Start game with robo-helper

[Eelshock]

TL;DR

A cute little buddy crash-lands with you, builds stuff, and keeps you company.

What?

My imagination can't help but conjure WALL-E. R2-D2 fills a similar role.
TV Tropes: Cute Machines

• available immediately
• performs same actions as construction (and logistic?) robots
• moves as slowly as possible without being frustrating
  • not intimidating for new players
  • minimal impact on speedruns
• putters about on the ground (confused pathing adds to charm)
• powers self with built-in solar (or takes fuel like vehicles?)
• rebuilds self if destroyed (slowly)
• impossible to create more
• upgrades in tech tree? (I think not)
• does not fight
• makes happy noises when helping
• makes unhappy noises around biters
• imitates curiosity when not busy

Why ?

Primary function: make blueprints relevant from 00:00.
Bonus: make solo playthrough feel less lonely.
Bonus: emotionally trap (ok, retain) players who like pets.
Bonus: fill role of director and narrator of tutorials.

[ssilk]

There are one or two mods, which do that.

https://mods.factorio.com/mod/Companion_Drones
https://mods.factorio.com/mod/Construction_Droneslk
https://mods.factorio.com/mod/Updated_C ... ion_Drones

[Eelshock]

"there is absolutely no information on what this mod actually is"

https://mods.factorio.com/mod/Construction_Droneslk same as https://mods.factorio.com/mod/Updated_C ... ion_Drones

This one has cute little robots, but misses the mark:

• they're not available immediately, so blueprints aren't meaningful at 0:00
• there are many of them, so the potential for emotional connection is majorly diluted

[ssilk]

The mods are originally all from Klonan, one of the devs. If you have questions to them, write him a message.

I look from time to time on his mods and I see a clear direction. His mods bring Factorio kind of comfort and bring in very specific gameplay elements you can play with. Especially the whole drones-mods.

And I totally guess here now, but I would say, the mods are there for testing new kinds of gameplay (for Factorio 1.2). Nice that he has shared it with us.

[adam_bise]

Love this idea.

I've always wanted a slow ground based bot early on. I do like those mods, but they spawn at your feet like personal construction bots, and are more of an early alternative to personal construction bots.

I was thinking more like a static compilatron that is placable and minable, takes chem fuel, medium inventory, and it's own construction radius.

It just randomly derps around the place it was built and constructs ghosts in its radius when it has the required items in its trunk.

They could also be set to occasionally give new player tips.

In this way, it is kind of dumb, doesn't follow orders, but can (slowly) build things while the player runs off somewhere else.

Unlike personal robots, where the player has to stand there and wait for construction to complete.

This would allow the bot to be slow enough as to not be OP but at the same time doesn't require the player to stick around for the construction to complete.

One of the most annoying aspects of pre-bot factorio is manual repetitive building. Manual repetitive deconstruction is even worse. Sometimes I just abandon a mine instead of bothering to deconstruct it to get the miners.

Would be nice to go exploring for iron while your bot builds a full perimeter wall with guns, belts, poles, and inserters. Saves finger pain

Perhaps when destroyed, your bot drops an indestructable computer AI needed to build another. So that you can only have one at a time.

[netmand]

This would be an unexpected add to the game. Conversely the bot could be totally useless and/or even interfere with factory parts here and there.