how is this game compared to factorio?

[rando rambo]

I quite enjoy factorio, how is this like it?

[Commander Hitman2b]

less thing to do then factorio for what i see on youtube , no defense , no hostile alien attacking your factory , just you building a automated factory

[WhiteRabbit]

It's similar. It is good.

But, in its current state, it doesn't come close to Factorio.

Definitely worth a purchase, but needs much more depth.

Let me just say that it won't REPLACE Factorio, it will sit comfortably alongside.

And that's fine IMHO.

[[TE] Kuraudo]

They're going a different path than Factorio, sadly. In another thread, a poster linked to the devs saying they have no intention of adding any sort of base defense elements to the game. All the environments are hand crafted as well: no variation between plays and resources are infinite. The constant pressure you get in factorio to expand and hook up new resources before old stakes run out just isn't here.

That said, there is a game here: it appears the game flow is about unlocking more parts by using resources. Problem is, going up the tiers here (this game's version of a tech tree) doesn't require many resources which in turn means you don't need much automation. For example, imagine if you could go a long ways up the tech tree in factorio without any automation whatsoever and you could do so quickly.

I haven't progressed very far so who knows what higher tiers are like, but one thing that sticks out to me is that the game's power setup at low tiers is very.... unfun. You basically have to play gardener gathering leaves (I'm not joking) for a biomass reactor to power your smelters. Adding insult to injury is that early game seems to be more efficient when your self-powered auto miners seem to be able to mine greater quantities of resources than the actual externally powered mega ones. Worse, you can create usable resources at these low tiers (for example, iron plates) faster than your assembly machine. It seems incredibly counter-intuitive and not at all what I'd expect from a factory game this mature in its lifecycle.

Early Access and all that, but I wouldn't compare this to factorio at all. 3d factories are neat, but I don't get the thrill of ruthless efficiency and Expand, Exploit, and Exterminate I get from Factorio. This game sorely needs base defense.

[IPWIW]

way simpler

[DaBa]

Yeah, don't listen to the Factorio fanboys who have not even played Satisfactory. Take it from somebody who has played both games for a long time. Only the basic idea is the same, the gameplay mechanics and what you do in the game is quite different:

- There is no base defence, but there is instead exploration of a giant, hand crafted map and combat with roaming monsters.

- It's a much more relaxing game where you can take things at your own pace, there is no failure state.

- In Satisfactory the factories you build won't be as complex early on, instead the challenge will be in managing all of it in a 3D space. Three dimensions don't sound like a lot, but trust me when I say that verticality changes a lot more than you think.

- People who say it's way simpler are either lying, or are ignorant and have not played much of it. It's complex in a different way than Factorio is. In Factorio most of the complexity comes from expanding your base to get access to new materials, figuring out how to move those materials and arrange your production chain, all the while defending all of it from biters. In Satisfactory the complexity comes from the building process of your factory in a three dimensional space, efficiently utilizing your resources with alternative unlockable recipes, exploration and traversal of dangerous terrain to find important collectables such as power slugs or hard drives.

- Obvious one, but man the game looks so good and the world you are in feels so alive, compared to the simple and utilitarian look of Factorio. Much more immersive.

So, if you want a more challenging game that focuses more on planning and problem solving, Factorio is your pick. If you want a more relaxing experience that has a beautiful world to explore and has really engaging building mechanics, Satisfactory is the way to go.

[Mansen]

Originally posted by HaddockA:

Originally posted by DaBa:

Yeah, don't listen to the Factorio fanboys who have not even played Satisfactory.

Factorio happens to be the second highest rated game on Steam after Portal 2 and higher rather than Witcher 3 on Steam or in other words; Factorio doesn't need any fanboys to prove that it's the far superior game.

Originally posted by DaBa:

Take it from somebody who has played both games for a long time.

Says the one with 16.4 hrs on record for Factory....

1. That's not how comparisons work. Factorio has been on sale for almost half a decade at this point, and is reaching 1.0 soon. Satisfactory isn't at that point yet - You may want to load up some old builds of Factorio and see just how long it has come in that many years.

2. The game has been out for about a year (plus closed beta), so basing anyone's "play time" based on their STEAM account is just plain silly.

[RahKiel]

Same genre, not same goal/feeling.

More like a sandbox factory builder than anything else.
Unlimited ressource, no alien hazard for your construction.

Originally posted by TE Kuraudo:

I haven't progressed very far so who knows what higher tiers are like, but one thing that sticks out to me is that the game's power setup at low tiers is very.... unfun. You basically have to play gardener gathering leaves (I'm not joking) for a biomass reactor to power your smelters. Adding insult to injury is that early game seems to be more efficient when your self-powered auto miners seem to be able to mine greater quantities of resources than the actual externally powered mega ones. Worse, you can create usable resources at these low tiers (for example, iron plates) faster than your assembly machine. It seems incredibly counter-intuitive and not at all what I'd expect from a factory game this mature in its lifecycle.

