[MOD 0.15] Overseer 0.1.0

[shruikan]

Type: Mod
Name: Overseer
Description: Shifts the gameplay style to a robot-based "overseer". Get's rid of the Engineer. Starts with a "probe" (glorified roboport) placed and some construction bots. The player can only place blueprints.
License: GNU LGPLv3
Version: 0.1.0
Release: 2017-08-28
Tested-With-Factorio-Version: 0.15.34
Category: (gameplay overhaul)
Tags: Overseer mode,
Download-Url: soon™
Website: soon™

Attention: this mod is in super-early stage of development. I'll only make it avaliable to download once I have something to show.
I have no programming background, and my knolowedge of Lua and the modding API is very limited, so I'm accepting any kind of help on this project.
I'll learn how to set up an online repository for this, and share all my progress here.

description

There is no engineer. You are part of a multi-planetary civilization that is expanding through the galaxy using self-replicating factories. A probe has fallen on this planet, and will start building others.
You start with a probe (a roboport with 0 logistic network area, and a construction network the same size as a medium starting area) at the center, with some slow moving construction bots inside, and enough solar power to charge them (produced by the probe itself, and, if possible, in a way that it can't provide power to other structures or networks).

The gameplay is similar to the sandbox scenario, but you can't put down any objects, only blueprints. Trying to handcraft a structure would instead craft a blueprint of that structure. Some tecnologies would need to be shifted (for instance, at least passive providers should be avaliable at the early game, maybe green science stage, and bot speed could start a little early as well). Instead of launching satelites, you launch other probes (essentialy the same thing, just for immersion sake).

dev checklist

• Create entity (probe).
• Place probe on the center of the starting area.
• Get rid of the player character.
• Force all handcrafting to craft blueprints.
• Make it impossible to have anything but blueprints on the inventory.
• Shift Technologies (passive provider and robot speed).
• Substitute the satelite with the probe.

[Repofme1]

Sounds like a really cool concept! I've always kinda liked the idea of directing a self-replicating robot base. It offers some explanation for a lot of strategy games too, although I'm no good at those.

I can see as well that it could be rather difficult to accomplish, although the overall plan seems to fit the sandbox mode scenario a bit better than freeplay. Unfortunately I don't know any of the API either, so I can't help beyond suggesting to explore the code for that scenario.

[Wildejackson]

I think this concept could allow for a really interesting game. As it is, you begin as a crashed probe and you can't handcraft or fight which only really serves to slow construction efforts early game. I think it would be wise to take the mod in a direction that effects the expansion of the base all throughout the game. I think the construction area thing as a limiting factor would force the player into building some really interesting fractional bases. If it could be that you use AAI's vehicles to expand you would be forced to build everything in little towns if construction areas were limited enough. That would emphasize specialization and train use, and even prompt a micro-economy type situation; rather then one huge base with little outposts, you'd have smaller bases mining their own resources trading with each other. I can't wait to see where this mod goes in the future.

[Adil]

Sounds interesting, don't know if plays interesting as well.
You know, the inability to just place buildings right away is a major tedium, when you are planning things up\want to see how it plays out. Sure, if you bash on it long enough, you evolve a new play-style situated for these constraints, but something must keep you interested until that.

I doubt the minibases with railroad setup would be stimulated by this mod. After all, if you are constrained by roboports, just build more of them. And the rails ain't gonna lay themselves, you know.

Anyways, I'd suggest to start by looking at factorio/data/core/prototypes/god-controller.lua and factorio/data/base/scenarios/sandbox.lua . I think deriving from those will get a foundation.
And to make sure that player doesn't grab items he is not supposed to, the following events may be used on_player_main_inventory_changed, on_player_quickbar_inventory_changed. Will have to solve with all different kinds of situations in there (items taken from chests, unused assembler ingredients on recipe change, etc, etc).

I'm not going to code anything currently, but I'll drop by to have a look when there is something.