Starting on a small isle?? Read this before you post!

[daniel34]

I think this generates the smallest possible land you can have in the game and is quite hilarious.

Start on this one and have fun:


BTW you are not alone:

Possible solutions
Add a simple A* path finder to the game. The provided wiki link has pseudocode included.
Use the algorithm to check, if the player can reach at least 10'000 items (not map squares) of all basic resources(coal, stone, copper, iron, oil, alien base), except if he has disabled one of these of course.
If not enough resources are found, use the next seed available. (seed+1).

The number of items to search can be increased to the number of items needed to complete the game objective to ensure a map is guaranteed to be solved. Another cheap method would be to ensure, that a water body cannot 'touch itself'. This would also remove islands, which are unuseable at the moment.

I'm pretty sure the devs have a good reason why they haven't implemented an algorithm for not starting on an island yet. It seems pretty easy to do on paper, but what's actually going on at the source code level is hidden from us.

[enmoku]

Not sure if this has been said, but simpler solution to changing the map generator drastically or regenerating the map if on an island. Check the start location in some part of the map generation (just generate path to X distance away in multiple directions and see if they are reachable for example), if it's invalid, MOVE the start location and check again. You don't need to do the whole thing all over again. And continue generating/altering the start zone around the valid location as normal, not before.

[mwalimu]

After reading through this thread and a few other discussions on island spawns, there's one possible solution that I didn't come across. Give the player an opportunity to place himself somewhere else on the starting map. He'd only be able to do this once without disabling achievements (if the player changes his mind, he could start over using the map exchange string). I'll leave as an exercise for the developers how best to handle the user interface for providing that option.

[Bizz Keryear]

I also call this a bug as well
And some of the things said below are quite reasonable, but instead I just would change the map algorithm to create 1 wide land bridges to the land mass until this issue is resolved ... and with the recent changes (being able to create land of your own from stone) maybe less (than 10k) resources and not including enemy bases ... you can build there if you want / have to ... means you have to be careful to not to waste your stones.

A other way would be to add enough stones to get you to next bigger land masses.

Precondition
Use this map string

Code: Select all

>>>AAAMAA8AAAADAwYAAAAEAAAAY29hbAMDAgoAAABjb3BwZXItb3Jl
AwMCCQAAAGNydWRlLW9pbAMDAgoAAABlbmVteS1iYXNlAQAACAAAAGl
yb24tb3JlAwMCBQAAAHN0b25lAwMCq4L0sHYyAAD4aQAAAAAAAAAAAA
AFAEAlDj4=<<<

Problem
This map exchange string will create an unusable map. It was randomly generated by factorio when creating a new game. I think this generates the smallest possible land you can have in the game and is quite hilarious. You can't die, but also you can't win.

Reproducible
Yes

Possible solutions
Add a simple A* path finder to the game. The provided wiki link has pseudocode included.
Use the algorithm to check, if the player can reach at least 10'000 items (not map squares) of all basic resources(coal, stone, copper, iron, oil, alien base), except if he has disabled one of these of course.
If not enough resources are found, use the next seed available. (seed+1).

The number of items to search can be increased to the number of items needed to complete the game objective to ensure a map is guaranteed to be solved. Another cheap method would be to ensure, that a water body cannot 'touch itself'. This would also remove islands, which are unuseable at the moment.

[axelsword]

