Friday Facts #283 - Prepare to Launch

[pawel.dawidowski]

Fluid new algorithm was put aside for research. Does it mean it will be in some subversion 17.x ?

[5thHorseman]

So, during playtesting no issues were observed with much harder progressing into blue science?

I haven't tried the mod that changes the recipes for 0.16, but is 1 solid fuel and 0.5 advanced circuits really that "much harder" than 1 electric mining drill?

[QGamer]

The new roboport-style doors on the logistic chests are amazing!
I love it.

[Shingen]

oh, the conversation about enemy spawners/bases reminded me of this annoying issue in Factorio with destroying them: the biters respawn WAY to quickly imo.

currently, the only effective method of destroying a base that i found is to jump in the middle of it, preferably in a tank, destroy the spawners, and only then take care about the biters that are following you.
i'd love to have an effective option to destroy them in a slower, safer way, by leading the biters to a side, eliminating them, and then destroying the spawners + the few bugs that did manage to respawn.

currently, if you attempt to do that, when you return to the base it will be filled with biters again, and you can continue that ad nauseum.

this change with capping pollution stored in the spawners may help with that, in a way that after a spawner will spawn these 2-3 bugs it will stop, waiting for the pollution meter to refill... of course assuming there won't be enough pollution around instantly refilling it to satisfy its needs for another hour of a bloody battle.

[Egdod]

oh, the conversation about enemy spawners/bases reminded me of this annoying issue in Factorio with destroying them: the biters respawn WAY to quickly imo.

currently, the only effective method of destroying a base that i found is to jump in the middle of it, preferably in a tank, destroy the spawners, and only then take care about the biters that are following you.
i'd love to have an effective option to destroy them in a slower, safer way, by leading the biters to a side, eliminating them, and then destroying the spawners + the few bugs that did manage to respawn.

currently, if you attempt to do that, when you return to the base it will be filled with biters again, and you can continue that ad nauseum.

this change with capping pollution stored in the spawners may help with that, in a way that after a spawner will spawn these 2-3 bugs it will stop, waiting for the pollution meter to refill... of course assuming there won't be enough pollution around instantly refilling it to satisfy its needs for another hour of a bloody battle.

Only effective method is to jump in the middle? Are we playing the same game? Turret creep, nukes, kiting an ever decreasing circle focusing on spawners, slowly advancing in a tank using explosive rounds supported by bots and personal lasers, poison capsules....that’s five ways off the top of my head, all a lot better (safer?) than jumping into the middle

[dmsilev]

We were testing the algorithm, and there was a lot of back and forth, but the time was running by and there were some problems not that easy to fix. To prevent things from getting broken in a ways we couldn't anticipate and not to potentially delay the release any further, we decided to split the change.

So the fluid mixing prevention and fluid update optimisations are in 0.17, but the new algorithm was put aside for further research.

Does this mean "0.17.x for new fluid algorithm" (x>0), or "0.18.0 for new fluid algorithm"?

[5thHorseman]

Does this mean "0.17.x for new fluid algorithm" (x>0), or "0.18.0 for new fluid algorithm"?

To know when it will be fixed, they need to know how to fix it. If they knew how to fix it, it'd be fixed. Or 0.17 wouldn't be getting released, I expect.

[Cyclonut]

What, not released today, but you promised last week. I even left work early to see the new 0.17 relase!

Nice FFF post, but seriously, need the new relase. Rushed to finish the game on Wednesday, took Thursday to catch up on KoS videos, even Tuplex stopped broadcasting, and still no release? What will I do today/this weekend? Any chance we can get some sort of release please?

[GeoochGaming]

It would not have been normal if we did not need to edit things in the code or fix things, and since the Rocket Silo has an obscene amount of layers, layer switching and other crazy quirks in its animation, our beloved posila helped us fix all those issues, though he may have mentioned a few nasty words to himself along the way, and his commit messages contained words like 'black magic' more than once

'black magic'

[E-37]

It would not have been normal if we did not need to edit things in the code or fix things, and since the Rocket Silo has an obscene amount of layers, layer switching and other crazy quirks in its animation, our beloved posila helped us fix all those issues, though he may have mentioned a few nasty words to himself along the way, and his commit messages contained words like 'black magic' more than once

'black magic'

The mastery of black magic is important to being a successful programmer. It is volatile, impossible to understand after you finish it, and usually has drastic consequences for anyone who tries to copy it. It is also a great way to avoid having to do any actual documentation.

