What is so good about this game?

[Durcaz]

So i want to be clear here, im not trying to be toxic. Im honestly curious.

What is so fun about grinding away, building up a factory for dozens of hours?

I think im missing something here. What makes the game fun for you?

[Los]

factorio for me is like a puzzle game figuring out the different ways of doing stuff and expanding

[Shadow1180]

for me, I work in manufacturing, so the process of automation here allows me to test out different ideas for efficiency. Not to mention, you put on some calming music, relax, have your favorite drink, and it can kill hours out of your day.

[Name Lips]

The base-building genre is my absolute favorite type of game. I dislike anything that requires reflexes, and shooters specifically. I also don't much like online or competitive games.

But planning and logistics? Hell yeah! I like seeing a well-layed plan turn into something complex, beautiful, and efficient. You can actually see the fruits of your labor automatically going about their business.

The game is like solving a long series of logistic puzzles, and then feeling smart when you see it all coming together.

[Durcaz]

Originally posted by Name Lips:

The base-building genre is my absolute favorite type of game. I dislike anything that requires reflexes, and shooters specifically. I also don't much like online or competitive games.

But planning and logistics? Hell yeah! I like seeing a well-layed plan turn into something complex, beautiful, and efficient. You can actually see the fruits of your labor automatically going about their business.

The game is like solving a long series of logistic puzzles, and then feeling smart when you see it all coming together.

Oh so its just some setup and then fine tuning to get things running properly?

That actually sounds insanely cool haha

[Los]

if fine tuning u mean tearing everything/most things down and re-building then yes

[Durcaz]

Originally posted by wanyfer:

if fine tuning u mean tearing everything/most things down and re-building then yes

haha

i might give this a try sometime.

[Los]

its just so fun getting the terrain thrown at u then figuring out layouts and hot to optimise everything to work well and trying to automate nearly everything is the fun part... eventualy u figure out the optimal way of doing things but then u just add a mod or 2 that can change nearly everything so the fun can go on for hours lol... i had the game before it came to steam and the hours i've spent on it is incredible

[SeaBee]

Once you learn the base game, mods add a lot more challenge and can make the game more fun. I enjoy running trains to transport resources, materials and equipment.

[bonesbro]

I like designing, planning, organizing, puzzling out efficient ways to do things, etc.

There's a demo you can try out! It's linked from one of the stickies in the forum.

[KatherineOfSky]

OP, there is no grind in Factorio. You build and build, creating new assemby lines all the time, expanding ever outward. You can build the factory as big or small as you like! If you are ever watiting for stuff to finish, you aren't using time wisely -- building production bigger will help get things made faster!

Try out the demo -- it is basically the tutorial/campaign. It's nothing like the freedom of Freeplay, but it'll give you a little idea about the puzzle aspect of the game.

[Durcaz]

Originally posted by KatherineOfSky:

OP, there is no grind in Factorio. You build and build, creating new assemby lines all the time, expanding ever outward. You can build the factory as big or small as you like! If you are ever watiting for stuff to finish, you aren't using time wisely -- building production bigger will help get things made faster!

Try out the demo -- it is basically the tutorial/campaign. It's nothing like the freedom of Freeplay, but it'll give you a little idea about the puzzle aspect of the game.

Yeah i definitely didn't understand the objective i'll admit that.

I watched a friends broadcast one time and he made it look grindy but i guess he just wasnt that good.

Thanks for all the replies guys!

[Morphic]

For me, Factorio is an incredibly relaxing brain teaser type of game. As an avid RTS/TBS fan that got really burnt out on StarCraft 2 Competitive Leagues(made Diamond but Master was far beyond me) ... I love the Base Building aspect of Factorio. It's basically why I got into RTSes in the first place; building bases.

However, unlike "City Builder" games that either require tons of Micromanagement or constantly fussing over resources/objectives/milestones/putting out proverbial fires ... Factorio is just so laid back. You can build and expand at your own pace. Sure things can be really complex at first; like figuring out an efficient Green Science Manufacturing layout, then feeling like an invalid when you get to Blue Science. Though that's part of the fun because the game doesn't directly punish you for having bad layouts; stuff still works and you are still progressing. It just won't be as good/fast as if you had an optimum layout.

Finally, thankfully,(depending on who you ask heh) theres action and urgency to break up the otherwise brain teaser/butcher nature of the game. This being the Aliens. They essentially operate as Zerg from StarCraft or "The Bugs" from Starship Troopers. They'll leave you alone for a great while until you have a big base, then they'll start attacking you in waves. They play a vital role, IMO, in that they bring action to the game. Sure you could spend another hour trying to find a better layout for your Science Packs or your Computer Circuits ... or you can build a Munitions Depot to churn out some RPGs, AP Ammo, Tank Shells and go on a Safari to burn down the world. It's basically whatever you want to do.

TLDR: I really enjoy Factorio's unique blending of a Logistics based "Puzzle" game and traditional RTS gameplay. I love all these aspects from various genres; Starting with nothing and feeling you are playing a Survival Game when you first start, once you have a basic Miner/Smelter setup you now begin playing a complex game of Tetris. Then, once you feel you have a good grasp on the solution to your current "Puzzle" some giant bugs begin gnawing at you; causing you to play a bit of StarCraft with them.

[DCYW]

Educational RTS

[Fel]

What I like about factorio is that it lets you figure out your builds based on what you need/want to make, with increasingly complex assembly lines.
To go much further than the base game on how many things and steps I need (to keep things fresh for me), i use mods like bob's and angel's mods (also called misery simulator by those that don't enjoy that aspect).

The core of factorio is automating as much as you can, from mining to finished products, and figure out a way to do that semi-efficiently (by yourself or with help from guides and images of other people's works).

To distract you when you are bored (or pose a genuine threat early on depending on your settings), there are also enemies that grow as the game progresses, from fairly weak beasts to giant and tough things that either bite or spit acid.

All in all, it feels much like how modded minecraft does, but without all of that manual resource collection and as much automation for everything as possible, where you oversee things and develop it in the direction that fits your wants or needs.

[DCYW]

Originally posted by Fel:

What I like about factorio is that it lets you figure out your builds based on what you need/want to make, with increasingly complex assembly lines.
To go much further than the base game on how many things and steps I need (to keep things fresh for me), i use mods like bob's and angel's mods (also called misery simulator by those that don't enjoy that aspect).

The core of factorio is automating as much as you can, from mining to finished products, and figure out a way to do that semi-efficiently (by yourself or with help from guides and images of other people's works).

To distract you when you are bored (or pose a genuine threat early on depending on your settings), there are also enemies that grow as the game progresses, from fairly weak beasts to giant and tough things that either bite or spit acid.

All in all, it feels much like how modded minecraft does, but without all of that manual resource collection and as much automation for everything as possible, where you oversee things and develop it in the direction that fits your wants or needs.

Its just those behemeth worms scares the hella me, i was not prepared for those worms