Another island spawn, 0.15

screen shot

map exchange string

Code: Select all

>>>AAAPAAMAAAABBAcAAAAEAAAAY29hbAEEAwoAAABjb3BwZXItb3Jl
AQQDCQAAAGNydWRlLW9pbAIEAwoAAABlbmVteS1iYXNlAQIDCAAAAGl
yb24tb3JlAQQDBQAAAHN0b25lAQQDCwAAAHVyYW5pdW0tb3JlAwMDZC
Bag4CEHgCAhB4AAwABAQF7FK5H4XqUPwEAAAAAAAAuQAEAAAAAAADwP
wEAAAAAAFi7QAEAAAAAAOCFQAEAAAAAAFirQAEAAAAAAIjDQAEAAAAA
AECfQAEAAAAAAEB/QAEAAAAAAECPQAEzMzMzMzPzPwEzMzMzMzPzPwF
7FK5H4Xp0PwEAAQAAAAAAAAhAAQAAAAAAAAhAAXsUrkfheoQ/AQABAQ
GN7bWg98bAPgH8qfHSTWJgPwFpHVVNEHXvPgEAAQMAAAABBwAAAAECA
AAAAQIAAAABmpmZmZmZuT8BAAAAAAAAAEABAAAAAAAA4D8BmpmZmZmZ
2T8BzczMzMzM7D8BBQAAAAEUAAAAAUA4AAABwEsDAAEQDgAAAaCMAAA
BIBwAAAEAAAAAAAA+QAEAAAAAAAAUQAFmZmZmZmb2PwEzMzMzMzPjPw
EzMzMzMzPTPwEAAAAAAAAIQAEAAAAAAAAkQAE8AAAAAR4AAAAByAAAA
AEFAAAAAQAAAAAAAABAAQEBAAAAAAAAWUABBQAAAAEZAAAAAQAAAAAA
ACRAATIAAAABAAAAAAAAPkABZAAAAAGamZmZmZnJPwEzMzMzMzPDPwE
zMzMzMzPTPwEzMzMzMzPTPwEAAAAAAAAkQAEAAAAAAAA0QAEAAAAAAA
A+QAEAAAAAAAAUQAEAAAAAAAA+QAEAAAAAAAAkQAEAAAAAAAAIQAEKA
AAAAWQAAAABZAAAAAHoAwAAAQAAAAAAAOA/AdAHAAABAAAAAABAf0AD
AAAAAAAAAAAAAADwP1jK9C4=<<<

[Koub]

It's not needed to report each single individual map where you spawn on an island.
You can just hit "restart" and play, as said earlier, it's a very known issue.

[Tubig]

Another island spawn, 0.15

screen shot

map exchange string

Code: Select all

>>>AAAPAAMAAAABBAcAAAAEAAAAY29hbAEEAwoAAABjb3BwZXItb3Jl
AQQDCQAAAGNydWRlLW9pbAIEAwoAAABlbmVteS1iYXNlAQIDCAAAAGl
yb24tb3JlAQQDBQAAAHN0b25lAQQDCwAAAHVyYW5pdW0tb3JlAwMDZC
Bag4CEHgCAhB4AAwABAQF7FK5H4XqUPwEAAAAAAAAuQAEAAAAAAADwP
wEAAAAAAFi7QAEAAAAAAOCFQAEAAAAAAFirQAEAAAAAAIjDQAEAAAAA
AECfQAEAAAAAAEB/QAEAAAAAAECPQAEzMzMzMzPzPwEzMzMzMzPzPwF
7FK5H4Xp0PwEAAQAAAAAAAAhAAQAAAAAAAAhAAXsUrkfheoQ/AQABAQ
GN7bWg98bAPgH8qfHSTWJgPwFpHVVNEHXvPgEAAQMAAAABBwAAAAECA
AAAAQIAAAABmpmZmZmZuT8BAAAAAAAAAEABAAAAAAAA4D8BmpmZmZmZ
2T8BzczMzMzM7D8BBQAAAAEUAAAAAUA4AAABwEsDAAEQDgAAAaCMAAA
BIBwAAAEAAAAAAAA+QAEAAAAAAAAUQAFmZmZmZmb2PwEzMzMzMzPjPw
EzMzMzMzPTPwEAAAAAAAAIQAEAAAAAAAAkQAE8AAAAAR4AAAAByAAAA
AEFAAAAAQAAAAAAAABAAQEBAAAAAAAAWUABBQAAAAEZAAAAAQAAAAAA
ACRAATIAAAABAAAAAAAAPkABZAAAAAGamZmZmZnJPwEzMzMzMzPDPwE
zMzMzMzPTPwEzMzMzMzPTPwEAAAAAAAAkQAEAAAAAAAA0QAEAAAAAAA
A+QAEAAAAAAAAUQAEAAAAAAAA+QAEAAAAAAAAkQAEAAAAAAAAIQAEKA
AAAAWQAAAABZAAAAAHoAwAAAQAAAAAAAOA/AdAHAAABAAAAAABAf0AD
AAAAAAAAAAAAAADwP1jK9C4=<<<

This is a particularly interesting map because, although an island start, it is playable. Looks like there are enough resourses on the island to build a bridge to the mainland. Challanging, but not impossible.

