Infinifactory by Zachtronics - 3D SpaceChem successor

[Drury]

http://www.zachtronics.com/infinifactory/



If you're not familiar with Zachtronics' games and SpaceChem, it's basically going to be in a similar vein as Factorio, except perhaps with more focus on automation, so it's definitely not going to be another Minecraft spinoff. Zachtronics is all about automation and programming games, albeit there is rarely combat element involved, and if so, in a programming-game type of way (such as boss fights in SpaceChem, where you basically build contraptions that self-destruct in a specific way in order to do damage to the boss), so it's not going to be exactly like Factorio either. They also like having some story going on in background as you feel your brain cells overheating.

They have free browser games on their website if you want to get a feel of their style. They are all very good ones, although you might want to have a degree in engineering before playing.

[askovdk]

Looks good, and I believe it will be a puzzle game quite different from Factorio.

However, considering that even the logo looks very, very much like Factorio's, then I can only expect fan forums burning with mutual rip-off claims, and gaming 'journalists' downgrading both based on what they lack compared to the other.

So I hope the Factorio team can get in contact with Zachtronics and coordinate their release and message, as both sides are (to my knowledge) nice guys, but their games seems to be lined up for a perfect collision.

[-root]

Isn't factorio based heavily on spacechem?

I thought that there were a couple of games that have kinda evolved from spacechem as the original. minecraft being the most notable.

I think the proof is in the game. If it has its own personality and atmosphere, it will be fine. If the goal is to reach rocket defense though, i daresay there will be people that grab their pitchforks and go all medieval on their ass. And that's from both sides.

[askovdk]

Isn't factorio based heavily on spacechem?

I thought that there were a couple of games that have kinda evolved from spacechem as the original. minecraft being the most notable.

I think the proof is in the game. If it has its own personality and atmosphere, it will be fine. If the goal is to reach rocket defense though, i daresay there will be people that grab their pitchforks and go all medieval on their ass. And that's from both sides.

Good point, - I agree.
But Kovarex (at least) didn't even know Spacechem in the early days of Factorio.
http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.ph ... msg3996537

[n9103]

The idea behind Infinifactory already existed in his previous games, so anyone flaming about it is going to be ignorant, or a troll, or both.

[-root]

Article from PC Gamer

Because we're here talking about it

[MF-]

First: Thanks for the tip.
I wonder why the Zachtronics industries RSS stayed silent about this cool addition.

I thought that there were a couple of games that have kinda evolved from spacechem as the original. minecraft being the most notable.

Actually, that was another game by Zach Barth (or how the guy is called): http://www.zachtronics.com/infiniminer/


I also played and enjoyed spacechem, that's why I opted for the early factorio.
Now, with factorio taking the militant turn... well... I am glad Zach created something likely closer to what I desired.
(NOTE: Due to prejudice I didn't actually try those "dull-colored" versions, so I might be easily mistaken)

[-root]

I thought that there were a couple of games that have kinda evolved from spacechem as the original. minecraft being the most notable.

Actually, that was another game by Zach Barth (or how the guy is called): http://www.zachtronics.com/infiniminer/

Infiniminer! That's the one!

This bloke has had some really good ideas. It'll be interesting to see what he does with the game.

[xnmo]

Spacechem? In 3D? It's already complicated enough in 2D

Will definitely check it out once it's out, this guy makes really cool stuff.

[pyrolytic_tungsten]

Spacechem? In 3D? It's already complicated enough in 2D

3D usually makes it easier to route stuff around. Just imagine if Factorio had multiple vertical levels for routing belts. That said, Spacechem has some seriously hard levels. If it really is like Spacechem in 3D as claimed on the official page it really won't play like Factorio. It would be as ridiculous saying that Factorio ripped off X3: Terran Conflict since you can build self sufficient factory complexes in both games.

Extrapolating from Spacechem I would expect :

• Level objective driven. As in given inputs of items A and B make n many items of X and Y.
• No recipes, just the use of more fundamental operations like cutting or pressing where if you do it in the wrong place/order you get utterly useless junk that would fail the level for you if you tried to use it towards your objective.
• Separated building and running modes without a player character like in the [ur=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoWxgPlIFGEl] tight spot scenario.[/url]
• Constrained spaces.
• Resources will be given to you instead of needing to run off and find them.
• More complex builds will need state machines or counting mechanisms to function properly.
• Your level result will be compared to everyone else's and shown on a histogram.

It should be a good game but I wish they put up some video.

[DerivePi]

although you might want to have a degree in engineering before playing.

Engineering is mostly 'fun' but I am not interested in a game that requires me to figure out beam stresses, deflections and weld details.

Try this, On planet Factorio, the allowable soil bearing pressure is 1,500 psf (alluvial soil - how else would you explain a perfectly flat plain). The maximum dead load of a standard inserter is 700 lbs (excluding foundation) and the max live load is 1,000 lbs and includes an overturning moment of 5,000 ft-lbs. Ignore wind loads and impact loads from cars, biters, etc.. Size the footing and coordinate it with adjacent foundations (transport belt grade beams, furnaces, ...

Yeah, I wouldn't play very much either.

