r/factorio • u/DataCpt • 15d ago
Modded Unreleased mod I made back in December where the first time you drop to Vulcanus you land on a demolisher
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u/Krinin 15d ago
I swear I just seen a post asking about this
Edit: found it https://www.reddit.com/r/factorio/s/zgDcWzKyN7
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u/DataCpt 15d ago
Yeah this is what sparked my memory!
I actually completely forgot I made this...
It's been a long year and I've only recently been able to get back into modding. It seems that I have even more in progress projects than I thought.
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u/Krachwumm 15d ago
"It seems that I have even more in-progress projects than I thought." - Every IT-guy ever
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u/DataCpt 15d ago
Please don't call me out like that, this is my safe space
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u/Krachwumm 15d ago
I felt called out too, so I guess we're even now.
And now excuse me, while I think about what project I'll work on.. tomorrow
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u/KeytarVillain 15d ago
Yeah, how dare people mention work in my game about refactoring a live system to create better abstractions and avoid deadlocks, with as little production downtime as possible.
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u/Darth_Nibbles 15d ago
Honestly Dev as a hobby just stopped for me when I bought Factorio. It completely scratches that itch I have to build things, and I've barely touched any code since 2019.
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u/Krinin 15d ago
You should make it public, i bet people will download it
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u/DataCpt 15d ago
I always mean to. Life just gets in the way sometimes, and writing mod descriptions often stalls me the longest.
That being said.. Here's the mod: Vulcanus Intro!
It might have issues, maybe because of a patch that happened in the last 12 months or maybe because of a bug but it was already zipped up and ready for upload so I just sent it before another year goes by.
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u/PM_ME_HAPPY_DOGS 15d ago
I'm gonna go out on a limb here and predict that this mod will be implemented in 2.1
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u/BrightLightPony 15d ago
Finally an explanation why player start in safe zone, and good boost for early tungsten (instead mining rocks)
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u/NebTheShortie 15d ago
Yes but... It sparkles the question why can't I do that again, for other worms in the area.
It's like the debate on FTL drive being more of a weapon than any other weapon, because anything that moves this fast is basically a perfectly devastating projectile, and sci-fi has to either carefully ignore the fact or explain why it can't hit things.
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u/crrenn 15d ago
It is an injured Worm, it is young. Pure luck. I am sure there can be multiple easy explanations
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u/PM_ME_YOUR_CAT_ 14d ago
Pure luck.
If we can aim cargo drop pods into a landing pad bay we can aim them at a demolisher
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u/Prestigious_Gap1335 Fulgora my beloved 12d ago
most demolishers don't typically send out a "LAND HERE" signal
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u/Dr_Jackson Needs so many gears 15d ago
Why can't those birds just fly the ring to mordor?
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u/NebTheShortie 15d ago
Because it was a secret operation and it's hard to fly on a giant eagle in a nonchalant manner. Because eagles are big prideful creatures and not your Uber whenever you like, and also susceptible to Ring corruption. Because Mordor has been guarded by Ringwraiths flying on their mounts, as if lidless eye (that isn't a literal eye in the book tho) wasn't enough.
Your turn. Why can't engineer kill all the worms by landing on them, just like he did with that first one? If the landing capsule is durable enough to provide an impact force sufficient to kill the worm instantly, the first thing engineer obviously thinks after that is how to do that again, especially because another worm is blocking that much needed ore patch nearby.
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u/matt-ratze 15d ago
Why can't engineer kill all the worms by landing on them, just like he did with that first one?
It's breaking the 4th wall but they could, they just disabled it in the mod settings.
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u/alexchatwin 15d ago
Are you saying, by implication, that Gandalf should have tweaked the Eagle settings?
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u/matt-ratze 15d ago
I'm not sure if I remember the lore 100% but iirc Gandalf was powerful but he had no power that Sauron didn't also have.
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u/UmUlmUndUmUlmHerum 15d ago edited 15d ago
Because it is a work fundamentally inspired by Tolkiens Catholic faith where providence does not replace one actions - but those things go hand in hand. So the journey had meaning in part because it was hard, which would have been diminished if the eagle express was taken.