[userasd]

Another island spawn, 0.15

screen shot

map exchange string

Code: Select all

>>>AAAPAAMAAAABBAcAAAAEAAAAY29hbAEEAwoAAABjb3BwZXItb3Jl
AQQDCQAAAGNydWRlLW9pbAIEAwoAAABlbmVteS1iYXNlAQIDCAAAAGl
yb24tb3JlAQQDBQAAAHN0b25lAQQDCwAAAHVyYW5pdW0tb3JlAwMDZC
Bag4CEHgCAhB4AAwABAQF7FK5H4XqUPwEAAAAAAAAuQAEAAAAAAADwP
wEAAAAAAFi7QAEAAAAAAOCFQAEAAAAAAFirQAEAAAAAAIjDQAEAAAAA
AECfQAEAAAAAAEB/QAEAAAAAAECPQAEzMzMzMzPzPwEzMzMzMzPzPwF
7FK5H4Xp0PwEAAQAAAAAAAAhAAQAAAAAAAAhAAXsUrkfheoQ/AQABAQ
GN7bWg98bAPgH8qfHSTWJgPwFpHVVNEHXvPgEAAQMAAAABBwAAAAECA
AAAAQIAAAABmpmZmZmZuT8BAAAAAAAAAEABAAAAAAAA4D8BmpmZmZmZ
2T8BzczMzMzM7D8BBQAAAAEUAAAAAUA4AAABwEsDAAEQDgAAAaCMAAA
BIBwAAAEAAAAAAAA+QAEAAAAAAAAUQAFmZmZmZmb2PwEzMzMzMzPjPw
EzMzMzMzPTPwEAAAAAAAAIQAEAAAAAAAAkQAE8AAAAAR4AAAAByAAAA
AEFAAAAAQAAAAAAAABAAQEBAAAAAAAAWUABBQAAAAEZAAAAAQAAAAAA
ACRAATIAAAABAAAAAAAAPkABZAAAAAGamZmZmZnJPwEzMzMzMzPDPwE
zMzMzMzPTPwEzMzMzMzPTPwEAAAAAAAAkQAEAAAAAAAA0QAEAAAAAAA
A+QAEAAAAAAAAUQAEAAAAAAAA+QAEAAAAAAAAkQAEAAAAAAAAIQAEKA
AAAAWQAAAABZAAAAAHoAwAAAQAAAAAAAOA/AdAHAAABAAAAAABAf0AD
AAAAAAAAAAAAAADwP1jK9C4=<<<

This is a particularly interesting map because, although an island start, it is playable. Looks like there are enough resourses on the island to build a bridge to the mainland. Challanging, but not impossible.

Not even challenging. You have a base protected from bugs. GG EASY

[wvlad]

Simple idea: you could start in a ghost mode and pick a place where you wonna start in a limited square.

[kreatious]

Could the player's starting position just be randomly (but still deterministic) re-positioned, until you're not on a small island? Small islands can be checked by scanning 100 tiles in each cardinal direction, counting the number of land tiles till' ya hit water, adding them up and seeing if the result is less than 250. After 100 failed random guesses, spawn the player on a small island anyway. This won't solve the issue 100%, but it'll reduce the number of bug reports about this issue.

[Patashu]

Small islands can be checked by scanning 100 tiles in each cardinal direction, counting the number of land tiles till' ya hit water, adding them up and seeing if the result is less than 250. After 100 failed random guesses, spawn the player on a small island anyway.

Or more rigorously by using a blob detection algorithm, and cutting it off early if you've counted more than 'small island' number of tiles (1000 for example): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blob_detection

[Toboe]

I have an idea that will fix 99% of this "not a bug".
How about giving player a bit of landfill? 20 as starter pack should be good for 2 reasons:
- get out from island
- set starting pump in better position

This solution is also really easy to implement, as it changes only starting equipment.

[Gummiente27]

I have an idea that will fix 99% of this "not a bug".
How about giving player a bit of landfill? 20 as starter pack should be good for 2 reasons:
- get out from island
- set starting pump in better position

This solution is also really easy to implement, as it changes only starting equipment.

This thread is quite old and the map generator has a starting area since some time. I don't think this is still an issue.

[Mmmmmmorten]

If only white men could JUMP!
(seriously - land is just a few meters away...)

/old dude