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New Update: Blueprint Library Boost, Aroma Machines & More!



Hey everyone! As you know, our game is about building a Factory (duh!). And while we're maintaning an incredibly relaxed and fluffy atmosphere, factory vibe implies constant pushing forward, to new frontiers, better production, and, eventually, the Catopia!

That said, here we are with yet another major update for the game. We've got plans to keep them coming, too.

We hope you enjoy it, and don't forget to share your impressions in the comments or on our Discord server!


[h2]Major Update: v0.19.124[/h2]

[h3]Blueprints[/h3]
  • Added an option to edit custom Blueprints straight from the Blueprint Library: you can delete elements, rotate or invert the scheme
  • Pressing 'Ctrl+click' on a Blueprints results in production & placement of a respective building
  • Pressing 'Ctrl+click' with a building on the cursor force prints a Blueprint
  • Added tips & tricks for selected buildings in the Wiki
  • Added hotkeys for Blueprints
  • Switched logics of opening Blueprint Library and Blueprint Mode




[h3]Gameplay[/h3]
  • New building: Aroma Machine produces High Quality (++) Yarn Balls, combining, perhaps, the most tempting combination in the world of feline desires: catnip and yarn balls!
  • New 'Deep Dive' option when starting a new game: added an ability to begin with unlocked machine learning, access to Zeppelins and Underground level, and hiring scientists immediately after tutorial
  • Subsequently, the 'classic' tutorial has been revised and improved, and is now called 'Relaxed Start': it provides more smooth and gradual introduction to the game core mechanics




[h3]Visuals[/h3]
  • Rerendered Manipulators with different color schemes for different Manipulator types
  • Items move out of Tunnels in a smoother manner
  • Improved color schemes on the mini map (Transporters, X-Switchers and tasting buildings are more visually distinctive)




[h3]QoL/Interface/Fixes[/h3]
  • Added an option to place items direcly into buildings (or pick items from buildings by hovering cursor over them) by dragging the mouse while 'Ctrl+LMB' is pressed (via Евгений Ры́марев)
  • Added an option to only pick items crafted by the player by pressing 'Ctrl+LMB' (via Евгений Ры́марев)
  • Added an option to conceal researched upgrades from the Research Tree
  • Added a hotkey for bug reporting
  • Added an option to save&&exit game (via SrBicho)
  • New menu theme
  • Improved sorting in the Wiki
  • Bug fixes
  • UI fixes


https://store.steampowered.com/app/1150090/Learning_Factory

And don't forget to follow Learning Factory on Steam to get the news about new updates as soon as they're out there


----------------------

[h2]How to Get More Involved[/h2]

Going to Early Access is but the first step to glory (and eternal cat happiness). Wanna be part of what happens next? Head to this blog post and learn how to help make the game even more awesome!

[h2]Share Your Gameplay and Become Part of KOTOVOD History[/h2]
Learning Factory needs your help! Record a 10 or more minutes of you playing the game, share a video using any way you see fit, write your name into Learning Factory credits and get a promo cat! Make history here

Developer Diaries, January-February 2023



Hey everyone! Time for another edition of Learning Factory's dev diaries. Has it really been just a month? It was really rich with events for us: we participated in the Base Builder Fest on Steam and released Learning Factory on Epic Games Store but most importantly, we've introduced 3 updates oozing new content and features. Here's a short list of the most game-changing things!

[h2]Blueprints To The Max[/h2]


It's funny that we sometimes hear rebukes (and, ironically, compliments) that Learning Factory is like Factorio but it's not Factorio. Well, yeah, it is definitely not Factorio, nor it was ever meant to be. Naturally, this great game was one of our principal sources of inspiration but we like to think that Learning Factory is more about economics, data, and optimization of stuff. And cats.

But there's one feature in Factorio that we and our players are particularly fond of - the Blueprints. Those handy ghosts of buildings can be a great help when planning a really big factory. We started introducing them to Learning Factory last year but in the most recent updates, we've really upgraded them.



For starters, there's a Blueprint Library that you can see in the screenshot above. It contains some pre-made schemes from us (that also serve as tips & tricks for building) but you can also enrich the list with your own creations: press Ctrl and drag the mouse over a group of objects and then press Ctrl+C to copy and Ctrl+S to save the blueprint.

And then you'll be able to press the ‘Export’ button in the library to copy and paste your scheme code and make it shareable. This short video on our YouTube channel explains the basics of it.

Please send us your Blueprints, we'd love to check them and try them out in our own Factories!

[h2]New Buildings Again (And We're Far From Done Yet)[/h2]

Blueprints can be an infinite source of fun and experimenting but those are primarily for advanced (and/or really curious) players. Here's something that may be enjoyed by absolutely everyone: new buildings! We have introduced quite a few:



These bad boys will take your Metal (and, occasionally, some Wood) and smelt it into higher-quality Metal! If that doesn't sound cool enough, Lava Furnace actually needs to be placed on lava under the ground. The Underground level is actually becoming quite a world of its own: with underground Zeppelins and metal sources to mine, there's now also an option for sub-surface fishing - make sure to research the respective upgrade for the Fishing Spot!



