Portable Fusion Reactor visual appearance in relation of visual totality of game

[SunWolf]

For Glory

First I want to ardently thank Dev Team, for beautiful and interesting game craft.

If you look at Portable Fusion Reactor it looks as neo-light-future technology, mainly all rest technologies, parts, elements have retro-future industrial dark technolgy visual projection. its seems that progression of time, doesnt come here together in wholeness of game lore. I think this issue requires at least serious consideration.

1.Your Thoughts ?

[kirazy]

That would be because it's a reference.

[SunWolf]

great game shoud unfold from its own seeds, to have authenticity, not to become social rainbow. espescialy in this case, then in disturbts lore of game.
it doesnt look bad, but it do not fit correctly to time spirit of game.

[kirazy]

I agree. I think that they'll hit the technology and equipment visuals before too long.

[SunWolf]

it takes pretty of time to even think out and model out the one simple icon. especialy in such intelectualy rotten craft tools as windows- c++ - bios.

[5thHorseman]

The look of the thing has nothing on the implication... That you can build a portable fusion reactor but can't figure out how to set one down on the ground.

If anything the icon lends it an air of frivolity, making it easier to accept it in the game.

[SunWolf]

5thHorseman Factorio is video game, not only logical-craft game. i dont even tried to play many games because they look incorrect, infatile etc.
visual projections are very important. if you dont care about visuality, you miss so much in life.

[5thHorseman]

Never said I didn't care abbot visuals.

I said I care about logical progression more.

[SunWolf]

Be hormoniuos, its healthy.

[adamwong246]

I harbor resentment against the fusion reactor. Mainly because it gives free energy. Unlike every other aspect of the game, you get something for nothing. Feels like a cheat.

Your pack could easily be powered by any fuel source you like. If you can put wood in your gas tank, you should be able to burn wood in your backpack. There could be pack-charging stations or something. Or maybe just re-write the PFR to be, like, pedal powered so that it gets charged up by you walking around? This could be re-balanced further to incur a speed debuf.

So yeah, sorry to unload on the PFR but it's art doesn't fit the rest of the game and neither does it's function. This kind of keeps me up at night

[Koub]

Hope they won't change it. I love the hommage to one of the best film series I have watched as a kid.

[Durr]

I'm not really a fan of the free energy thing either. I wouldn't mind if it needed to use fuel to run.

[adamwong246]

According to this, a burner power source is a possibility. https://wiki.factorio.com/Prototype/GeneratorEquipment

burner
Type: EnergySource
Must be a burner energy source. If not defined, this equipment produces power for free.

[foamy]

I'm not really a fan of the free energy thing either. I wouldn't mind if it needed to use fuel to run.

Nuclear fuel, perhaps?

I'd begrudge sacrificing the inventory space, though.

[Durr]

I figured it would have it's own fuel inventory slot. Either a new GUI with fuel slots in it that opens when you right click on the PFR, or add fuel slots to the armor GUI when you have the PFR equipped.

[m44v]

There's a mod that adds portable power generators that uses fuel: https://mods.factorio.com/mod/Portable_power

[Koub]

[Koub] The original post was only about the looks, not the OPNESS, fuel or whatsoever. Please stay on topic.

[Hannu]

Nuclear fuel, perhaps?

I agree that fusion reactor is in wrong game. I thought always that it was placeholder for some better idea for energy production. I would replace fusion reactor with expendable radiothermal generator. It would be build from nuclear fuel cells and other high tech stuff. It would last for example 10 hours. So long that changing it would not be annoying repetitive routine but you could get nasty surprise if you forget it.

[JimBarracus]

Nuclear fuel, perhaps?

+1 for fish as fuel

[starlinvf]

5thHorseman Factorio is video game, not only logical-craft game. i dont even tried to play many games because they look incorrect, infatile etc.
visual projections are very important. if you dont care about visuality, you miss so much in life.

That sounds like a "you" problem then an actual game problem. All works of fiction require a level suspension of disbelief. And it deeply bothers me how despite being inherently subjective, people try to treat their individual thresholds as an objective truth.

Having grown up in the peak of nerd culture from the 90s, I both recognize how the tropes and references of that era are just as much a call back and life extension of tropes from eras that came before, as those from the 90s influence ours today. And more so now then any time before, that past fiction now actively shapes our reality, as our technological and philosophical advances continue to close the gap between the mundane and the fantastic. Many Science Fiction authors developed ideas and theories that we are NOW able to test and refine as a non-fictional concept. A surprising number of which are scientifically plausible, as the once fantastical elements are now being put into "hard science" equations.


To dismiss anything without just cause is ultimately narrowing your world view. So while you speak as though these things are beneath you, its deeply ironic you defend your position with how fiction is arbitrary. Because understand, the way you presenting your argument..... you're complaint effectively boils down to an interpretation of iconography, about an abstract representation, of an abstract concept, in an imprecise simulation, because you don't think its "correct" enough.

And thats not even touching upon your greatest sin in the matter..... Not even giving an example of what you believe to be a better alternative, so a debate of merits can actually be held. But I guess dogma passes for logic now days; so I shouldn't be that surprised.