Friday Facts #438 - Space Age wrap up

[BlueTemplar]

Oh yeah, I definitely mean more like it on the gameplay (and visuals) than story side (also why I mentioned Icewind Dale, but not Planescape Torment).

But then, see how great Factorio's music (and especially Space Age music) is, and consider that something similar can be done for the story by hiring some great writer(s) — I'm thinking of Homeworld 1 and Homeworld Cataclysm (Emergence) here, though I guess the collaboration must absolutely be even tighter than for music for that to work ?

[BrainlessTeddy]

What a journey Factorio has been. All the best to you and looking forward to new projects of yours.

[waterBear]

Hey just wanted to say "Thank you!" for the incredible game and great fun. I will greatly miss reading the FFF, but wish the team all the best in their future efforts. What a fantastic game. <3

[NautaSquid]

So long and thanks for all the iron plates

Edit: I just realized if we all keep submitting bug reports Factorio dev can continue indefinitely

[PacoPiblasso]

I want to restate, that without our almost 6,000 automated tests, we would never be able to avoid reintroducing old bugs by fixing new bugs, and we hope, that it gets more recognized, and gaming companies, will recognize this approach as the gold standard.

Absolutely. I brought that attitude with me when I moved from operating systems into games back in 1998. Kudos on your process!

[Panzerknacker]

I'm a bit disappointed to read that Kovarex is going to play Wow while the rest of the team is fixing the bugs, i was expecting story of private jet, or sport cars, at least some golden toilets, or any important milestone of success.

It's also sad to read it's the last FFF for a while, hopefully there is the music to forget about it.

I wish you good fortune in your future adventure ! It has been a pleasure to follow this one !

Nah man Fresh servers lets goooo
We don't need expensive bullshit it's just things, as long as we can level a new char in the best game ever made we're cool
Shame Micro$oft changed the game again considerably this time so the fun won't be for long but that's ok, then they can come back to fix Factorio.

[Michel_Werner]

So are you going to bring the space science packs back to the launching pad, instead of the landing pad?
Right now a decentralized factory is made impossible due to space packs being available at only at one location on the planet.
Or allow multiple landing pads, that can be linked to a launching pad or something.
Or remove the landing pad from vanilla as it does not add any benefits. Maybe combine launching pad and landing pad.

[meganothing]

So are you going to bring the space science packs back to the launching pad, instead of the landing pad?
Right now a decentralized factory is made impossible due to space packs being available at only at one location on the planet.
Or allow multiple landing pads, that can be linked to a launching pad or something.
Or remove the landing pad from vanilla as it does not add any benefits. Maybe combine launching pad and landing pad.

Maybe connect the decentralized factories by train

[BlueTemplar]

Why would the availability of space packs matter here ?

[sushi_eater]

It seems that smart belt dragging isn't getting any testing whatsoever, either manual or automated. It's a completely broken mess with major regressions compared to previous releases (reported in the bug reports forum).

[Khagan]

So are you going to bring the space science packs back to the launching pad, instead of the landing pad?
Right now a decentralized factory is made impossible due to space packs being available at only at one location on the planet.

Maybe connect the decentralized factories by train

Then they are no longer fully decentralised, but dependent on a central supply of space science. In 1.1 it was a viable strategy to build multiple fully self-contained, independent science factories: just raw materials in, nothing out (except research). Obviously that design is a non-starter in SA, and that's fine. In 2.0 vanilla, it would still be possible except for the fact that space science goes to a single central drop-off instead of back to the originating silo. This is a pity.

[Holy-Fire]

I know this might not be what you all personally want to do with your life and carreer - but I, to be honest, would much prefer to not see you move on to the next game.

There are plenty of other companies developing other games. There is only one company developing Factorio. And while a lot of work has already been done, a lot of work can still be done, and I don't think that's going to change in the foreseeable future.

[Holy-Fire]

Well, maybe it's just because I played Factorio a lot and I'm biased, but I'm suspecting that the latest (and biggest/greatest so far ?) season of PoE1 wouldn't have dared to go as deep into automation (especially late-game) if some of the designers hadn't played Factorio ?

