Gleba mod idea?

[u/Mr-factorio]

Gleba is my own hell personally, But what if Gleba had a mechanic where machines slowly became biologically integrated with the planet the longer they remained in one place? Buildings would gradually grow vines, roots, fungal growth, slime, etc. over them, and after being continuously placed for a certain amount of time, they'd gain a small productivity bonus. Deconstructing or moving the machine would reset its growth. The longer it stays, the stronger the effect becomes, up to a reasonable cap. For example, a machine could gain +1% productivity every 10 minutes, eventually reaching +10% after 100 minutes. This would make Gleba's factory design fundamentally different: instead of constantly rebuilding and moving machines around, you'd be rewarded for making solid, permanent designs and letting your factory "grow into" the planet. The mechanic would be exclusive to Gleba, and the visual growth on buildings could become progressively more noticeable as their symbiosis develops.

Later in the Gleba science progression, you could unlock Symbiosis Modules that amplify this effect. These modules wouldn't simply give a flat productivity bonus like normal modules; instead, they would increase the rate at which a machine develops its Gleba symbiosis. For example, a Symbiosis Module could make a machine gain an additional +X% productivity per minute that it remains continuously placed, potentially allowing highly established machines to become significantly more productive over time. The modules themselves could require Gleba-specific materials and research, making them another reason to invest heavily in the planet. This would create an interesting trade-off: you could rebuild your factory whenever you want, but doing so means sacrificing the biological growth you've accumulated. The goal would be to make Gleba feel like you're not simply building a factory on the planet, but gradually building your factory into it.

[u/Grismor2]

But why would I move my buildings anyway? Your proposed mechanic "sounds interesting," but if it doesn't affect gameplay decisions at all, you may as well slap on some free productivity to all machines on Gleba and call it a day, sans the extra complications.

[u/Mr-factorio → u/Grismor2]

Perhaps it could incentivise making blueprints so you know what you're building every time? You nake good points though, basically just free productivity..

[u/Vaughn → u/Mr-factorio]

How frequently do you move buildings?

[u/Alfonse215]

But what if Gleba had a mechanic where machines slowly became biologically integrated with the planet the longer they remained in one place? Buildings would gradually grow vines, roots, fungal growth, slime, etc. over them, and after being continuously placed for a certain amount of time, they'd gain a small productivity bonus.

I don't really see what problem this would solve or how it would make the planet do something interesting or unique. It'd just be a place where there's a penalty to building a new base.

Furthermore, having building output ratios change (like gaining productivity) when over-production can lead to a spoilage cascade isn't a great idea. If the player is going to get productivity, I feel like they should ask for it directly.

instead of constantly rebuilding and moving machines around

Do people "constantly" move machines around? After the initial design, I pretty much leave them where they are for several hours at least. The time does eventually come to rebuild it elsewhere, but that time is a while from when it was first built.

Also, creating a punishment for redesigning on a planet where new players report that they have to frequently redesigning their setups seems... counterproductive.

[u/Mr-factorio → u/Alfonse215]

Yeah it seems like my idea just makes it harder... Gleba Is Hell mod 😿

[u/contynum]

“Gleba is my own hell” so let’s make it worse by arbitrarily overcomplicating something that’s already a possibility with modules and the fact biolabs already produce 50% more

Also why’d you move your factory? You don’t “have” to do that

[u/dudeguy238]

It's a neat idea thematically, and I wouldn't mind seeing something to increase Gleba's base productivity (everywhere else gets mining prod), but not moving buildings isn't really a meaningful challenge past the early stages of figuring out your builds.  Even then, that stage tends to be fairly short, so you aren't going to suffer for missing out on that hour or two of slightly boosted productivity on a few machines

Most critically, if the idea is to promote getting the build right the first time instead of making tweaks based on how it does after being built, whatever bonus you assign is going to be competing with the production you sacrifice by not having something running while you iron out the kinks.  Especially on Gleba, where raw resources are infinite and productivity therefore doesn't save anything, there's a good chance that a temporary, imperfect build will be better than taking your time to create a perfect, permanent one.

[u/Eneamus]

I think I saw a movie with Natalie Portman about this.

[u/ohkendruid]

It may work better if the time frame were short enough that you could still rebuild chunks of your base when you are ready to improve it.

For example, maybe there could be something like a world tree that you can charge up. The more of some kind of essence you feed it, the better it works. Maybe what it does is make a defensive dome that gets larger and larger as it gets more powerful. Or, maybe it generates nutrients directly, without bioflux.

I admit that one challenge is to think what the bonus should be. For a lot of things, once they work, they work.

Maybe a speed bonus for anything inside a certain radius? That would get science production to gradually improve. In the end, it it science production that is all that is eventually running.

I guess alternatively, a really good Gleba bonus would be one that gives you a longer spoil timer on your science.

It is a fun idea to make buildings organically join the planet's ecosystem. It just needs a little work on the gameplay.

[u/Sergeich0]

Try Factory Levels
Not exactly the same but if you find and uncheck option "remember levels after deconstructing" it'll be similar enough (except for visual representation)

[u/MikasaTanikawa]

Idea is good, but it also need more serious and constant drawbacks. For example overgrown building should provide productivity only for certain recipes, increase consumption of nutrients, slow down assemblers, inserters, trains on non-elevated tracks, reduce electric production of solar panels\turbines and so on. Benefits\drawbacks should increase depending on stage of overgrowth. On last stage veins should even slowly damage affected entities (except gleba exclusive buildings like biochambers, agritowers and heating towers), but this last stage could be prevented if building stands on refined concrete. And for late game, building standing on foundation should be immune from overgrowth.