[YouTube] Orbital Failure's Multiplayer Magnificence

[ColonelFailure]

"Don't call it a comeback, I been here for years"
- LL Cool J, Mama Said Knock You Out

After a small pause in proceedings I humbly submit to you "Season 2, Electric Boogaloo" a collaborative playthrough of the 0.11.3 of this here factory simulation where I've joined forces with Orbital Potato to experience the majesty that is multiplayer.

Not shown in this first episode is the completely free to play Port Forwarding Minigame which lasts for around 2 hours and you win by shouting the right series of numbers at each other in the correct order. It's hilarious, but off topic.

For your viewing pleasure and complaints about sound balance, here is Episode 1 : The Grand Plan Unveiled (before it is subsequently scrapped out of necessity).

This series will ping pong between the two channels offering differing perspectives, but rest assured I'll be along to keep you up to speed with our progress.

[n9103]

PTW

[ColonelFailure]

Hey look, it's Episode 2, setting unrealistic objectives and it's arrived in a timely fashion to boot! Probably because I had nothing to do with making it appear on the internet (standard grumble : hateful net connection).

This episode is hosted by the splendidly upbeat and optimistic Orbital Potato, who doesn't speak here for fear of his name being commented on. I have no such issues.

[ColonelFailure]

You start out with a realistic objective of "we'll use every resource we pick up" which is specific despite no particular thought given to how this is going to be accomplished. Then within 2 short episodes you've started to add other, more far fetched, goals to your shopping list. This is particularly true when accompanied by an enthusiastic young Scotsman who has his heart set on 50 research labs.

This isn't just bunging down 50 labs and leaving them to it. No. This is 50 labs fully serviced. While still ensuring there are no resources left over at game end.

Happy days.

Tune in now!

Episode 3, the red flasks of wrath.

Subscribe for your own safety :
Colonel Failure's Videotronic Playhouse
Orbital Potato's Geostationary Launderette

[n9103]

... 50? my o my. 10's a stiff enough goal to accomplish in most (non-easy) games.
Would be most impressive though, so here's hoping

[ColonelFailure]

The 50 research lab goal now seems to have become the driving motivation behind all plans. Quite whether it will be possible to maintain after initial resource fields are depleted is anyone's guess (my guess, no).

Any way Orbital Potato, or "Orbie" as I like to call him, has lovingly uploaded the latest episode using his sophisticated internet connection. It's full of entertainment.

He's called it, Episode 4 : Circuits N' stuff which rankles a little against my tendencies toward florid misrepresentation, so if you prefer, I'm call it Episode 4 : Interludes of a circuit based nature (in color).

Subscribers win!

Colonel Failure
Orbital Potato

[n9103]

Grumpy old man is Grumpy.
Curious why you're not using the 3 wire to 2 circuits ratio for your circuit production?
Enjoyable as always.

[ColonelFailure]

Grumpy old man is Grumpy.

Grumpy old man has earned the right to be grumpy thankyouverymuch, and it is necessary to offset the youthful enthusiasm of Orbital Potato who, without fail, has mentioned in every episode so far that "it's going really well". He'll never make shop steward with that kind of attitude.

As for circuit inefficiency, this is largely because it's a temporary setup, but equally because (as the next couple of episodes will show quite clearly) our resource throughput is rubbish.

[ColonelFailure]

Just like sunshine follows the rain, the automation of green flasks follows the automation of red flasks.

A mischievous move on my part suggested to the joyful Orbital Potato that he oversee this task, and as such it is quite likely to be radically altered in the future as circuit production is little short of pitiful.

Tune in for yourself and remark (Episode 5) "This is not the best way to automate green flasks" while you sip your brandy.

I know I did.

[ColonelFailure]

So, at about this time you would normally expect me to be promoting the latest multiplayer exploits from the perspective of Orbital Potato, however due to internet witchcraft his next two episodes have been swallowed by the dark gods with no chance of reprieve.

This, sadly, means that the artist formerly known as Episode 6 is no more. Here's a quick synopsis of what you would have seen :

A coupla guys built some stuff for about 20 minutes

But let's not dwell on what was but cannot be seen and introduce the new Episode 6, formerly known as Episode 7, Episode 6 : Overcoming the relatively low speed of standard conveyors by using more furnaces. I know, snappy title right?

With the next episode also in "the can" there'll be more to come very soon but to make sure you don't miss out why not subscribe? It'll bring you long life and greater sexual magnetism.

Colonel Failure
Orbital Potato

[n9103]

It'll bring you long life and greater sexual magnetism.

To you? Unsubscribed.

Keep it up chaps. Right good stuff here. Cheerio.

[ColonelFailure]

Right, you've had time off now let's get back to work.

What have you missed? Right, well first there was the second of Orbital Potato's errant videos that went missing and frankly I'm not sure that ever really existed, so let's move on to what has shown up rather than what hasn't.

In Episode 7 we got up to the point of having 36 labs up and running. Now the thing here is that you can mislead into thinking you're on target for resource supply because that belt of flasks is entirely full, but then you recall that you haven't researched anything for 10 minutes so you're not actually looking at full supply, rather you're looking at a backlog.