First automation tier is mainly manpower saving.
Within a few step, you get the chainsaw that drastically reduce the time needing gathering leaves/wood for biomass/solid biofuel (far more efficient than biomass).
And sure little miner are faster than miner, but need regular check. Basic ressources (mainly iron needed early) is common enough to make multiple assembly lines.

Keep in mind that MK1 model are basics model (next ones double mining rate each time). And while you may craft faster alone, add slower but automatic production line is still more efficient. With only 2 iron node exploited, you may craft plate, rod, screw, then rotor and reinforced plate.
Let it work while exploring around, planning or building better/next factory foundation. Just get back to fill generator. Each one of them may work for 60 minutes alone with a full tank of solid biofuel.

Though i may understand that it will rebute some. You will mainly have to do thing by yourself until tier 3, that may take a few hours, to unlock coal mining and generator, thus getting self-sustained power production.

TL:NR
Game's good.
Chiller than factorio, no menace here, just you working as industrialise that planet.
Some personnal hazard, but nothing much.
I would advise seeking stream, as early game is not representative of most of the game.

EDIT :
Can't wrap my mind around why some people are forcibly comparing both of them, calling trash on one or the other.
The game is good, period.
Not as much fluid than a weak-graphic game that focus on features/utility/performance.
Not as much content as a game that got few more year behind it.
Just not the same objective.

[Mansen]

Originally posted by HaddockA:

If someone is interested in spending money on Satisfactory, then this comparison is most definitely important, because what matters to a buyer now is what they're getting NOW and not what they MIGHT be getting somewhere in the future.

That isn't at all how you presented those statistics however - Factorio didn't become an all time classic overnight. It took years to get to that point, and the review score has gone up accordingly. Your comparison is pointless given your own argument, since Satisfactory has not reached the same level of development or polish yet.

Is it meaningful in terms of "Which should I go out and buy today?" ? Yes. But that isn't remotely what your argument was to begin with. Also incidentally Satisfactory has a rating of 89% after under a day.

Originally posted by HaddockA:

I don't bash anything or anyone, I'm only pointing out that your 16.4 hrs on record for Factorio contradict your claim that you've played Factorio for a long time.

You're still using incomplete statistics to measure someone's experience with the game - Factorio has been Steamless for years before it became the norm. I could have over a thousand hours in the game, and you wouldn't be able to see it by judging me by the hours that Steam happens to have recorded for me.

[DaBa]

Originally posted by HaddockA:

Originally posted by DaBa:

Yeah, don't listen to the Factorio fanboys who have not even played Satisfactory.

Factorio happens to be the second highest rated game on Steam after Portal 2 and higher rather than Witcher 3 on spot #3 or in other words; Factorio doesn't need any fanboys to prove that it's the far superior game.

Originally posted by DaBa:

Take it from somebody who has played both games for a long time.

...says the one with 16.4 hrs on record for Factorio.

This is so bad... are you actually trying to make yourself look bad? Seriously, come on.

1. Your first reply doesn't even have anything to do with what I wrote. You actually proved what I said. You don't compare how different games are by looking at their Steam ratings... that's not how comparison works... oh god why. I mean, I can't believe I have to explain this to somebody but here we are.

2. You really don't know anything, do you? So let me tell you why: You can buy their game on their website. Actually, this is what you should be doing because that's how the get 100% of your money. I have played most of the game off Steam in this exact way. How much I don't know, but probably around 200-300 hours if I were to guess. I only own the Steam version so I can easily install the game on other machines that have Steam. Hence why I don't play that version a lot. My question to you is: why don't you know about it and why haven't you done that yourself if you think the game is so superior?

3. Your comment addresses none of my actual points, only the points that call you out as a blind. ignorant fanboy you are. You make it painfully obvious how you have absolutely zero arguments, you know nothing about Satisfactory, and the only thing you care about is making it look bad. Congratulations, you played yourself.

[DaBa]

Originally posted by Mansen:

Originally posted by HaddockA:

If someone is interested in spending money on Satisfactory, then this comparison is most definitely important, because what matters to a buyer now is what they're getting NOW and not what they MIGHT be getting somewhere in the future.

That isn't at all how you presented those statistics however - Factorio didn't become an all time classic overnight. It took years to get to that point, and the review score has gone up accordingly. Your comparison is pointless given your own argument, since Satisfactory has not reached the same level of development or polish yet.

Is it meaningful in terms of "Which should I go out and buy today?" ? Yes. But that isn't remotely what your argument was to begin with. Also incidentally Satisfactory has a rating of 89% after under a day.

Originally posted by HaddockA:

I don't bash anything or anyone, I'm only pointing out that your 16.4 hrs on record for Factorio contradict your claim that you've played Factorio for a long time.

You're still using incomplete statistics to measure someone's experience with the game - Factorio has been Steamless for years before it became the norm. I could have over a thousand hours in the game, and you wouldn't be able to see it by judging me by the hours that Steam happens to have recorded for me.