Speaking of quality, Cotton Gin is your best friend for producing top-quality Cotton! According to our research, the original Cotton Gin was invented in 1793 by an I.L.L.U.M.I.N.A.T.I. member, hiding under the alias of Eli Whitney. This hi-tech version of that magnificent machine is perfect for refining cotton to make sure no Martian dust and sheep nano-particles end up in the product.



Did you know: all tiles on Mars have different quality rates, and some buildings work most efficiently when set up on the proper type of soil or water? For example, Fir Trees grow best in the northern biome, and Fishing Piers achieve maximum productivity when placed near hot or cold water. But even the fitting tiles can be below perfect by default. To ensure top quality, you should consider replacing natural tiles with those produced by you… Or by one of these Soil Silos, which are your new helpers for automated ground production. Ground control too major!



This cute little thing is yet another tasting building that we started introducing at the end of last year. Works pretty much the same as others: passerby cats might get inside and will likely add Boxes to their shopping list afterward. And if you're suspecting a Schrodinger Box reference in the design - you're absolutely right!



Last but not least, behold our mighty Experimental Lab! If you look closely, you might notice an empty Cat Knowledge Archive at the base of this awesome new building. Empty Archives are required for the production of these think tanks (or rather think boxes?), and your effort of finding them will be rewarded by the doubled speed of research inside.

[h2]Now What?[/h2]


Speaking of what we're working on now, we must get back to the players comparing our game with Factorio. (Are there really many factory building/optimization games that don't look like Factorio?) We'd really like to highlight what's making Learning Factory unique, that's why we're working on an additional version of the game's tutorial, specifically made for factory-building connoisseurs. This way you'll be able to get past the basic stuff like laying down Transporters and mining basic resources, right into serious cat-catering and data processing stuff!

We're also hoping to finalize the Blueprints with a couple of useful new features. And, of course, some new art is looming: right now Sergei the artist is busy improving the looks of the most important item in the Factory - the Yarn Balls. They deserve their own little story but that's for the next edition of these Dev Diaries:



The journey to Catopia continues! Join us if you're still not with us, and let us know what you think of the game so far. We're always glad to chat with our players.

See you in the next chapter of Learning Factory's History!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1150090/Learning_Factory



P.S. If you want to keep an eye our progress closer, don't forget to follow Learning Factory on our Steam page and never miss an update again!



----------------------

[h2]How to Get More Involved[/h2]

Going to Early Access is but the first step to glory (and eternal cat happiness). Wanna be part of what happens next? Head to this blog post and learn how to help make the game even more awesome!

[h2]Share Your Gameplay and Become Part of KOTOVOD History[/h2]
Learning Factory needs your help! Record a 10 or more minutes of you playing the game, share a video using any way you see fit, write your name into Learning Factory credits and get a promo cat! Make history here

New Update v0.18.123: Experimental Lab, Blueprint Library & Two Soil Silos



Releasing an update every 2 weeks is, to be frank, quite a challenge. But we couldn't be happier that we accepted it. During this pre-final stage of development, each update pumps the game with new content, new mechanics, and less bugs (or so we aim for but Early Access is Early Access). We like to work hard, knowing that we're making something that allows you to kick back and have a tranquil night (or a day? or a weekend?) of cat factory building!

This time we bring you more automation, more planning, and more in-depth research:

[h3]v0.18.123 Released[/h3]
  • New building: Experimental Lab requires a base from Cat Knowledge Archive to be crafted. It occupies more space but any scientist inside works twice as fast



  • New buildings: Soil Silo and Enriched Soil Silo automatically craft ground tiles for you +alternative recipe for crafting Fertile Soil
  • Updated visuals for Cat Gate
  • Added the Blueprint Library with pre-made Blueprints and an option to share Blueprints with other players
  • Added an option to copy Blueprints from both map layers



  • Area place/removal of terraforming tiles doesn't require an upgrade anymore
  • New Upgrade: Fishing Spot can now be improved to be placed underground and produce High Quality Fish
  • Cargo Zeppelins' speed is the same as regular Zeppelins by default; added another upgrade to increase the speed of regular Zeppelins
  • Granny Cats can now appear out of Shopaholic invasion event but not too often though
  • Inventory Teleport item transfer limit increased from 100 to 500 items
  • Added an option to change mouse cursor size
  • Cursor settings now available in Gameplay Options, too
  • 2 new achievements
  • Improved tutorial
  • Optimization, Transporters optimization
  • Bug fixes


https://store.steampowered.com/app/1150090/Learning_Factory

And don't forget to follow Learning Factory on Steam to get the news about new updates as soon as they're out there


----------------------

[h2]How to Get More Involved[/h2]

Going to Early Access is but the first step to glory (and eternal cat happiness). Wanna be part of what happens next? Head to this blog post and learn how to help make the game even more awesome!