Oh wow. I think your reference here to PoE *1* is the first time I've learned that there's going to be a PoE 2.

I used to play PoE quite a bit back in the day. In the last several years, I've often felt that I wanted to play PoE again, but when I tried it, I didn't really connect. I'll probably give PoE 2 a try sometime. (Probably not anytime soon, I don't want to take away from my Factorio: Space Age time.)

[BlueTemplar]

Well, do I have good news for you, PoE2 launches in 9 days !
(as a paid open beta, a lot like PoE1 did, though this time it's $30 rather than $10.)
Yeah, starting to feel the pressure to at least finish a game of SA before that...

So are you going to bring the space science packs back to the launching pad, instead of the landing pad?
Right now a decentralized factory is made impossible due to space packs being available at only at one location on the planet.

Maybe connect the decentralized factories by train

Then they are no longer fully decentralised, but dependent on a central supply of space science. In 1.1 it was a viable strategy to build multiple fully self-contained, independent science factories: just raw materials in, nothing out (except research). Obviously that design is a non-starter in SA, and that's fine. In 2.0 vanilla, it would still be possible except for the fact that space science goes to a single central drop-off instead of back to the originating silo. This is a pity.

You can still have decentralized everything except for science (and so you wouldn't send science out), is it that bad ?

[Khagan]

In 1.1 it was a viable strategy to build multiple fully self-contained, independent science factories: just raw materials in, nothing out (except research). [...] In 2.0 vanilla, it would still be possible except for the fact that space science goes to a single central drop-off instead of back to the originating silo.

You can still have decentralized everything except for science (and so you wouldn't send science out), is it that bad ?

If you are suggesting having all the labs by the landing pad, then that is even worse, since it means that all the other sciences have to be transported. It also means that the central lab area has to expand every time you add a new science factory, when the whole idea of the design is that they can be added without changing anything else (other than adding more mines to supply them). Referencing my own particular designs as examples, in 1.1 you could make a mega-factory by building five of these, or a multi-mega-factory by building several of these, but that entire strategy just doesn't work now.

[BlueTemplar]

Ah, apologies, I was in the Space Age mindset where you have to transport some of the sciences there by space anyway, and could even make none of the science on the surface of Nauvis itself, but this obviously doesn't work without SA.

Wait, which makes me think : what about allowing transporting items by rocket from silo to landing pad even without SA ? (Maybe only sciences ?)

[xamidi]

to be honest i think you should make a 3D factorio. this 2D factorio is just too old now.

[...]

you dont like it but thats no reason

That's so obviously false. I cannot think of a better reason to not create a game than not liking it or the concept..

[Justderpingalong]

Who else returned to the factorio blog only to realize that there's not gonna be any more FFF's until 2.1. Cause I sure as hell did.

[betam4x]

Who else returned to the factorio blog only to realize that there's not gonna be any more FFF's until 2.1. Cause I sure as hell did.

I did today, and also folks are saying no more expansions and stuff. Did I miss something? Shoot, they could do at least 1-2 more expansions and I'd buy them. As others have said, underwater could be interesting along with caves. More planets would be nice (didn't beat space age yet, however, lol) Maybe something a bit different like a market for buying/selling? Multiple solar systems generated via RNG? Tons of places they could still go (a sequel could cover this as well, of course), and I'd also say a proper ending, however I haven't beat the expansion lol. I still want to know how the main character (officially) ended up where he is and if he makes it back home, space age may explain that, but I wouldn't know.

I know mods will fill in the gap, though it is possible the mod browser could eventually stop working.

Space Age is amazing. It would be a shame to not see more. The engine itself also appears to be robust, so hopefully we see more games from them (outside of Factorio) using it in the future. 2D isn't dead!

[smich]

Please make 2.1 version more Steam Deck friendly.
I play Transport Fever on my Steam Deck and it's a completely different experience than Factorio.
It would be enough if there was more on-screen help while playing.