I'm aware that the Factory mechanism is, or at least was considered to be, a "place holder" for something more refined when the development gets there. Here's a simple suggestion that wouldn't need that much of development while still adding to the game immersion: Make it a device but otherwise keep it. The Factory device would simply offer you the same interface as now. It would simply require you to unlock the tech, build it with resources, and place it on a base. No need to make anything fancy like a spawn platform or a construction site. Simply a device to access the Factory interface. *However*, do make it so that you must spawn your vehicle near the base that has the Factory device. Benefits: - Immersion. It's now something that exists in the game. - The "magic bag of holding for storing loot" exploit goes away. You need to transport your loot to your base and add it to the Factory, there. Encourages you to build transport vessels. - The "store a spare ship in your magic pocket for emergencies" exploit goes away. You can only spawn it near the device. - You can fine tune access to the Factory with tech unlock level and the resources needed to build it. - It's a target that can be destroyed and therefore needs to be protected. Obvious problem: What about early level blueprints if the Factory device has a high level requirement? My solution: Add the Factory device into some Polaris trade stations and offer access to it to the player, either for free or charge some payment. The player would, of course, still have to insert the required resources. Again, this gives you the challenge of transporting the required resources to the trade station and prevents you from magically summoning a ship in the wilderness. If people really insist , add to the Portable Constructor a low-level Factory that allows you to spawn unlock level 1 structures so you can have your starting game hover bike or something...
I've read repeatedly that the current factory is a placeholder and I hope that's the case. It's a really weird immersion breaking piece of functionality. I feel like having a 'vehicle bay' that is available super early but can be upgraded through later tiers is both a simple and effective solution. Start it out only able to make a HV of limited size. Attach additional blocks to it to increase maximum craft size (based on weight or volume?), expand the crafts it can make (SVs, CVs, BAs), increase crafting speed, etc... similar to how you can attach extensions to container controllers. It's probably more work, but I feel like I'd rather wait for a proper solution than just band aid the band aid.
This has been in discussion for some time. This is the most recent that I'm aware of: https://empyriononline.com/posts/426199/
I always thought it might be good to actually be able to spawn the blueprint right away. And be able to place multiple blueprints, but not actually to have the completed structure - just some sort of vague outline. That way the player would have to source materials and add them to the placed blueprint. Eventually the structure would take shape and be completed. Not much different from the current building process right enough.
Oh, I'm all for making the Factory a proper piece of the game with all the good visual and functional stuff. Like constructing a platform or a factory hall, having a hologram projection of the structure that gradually get assembled, or anything else the devs would deem appropriate for the "full version" of the Factory. I guess, what I was really suggesting was that if they have some kind of end goal in their mind how the Factory would work, then perhaps they could start advancing towards that in small steps? Sometimes seeing a massive total amount of work will make you postpone starting it, especially if there are other things you're doing as well. However, if you did it in tiny steps then it wouldn't be a big undertaking consuming all of the work capacity of one particular version update. I think changing the current "virtual Factory" into a in-game device block but keeping the functionality otherwise the same would be such a small step and probably compatible with all kind of things the Factory could finally end up looking. That would likely fit into a "minor change" slot of a version update work load, it would progress the functionality a bit forward, and the players would get an immediate visible improvement.
Well I hope they don't change it until the game is more stable. Currently, having a "Pocket Rocket" SV preloaded in the Factory is more of an emergency life boat when the game decides to "poof" your ship. I can't tell you how many times I have logged in to find my CV, loaded with all my stuff, either at the edge of the sector or just gone. And having an emergency SV to get back to planet or to the CV is the only thing keeping me from starting over from scratch each time. I would much rather have a "magic factory" than use Admin commands to teleport or dupe a ship....seems more immersion breaking and cheaty to use the commands. Also, keep in mind, not everyone that plays this game is a builder. A lot of people like having an option to spawn in a nice looking base or ship. Something that maybe they don't feel they can build and makes their experience in the game better by having a nice design to play with. With such an extensive Workshop, I would not want to force people to build, just leave that as an option. If it were an in-game device, how would you spawn in a Space Base? Would you want it placeable on a CV? SV? Would it be sector locked? Only usable in the sector or playfield you have the device? I agree that it is currently abused. Even I have started using it as a "dump all" when dismantling a POI or unused ship. Playing with M/V makes transporting materials extremely time consuming. You could end up spending several game sessions doing nothing but driving/flying back and forth just carrying materials if not for the current factory......not fun! I will be happy to stick with what we got for now. I look at it like I am selling all of these materials to a manufacturer using a Trading App, and in return I can "order" a ship or base. The idea of having a planet side/ orbital Star Port, where ships are spawned/BP'ed would be cool, but also brings questions....stocking with fuel/O2, transport to and from...etc. I kinda like the idea of a dedicated vehicle bay or pad for each type : HV, SV, and CV. I don't see how it would work for bases though.
@krosbonez You're quite right about making it an option. One of the things that has kept me in the game this long is the ability to choose the manner of play that suits me. If I HAD to enable M/V or CPU, I probably would have quit. If they ever go to MP only, I WILL quit. But that's another subject. However they decide, if they do decode, to create a "Factory Device", it's use should be optional between it and the current methods. As you say, not everyone is a builder. I personally think a platform should be part of the Factory. As I think about it, maybe it should be similar to a BA starter, with its own Core and, like BA,CV,SV&HV, have its own menu of available components. These could include the "repair bay" and "repair console" so the factory could repair as well. Just a thought. As for bases, generally speaking, bases aren't built in factories, although I suppose they could after a fashion. I guess for BAs, a 3D printer cannon would be required to print the base in the desired location.
Also, if you want to place a pre-built base blueprint, couldn't it simply work so that first you create manually a small base that has the Factory Device (and whatever else it requires) and then use that to build and place the prefab base? Would seem logical to me. You're first building a construction site and then using that to build the actual thing. This adds strategic depth as it requires you to solve the logistical problems and to defend your construction site for the duration. So, no longer "instant gun platforms out of your back pocket" when attacking a POI, which is just a good thing. And yes, I fully agree: all of these could be behind a difficulty option similar to the volume and CPU restrictions. People have different preferences. No reason not to allow the player the choice to customize.
Base blueprints are a minor issue, but only a minor one. A small base (or even a stand-alone piece of equipment like the portable constructor) could allow for the placement of small base blueprints. Larger based could be constructed by CVs that have the appropriate equipment. Hover your CV near where you want to drop a base, and use the CVs 'vehicle bay' to drop the base, still pretty simple. Of course, I'm in favor of options. I'm perfectly fine if people want the option to just drop down turret towers next to POIs in their personal games, but I think that for the default game settings... Empyrion can do better than the magic pocket factory.
Typically, the Base comes before the CV, though this is not a hard and fast rule (I bypass it occasionally). Of course, subsequent bases could indeed be built as you mention.
