Mobile Factories

Hello. I have discussed in multiple "megabot" threads that large units don't necessarily have to replace smaller units and in doing so, one of the types of large units that I mentioned was a mobile factory.

To better make a point, I figured it would be best to actually come up with a suggestion that included visuals so that people could easily understand exactly what could be added to the game.

First off, I figured that both bots and vehicles could have a mobile factory (naval could too, but that is potentially easier because boats are already big). Anyway, each of these mobile factories could have a role that is akin to the unit type's general role.
For example:
-Bots are meant for raiding and flanking
-Vehicles are more used for breaking established defenses.

So to complement the role of bots, I figure the Mobile Bot Factory would have a stealth generator that keeps it off of radar while moving, but, when deployed, expands to cover a very small area to allow a stealthy way to build up a small raiding party. It would have 2 fabrication points that build, but it would use 2.5-3x as much metal as a single bot factory (so it is significantly less efficient than a stationary bot factory to balance it's mobility). No offensive capabilities. I will post some pictures and a deployment video for this one at the bottom.

So it's pros:
-Mobile
-Builds 2 bots at a time
-Area stealth capabilities for added surprise
-Can build any basic bot

Cons:
-Cannot build while moving
-Uses 25-50% more metal to build each bot
-Expensive (when compared to bot factory)
-Relatively Fragile (when compared to bot factory)

To complement the role of vehicles, I figure a mobile factory that can quickly move into an area and establish a small defended production area to stage forward assaults. What I figure is that the mobile vehicle factory would have 2 single laser turrets that pop out in front of it when it deploys as well as a single basic AA turret behind it. The build speed would need to be fast, but the efficiency should be reduced (notice a theme here?). Also, it would be cool if the factory could build and store up to 10 or 15 basic vehicles while moving so that it dumps out a decent sized force when it arrives at it's location to jumpstart the securing process.

Pros:
-Mobile
-Quickly builds any basic vehicle
-Can defend itself fairly well when stationary
-Can build while moving
-Rapid 'deploy' time

Cons:
-Expensive
-Inefficient
-Unable to defend itself while moving
-Long 'undeploy' time


Now for the pictures of the mobile bot factory! (I couldn't easily design a mobile vehicle factory that looked good and fit with the style... or maybe I was just lazy...)

Uneployed mode


Deployed mode


Close-up of one of the fabrication zones.

And a video of the deployment process:


All feedback is appreciated: positive and negative (just be constructive!)

The problem with mobile factory's is that engineers can just as easily move up the battlefield and build whatever you need.

They are good in games where you can only build in your base area, but not in PA.

So I don't really get the point when moving engineers to build forward bases would be far better?

(Good modelling btw, really nice.)

Yes, they can, however the point of the bot was to be able to enter into radar range and create a small force from a different direction while being completely undetectable to radar from the beginning. Engineers can not do this.
The point of the vehicle factory was to have prebuilt defenses on it. This means in the time it would take for engineers to build 3 vehicle factories, 3 AA turrets, and 6 single laser towers, 3 mobile veh factories would already be there, up and pumping out vehicles for quite some time.

Well then that begs the question.

Why would I not use these to replace my normal factory's all the time?

They are clearly superior to building a proper outpost, even with the disadvantages you listed, which if they do become a rather large disadvantage, lead me to think that you would bother with then?

If they are so inefficient and take long enough to deploy, then building a base with engineers is still a better thing to do.

Stealth or not.

Fair question. I am no expert, but I am sure a balance could be reached between the two.

For BlackOps we often talked about Mobile Factories but every time we couldn't figure out a good way of overcoming the issue of scale.

In games where the number of factories you can have can easily go 10-15 strong, having one or 2 "Mobile Factories" at costs greater than regular factories just doesn't really work out, at that point you're better off just moving units around, if you have enough lift capability it will have arguably just as much surprise and be able to leverage on your main factory capacity instead of just one or two isolated factories.

Even in the Current State of PA, this is more or less completely outperformed by Teleporters.

Honestly I don't think there is a point where both a regular and mobile factory can be balanced against each other because despite the secondary traits being really different, at the end of the day their Primary trait is exactly the same. It's like the old Ant and Leveler, despite the small differences they had, at some point one is simply better than the other because they just aren't different enough.

Mike

we could use this one:

The Fatboy's actual factory capabilities are pretty lame compared to a factory with a bunch of engineers around it.

The Mega Fortress or Noah don't work either, because 7x buildspeed 0.33x cost is ridiculous.

Actually they did work, but as you said, the way they had to be designed in order to work was right out ridiculous and it kind of violates Uber's WYSIWYG 'policy'.

Mike

Don't work to solve the problem, I mean. They worked in the game just fine.

But it was hella fun tho.

Like I'd really love a dedicated crazy ridiculous casual rts for stuff like that.

I don't get what you mean here?

Mike

The problems you outlined earlier in the thread, mostly "how is it any different from transporting a bunch of engineers and building a forward base?"

I feel like I'd rather have giant battle busses that can also load fabbers for forward base building.

I'm all for orbital fabbers being mobile factories... anything but the placeholder model. On ground, not so much.

I'm sorry but I just really don't see any game play value in mobile factory's. especially now we have teleporters later on we get unit transport and a unit canon. If you have enough engineers later on in the game, you can pump out factory's in mater of seconds.

Fancy. It looks like a turtle.

But there is little need for a mobile factory on a planet we already have a production. Fabbers can sneaks and build proxy bases as well.

What we need is something usable for quickly establishing an outpost or fort on an enemy planet. So something that can travel in space.

love the model, man. i think however, that it shouldnt be so much of a "mobile Factory", rather it could/should be a unit that could deploy into a small fort-like structure, perhaps be only able to build fabbers, and MAYBE a crappier version of the Dox. so not so much a mobile factory, and more like a mobile F.O.B.

that's just me though.

I like this ideya.No unfortunately they do not even have added megabot.

I really like your model. It looks like one of those big 1980s action set toys with folding doors and swively things everywhere.