Factorio Forums

The basic idea is to use the same cardinal controls as a player does. However, this isn't exactly straightforward, for several reasons.

The basic idea is that you capture the wasd input, and get a cardnal direction one of 8, and the car turns towards that direction and accelerates. If it is a shorter distance to rotate to go backwards, it will do so, so you can still drive backwards.

The big problem is that you either have to entirely script the vehicle movement, or you need a hidden dummy proxy vehicle, which the player actually enters, to capture the keystrokes used. (Since hotkeys only capture keypresses, not holds or releases)

I have a partial prototype, which is as far as I got before I found the fundamental limitations of the engine and my understanding.

Directional Movement Vehicles achieves this by turning Cars into Spidertrons~wearing-a-Trenchcoat. It has not been updated for 2.X compatibility, possibly due to lack of Interest? The license is Public Domain, so somebody just has to adopt or use it as a starting point .

Radar Equipment utilizes an invisible Spiderbro to follow you and provide Radar coverage. Also neat.


I would like to see this Mod/Idea updated/recoded, so as to better realize the “Swarm Defense Bots” dream with remotely-controllable/waypointable Cars/Tank turrets. There are Mods to add more Spiders; but what I want is a Smarter Car/Tank - without the signal Madness that is AAI Vehicles.

Twinsen wrote: Wed Apr 23, 2025 11:31 am- Added heading car driving option for keyboard input method. Pressing in a direction will make vehicles automatically turn and accelerate to that side of the screen

Upcoming in 2.0.46 !