Looking for feedback on beta branch: Omnipipes & other 3D pipes

[Erik Asmussen]

I've got a very big update almost ready to go, but I wanted to get a lot of people playing it to make sure it doesn't have any big bugs in it.

The patch notes are below, it's got a bunch of great stuff in it. But because so much has changed, it's likely opened up some new issues! So I've put it on the beta branch so people can hammer on it.

Just please be aware once you start building pipes & stuff in this version, your map won't be functional if you switch back to the default branch and try to load it again. So consider saving a separate copy of your map in .117.

To get the beta branch:

- Open your Steam Library and right click on Factory Town
- Choose 'Properties'
- Click on the 'Betas' tab
- In "select the beta you would like to opt into" choose "beta" (no access code needed)
- The game should start automatically downloading the new files

Patch notes:

• Added Omnipipes - high-end path structure that can transport any item above or below ground
  
• Omnipipes, Mana Pipes, and Steam Pipes can be built above-ground in 3D space
  
• Item slots show as grids if > 4 of that slot type
  
• Fixed being unable to delete connectors if not on a pipe
  
• Buildings will cycle outputs between all available paths (including grabbers, belts, chutes, and omnipipes)
  
• Alternate structure toggle added to switch between pillars & arches (default key: TAB)
  
• Necklace cost of 4 polished stones reduced to 2 polished stones
  
• Pipes now connect only to buildings where tile is on terrain. (Retroactive links are preserved)
  
• Fixed bug where computational blocks on the Mana Grid layer would only work if the Mana layer was active
  
• Transmitted Mana and Elemental crystals now have a new icon to differentiate from terrestrial crystals
  
• Packager forces item uniqueness in slots so it doesn't get full of item A and be unable to process item B
  
• Packager unpacked item capacity increased to 4 slots of 8 items each
  
• Packager will alternate items to pack
  
• Removed Infinite Belt Speed research (so that Omnipipes have late-game priority)
  
• Auto-path tool will use the last existing support structure when automatically adding new support structures to path
  
• Inventory sensors will correctly identify filtered items in packages
  
• Fixed packager allowing input items to be grabbed as output when they weren't being actively processed
  
• Directional paths (belts, omnipipes) can deposit into a building's default output node
  
• Mana Transmitters and Mana Receivers now work with plain Mana Connectors
  
• Fixed belt items getting stuck if belt direction was reversed
  
• Fixed some cases where slot uniqueness was overridden
  
• Packager no longer allows selecting multilpe recipes
  
• Increased capacity for Fuel slots from 20 to 40
  
• Grabbers won't pull items onto chutes if there is no chute inlet facing the building
  
• Fixed Grabber trying to output invalid items onto Chutes
  
• Packager assigns Input and Output attributes to its inventory (based on active recipe) for more consistent behavior
  
• Pipes on 2D layers can now cross over without intersecting. To create an intersection, end the path drag on the other pipe.

[TerraSleet]

I really like how intuitive it is to build pipes in the main world. You can just drag an omni pipe from one building to another and in many cases the connectors will be placed for you, this is great. The vertical omnipipes open up an opportunity for some really clean and compact transportation lines.

Some problems with this I noticed. None of these are really bugs, just little presentation/QoL issues.

• There doesn't appear to be a way to connect a pipe to a building's roof or the highest tile of its sides. Maybe I'm doing it wrong, but I tried a bunch of different methods and couldn't get it to work.
  
• Input and output connectors look identical which can make it hard to distinguish why a connector isn't accepting or pulling materials. An arrow painted on the connector would probably fix this. This applies to both connectors on the side of a building and on the floor/bottom of the building.
  
• Drawing a pipe to/from a building, with the pipe moving parallel to its edge, doesn't automatically produce a connector.
  
• You can't transfer items from an omni connector to a belt/chute, I'm not sure why you'd ever want to do this, but hey.
  
• You can't place mana connectors on top of mana receivers or transmitters. Also the underground connectors to receiver/transmitters look odd but function normally.
  
• Placing a single omni connector between two buildings spaced one tile apart doesn't work as you'd imagine (transferring from one building to another in the arrow's direction.)
  
• Placing an omni connector on terrain facing away from a building will pull out a material. If you delete the connector, the material stays there and can't be removed until you place an omni pipe on it. Handy for placing signs and labelling buildings! But still a bug none-the-less.

[Captain Carrot]

Shutes appear broken. If a peep drops grain on from the open end of the shute, the grain rolls down. If they drop on from the side of the shute the grain just sits there.

[gyorokpeter]

I find the 3D pipe building to be much more tedious than the 2D one, although it is also more flexible.
Having many pipes on the screen causes a significant FPS drop.
I think omnipipes are very expensive for their use case (4 high-end items for just 1 tile and 2 of those are also the lv5 items best delivered to houses). I'm not convinced that they would beat rails in terms of cost/benefit ratio.

[akzerg]

Please don't change Mana Pipes set. 3D is a disaster.
Very difficult to use and also occupy multiple cargo outlets. I have to use huge space on the ground to place pipes.
My approach is to move the building conveyor into the air as well as solve the problem.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1834044778

https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/797620707230130524/0356139A73B6AFF210A2A8AB4A21C1DF713123B9/

[nanofi]

I found vertical steam pipes don't deliver the steam. Is it an expected behavior?

[Erik Asmussen]

Nope that must be a bug, will check it out!

[Brewdog]

I do like the new pipes but I think I have found a issue with them in Overlay grid mode, Logistick Blocks the ones that split, grabber ectt while in this mode there is no arrow to indicate when I rotate were it going.
Edit wanted to be clear the Arrow before placing it.

[Erik Asmussen]

Brewdog: noted, will fix!

[Brewdog]

Erik Asmussen, and all team Thanks for hearing us, I haven' t played in awhile, went to play due to update, and forgot how fun and relaxing this game is

[Erik Asmussen]

You're welcome! Though there's no team really, just me. BTW I just published .117t which should fix the issue you reported where no directional icon was showing up when placing blocks on the 2D layer.

[Brewdog]

Sorry didnt know that well your doing a good job!

[hysj]

Hi Erik. Just a heads up if someone's manasystem dont work after the patch. Like it was with my save, everything was broken. I found out that the 2D system only connects to the ground, so if anything is standing on ramps/platforms, it will not be connected. (Many of mine stood on a platform since it was buildt in a hill.)

[hysj]

Same with the steam generator's. If they are buildt close to water, the steam connector has to be on a tile that is connected to the ground. (This counts for all buildings)

[hysj]

Extra info again. I now see that it indicates what is on the ground, and that is where you have to connect the connector. So then it for old saves people have to go over their town.

[nanofi]

Thank you so much for the quick fix!