Integrated Circuits

[clingbeetle]

Hey guys,

Factorio is my favorite game of all time, hands down. I've put many hours into it but just recently I've been playing around with circuit networks. I love that circuit networks are in the game, but currently the need to place down each component in the world and wiring everything up to the inputs and outputs is a bit tedious, especially if you're doing more in depth processes. I don't think they should be completely replaced, but I would like to see the addition of integrated circuit networks. So basically you would create a circuit, then you can open up a ui and place objects onto the circuit like arithmetic and decider combinators, and wire them up just like you would in game, but everything is kept in a single circuit in your inventory. Then you could place down something like a circuit reader in the world, then just stick your integrated circuit into it and connect all your inputs. This could allow for incredibly complex circuit networks that dont require you to build a massive structure.

[mrvn]

Hey guys,

Factorio is my favorite game of all time, hands down. I've put many hours into it but just recently I've been playing around with circuit networks. I love that circuit networks are in the game, but currently the need to place down each component in the world and wiring everything up to the inputs and outputs is a bit tedious, especially if you're doing more in depth processes. I don't think they should be completely replaced, but I would like to see the addition of integrated circuit networks. So basically you would create a circuit, then you can open up a ui and place objects onto the circuit like arithmetic and decider combinators, and wire them up just like you would in game, but everything is kept in a single circuit in your inventory. Then you could place down something like a circuit reader in the world, then just stick your integrated circuit into it and connect all your inputs. This could allow for incredibly complex circuit networks that dont require you to build a massive structure.

You can do that in factorissimo but transfering circuit signals in and out of the factory building is a huge drain on UPS so it's not really feasable as replacement for general circuit building.

[Oktokolo]

I love that circuit networks are in the game, but currently the need to place down each component in the world and wiring everything up to the inputs and outputs is a bit tedious, especially if you're doing more in depth processes. I don't think they should be completely replaced, but I would like to see the addition of integrated circuit networks.

You might find one of the following mods usefull. They all implement microcontrollers in different ways and can be combined with vanilla combinators:
Programmable Logic Controller Unit
Advanced Combinator
Microcontroller

[Optymistyk]

I am the kind of guy who designed a Minecraft redstone calculator at 14. In short I like to nerd out. I enjoy using the circuit network to create overcomplicated solutions to simple problems. The thing with the circuit network is that it can get really messy. Unlike Minecraft where you can place wires in three dimensions so that they don't overlap(and that you can paint any colour), in Factorio it's very easy to end up with tangled-up wires that are a nightmare to keep track of



I'm sure the guys who made a raycasting engine and a Pacman game in Factorio would agree.

It also doesn't make much sense that in the game you're using turrets and bots with advanced tracking and targetting systems that are really small, yet even a single combinator that does 2+2 is the size of a gosh darn wardrobe



There's a mod I started using called Integrated Circuitry that helps mitigate this problem to some extent. First, it provides dedicated poles for circuit network wiring to make your circuitry more orderly. Secondly, it allows you to put multiple combinators into a small 2x2 entity, drastically reducing the size of the whole thing.



While this mod is great and I think it should be part of Vanilla to begin with, I think it could be further improved to take Factorio engineering to new heights. While the mod allows you to build really tiny circuits, it doesn't allow you to copy them easily - every time you want to re-use the circuit you have to build it from scratch manually. Now, imagine if you could design your own tiny Factorio computer(or whatever you fancy), then mass produce it and put it wherever you want in a small 2x2 entity like that. You'd start seeing smart bases and circuit wizardry way more often as they become easier and more viable to apply in-game. To me Factorio is all about interesting solutions and this single feature would enable a world of possibilities.

[Koub]

[Koub] Merged into older thread with same suggestion.

[valneq]

I kind of feel like we should mention
https://mods.factorio.com/mod/circuitissimo
in this context, too.

[Optymistyk]

I kind of feel like we should mention
https://mods.factorio.com/mod/circuitissimo
in this context, too.

Yeah I just installed circuitissimo and it's almost what I had in mind.
The only problem is once again copying circuits. Blueprinting does not work at all as it doesn't include all the combinators inside. The only way to copy an integrated circuit in Circuitissimo is by shift-right clicking, shift-left clicking. And it works good enough if you happen to have a working circuit nearby that you can copy. But if you don't - tough luck, you have to do it from scratch

[ssilk]

You can request that feature from the author of circuitissimo. Not here.

[Optymistyk]

You can request that feature from the author of circuitissimo. Not here.

I did, but I think he died (or at least left Factorio).
I'm also not sure if this is even possible to do in a mod. If it was wouldn't someone have done it already?

[Kyralessa]

You can request that feature from the author of circuitissimo. Not here.

I did, but I think he died (or at least left Factorio).

He updated one of his mods two days ago. I think it's fairly likely he still exists.

[McDuff]

Another way of approaching this idea.... (self plug)
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=90147

[ssilk]

There is also this mod: https://mods.factorio.com/mod/ImprovedCombinator

Hope it works...

[Impatient]

There is also this mod: https://mods.factorio.com/mod/ImprovedCombinator

Hope it works...

+2

Thanks for mentioning this!