Belts = Magic?

[Gravgon]

The idea is simple, Belts dont run on magic! you need to give them power to run.
to make this belts work early game (before power) is to make a coal powered belt crank. put it next to any lingth of belt to get the holl chain moving.
after you get power all you'll need to do is make at least on belt in a line be in the power grid, as long as the belts are linked up one will power all. as the norn the higher the tier of belt the more power it will us.
I dont know, find magic to be OP in this game nerf nowz plz!

[ThaPear]

The idea is simple, Belts dont run on magic! you need to give them power to run.
to make this belts work early game (before power) is to make a coal powered belt crank. put it next to any lingth of belt to get the holl chain moving.
after you get power all you'll need to do is make at least on belt in a line be in the power grid, as long as the belts are linked up one will power all. as the norn the higher the tier of belt the more power it will us.
I dont know, find magic to be OP in this game nerf nowz plz!

This thread has a similar suggestion.
This mod is pretty close to what you're suggesting.

[Koub]

You might also want to give a look to this post from the devs :
https://forums.factorio.com/forum/vie ... 951#p29268

In short : No

[tobsimon]

I like it, but ...

Factorios belts are magic also in another way. They still move if the content is blocked and backs up. Roller conveyors can do that, but are unfit to transport ores. On real belts, this would cause an ungodly amount of friction. So Factorios belts actually behave more like roller conveyors with the optics of an airport baggage carousel or moving walkway. They are no belts to begin with.

I'd love to see transport belts for ores, which heap up bulk materials at the ends, structures like the bagger 288 to mine the ressources, management of overburden, gangue, taillings and slag in piles, landfills and slurry ponds, contrasted to roller conveyors inside the rolling mill and between the stamping, milling and assemply machines. There could be so much more stuff, but Factorio as a game needs to simplify somewhere.

[Gravgon]

You might also want to give a look to this post from the devs :
https://forums.factorio.com/forum/vie ... 951#p29268

In short : No

thanks, but one can still hope

[Koub]

Well I think it's a very specific need, for which a mod already exists. I feel it's the kind of things that interests only a minority of Factorio players, and therefore better adressed with a mod than with something that will radically change gameplay experience for all players.

[ssilk]

The not so simple answer is also: Does this add game-value? Will the play be be somehow better with this?
Simple answer here is no.

[Goldern]

The belts use the kinect energy provided by the friction between iron of the belt and flint in the ground to make electric charges and stores it in the internal capacitor.
The first run is a factory design that send it's products already charged, just need the flick of a button by the user.
Using that technology, it can run forever without any problem and is turned on by the user at the act of placing it in the ground.
(There's no magic here.)

[Gandalf]

… it can run forever …
(There's no magic here.)

Not sure if this was ironic but I cannot help myself either way:
Perpetual motion is physically impossible to achieve, so there would absolutely have to be magic involved.

[Goldern]

"that can do work indefinitely without an energy source."
It can have a hidden energy source somehow, just use imagination.

[ssilk]

The surface of the belt is a piezo-mechanic material: Laying stuff on it will induct some electric power, that is enough to make the belt move for a very long time.

[oLaudix]

[SirRichie]

I really don't like when people pick "realism" as a justification for proposed game mechanics changes.

The only question regarding game mechanics that should be asked is: "is it fun?". Of course, what is fun and what is not is hard to answer and differs from person to person. Certainly also, a certain degree of realism adds to the fun, as it enables players to make educated judgements about how the game will behave.
So what does this mean for belts? What would the implications of them requiring power be? Yes, it would be more realistic and abide by the law of physics (aside from all the other problems mentioned here). But in terms of game mechanics, it will just add complexity, not depth (which is basically what kovarex is saying in the post pointed out by ssilk).

[bobucles]

First tier belts consuming energy would be a disaster. Players need those belts to get things rolling. By the time you get express belts, energy is just there. It's no big deal.

If belts were powered, the power should probably link up through the entire length of belt. Covering every single tile with a power zone would be tedious at low tier, but is pretty manageable at high tier.