Vertical Construction / Stacking Factories

Re: Stacking Factories

you tell them to stand back to back, go get rope and bundle them together.
they are one and the same. I personally spend alot of my time in FA showing newbies around, giving them a leg-up on the very first part of the learning curve.

We all came from somewhere. We all were beginners at first. but one thing that applies to us all is that we're not getting off of any dock (level wise) if we're not willing to be curious and learn.
http://youtu.be/qqDSh34VoPY?t=25m50s

Re: Stacking Factories

I don't really think stacked factories will complicate the game for the newbies that much. As Tatsujb said every one needs to begin playing the game some time and this little of complication brought by stacked factories will not be a deal for someone willing to learn.

Re: Stacking Factories

I don't know why we have any concern for newbies, its not like it would adversely affect them unless they are fighting someone experienced, in which case it doesn't matter what they do they're gonna lose anyway.

Also its not that bloody complicated, you'd swear PA was eve-online, its not, it would take the average person 15 minutes to understand the complexity of stacked vs not stacked factories.

Re: Stacking Factories

and 15's counting large...

Re: Stacking Factories

Any more ideas about this?

Re: Stacking Factories

Pretty much the same as most people have said, I like this idea, it should count as one building to add a bit of a risk, but the risk can pay off.

And it looks cool

Re: Stacking Factories

ikr??? still can't belive it got called bleeding stupid looking

Re: Stacking Factories

thinking about modelling this idea in 3D using the files from the game, anybody wanna help me out on this?

A cleaner OP would help, currently you have to imagine what it would look like and some people might think the screenshot of the bug is exactly what it would look like

I want to show that it would have bigger stronger structure at the base the taller it is. they wouldn't have he part that's supposed to be into the ground, the elevator for the land factories, what naval staking might look like (bear in mind that type of staking would be a bit rare as often the oceans wouldn't be deep enough) show what air docking might look like. ect..

I don't think the idea is worth the effort of implementation...

But for the sake of discussion I'll say how I think it should work:

Building extra factories on top shouldn't build their own units, they should instead "assist" the factory on the bottom by lending it's build power (at the cost of it's energy) to the factory at the bottom.

This would keep the balance, because there would still be a period between units where the bottom factory isn't producing units, even though it would be building each unit a lot faster.


I just don't see why this would be done. Building structures vertically would have to cost additional materials (for the pillars and extra structural integrity that others have mentioned already). And if your base costs more to construct, your opponent who is building all single level factories is going to have the advantage.

Stacking vertically should 'not' cost the same as building the same number of factories spread out. Vertically makes it harder for your opponent to find you through scouting, and is easier to defend, so it needs a drawback.

Thinking about it like this, why would anyone build vertically? because it's too difficult to keep expanding? The point of the game is to expand, and to fight your enemy to secure ground.

All vertical buildings would add is longer delay before major fighting would happen, and already the gameplay is bordering on too slow in my opinion.


It would perhaps be an interesting mod, but for the core game? I think we're much better off without it

looks a little bit like the LC-Towers of Earth2160.

Stacking building? could give you more free space, but if the lower building is destroyed, everything above would collapse...would it be worth it?
maybe they even fall over and crush something else of your base...
i don't like tower-buildings :s

it's the pros and cons, there can't be only pros.

I like the idea of depth that it brings.

EDIT : I'd like to bring attention to his post again : viewtopic.php?p=764963#p764963 I'm not too confident with my export-import and 3D moddeling skills.

Re: Stacking Factories

So rather than stacking buildings, it would be combining them to gain some bonus/avantage. Whether the buildings are combined vertically or connected side by side, i think this is a good idea because it would add another layer of strategic gameplay to the game.

Just for an example, much like others have already suggested for fabricators, connecting two or more of the same buildings together would make them increasingly effective with each addition; more than just linear growth.

The same idea of putting fabricators together for a bonus would apply to factories, resource producing buildings, and defensive turrets.

Aaand you've just discovered the idea of building adjacency.

Unfortunately this has been ruled out. :mrgreen:

(It was in Supcom, it wasn't a very good mechanic. While there are of course other ways to implement it most of the drawbacks against it are still true. Rigid enforcement of base building, too much focus on base building with lack of choice, no choice to do it or not do it, etc.)

it was an excellent mechanic. wth? please only expose opinions that are backed up by some evidence.

Adjacency was a horrible mechanic that forced static, uninteresting base designs and annoying micro. FAF had a 70 page discussion on this and it ended with the overall consensus that the only reason Adjacency was still in FAF was because all the die-hard SupCom fans were so used to Adjacency in their playstyle that they would have made a hissy fit if it was taken out. So it was left in. Because RTS players can be overly conservative, colorless idiots sometimes.

As was mentioned earlier on the thread, one RTS, Earth 2160, already have a feature like this, but more flexible, allowing to stack different types of modules:

There's a possible concept of an even more flexible stacking/structuring system implemented by allowing construction of arbitrary-shape floors to place buildings in a layered manner, protect them by external walls and wall-mounted weapons. That requires a cross section-capable camera (implemented many times in CAD systems) and 3d surface pathfinding - probably, spere-splitting flowfield hack will work with some modification. That brings us one step closer to megastructures, which is mobile or static modular battle platforms capable of production, intelligence, defense and, if mobile, siege or assault. A good example of megastructure wold be Death Star-like battle station buildable from separate small modules, or moving base on a tracks.

Sadly, megastructures are possible far outside funding and project scope. At the same time. structure stacking is quite viable, and can make it to the game before release. So I'm signing for adoption of that hilarious bug into feature.

nice, I can't see how stacking wouldn't be a fascinating and full of depth mechanic.

So I'd like to revitalze this thread as we may be moving towards possibly implementing this on the time schedule. And it would be a shame not to have this deep and fascinating mechanic in the beta.

No. No upgrades.

It's not an "in depth" mechanic; it's an upgrade.

This is a cool idea....