Devlog #2 - Machines and Automation!

[p]It’s been nearly a month since we showed the first information about Farmatic to the world, and now we have even more details for you to dive in and explore![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]With the start of the Steam Automation Fest, it seemed like a perfect opportunity to talk a bit about the things you can automate. In this Devlog, we will tell you about the machines and the automation loop. We also want to mention that all the information about the features we’ll be talking about is subject to change before the game comes out.[/p][p][/p][h2]Automation Loop[/h2][p][/p][p]With the machines now known to you, we have one more thing to show you. We’ve prepared a small diagram to show you how the machines can work in a loop to fulfil your requested crafting queue.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Please remember that the loop may change before the release of the game.[/p][p][/p][h2]Machines[/h2][p][/p][p]Before we discuss the automation loop, let me introduce you to some of the machines that you’ll be able to place in the fantastic world of Farmatic.[/p][p][/p][h3]Water pump[/h3][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Most of your machines require power and water to operate fully. To obtain water, you’ll need to construct a water pump and connect it to all the machines using water pipes.[/p][p][/p][h3]Power[/h3][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]You’ll have different types of power generators in the game. One of which will be a solar panel, which will work only during the day and will keep your machines operational for most of the time.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]The other type of generator is a wind turbine. They’ll generate more electricity than the solar panels; in turn, they’ll be able to keep more of your machines powered.
[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]To transport power between generators and machines, you’ll need to set up a network of electric poles. Every pole has its area of effect, and you’ll need to put quite a few of them to keep all your machines running.[/p][p][/p][h3]Smelter[/h3][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Let’s start with something that most of you already know. The smelter will be one of the most important machines that you’ll be able to build. It takes raw ores, fuel, and water to create ingots of metals that will be processed further in other machines.[/p][p][/p][h3]Hub[/h3][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]A hub will be the most essential part of your machine collection. It’ll serve as a well… Hub for your Farmbots. Here, you’ll be able to see all the available information about the work area of your bots, their charge level, how much water and power your machines consume, and it also functions as a small storage. It’s worth mentioning that the Hub connected to the storage will be able to transport some of the harvested plants back into the primary storage.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Assemblers[/h3][p] The assemblers are used to automatically craft better crafting components from metals and various bio materials that can be grown on your farm. Like every other machine, they require power and water to function, in addition to the required materials.[/p][p][/p][h3]Pipes[/h3][p][/p][p][/p][p]To connect every machine’s item and water input and output, you’ll need to place specialised pipes (different types for water and another for items). You’ll also be able to build a splitter, which will be used to split the item transition. You can put it at the output of your storage to have only one pipe leading to different machines!. Or you can place a pipe connector, which will connect a few pipes into one output.[/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][p]And with that in mind, we’ve arrived at the end of this Devlog! I hope that we’ve managed to capture your attention with our machines! As always, thank you for staying with us until the end. Expect more Devlogs about Farmatic in the future![/p][p][/p][p]If you want more information or just to keep up with us, be sure to join our Discord and follow us on our Social Media![/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p]Cheers![/p][p]~Dev Team[/p]