[Rseding91]

What, not released today, but you promised last week. I even left work early to see the new 0.17 relase!

No we didn't. Where are you reading that?

[Shingen]

Only effective method is to jump in the middle? Are we playing the same game? Turret creep, nukes, kiting an ever decreasing circle focusing on spawners, slowly advancing in a tank using explosive rounds supported by bots and personal lasers, poison capsules....that’s five ways off the top of my head, all a lot better (safer?) than jumping into the middle

well, alright, i didn't specify, but i was talking about early-mid game here, so no nukes (or artillery).
turret creep works, i give you that. however, it's bothersome, boring, and OP.
slowly advancing (which turret creep is a form of) works ONLY if you have enough firepower to blast everything to oblivion before it gets to you (and since in my experience in most cases they all attack at the same time that's a LOT of firepower). as i said, i want a safer solution.
poison capsules? maybe. tbh i've never used them.
and the last remaining thing is literally my solution - jumping in, trying to destroy the spawners, while kiting the horde following you.

again: the problem is that they respawn so fast, that you're unable to kill them fast enough, unless you're incredibly geared up.

[Davolution]

Can I assume that next Monday, the 25th would be the release of 0.17?
Would like to take the day off and knowing in advance would be great.

If any devs could give a lead to when we should expect release day, that would be very appreciated.

Thanks

[Cyclonut]

I usually read these FFF's on Steam, this is the first time I signed into the Forum. Also, not it seems that there is a disconnection of developers of Factorio on Steam postings, never seen one being answered there as you did now, thanks for that opportunity, because this is the best game I ever played.
So I believe that I read in the FFF282 that you will be releasing 0.17 next week. Sorry if that is not correct, may have been wishful thinking?

[5thHorseman]

What, not released today, but you promised last week. I even left work early to see the new 0.17 relase!

Citation Needed. Last week, they said they were shooting for (not promising) a release the week of the 25th, which (checks calendar) it is not, currently. They also have said many times they wouldn't release on a Friday. Which is - like - the opposite of a promise.

[posila]

Can I assume that next Monday, the 25th would be the release of 0.17?

It would be very unwise to assume it's gonna be on Monday. The thing is, we are not sitting on a thing that is ready to release, and will release it as soon as it seems to be in good enough state, so it is impossible to say exact day. It definitelly won't be on Friday, hopefully not Thursday, hopefully some day before Thursday.

[Voxera]

Awesome graphics for the silo

But I agree it moves a bit to fast and snappy.

Also, to me it appears to sit a bit to high in the silo when the doors open and close, when watching them close I almost expected the nose cone to be shaved of by the closing doors.

[TheRaph]

Can I assume that next Monday, the 25th would be the release of 0.17?
Would like to take the day off and knowing in advance would be great.

If any devs could give a lead to when we should expect release day, that would be very appreciated.

Thanks

No. Because they have written in last FFF that it will be released in the week after next (which is today's) FFF.
As we all know does a week in Europe start with Monday and ends with Sunday, so it could be released between Monday 25th February and Sunday 3rd March...
I feel they will release it before next FFF and I also think they will use the Weekend for playing it with their friends. So they will do last fixes on Monday and Tuesday. There for I expect the release on Wednesday or Thursday...

Edit: Submitted to late. As posila wrote, before Friday and not Monday

[Cyclonut]

What, not released today, but you promised last week. I even left work early to see the new 0.17 release!

Citation Needed. Last week, they said they were shooting for (not promising) a release the week of the 25th, which (checks calendar) it is not, currently. They also have said many times they wouldn't release on a Friday. Which is - like - the opposite of a promise.

Fine then, the developers will have all the fun for themselves this weekend, while I am many others will be tapping our fingers... Am going to start another game then, but my best finish time was 51 hours to launch the rocket. Are there any plans to make the game continue on another planet, but with a little more starting resources, or game options? Thanks.

[pleegwat]

They never promised week of the 25th either. If it's not out by Wednesday, it will probably slip to the week of the 4th of March.