Recognized by Council Factory Streamline Thread 763

[BDLS]

Make the game easier to use for new players (actually everyone) where it counts: constructing ships from the shipyard.

1) Condense all the factories (basic, standard, advanced) into one type. It's unnecessary to have 3, and annoying to look up or remember which ones make what part. It is my belief tiers aren't good for a game like this, not that this could even be really called much of a tiered system as far as building the factories themselves.

2) Make shipyards control (link to) factories, so they automatically pull raw materials and produce the items required for a shipyard design to be filled. Multiple factories and enhancers will still be a thing, since they'd still want to produce X item per tick. You wouldn't have to manually make 3 decorative computers, 4 mini cactii, and X other part to bring your ship in. IMO, the main problem in Starmade as far as gameplay goes.

3) While the shipyard and it's factories are working, the shipyard menu can have an item list showing what raw resources are being used, how many you have, and highlighting those you lack in red.

4) Factories have the ability to produce blocks manually with the original recipes, so you can stock up on materials for economic/storage reasons.


Discuss.

 

[jayman38]

I simply agree. After all, this is The Future TM.

I don't even think a builder should need more than a bunch of crystal, rock, and mesh as raw source materials. Or even just scrap, though scrap should take longer to process. The number of factories linked to the shipyard simply define how fast raw materials are converted into final parts.

 

[Sgtwisky]

I wouldn't mind having the factories condensed. But if we had factories that were a bit more... distinct with what they made I might not mind ether. As an example, an "Armor" factory that only made hull and all the standard and advanced armor. An Effect factory that makes the effect computers and models, a "weapon factory". At least then it would make sense as to which factory to use. But the current system is a bit confusing. The ONLY reason I would have multiple factories like that at the moment, would be to reduce the overall list size. If you can't remember the name of what you want, searching the list is a B****.

 

[nightrune]

Has anyone played factorio? The distinction on those factories was how many ingredients the factory could use to make the output. I would be fine with that as a determine factor. I rather appreciate the slight complexity in factories. I thought it was neat in earlier gameplay. As a veteran it can be rather annoying. I really think threads like this should be approached with caution on how long op has played.

Some sort of logistics block would be great though. I'd rather not overload the shipyard.

Let's say this block allows you to set quotas on blocks, then allowed you to slave factories and storage as op said. Also give it an option to add quotas based on designs.

This would be more useful then just having it in the shipyard.

 

[ToasterBorst]

Great stuff, keep up the discussion.. because this one is getting bumped! Has #2 really not been suggested before? I know I've heard this almost a dozen times.

 

[Madman198237]

#2 was suggested a while back in large discussion, so must of this is just repeats. I like the idea of reducing micromanagement, but perhaps a time penalty so that factory management still requires you to stock up and more advanced materials before producing ships. What I mean by that is that the further down the chain you have to go (Raw materials----->basic blocks---->advanced blocks----->ship), the longer it should take. And I mean a lot longer. This would encourage some actual gameplay and thought (As in stockpiling certain kinds of oft-needed blocks [Armor, shield blocks, power blocks]).
The logistics block should be able to have a shipyard computer (Or multiple shipyard computers) as masters, and must be capable of being linked to factories, storage, capsule refineries, etc., and even rail dockers (To properly move materials between storage sites).

The logistics block should be a block in which you can give orders for blocks, and it will then use the factories and storages under its control in an effort to make the number of blocks you want. There should also be a way to set an order that will keep a constant store of X material in connected storages among others.
It should also coordinate efforts among factories (If F1 is producing advanced armor, have F2, F3, F4, and F5 work together to produce needed materials) and refineries/etc.
All of this, once again, was discussed/suggested in another thread a while ago.

 

[BDLS]

I don't really see the need for any additional blocks to add complexity to the system. But perhaps it could work to be useful.

Great stuff, keep up the discussion.. because this one is getting bumped! Has #2 really not been suggested before? I know I've heard this almost a dozen times.

I personally suggest it in chat nearly every time I'm in, thought I'd make a post for once. Others probably have done the same, seems like a logical progression from the current factories and shipyards.

@Madman198237
which thread was this all discussed in? Did a quick search didn't see anything.

 

[Madman198237]

I have been summoned! I shall provide the requisite information!

This thread: Brainstorm This - Factory Coordinator Computer [Slightly updated]

 

[Lukwan]

I thought it was neat in earlier gameplay. As a veteran it can be rather annoying.

Ditto for me.

Crafting in factories can get tedious for needless reasons. The look-up list is long and has just two ways to use it: search and a huge scroll that won't even remember where I left it (adding to my scrolling). It should be obvious that if I just crafted some standard tetras I might want to craft some other types of that same armour. There are no categories or alternate ways to access the data-base of recipes. In most other areas Starmade gives me great control and facility but in the factories I feel like a noob because there are currently no 'smart' ways to save steps. Simplify the factories but improve the interface.

-Craft-able. multi stack armour: yes
-Nightrune's 'ingredients' idea: yes
-Sgtwisky's categories: better than the current divisions.
-BDLS's OP: good, lets go all in and merge them...at least down to two.

Is this game about designing cool spaceships or about training to be the best factory management associate?

 

[Sgtwisky]

Hum... I may have thought of something that could work.

Goals:
1. Make factories have less annoying micro. (More Important mid-late game)
2. Improve the ability to find what you are attempting to craft (Important in all game stages)
3. Allow factories to have lots of options and creativity while not being too "Complex" to start using.
4. Condense factories... Sort of...
5. Allow come kind of auto manufacture of blocks needed for a ship design.

OK. There are a few ideas I had when giving this suggestions discussion a good hard think.

First I would add a "Category Filter" to all factories. Something similar to the Nav Filter but for the block categories in game. Maybe also split Hull/Standard/Adv. armor up into separate categories. SO you could "filter" your drop down list as well as search or just scroll.

Next I would make it so that the Basic Factory could produce ALL the recopies and rename it to "Factory". One thing I have found annoying is that for some things I forget which factory they are built with. Its just plain annoying.

Thirdly I would make the "Standard Factory" into a "Painting Station". Basically this would be able to recolor your hull blocks regardless of their shape, or type. (See many other threads on this topic for any details)

Next I would Take the Adv. Factory and add some extra functions to it that the basic doesn't have. The ability to Maintain a specified amount of blocks in storage connected to it. The list may or may not need to have a limit per Factory. Maybe enhancers could allow for larger amounts to be maintained?

Finally, I would propose that the shipyard computer can slave the advanced factory. When this happens, the Adv. Factory would then attempt to temporarily "Maintain" the stock of materials that the shipyard requires. So for example it will make/store 100 Standard Black Armor Tetras. Then the shipyard pulls those Tetras, and asks the Adv. Factory to maintain the 2000 power caps it needs. It would do this until the ship was built. The shipyard should however attempt to pull from any storage's before requesting the adv. factory to maintain any block. Why build/store the block if you don't need it.