Factorio Forums

TL;DR

I would love to have a convenient way to open up a single-player map to my friends without having to leave the game.

What ?

For those who have played Minecraft, they've probably seen the 'open to LAN' option in the in-game menu. That was the inspiration, coupled with the several times now I have signed out of a game just to load it again for multiplayer.
What I envision (though I'd be happy to discuss alternatives) is an option in the in-game menu that allows me to directly launch the game I'm currently in as a multiplayer game. Clicking this button could bring up the same window we get for hosting options normally, then pick up where we left off in the game.
On the technical side, I imagine it could simply be a shortcut to save and immediately launch that save as multiplayer without having to click through the menus, and I at least wouldn't complain if the map had to reload to achieve this (I have a suspicion the code would require it anyway).

Why ?

Factorio is a game with a thriving community. While it can be played alone, it is one of those games that many people find much more enjoyable to play with friends. On many occasions I have found myself wanting to share progress or achievement with my friends, or have someone jump in and help me. A convenient way to do this would only enhance the game, not just for the one using it, but also for the ones joining in.