[Marbles]

What about Electrical Engineering or Software Engineering? Running your belts like busses, optimizing production lines, building logic codes, routing all your lanes across eachother..
Industrial Automation is also an engineering degree.

[DerivePi]

What about Electrical Engineering

I am not an EE, but I'll take a swipe at it - You need to upgrade your Green Circuit production by switching out your 5 Assembler #2s and installing assembler #3s. Currently, enough power can be provided by the steam generators, but the local feeder (3-4/0 Cu catenary) and step down transformer(13.2kV to 480 V - 1,000 KVA), may or may not have sufficient capacity for the additional load. Step 1 - do a load study to determine the additional demand (include additional power requirements from inserter operations plus existing power usage - "click on local power pole"). Step 2 - Select new XFMR and conductors. Be sure to account for loss in the line - figure on a 2,000 ft long conductor length. Step 3 - provide wiring diagram for the nearby breaker box. Inserters operate on single phase 277 V while Assemblers are 3 phase.

Further, the use of effectivity modules produces a harmonic in the power supply that causes the current and voltage to be out of phase by 5 degrees. How much capacitance in KVAR is required to correct each level 3 assembler?

Software engineering can be discovered in the Mod section.

From what I just read on wiki, every non-government, skilled laborer who tries hard at their job could fit in the definition of "industrial Engineer." So I guess you could call us players of Factorio "Industrial Engineers!"

[xnmo]

You guys are forgetting the obvious; how can the player character put together advanced circuits in seconds (OK, maybe minutes or hours depending on how you convert real time to game time) while at the same time run full speed from aliens while throwing grenades and blasting them apart without even breaking a sweat. He can also do this while carrying dozens of cars, or hundreds of assembling machines far bigger than he is, and not be encumbered by them at all.

The Factorio Guy puts Master Chief and Doomguy to shame and he doesn't even need to wear fancypants armor suits to do so (Though he can build one faster than Tony Stark if he wants to).

[n9103]

Quantum Stockpiling, duh. :p
Also, pretty sure that's fancier armor than either of them, since it's skin tight, yet provides around as much protection, plus has the equipment to reconfigure atoms in a deterministic way.

[DerivePi]

how can the player character put together advanced circuits in seconds (OK, maybe minutes or hours depending on how you convert real time to game time) while at the same time run full speed from aliens while throwing grenades and blasting them apart without even breaking a sweat. He can also do this while carrying dozens of cars, or hundreds of assembling machines far bigger than he is, and not be encumbered by them at all.

I am currently exploring answers to those very questions in my "Fan Fiction" post https://forums.factorio.com/forum/vie ... f=5&t=6063 .

Chapter 3 is almost done and should move the story along nicely.

[MF-]

Extrapolating from Spacechem I would expect :

• Separated building and running modes without a player character like in the [ur=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoWxgPlIFGEl] tight spot scenario.[/url]
• Resources will be given to you instead of needing to run off and find them.

I am not that sure about these bullet points.
The linked website states "Design and run factories in a first-person, fully 3D environment." and "... and try not to die in the proces"

EDIT: OOps, misinterpretation in the point.. "Separate factory-building and factory-verification phases, later having no player character"
That just might or might not happen, will see

It should be a good game but I wish they put up some video.

I quess they either simply can't pull it off just yet, or they'll keep the video till the game becomes (pre)orderable to boost the sales or something

[pyrolytic_tungsten]

I stumbled across an interview with Zach about Infinifactory at http://www.anime-night.com/article/zach ... finifactoi

A few questions from the interview I found interesting:

Are you working with anyone else on the game?

ZACH: Absolutely! The core team is seven people, with a few talented freelancers helping out as well.

What technology is being used for Infinifactory?

ZACH: Unlike our previous titles, Infinifactory is built using Unity instead of a custom engine, which should make it even easier to port the game to new platforms. Everything else, including our next-generation block engine, was built from scratch.

...
You compare Infinifactory to SpaceChem on the site. Do you think the game is leaning towards being more like SpaceChem or Infiniminer, or is it something completely new?

ZACH: When building the metagame for Infinifactory we essentially used everything good from SpaceChem as our starting point. We've brought back discrete puzzles, histograms, upload to YouTube, custom puzzles, and sandbox construction. However, we've also improved some things along the way, like organizing the puzzles so that you're less likely to get stuck and making sure that puzzles with novel mechanics are properly explained (something that made SpaceChem's boss puzzles particularly unfriendly).

When it comes to the actual gameplay, though, it's a totally different kind of game. The puzzle mechanics are very different, being descended from Manufactoid, and are much more spatial and physical than SpaceChem was. There's also the fact that it's 3D and first-person, which adds to the puzzle mechanics and allows us to do exciting things to tell a story with immersion, level construction, and audio logs. It's been very interesting to work on something that's both so familiar and so new for us at the same time.

[-root]

Sounds like its going to have rpg elements?

[Degraine]

It's a point of pride for me that I actually finished Spacechem. I even have all but one cheevo (complete enough research journal puzzles). Unfortunately, my save file got...broken, or something, and I can't load it anymore, so I haven't had the motivation to go back and go through the game again.