Factorio Forums

Suggestion:
Adding Biotechnology into game as another way toward end-game (possibly even as end-game). Catch is that unlike other tech we can have now, this one can become double-edged sword if you're not careful enough.

What does that mean?
Basically, destroying spawners will reward with cell samples, if not collected fast enough, they will disapper (die out you could say). By collecting these alien cells, you will make new science packs (Bio/Biology Science Packs).

Where does these new Science packs lead?
New science packs will go into new research section, Biotechnology. This technology will allow you to create living buildings.

Buildings and Equipment:
Bio Reactor
Will produce same amount of energy as Nuclear Reactor, however, it doesn't have neighbour bonus, however, Bio Cores act as limited-number booster. Requires nutrients and water to produce electricity.

Bio Core
Will be linkable to Bio Rector, increasing power generated by 25%, however there can be only 6 per Bio Reactor (more will no longer count). Each Bio Core also increases required amount of nutrients for Bio Reactor by 25%.

Nutrio Core
Generates neccesary nutrients for Bio Reactor, however will generate only 1/4 of what Bio Reactor (without Bio Cores) requires to work completely.

Bio Cable
Serves for connecting Bio Reactor, Bio Core, Nutrio Core and to transmit electricity into nearby electric pole (copper cables will not do)

So, where's that double-edged sword?
Problem is that Bio Technology is alive and such, it will want to stay well fed and most importantly protected. By connecting Bio Reactor onto electric pole, you will start process called Assimilation.

What is Assimilation?
Assimilation is process in which Bio Reactor expands itself and literally corrupts anything connected/taking power from electric poles. It will slowly grow and expand, corrupting your electic network, buildings. It will, however, not change their function, instead boosts them by improving their performance.

So, where's that double-edged sword already?
As said before, Bio Technology is alive and such will slowly gain awareness of itself. If you're providing it with everything it needs and protect it, it will live with you in peace, continuing to function as intended. However... if you start cutting away corrupted buildings or electric poles, it will start see you as threat, given as such, you will normally raise to positive relationship which will grow as long as you will not intervene with it's expansion or... increase polution around it. So building these Bio Reactor in place with no polution is mandatory.

This is where the catch is. If Bio Reactor gets into hostile relationship with you, it will take over all corrupted building and electric poles, however that's not all. Assemblers, Drills, Electric Furnaces... ect. Will start act as small hives, producing biters at large quantities (types of biter are determited by how far biter world evolution progressed).

So?
If you somehow manage to anger and get hostility of Bio Reactor (now self-conscious organism), you can quickly take what you can and run, because you will turn your base into one massive biter hive which will pursue and attack you aggressively (with large armies quantities of biters) very frequently.

Any way to get your base back?
Yes and no, in order to get your base back, you will need to use cursed Bio Technology which caused the problem in first place. By utilizing specialized weapons and retrovirus, you can kill and get back your base, however you must get to hostile Bio Rector and inject retrovirus directly into it (anything else freed but still connected will get assimilated again and fast).

Few last words:
I haven't gave must names and I think my description of my idea can be a chaotic, however I feel my idea can go deep, especially since it gives player new technology and things to do. If any devs will recognize this idea as good and interest will pop out, I will be more than happy to provide more details about this idea (PM will do, we will decide on form of communication since I am Czech). I don't have much to say right now, but I am constatly thinking while playing Factorio.

Thank you for reading and please, leave comment anyone.

Jap2.0 wrote:

• 1. Alien science packs got removed
  2. Combat is not the main focus of this game

Agreed... Depending on Alien Artifacts was abandoned on purpose so that people not wanting to focus on combat could also play the game without any roadblock in the tech tree being in the way.



That said... under certain circumstances... I would welcome the re-integration of alien artifacts. But not as a research requirement for technology that everyone has to use in some way or another... because that again would limit the playstyles... and render fighting biters mandatory again.

Instead I would make the artifacts a reward that are exclusively used in combat against the biters. I don't know exactly in what form... but it could be interesting if they were some kind of consumables that could for example temporarily boost various combat stats. Like those of turrets or the player itself.

That way it would be something that only players interested in combat would be using, especially those on unforgiving Death Worlds where every bit of advantage counts, while players not wanting to focus on combat can choose to use it optionally or ignore it all together without missing out too much because of how they aren't really constantly fighting biters anyway.

Have been thinking about that for quite a while already, but I haven't thought it out enough yet to make a proper suggestion out of it... and where to make a proper discussion about that.