Don't bother, he's clearly just some kid who wants to ♥♥♥♥ on Satisfactory because it's trendy. He's incapable of critical thinking and objective analysis, and he has already proven that he won't change his mind, even if you call him out and dismantle every single point he makes. He'll just keep inventing new ones as if it doesn't matter, and move the goalpost all around the world. Debating such people is pointless, just call them out, make fun of them, and let them REEEEE in response.

[Siegfried]

both are good in their own ways. i like this game simply because its 3d. factorio on the other hand is moddable. overall i think factorio is better because its been much longer in development therefore more content plus mods

[DaBa]

Originally posted by Siegfried:

both are good in their own ways. i like this game simply because its 3d. factorio on the other hand is moddable. overall i think factorio is better because its been much longer in development therefore more content plus mods

Satisfactory is moddable too, so there is no "on the other hand".

On that other point, I also think that Factorio is a better game if you try to objectively quantify it, thanks to all those years of development. But that doesn't mean everybody will enjoy Factorio more because of that, in reality that hardly ever means that. Games are different enough to attract different type of audience.

[sansee]

It might depend on how you are as a person and what you like.

- They both look really good, actually. Factorio is more "simpler" in some aspects. Satisfactory can be more frustrating sometimes as you don't get the same over-view perspective as you get in Factorio and you migth feel you're not in control, but it's literally more involving and satisfactory(!) as a 1st person player game. Like others have said, more immersive, naturally.

- They're both highly moddable, but the need for a mod in Satisfactoy is much less i feel.

- For me they are both complex in terms of production, but at the same time Satisfactory, through exploration and other possibilities offer alternative production setups you gain from exploring; harddrives and slugs.

- Enemies in Factorio WILL come after you (unless you op-out on having those biters), where as in Satisfactory YOU need to seek them out (of course, if you are close by and they sniff you then they will try to come after you, but here they usually stay in their territory so you can outrun them). For some, that might be more stressfull. In Satisfatcory I can consentrate on actually building and not constantly be on guard.

- Factorio is more micro-managing smaller pieces, while in Satisfactory you can nearly feel you handle and building big parts. They both steadily gives you more advanced things to build.

- In Factorio you unlock new things by using science lab and creating these 6 special but different science packs which can be a little pita to build/handle, but also more comlex in that respect.

In Satisfactory you actually use building parts you already have and use in the game to build with to send into space to unlock higher tiers. For me the latter feels more like it has a purpose (imagines that someone (Oblivion?) up there needs parts to expand). But the game continues.

In Factorio you are all alone and the end goal is to build your way up and "home". <--- this might also be the case in Satisfactory, but the devs have clarly said they will not introduce a story before the main game is completed (which is a good thing i think).

- Most importantly, Satisfactory is thus more of a "sandbox" at the moment, while Factorio feels it stops after 20-70 hours when you launch the rocket. In Satisfactory, also due to the fact that you can encapsulate and build your factory in many ways, going 100-200 hours in to the game is no problem. In my first play I've now over 90 hours in and I haven't unlocked everything yet. (Seeing online how these advanced parts are produced on youtube/twitch, I might conlcude later in the game that Satisfactory offers way more in terms of "comlexity"...)

- TL:DR - They're both more "complex" and "easier" than the other depending on how and what you look at/for. However, ultimately they are different games...

Honestly, I really like both. Even though I started with Factorio and now only play Satisfacttory (between those two that is), I plan on getting back to Factorio.

I'm sure I've forgotten something now... :D

EDIT: Satisfactory also have this awsome tool: https://satisfactory-calculator.com/

[DaBa]

One thing that also has to be mentioned is that doing large scale project is much harder in Satisfactory. And not because of good reasons.

Having to build things from a first person perspective is not as intuitive as placing things from top down view in 2D space, it's much harder to judge things like distance or alignment, elevation becomes another aspect of the equation, and you never really have a good overview of everything around you because of the first person FOV. So, while this works perfectly fine if you play the game the "intended way", meaning you don't go overboard and overproduce everything, some people just like to build big things. And the current, vanilla version of the game does not support that well. Building big things will take a significant amount of time and manual labor, thanks to there not being any tools to allow building things in bulk.

Thankfully this can be solved using mods. There is one mod specifically called Area Actions, that does what you can guess it does from the name and some extra things like flight, which also helps a lot with building complex structures in 3 dimensions. I recommend getting it if you plan to go really big with your factory.

[sansee]

Going further on what I wrote earlier I'll be quite honest; I used to be a Factorio fan only (while still respecting others views) before trying Satisfactory. I actually thought is was some cheap, empty bs world game like many other 1st person game these days.

Oh boy, was I seriously wrong! Thank you devs for making an awsome, fun, good-looking and yet complex game. And if you finally relase it on GOG later on too, I'll buy it again ;)