Earendel
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Preparing for Factorio 2.0
🕑 Added 2024-09-21 00:54:47 +0000 UTCThe release date for the Factorio: Space Age expansion has been set for a long time, but there was always a chance for it to be pushed back depending on the beta access feedback. Well we’re in beta testing now, and the feedback from the big playtesting LAN was good, so the release date is locked in.
I didn’t start getting my mods ready for Factorio 2.0 before this point. From a time efficiency point of view that’s a good thing; a lot has changed so a lot of time would have been wasted. From a time availability point of view it makes things difficult…
You can plan contingencies in a project to account for coworkers needing unexpected leave, but if the worst happens exceeding all your expectations then sometimes you just need to change your plans, or change your hours.
For reasons I can’t go into, Wube needs more of my time. There’s not much time left for anything else and I have other real life things to do too. That doesn’t leave a lot of hours in the week for updating mods for Factorio 2.0, but I’m doing what I can.
Usually my contributors help with bugfixing, small improvements, or compatibility work while I work on new features for the next big version of Space Exploration. It wasn’t really possible for them to help with updating mods to 2.0. The main reason is that if they see some parts of the updated mod code, then that reveals secret engine features, and that would count as an NDA breach. In other words they’d need Factorio source access or Space Age beta access to be able to even look at the new code, let alone help make it.
It’s been my pleasure to give something back to the contributors. For some of them I managed to get them an invite to the playtesting LAN event. Now that LAN is over, I’ve been able to get a few more contributors beta access. They’ve been playing around with the expansion, and when they’re done playing they have volunteered to share some of the updating workload.
The progress on the simple mods like bullet trails has been quick, but the time to update seems to be exponential based on mod complexity. Space Exploration is probably the most complicated mod on the portal in terms of number of novel mechanics and new system interactions, so the expectation is that it will take a lot of work just from the mod’s size and complexity. It’s more complicated than that though, because Factorio 2.0 has some things that directly conflict with what SE is trying to do, and many of these details are changing on a weekly basis so it’s hard to plan for.
For now the plan is to get all of the casual addon mods updated first. Things that you might want if you’re starting a new game in 2.0 or Space Age.
Space Exploration will be updated last. At the current pace it looks like it might be ready for 2.0, but then there’s this thing called integration hell… Anyway, if SE for 2.0 needs to be delayed by a week or two then it’s not the end of the world. Maybe you can finish Space Age in that time ;)
But that reminds me, when the mods have a 2.0 version they will all get a version bump. This means that when SE 0.6 supports Factorio 2.0, it will be called Space Exploration 0.7, but don’t get too excited: It’s not the big 0.7 that I’ve been working on. All the “big new version content” will need to be called SE0.8 from now on.
The initial updates for 2.0 won’t make use of all the new features right away. Generally they will work the same way as before but using the new engine. If the new engine has a better way of doing it but switching would take longer or create uncertainty, then it will just use the old way (if possible). Over time the mods will gradually make use of new features, like trying to make use of the improved 2.0 map view and phase out my custom remote view. I know a lot of you are excited for what Space Exploration can do with 2.0 features and Space Age features and we’ll get there in time. Sometimes that means more significant changes to game mechanics and code, so it makes more sense to do that as part of 0.8.
I am still putting in a decent number of mod hours, but naturally some of that is having to shift to management, code review, testing. I can’t talk about what I’m doing at Wube that’s taking all my time, but you see some of it in the Factorio Friday Facts and for the rest; I can say that it still helps my mods indirectly… by making things better for all Factorio players.
Comments
Tobias Lohmann
8
Anon#2219
@Earendel Could you have a look at this Factorio bug https://forums.factorio.com/viewtopic.php?f=58&t=120720 about biter nests growing on both sides of a cliff? In FFF-401 you wrote that "large lakes are useful barriers, but cliffs just aren't", and that cliffs "should exist in the most useful, least annoying way possible". Since biters can expand across cliffs, it does not seem like this design goal was met :(
Ulrik
For those with questions, join the discord, it has up to date info on status and compatibility and lots of people who help.
Chris
I just realized I reached 400 hours in SE+K2! Just subscribed to say thanks. It will still be a long way for me to finish (I'm very slow). But I don't think I can finish it before SA. Should I not update factorio version so SE will keep working?
andrej schorno
my main question is (in bad english), can i install space age, and just continue my SE run? i made a new SE run few weeks ago, in combination with krastorio2, and i am allready on the space plattform and creating new since. --------- Will the savegame be lost?
Locane
No joke, SE is what has kept me going in Factorio - I went through a Krastorio run again recently and it just didn't feel epic enough. I love SE and I absolutely cannot wait to see it in the new and improved Factorio - SO many of my little bugbears (but not all of them, come on Kovarex, 60 cps lock from a design perspective is a newb move) seem to be addressed in the new expansion they're putting out. I can't wait to play SE on it, and I hope my increased donation helps a little bit.
DoubLL
Personally, I'm going to be playing at least two rounds of SA - one by myself and then one with friends - before going back to SE. I suspect that a lot of us will at least complete SA once. So take your time. 😊
Mason
Take your time and put the important things in life first. You've earned continued support through the ups and downs of life.
Tom Capon
Don't sweat it! Most modders don't have source access at all, and I expect it will be months before the mod portal is fully populated for 2.0.
Johannes Ubben
This project is really a Magnum opus, congrats to your incredible accomplishment
Otto Vollbrecht
Honestly that sounds much better than expected. 👍
Stuart Goodwin
Thanks for the update. Please take however much time it takes to do it properly while keeping yourself sane! We can wait.
Stefan Stark
Take your time. It is better to do it right than too fast.
Andreas
Buildings needs love and time
Matya
Don't overwork yourself. Space exploration can wait for your time, we'll have plenty of worms and stompers to take care of until then 😉
紅葉 小鹿倉
Luckily have plenty of stuff to play around (Satisfactory 1.0, Space Age and more) and awaiting your next version of SE. have your own pace and try your best!
Atahan Öztürk
But at the same time it would indeed be amazing to see all the cool stuff sooner :)
Atahan Öztürk
Don't forget to rest and take care of yourself too! I would rather have a late but great mod than for you to burn out or worse and never get to enjoy your content again :'(
