Orbital base construction support

[deepdriller]

A machine in the sky that can construct blueprinted facilities from space.

• First, fill a rocket with everything you need: Conveyor belts, assemblers, poles, mining drills... and send it off.
• Now, place a blueprint of the factory you want to build. Make sure to make it worth it, as space is expensive.
• When you're done with it, you signal the space station that you want it to de-orbit your equipment.

This has many advantages. First, it decreases the load on the player's inventory. Second, if that main control hub I read about ever gets introduced into the game, it will also spare the player much walking.

(It WILL allow you to place blueprints in far-off locations, right?)

Lastly, it will also be able to replace equipment in locations where you cannot or will not extend your robot network.

[ssilk]

I think this is not a bad idea, but it comes to late in the game. My opinion.

It would be a nice idea, if combined this idea with this mod: https://forums.factorio.com/forum/vie ... 32&t=12424 Rocket Express

Or making, that https://forums.factorio.com/forum/vie ... 14&t=13004 Pneumatic Tubes works without bots (only construction)

[quinor]

ßik, I respect your pneumatic tube idea, but launching stuff from orbital base fulfills the same needs and is much more clear as an idea. And doesn't need this "tube package" artificial mechanics - rocket transport is just meant to be expensive. Also, it's much more badass than some kind of pneumatics

[ssilk]

Psorek, when you go back you will find me discussing this rocket idea. Because it is quite old:
https://forums.factorio.com/forum/vie ... ket#p14029 Long-range bots alternative

And because I knew that, I suggested the pneumatic pipes. As alternative. And because I know, that it is more complicated, I mentioned it as second.

And indeed it is more complicated, but it has also some advantages. Lets combine both ideas somehow.

[quinor]

I see now my post accidentally sounded a little offensive, sorry for that - I can't sound precisely as I'd like to in english yet

About that coming too late in game - I'm totally fine with that, becouse such power should come late Building very far away is an issue only very late game. My initial intention was to suggest you to merge orbital station story (it's very clear to understand) with pneumatic tubes mechanics in your big suggestion thread as version 2.0 of it.

[ssilk]

Building very far away is an issue only very late game

Definitely not. It depends on the structure of your map, when it is needed.