Factorio Forums

TL;DR

each Vulcanus territory (besides the first tungsten patch small demolisher) should have a random sized demolisher to pressure the player into more interesting choices

What?

Along with replacing (or supplementing) the current system we have now for demolisher size generation, Larger demolishers will get larger territories, meaning higher chances for quality factory space and ore patches underneath.

Why?

I think this positively changes Vulcanus to push the player into making interesting choices and implements larger demolishers at the opportune time.
Instead of the many small demolishers surrounding the player for quite a distance, the player will have to weigh their options based on the resources under the nearby demolisher(s) around. Killing many smaller demolishers will be easy over the larger ones, but the land claimed will snake through and around larger territories which makes for less ideal land overall. unlike the current system, medium and large demolishers could be much closer to spawn, giving tougher combat opportunities (and rewards!) between the window of time from first demolisher kills to railguns being unlocked.

If it were purely random, then it would allow you to end up with all big demolishers in the nearby territories after the initial single small one.

How would you play that?

Kyralessa wrote: Mon May 04, 2026 6:02 am If it were purely random, then it would allow you to end up with all big demolishers in the nearby territories after the initial single small one.

How would you play that?

This is a good point. Perhaps a pseudo-random generation that balances the amount of each size of demolisher weighted towards smaller demolishers to a certain distance from spawn could work better. There is still a bit of rng involved for map generation, but should be fair enough to allow the previously mentioned choices for the player.

I like the idea of having randomized demolisher variants.

But it is pretty easy to kill small and medium demolishers with only a block of gun turrets and red ammo;
when being more progressed these are taken down with no expense.

What about introducing a fourth tier, like Behemoth (or Huge) demolisher?
Keeping the current demolisher placement logic, but upgrading random demolishers to the one-tier higher one?

We would get some medium/big demolishers near to the start and behemoths far away.
This would influence both the early vulcanus game requiring better planning, and keep expanding to new territories a little bit challenging even in the late game.