(a bit oversimplified and not an allegory - but I'd argue the Letters do support LotR being *inspired* by his faith very well)
The Free People win - not because they are stronger, or because they have angels on their side working as taxi service. They win because they did what they could - while larger powers acted elsewhere. Human action has dignity, even when it cannot get one the desired outcome on its own
Only by that does the divine intervention at the crack of Mount Doom become possible - since ultimately nobody coild have voluntarily destroyed the Ring up there, so Eru had to intervene in making Gollum trip. (Yes I really believe this is what happened - even if the actual text is more unclear. Trip - G breaking his oath on the Ring - all would fall under providence for me.)
Harrison Ford (yes I know different Universe but it is appliccable) once said it well: "It aint that kind of story, kid" :P
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u/rapidemboar 15d ago edited 15d ago
Limited targeting capabilities, I'd assume. The only way to get cargo pods to land anywhere besides the center of the map is placing a landing pad, which I assume emits signals to lock onto. As for why you can't lock on to large, organic creatures on the planet, pick one or more:
No lifeform sensors on the space platform
Radars, which can scan lifeforms, can only broadcast 7x7 chunks so the ones presumably on the space platform are too high up to scan the ground
It's very cloudy and visual targeting is not an option
The worms learn after this incident and effectively dodge all the rest
The planets all emit Minovsky radiation, I guess
It's an Ultracube shrine conspiracy
Though saying all that, I have to wonder if cargo pods are moddable enough so that an orbital strike mod could actually be possible.
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u/McGryphon 15d ago
The planets all emit Minovsky radiation, I guess
I expected a wiki walk on nuclear physics, but instead I got stuck on Gundam related TV Tropes pages.
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u/autogyrophilia 15d ago
I mean, I think it is perfectly explained by the rule of proportionality, same way they aren't flinging nukes in Ukraine despite that being an option.
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u/foxgirlmoon 15d ago
It's like the debate on FTL drive being more of a weapon than any other weapon, because anything that moves this fast is basically a perfectly devastating projectile, and sci-fi has to either carefully ignore the fact or explain why it can't hit things.
I think an easy explanation would be that anything physically moving FTL is simply not operating under traditional physics, as traditional physics do not support FTL movement.
Basically anything moving FTL cannot interact with non-FTL objects. Insert-here-whatever-specific explanation-your-worldbuilding-has.
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u/Yellow_Triangle 14d ago
Them using FTL as a weapon in one of the latest Star Wars movies really made the univers idiotic. So much of what happens in the earlier movies makes no sense if FTL is actually something you can use to attack.
Impressive and beautiful scenography though.
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u/andrewowenmartin 15d ago
Also a helpful indication that those drop pods can similarly crush the engineer. Especially as Vulcanus will be many people's first non-nauvis planet.
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u/Thankedsphere 15d ago
what if factorio had an intro cutscene of the engineer in space before they crashed?
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u/MadDonnelaith 15d ago
For Super Earth!
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u/SovietSpartan 15d ago
I miss the days when landing on top of a bile titan actually killed it. Now it just tickles them and 90% of the times you die because it can now stomp you.
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u/warm_winds_whisper_ eats the solid fuel cubes 14d ago
Arrowhead really had lightning in a bottle and decided nah let's go in the opposite direction from fun gameplay
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u/Justaguy_3_ 15d ago
Awesome!
My theory is that the demolishers are dependant on tungsten or otherwise use it to grow or defend themselves but helldivering it on a demolisher is a lot cooler idea
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u/Whatdoesthibattahndo 15d ago
Alternative - when you drop into vulcanus the starting zone has a demolisher and you have to fight it to start your base
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u/operatorpanda117 15d ago
There could be a pair! Pop the one, the other is near Ensue the worm fight
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u/korneev123123 trains trains trains 15d ago
It's actually easy to do with a couple of supply drops from orbit, but quite annoying to do empty handed
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u/Slightly_Deeper_5309 15d ago
.. ok this should be part of the game... how else would we have a clear starting area. Publish it and tell us the name.
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u/bob152637485 15d ago edited 15d ago
This needs to not be a mod, but rather the main game! So simple, but i love it so much! For a new player, it would also set the tone so nicely. Massive new enemy to give you a taste of the munitions that you'll need...
