Factorio Forums

TL;DR

I think the destruction of nuclear reactors should be made more realistic by replacing the explosion animation,
since nuclear reactors cannot undergo a nuclear explosion in the way a nuclear warhead can.

What ?

I'm suggesting that a meltdown animation replace the flash and explosion that occurs when a reactor is destroyed.
I think the structure could show the damage, and then meltdown could be indicated with a green color that seeps out
and destroys surrounding structures that it contacts (same radius as the explosion). This area could then be a spot
where no new construction could take place for a given amount of time and/or apply a damage over time to the player
and anything built on it. I think these are good options in terms of gameplay, but please comment with any others!

Why ?

I realize that this is a game meant for enjoyment and is not meant to be realistic in every aspect, but as someone with
experience working in the nuclear power industry I try to fight misinformation as much as possible.
Nuclear power is a controversial and often-feared source of energy and while I love this game and will play
it regardless, I hate to see a game I care about further false stereotypes. There is a constant battle for public
opinion with nuclear power, and I think even a game can help do its part in working towards a sustainable
energy future.

If you have any questions about the benefits of nuclear power (which are implemented quite well in the game) or the
details of why a reactor cannot explode like a warhead does, I'm more than willing to discuss!

(Hopefully this specific topic hasn't been discussed elsewhere, I looked through past topics and didn't see
anything similar but there's a lot of stuff here!)

Made me realize that eating fish doesn't actually heal you from stepping in acid spilled on the floor.

I think players are given rather irrealistic expectations too when it comes to mining uranium with sulfuric acid that magicallly disappear without the need to create huge reservoir dam for mining waste.

Also when they can carry the refined product with their bare hand without suffering from the radiations like in the Krastorio mod.

When it comes to the "why", i think the false stereotype conveyed about the nuclear industry by the video game factorio are not all unfavorable for that nuclear industry although lowly-enriched uranium ammunition are quite controversial in real life and are present in the game as the best ammunition for gun turrets. Maybe that's not super cool for the PR of nuclear civilian energy.

We don't know how the nuclear reactor is manufactured by the engineer, given that he is the only one on a planet where every over form of life tries to kill him, it is likely that he is not respecting the same safety standards that exist on earth that makes nuclear power plant such complicated things. You may argue that on earth reactor wouldn't even explode in case of malfunction, but we have no idea which concentration is the factorio character achieving in its centrifuge and what design is used to generate heat from it.

Maybe if more detailed and accessible informations about why it can't explode was easily available as you propose it would help forming a rationnal opinion on wether or not the engineer in factorio is using a safe design for Nauvis eco system and if it is really unrealistic to have nuclear reactor exploding in a mushroom cloud like bombs the player are using ?
Maybe explaining why the mushroom cloud form , during the explosion, what happens to the oxygen, why the shape, and what would instead happen during a meltdown, with the invisible radiations, to the oxygen, and DNA-based life form would help players make appropriate mental representations of what could happen realistically ? But maybe that's not the better PR strategy

I understand your alternative proposition it make sense. The notion of radiation that stays in an area in Krastorio make player lose HP if they walk by uranium on the map or have some uranium product in their inventory, early game you have to eat fish and only stay around reactor for some amount of time and then leave too regen HP or put things in chests. Later in game with the armor and shields you can more easily manipulate and extend production. The gameplay value i found is there, you have to adapt in your own way, and it feels nice when it's done.

Reactor destruction though, is really rare i suppose, and when it happen i think it's already bad enough that you don't want all your robots dying from radiation trying to rebuild just after. I think it would be making worse something that everyplayer already tries to avoid as much as possible. So the gameplay value i think adding punishment to the punishment is not really a positive. And that's what drive my opinion here regardless of my interest for nuclear power plant that factorio sparked

ajiewo wrote: Tue Oct 10, 2023 4:18 pm I'm suggesting that a meltdown animation replace the flash and explosion that occurs when a reactor is destroyed.
I think the structure could show the damage, and then meltdown could be indicated with a green color that seeps out
and destroys surrounding structures that it contacts (same radius as the explosion).

So radiation is a green liquid which seeps out and melts structures?

ajiewo wrote: Tue Oct 10, 2023 4:18 pm but as someone with experience working in the nuclear power industry I try to fight misinformation as much as possible.
Nuclear power is a controversial and often-feared source of energy and while I love this game and will play
it regardless, I hate to see a game I care about further false stereotypes.

So that means Simpsons were right?

Now I want to start watching the Simpsons instead of playing this game.

Qon wrote: Wed Oct 11, 2023 3:10 pm So radiation is a green liquid which seeps out and melts structures?

No, green ooze is obviously not accurate... However, as a concept it is much closer to reality, as a meltdown involves the core of a reactor melting into an amalgamation called corium that can melt through structures and emits massive amounts of radiation. The radiation emitted by this is, of course, invisible, which is not a satisfying or productive game mechanic. Compromises must always be made between gameplay and realism.

I'm simply suggesting instead of something that completely violates the realm of possibility (mushroom cloud explosion), something could be implemented to show a meltdown. I think using a colored visual representation of something that's actually invisible is a reasonable compromise to make for gameplay. However, I think going counter to what physics allows and showing a mushroom cloud is much less of a reasonable compromise.