FreeER wrote:2. Enable to built up things on the map by just placing them on the map, even if you currently don't have it. This is like getting credit and speeds up the game.
This defeats the idea of a 'survivor', a person can not place something they do not have and have it magically appear later. Now if we had robots that would build entities from plans that we placed I'd be fine with it.
I'm with you. I think for this in later gameplay to speed it up. You may first research it, or you need some robots to built it, or there are many possibilities here... . I think the concepts of Siedler 1-3 or Supreme Commander fits really nice in a later technocratic game style.
3. Clean up the built-window by removing/hiding unneded things and/or by making a new tab? The player can place only the stuff in, he currently needs. Or he can switch between domains - see below.
The idea that I think most people have is that the devs would create several tabs along the lines of "power related items-pump/steam engine/solar panel", "transport items-belts/inserters", "weapons-guns/ammo", "production-assemblers/furnaces/drills", "miscellaneous-everything else". Though I admit it would be nice if we could move items we do not use to another tab/menu so they do not crowd the window. Which I think was what you were saying with D2, but I'm not 100% certain
Reducing items enables to reduce complexity.
For example: I see no need to distinct between belts and underground belts or faster belts. They do all the same. And there are so many things you need to build just to make a belt, that I really don't like them in this way (I like the principle of it really really much, but not how to built it). Ok, you can built a belt in this complex way one times in a game, but then there is no more sense in it! It doesn't bring the game forward to distinct between all those different parts to built just a belt.
And to make constructive critics:
1. In the first step you can built just simple belts. Nothing more. How it is built is a matter of another topic.
2. You invent the underground belt. But you don't need to have special parts for that! To make the entry of an underground belt just needs two (three?) normal belts. No extra part.
3. In the next step you can invent a faster belt. But you can just built only simple belts.
4. The trick is now, that you upgrade it: go to the belt, press U for upgrade and the rest is done in background. How could it be easier.
This brings the game more forward! Building up all those little things which blockades the inventory because you have built too much of them doesn't. Or which sense makes it to built a factory only for underground belts? Factories are good for mass-production. Not for items, which can be used only once. So the game must be trimmed for mass-production and not producing many little complex things.
4. Distinct between things, which can be placed on map and things that aren't. This affords some other changes in the game, which will make it more playable.
If you are talking about creating tabs in the crafting window, I don't think organizing the crafting window is this clear cut, especially when you add mods into the equation. If all you do is seperate between items that have entities and items without entities eventually you are still going to have too many items in one and/or the other to sort them and you are back to the same problem.
If you distinct between items, you can place on the map and those, which aren't (and there are many other ways of reduction thinkable, take this just as an example!) then you reduce the irregular/useless options for the player. Reduction means not less fantasy! Reduction means: Live with the limits and create ideas to live with it. Factorio is very much like this and there are many ideas, you can try out. But my experience shows clearly, that you can build up a house with just one part of lego-stones. Think for minecraft. Reduction forces creativity!
This brings me to the built-lane (?) at the bottom of the screen.
If you mean the quickbar (aka hotbar) you can use the middle mouse to create a filter so that,
So I have also a Mac. And now?
for instance, slot 1 can only hold transport belts. This prevents the order changing 'automagically', though I have never had this problem unless I ran out of something and didn't notice that I had so that something else took it's place (and that is not a problem if you set filters).
I really don't like to look, if I have enough item XXX left. It doesn't bring the game forward!
I have a problem. I need a soltion. I plan. I want to built it and <booooooinnngg> there are no power supply left. I first need to built up power lines. Shit, I produce currently ammo. Should I clear that? Or wait until it's ready? By the way: I don't have enough ammo left. Why didn't the game produce ammo until I have enough? Ok, I have my power supply ready! Uhhhmmmm, what did I want to built?
Do you understand: This brings me out of the flow and the idea is away. And that's the worst thing you can do in any kind of game.
I think, the game should support me with tools and micromanaging - not from beginning, but the longer I play, or how I configure it.
And this idea fits also with your idea of really beeing a survivor. Think of Robinson Crusoe: In the beginning he had also just some chests etc. But the longer he lived on the island he made it more comfortably for him. This should be with the game itself: When I play it, I can invent things to make it more playable. I think this is a great concept/idea, because it lets you choose, if you want to micromange it or not! In multiplayer, this can be a very strategic element!
The "domain-idea" (a set of items and special built-functions to create a special thing) is also more "mod"-friedly and is better usable in the future. For example a mod implements airplanes. Then you need to build up airplanes, airports etc.
currently it is built, built, wait, wait, place, place. Remove the wait wait.
If this is how you feel I would suggest that you wait for creative/god mod to remove the wait, I believe the fmod is adding something to help with this. Or learn how to use the console to give you the items you want, no more wait simply place place place place done, admire, restart
Part of the fun in Factorio (for me) is that it lets you feel like you are actually having to set everything up yourself, though I personally do not want to end the game still having to do everything myself, I mean the point is automation after all. Now I wouldn't mind a nice god/creative mode to play with but I do not want that to be how the main story plays out (if I did I could go play my old copies of Command and Conquer or creative minecraft)
Just my views
I like this feeling too, but after some time I just think: no, not again! I want to build, I want to manage, not to run around and catch ressources and click thousand times here and there and wait wait.
It not Super Mario
! For a multiplayer game for example the game must speed up very, very much. Currently it takes too long to get from "nothing" to a working factory and it's much too complicated to handle different development-strategies.
But it's much too early to really point to special things. I recommend just the things above, because
they will give more options for the future, not less, which is very important in this state of development.
I see the single player mode as a place, where you can put all those long-term things in. But for multiplayer I see a limit of about 1 hour in the worst case to bring the game to and end and that's a long way from here.