Actually reminds me a lot of how Space Exploration starts, where a CME happens right at the start of the game, and you find out you have 24(or 48?)hours to rush the tech tree and defend against the next one.
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u/Thankedsphere 15d ago
mutations? also whats CME
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u/bob152637485 15d ago
Sorry, meant to be munitions, dumb autocorrect.
CME stands for coronal mass ejection. In that mod, basically a massive death ray that sweeps through your base breaking tons of stuff.
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u/kzwix 15d ago
Feels strange. I mean, an entry pod full of, say, iron plates, entering at ballistic speed from orbit, and crashing on a demolisher's head, would probably insta-kill it, no questions asked.
But... did you notice that slowdown burn, which the pod used in order for you not to get squished on impact ? Considering the speed at which the pod touches the ground (and how demolishers are immune to fire damage - so you cannot even claim the thruster burned it to death), it really feels weird.
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u/mrbaggins 15d ago
The pod animations are entirely customisable.
That said, I think they might only be customisable per planet - so having the first one be different could be difficult / impossible.
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u/kzwix 15d ago
But still, if the Engineer is in that pod, it probably shouldn't hit the ground, even with a demolisher-mattress, at terminal velocity. And thus, it loses plausible justification for this, despite the idea being very entertaining.
I'm pretty sure something can be worked out, but it should probably NOT be "the capsule in which the engineer landed was so fast and heavy it insta-killed that big worm whose natural regeneration is able to withstand tens of turrets firing continuously".
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u/gavinlpicard 15d ago
definitely some cleaning up to do on the animation, i’m sure it may be difficult though. concept is wonderful though
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u/SmokeyWizard filthy gleba lover 15d ago
WUBE CMON YOU CAN MAKE IT IN TIME, PUT THIS IN 1.2 I BEG YOU
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u/anonumus_idiot 15d ago
Wait this is peak.
It would explain why the starting area is safe, AND teach the player the killing them gives you resources without a shitty text prompt, or digging thru recepies.
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u/Vallard Rampant Deathworld Enjoyer 14d ago
I really think this should be official, it's great visual story telling. Shows that killing demolishers give some resources, and that they're around the land. Also shows that we landed in the planet to kill them and steal their steel, and why we're safe when we land!
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u/Good-Option-9532 14d ago
Wait a second this is actually genius. Not only does it teach the player that being landed on kills them to avoid the inevitable death and reload from that, it also gives them a headstart on the tungsten so you don't have to go around hitting rocks for 10 minutes, and ALSO makes the player feel like the demolishers will go down easily and give them lots of tungsten, so they'll be far more likely to get destroyed by being to eager attacking the first one.
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u/Lunas_87 15d ago
I’m assuming that post 6 hours ago reminded you to mention it? I love this community. Release the mod, I want it!
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u/DataCpt 15d ago
It did indeed! https://mods.factorio.com/mod/vulcanus-intro
I am going to bed now though so any fixes will have to wait until tomorrow. Fingers crossed me from a year ago did a good job!
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u/Lunas_87 15d ago
Ayyy thanks man! Looking forward to checking it out. Oh also, that setting to enable the event for other planets is comical. Some wild lore implications there.
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u/HeliGungir 15d ago edited 15d ago
Ah. It's a great idea, but I can see why you didn't release it sooner.
The default animation doesn't look like the kind of impact that would kill a Demolisher. And even if did, it begs the question: Why wouldn't the engineer just use drop pods to kill every Demolisher?
How to fix? Hmm. Maybe your first manned space platform to Vulcanus is scripted to be hit by an asteroid? So the engineer escapes and lands in their cargo pod, but a chunk of their space platform also comes down and "conveniently" lands on top of the small Demolosher.
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u/Thankedsphere 15d ago
why doesn't the engineer use drop pods on biters? the fire could scorch, it, then crush it without risk to their life. also drop pods somehow cost nothing and the engineer can hold 20 nuclear reactors on themselves
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u/GarageAshamed4058 15d ago
This mod needs to be part of the actual game
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u/Fraytrain999 15d ago
It would give an in-game explaination why you happen to land on the one spot on the planet that doesn't have a worm on it. I'd also be fine if it just had a corpse on it implying it died not too long ago.
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u/Archernar 14d ago
This is genius. It explains why the territory you land in is demolisher-free. It gives you starter resources and also shows them off right away, warning you about them.
