Semi-interesting concept, but it's initially _very_ hard to get into because of how AI slop-coded the intro is. Do your own writing! Also the game was way too manual, you can't just call any game with conveyor belts Factorio. Not once in the game did it feel like I automated any process.
If you can get past all of that, the game does get somewhat interesting. The first level is just a game of APM, replacing your components with higher quality components until 100% and you win. The 2nd level puts reliability behind identification which has a cooldown. This was pretty neat because you discover how to use the markers + feedback loops to actually create a useful reliability comparator. You then use that to only identify candidates with known-higher reliability.
Unfortunately I think that's where the game (and maybe even the concept?) peaks. The 3rd level is basically identical, but with a longer cooldown on identification. That does teach you to use counters as an early source of high quality components to sort against (reliability% = components counted / total components on conveyor) but the winning strategy remains the same. The added Marker-Gate component doesn't really become useful until your reliability is high enough (or not without cascading 5+ or more of them) so the way to beat level 3 is exactly the same as level 2.
It would be cool to see this evolve into something more meaningful, but I have a feeling you'll quickly find out why all automation games have 100% reliable machines.
Same feedback - conditional probability until you eventually straight pipe a 100% reliability sorter to the solution. I think one workaround is to have a max reliability for the level - say 95% - requiring actual infrastructure in the long run.
budro · · focus · HN ↗
If you can get past all of that, the game does get somewhat interesting. The first level is just a game of APM, replacing your components with higher quality components until 100% and you win. The 2nd level puts reliability behind identification which has a cooldown. This was pretty neat because you discover how to use the markers + feedback loops to actually create a useful reliability comparator. You then use that to only identify candidates with known-higher reliability.
Unfortunately I think that's where the game (and maybe even the concept?) peaks. The 3rd level is basically identical, but with a longer cooldown on identification. That does teach you to use counters as an early source of high quality components to sort against (reliability% = components counted / total components on conveyor) but the winning strategy remains the same. The added Marker-Gate component doesn't really become useful until your reliability is high enough (or not without cascading 5+ or more of them) so the way to beat level 3 is exactly the same as level 2.
It would be cool to see this evolve into something more meaningful, but I have a feeling you'll quickly find out why all automation games have 100% reliable machines.
trylfthsk · · focus · HN ↗