas in this FFF, i look forward to testing all of them, particularly fascinated with the rocket parts changes

agreed, if you plan to use shallow water in the tutorial, it should also be a smart addition to the free play map generation.
assuming that you can walk across it (it sounds like you can), if it's just a fancy bit of non walk able water, no big deal.
if walk able over, you may wish to rethink adding it to the NPE, if not also added to free play.

[Lonami]

I personally dislike the look and feel of the shallow water. It looks like the water was just tinted. Maybe some of my factories poisoned it… Either way, it doesn't convey the feeling of "you can walk but not build here". Is that really needed, though? If the player can walk, why not let them build? It's not like they will lock themselves in. They will want to explore, or maybe hiding and showing more of the map as they progress through the campaign is enough. Just my two cents, love this game, congratulations to the devs!

[gacekssj4]

I assume underground belts work across the shallow water? If that's the case make sure you make the gaps big so players can't just 'import' resources from different areas.

Strange... I can fill-land to use belts and still be able to import No point blocking it tbh

[Troyseph]

Halve the cost of landfill, make landfill usage on water create the new shallow marsh terrain, when landfill is placed on shallow marsh create solid ground. Peasy! Same quantity of stone to fill water as before, with option to allow bridge building without filling in water sources

[nuhll]

I feel like the last updates didnt bring much new things... also no new betas, development seem to have slowed down...

[gacekssj4]

I feel like the last updates didnt bring much new things... also no new betas, development seem to have slowed down...

Abandonware! Uninstall!

[Proxy]

if you are going to add new water tiles, can you atleast reword the old ones and give them some animations or atleast higher res sprites too?

and i'd be awesome of the shallow water was around most bodies of water or if 2 or more are close enough together.

[milo christiansen]

FFF at 4 AM? I'm guessing timezones are at work here

Shallow water would be awesome for one thing: A really cheap landfill that can be crafted from stone *or* hand crafted very, very slowly from nothing. That way you cannot get stuck on an island with no way off.

[Ekornserk]

Can we please "ENTER" the escape pod and have the camera follow the rocket as it launches?

"Watching a rocket launch" versus actually "riding the rocket into space" makes all the difference and would give a much more satisfactory feeling of completing the primary objective!

[V453000]

Related note:

The campaign will definitely not have Landfill and Cliff explosives available to research as they just get rid of any obstacles we design.

I also thought about being able to enter the escape pod just like you can do with the car, I just didn't bring it up to anyone who can make it happen yet. Maybe?

[tehfreek]

Shallow water would be awesome for one thing: A really cheap landfill that can be crafted from stone *or* hand crafted very, very slowly from nothing. That way you cannot get stuck on an island with no way off.

Or just have it so that you can create shallow water from regular water by mining it for a while.

[voddan]

Will there be a splash effect when running on shallow water? Please do a splash effect!