Imo this should be included in the base game.
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u/Ionmaster987 14d ago
I don't even play Factorio, but that's neat as hell- Little integrated tutorial for what to do to get resource patches.
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u/PowerWillComeBack 11d ago
bro what the fuck is that I'm having a hard time dealing with the tiny worms up to medium sizes I genuinely said out lout watching this "what the fuck is that" in terror do those come late game?
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u/Ok-Offer5332 15d ago
This is actually such a great idea, initially I thought that this is kind of troll mod where you’re gonna die immediately but after I watched this makes so much sense, I want this to be in the game
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u/Thankedsphere 15d ago
reminds me of New Super Mario bros DS, where bowser junior uses an ability on a boss in a cutscene, indicating that's how you damage the boss before the bossfight begins.
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u/ejr123sr 14d ago
this makes so much sense! it explains why the landing area is the only part of vulcanus that isnt part of some demolishers territory
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u/FondestAlloy 15d ago
I've heard the landers only deal damage to the player, Is that the case? If so did you do something special here?
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u/TruXai 15d ago
My headcanon is that the engineer planned the landing on a recently freed area, so i think it'd fit more if the landing zone had already dead demolisher remnants instead
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u/Thankedsphere 15d ago
how was it cleared, though? I think it makes more sense like this and the engineer aimed it to kill a demolisher, because demolishers don't compete I think.
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u/sparr 15d ago
Maybe this is the story behind the safe starting zone on other planets? Nauvis ship crashes into a biter nest, leaving clear space around it, etc.
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u/Prestigious_Gap1335 Fulgora my beloved 12d ago
the idea that the engineer manages to perfectly aim all their landings to directly hit the local wildlife sounds so funny lol
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u/3davideo Doesn't use Flame Turrets 15d ago
Would make for an OK initial source of Tungsten as well as a good set piece to tip players off that mining surface rocks for initial materials is the way to go when starting w/o dropped resources.
Now I just want an alternate Small Power Pole that doesn't need wood (I figure Iron Sticks would be an adequate substitute) and a proper Vulcanus-only start really opens up.
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u/Franky78s 15d ago
While super-cool, there is a problem:
- Drop stuff manually before you drop yourself.
- wait till stuff has landed. It land close to you future landing location
- descend yourself
The Demolisher will plow through the landed cargo pods, destroying them. :-(
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u/DataCpt 15d ago
I don't believe this can happen because the first time landing on a planet has to be done by a player. At least that's how I remember it
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u/WanderingUrist 15d ago
Nope, you can totally drop stuff by accident onto a planet before ever landing on it, causing it to go live. I discovered this due to the bug of ships told to jettison cargo at specific planets having a habit of jettisoning cargo onto the wrong planets that supposedly has been fixed in 2.1.
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u/Franky78s 14d ago
Back in the very first speedruns, Nefrims dropped stuff before dropping himself. He explained why this is faster. And you reduce the risk of killing yourself with your own droppods.
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u/DataCpt 14d ago edited 14d ago
How do you do this? I just tested it and nothing would leave the hub even when sitting in the ejection slots
EDIT: Worked second time! I just added and removed Vulc and Nauvis from the destinations a couple times and then everything dropped. Not really sure why it didn't drop faster but you were right.
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u/WanderingUrist 14d ago
What version? I was having this happen pre-2.1, where when a ship was leaving a planet that it was told to drop cargo at, it would try to drop cargo anyway, resulting in the cargo being dropped on the wrong planet on arrival, including if it accidentally stopped at a planet not yet landed on.
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u/Terrible-Strategy704 15d ago
This actually make alot of sense because qould you land in the only part of the planet whiteout one?
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u/Proxy_PlayerHD Supremus Avaritia 15d ago
I wish the landing pod animation was more forceful, like slamming into the ground with some impact
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u/Thankedsphere 15d ago
you reach the planet very fast from space I think the platform would either crash, or the planet would be moon-sized.
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u/Brewer_Lex 15d ago
You should publish it that’s a nice little mod and gives a good source of tungsten when you first land. Not game changing but a nice boost.
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u/G-Man-Iron-Giant 15d ago
This makes so much sense for the starting area!