Orbital managed to secure a video of his own for Episode 8, so we start out with a recap before messing around with both trains and oil. At least in the first instance. As a bonus feature we even offer a MULTIPLAYER PRO TIP (it happens at the first minute mark, set your watches).

This brings us entirely up to date with Episode 9 : How to resolve a crash in a positive way. The latest and, dare I say it, most recent episode in the series and we're looking blankly at the need for advanced circuits while being molested by aliens. All good clean family fun ladies and gentlemen, I heartily recommend you stop by and give it your attention.

Best regards,

CF

[n9103]

I've had oil stop being produced all the time. Typically a few will continue running to replace what's been used, while the rest go on standby.
You, uh... you know you can destroy rocks by shooting at them, right?
Stations triggering attacks? Yea, I don't think so.

Rather drastic drop on the framerate for Orbital's recording.
The Refinery setup is atrocious, but... well I was gonna say workable, but you're gonna have trouble using it for large-scale production.
Nothing in particular to mention otherwise, as you guys eventually corrected anything worth nitpicking.

New intro huh. It's different. Guy in the TV is a little creepy
1 pump:14 boilers:10 engines is the golden ratio of steam power. A pump can only fully supply up to 10 engines with water, and it takes a bit over 13 boilers to fully heat the maximum flow rate of one pump.

[ColonelFailure]

Liking the critique....

I've had oil stop being produced all the time. Typically a few will continue running to replace what's been used, while the rest go on standby.

I thought that might be the case but have never observed it - all I had noticed was that oil production would drop off far quicker than I thought reasonable so made an assumption that they may be drawing on resources even when not in use. Let's call it oil paranoia.

You, uh... you know you can destroy rocks by shooting at them, right?

I do now... and you knew already that I've not read any documentation

Stations triggering attacks? Yea, I don't think so.

That it's a station is maybe not the point but I think this holds water - the sense I have is that the broader your occupied area, the more likely you get attacked since, obviously, you have more front lines against the biter scourge.

Rather drastic drop on the framerate for Orbital's recording.

I'm hopeful that after the autosave removal major framerate losses can be avoided. Orbital's other videos also occasionally have sub-par frame rates so it could be down to his setup rather than the connection.

The Refinery setup is atrocious, but... well I was gonna say workable, but you're gonna have trouble using it for large-scale production.

I think the word "temporary" was bandied about there a little. Hey, I could regale you of tales where I have a vision in my head of the perfect oil setup that I just can't seem to make real. There is a great deal about the entire setup right now that simply won't keep up with demand. I suspect we'll duplicate input and output on primary resources at least another 2-3 times to be able to service 50 labs. I regularly get the feeling we've bitten off more than we can chew.

New intro huh. It's different. Guy in the TV is a little creepy

Well, I've hit the bigtime now with 50 whole subscribers, and to demonstrate that A: I am a child of the 70s/80s and B: my ego is entirely under control, I decided on something grandiose at the beginning and end of vids. It's already raised conversation so I consider it mission accomplished Ignore the guy in the TV, he's a pillock.

1 pump:14 boilers:10 engines is the golden ratio of steam power.

I've been told this enough times, donchathink? Any sane person would expect that by now I'd remember it.

[n9103]

I would think, yet when the question comes up, instead of presenting the golden rule and knowing why it works that way, it's usually followed by some variation of "I don't know. Let's ask a forumite." instead.

[ColonelFailure]

Quite quite true

Anyway, back again with another clutch of episodes for your perusal.

First up is Episode 10 : Taking a really long time to set up half a dozen electric furnaces courtesy of Orbital Potato, and we're making progress towards our resource throughput goals. Okay, we're making some progress in that direction.

Hot on episode 10's heels with a sense of inevitability is Episode 11 : Logistics come to biter town where yours truly starts setting the system that will revolutionise this particular build in a way that almost everybody has tried before!

[n9103]

Lmao at your opening line in #9.

Erm, you seemed to have linked to your first video ever for #11.
proper link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vufn3g5PMrw
Shift-right copy, shift-left paste.

[ColonelFailure]

Thank you and resolved!

[ColonelFailure]

Finally! We're able to up the tempo of this play through a little with a few episodes queued up over the next couple of days.

Bear witness to my veiled references to denizens of this very forum when casually questioned about correct ratios of steam engines to boilers!

Thrill at the inevitable reconstruction of everything that has gone before!

Gasp at the antics of Quentin the Construction Robot!

Or you could just skip all that and watch a couple of videos if you've got a minute (or 20).

Episode 12 : Orbital Potato gets over excited about laser turrets
Episode 13 : The Colonel gets smart (kinda)

Comments are always welcome, as is punching the like button as though it had insulted your mother.

[n9103]

Another set of entertaining videos, as usual
It's a decent smart system you've got. Could be improved in a few ways, but mostly minor improvements.
But I must say, it was painful watching you set all those inserter settings by hand.
Copy and paste my man. Copy and paste. (That's Shift R-click and Shift L-click in Factorio.)