[h2]Share Your Gameplay and Become Part of KOTOVOD History[/h2]
Learning Factory needs your help! Record a 10 or more minutes of you playing the game, share a video using any way you see fit, write your name into Learning Factory credits and get a promo cat! Make history here

New Update: Better Blueprint Mode, More Quality Items & Other Cool Stuff



Hey everyone!

This update came bit later than usual but totally worth the sweat and some occasional tears! The second part of Blueprint functions is now available for you to check out, with some more awesome Blueprint-related goodness to be introduced in the next updates. As for today...

[h2]Major Update: v0.18.121[/h2]
[h3]Gameplay[/h3]
  • New Building: Cotton Gin improves the quality of Cotton
  • Boxing Office now animated
  • New milestone with a new unlock type: sell items to cats with high loyalty levels
  • New parameter: ML capacity limits the number of ML models that you can place at your Factory. ML Capacity can be increased by conducting researches, buying territories and unlocking milestones
  • Cacti growth rate decreased
  • High Quality (++) Iron can be traded in Trade Ports for lesser amount of Concrete
  • New Guide explaining the basics of Turing Trees
  • Depending on Hype level, cats might visit service buildings of the same type several times
  • Depending on Hype level, cats might add up to 3 item types to their wishlist upon visiting tasting buildings
  • Five more upgrades of items for Quality: Yarn Balls ++, Claw Sharpeners +, Claw Sharpeners ++, Ropes ++, Pillows +




[h3]QoL[/h3]
  • Added an option to mass select, copy, and rotate Blueprints (currently without Tunnels and without copying on both layers at once)
  • New event type: indicates the first case of mass purchasing for a cat type
  • New event type: indicates when a certain cat type requested more items then there are slots in a Store
  • Improved tutorial and new research hints (suggested by Евгений Ры́марев)
  • Added an option to change mouse grid size
  • Turning on mouse grid enables mass picking items from Storages
  • Turning on mouse grid enables area deleting Blueprints
  • Turning on mouse grid enables mass removal of Transporters
  • Turning on mouse grid enables mass planting (suggested by Евгений Ры́марев)
  • Added an option to instantly place a Drill or an Extractor (if crafted) by pressing 'Ctrl+click' on a Metal/mineral source
  • Added an option to request crafting of 500 items at once by pressing 'ctrl+RMB' (suggested by Евгений Ры́марев & xz215279)
  • Text updates




[h3]Interface[/h3]
  • Added an option to tune the density of clouds (suggested by Евгений Ры́марев & LoadRunner)
  • Added an option to prevent requests tab from collapsing (suggested by xz215279)
  • Added an option to change keyboard hotkeys for zooming
  • Added an option to toggle sticking of different object types while dragging the mouse
  • Improved sorting of items on building panel and in recipes
  • Sorting of objects in the Wiki synched up to the order on the crafting panel
  • UI/UX optimization


[h3]Accessibility Options[/h3]
  • Added an option to change mouse pointer visuals




[h3]Code Improvements[/h3]
  • Decreased save game file size
  • Decreased game saving time
  • Bug fixes
  • Performance optimization


https://store.steampowered.com/app/1150090/Learning_Factory

And don't forget to follow Learning Factory on Steam to get the news about new updates as soon as they're out there


----------------------

[h2]How to Get More Involved[/h2]

Going to Early Access is but the first step to glory (and eternal cat happiness). Wanna be part of what happens next? Head to this blog post and learn how to help make the game even more awesome!

[h2]Share Your Gameplay and Become Part of KOTOVOD History[/h2]
Learning Factory needs your help! Record a 10 or more minutes of you playing the game, share a video using any way you see fit, write your name into Learning Factory credits and get a promo cat! Make history here

Learning Factory Is 34% Off For Base Builder Fest



MEOW YOUR BASE ARE BELONG TO US

Hey engineers, base builders, and city planners of all ages! As you might know by now, there's an event going on, dedicated the games we like most: those about planning, building and optimizing complex structures.

Naturally, Learning Factory wouldn't miss it for the world! Your beloved cat-catering factory building game will be on discount from January 23 to January 30, and how:

[h3]34% off the main game, and 14% off the DLCs![/h3]

Pack your things, draft your plans, pet your cat - and see you on Mars!



https://store.steampowered.com/app/1150090/Learning_Factory

And don't forget to follow Learning Factory on Steam to get the news about new updates as soon as they're out there


----------------------

[h2]How to Get More Involved[/h2]

Going to Early Access is but the first step to glory (and eternal cat happiness). Wanna be part of what happens next? Head to this blog post and learn how to help make the game even more awesome!

[h2]Share Your Gameplay and Become Part of KOTOVOD History[/h2]
Learning Factory needs your help! Record a 10 or more minutes of you playing the game, share a video using any way you see fit, write your name into Learning Factory credits and get a promo cat! Make history here