uFactory News

Hi everyone! Well, the first beta is out, and feedback is already starting to flow in. In addition to our Roadmap, I've also added an Issue Tracker. If you'd like to submit feedback or bug reports, you can do so in-game by pressing F9 during factory gameplay, on the Steam Discussions board, or in our Discord server.

Most of the latest news has been covered in launch announcement posts, so this devlog will be short and sweet.



Progress is already being made on the next major update, which will include more advanced belts, liquid and gas piping, new levels, and a bunch of usability improvements.

I've also started updating some of the store and library assets. But the Godot version will remain an opt-in beta until it hits v2.4 feature parity.

If any major game-breaking issues are discovered, I'll put out a patch, but otherwise, expect fixes to come with the next major update. The goal is to release every month or two, and this one is big, so expect a drop sometime in February.

As always, thanks for your support of uFactory!

uFactory Godot Beta has been updated to v2.0.2.0. This updated is intended to improve the readability of conveyor belts and the items on them, as well as making the belt graphics more reactive to dark mode option and simulation speed.

To play this version, right-click the game in your Steam Library and choose Properties. From the Betas tab, choose the Godot Public Beta option. Steam will then start downloading the beta version. If you've already opted in, Steam will update it automatically.

Update notes:

• Added outlines to commodity tokens
  
• Enhanced belt appearance
  
• Added belt blur at high sim speeds
  
• Improved anti-aliasing
  
• Fixed window positioning bug
  

Ready to try out the new Godot build of uFactory? Well, you finally can!

The first version of the new uFactory (v2.0.1.1) is now available via an opt-in Steam Beta. To play the new version, right-click the game in your Steam Library and choose Properties. From the Betas tab, choose the Godot Public Beta option. Steam will then start downloading the beta version.



First, the new stuff:

• Streamlined tools. No more toggling of area modes or obtuse UIs. The tools should just work as you expect them to. Want to rotate something? Press the rotate key while hovering your mouse over it. Want to delete, copy, or move an area? Just drag & drop.
  
• Multi-stage factories: A single level can have multiple stages now, starting simple and expanding as it grows in complexity. This is particularly used in the new tutorial level.
  
• Inline tutorial. While it's still underdeveloped at the moment, the game is designed to introduce you to concepts gradually, instead of forcing you to read walls of text in dedicated tutorial levels. When you don't use a feature by the time the game expects you to, it'll pop up a hint to do so.
  
• Proper container handling. Containers can contain fluids/gasses and be emptied by machines that need those fluids/gasses. Just remember to deal with the empties!
  
• Mod support. uFactory now supports custom mods! It's in dire need of documentation, but the base game ships with mod tools so you can start building your own content today!
  
• Dark mode, for those who shun the light
  
• Status lights on every machine, alerting you to possible problems early.
  

What transferred over from before:

• Three levels, two old and revamped (Child's Play and Woodworking) and one new (Toothpicks; a tutorial level)
  
• Straight, corner, and splitter belts, as well as configurable mechanical arms.
  
• Conversion and assembly processes. Don't forget to run the assembly steps before inserting that product into a more complex one!
  
• Serialization for maximum efficiency
  
• Custom factory colors
  
• Copy, Move, Destroy, and Empty Belt tools, to help you manage your factory space efficiently
  

First, I'll be fixing bugs as they're reported (visit our Discord community!) with some rapid-fire patches, and then will ultimately continue down the path laid out by the Roadmap.

You can now follow along with uFactory's new Godot-engine revamp's development.

Click here to view the development roadmap.

The roadmap will be updated as each feature is added. Once all features for a milestone are finished (and some testing is done), a new beta will be publicly released.

I'll still be posting monthly devlogs that summarize updates added during that period.

And, of course, this roadmap is subject to (and likely to) change in the future.

Hi everyone! I've made a lot of progress this past month moving everything over to Godot. While doing so, I managed to make some improvements to the core engine behind uFactory's simulation, and I want to describe some of those upgrades in this post:


One of the most-requested features for uFactory, the new Godot version is built with modding in mind from the ground up. Most machines, all commodity types, and all factory scenarios (levels) are now defined in external JSON files. uFactory's core content will just be an open-source "core" mod. That means if you want to tweak the game's balance, you can do so! If you want to add your own machines and processes and levels, you can do so!

In addition, I've built separate editors for each of these types (machine, commodities, scenarios), which makes both modding and core development way easier! I've also created a number of placeholder graphics for machines and commodities that allows me to rapidly prototype factory processes, and will make it easier for you to create mods with no art skills needed! I'm hoping to release the editor tools open-source as well once the Godot demo drops. Right now, the editor tools are Windows-only, but editing the JSON directly can be done on any platform.



Once the Godot version becomes the main version of the game (i.e. not a Steam Beta), I'll open up Workshop support, and offer the editor tools as a separate download through Steam (probably as a free DLC, but I haven't figured out the details yet).


An overarching theme of this rebuild is simplicity. Remove the unnecessary cruft and keep things simple and easy to read at-a-glance. While most of the machines you're used to will retain their general form, some other parts of the game have been given a significant facelift. For example, check out the new factory structure and conveyor belts!



It should now be much easier to see exactly what will happen with stuff on your conveyors before it gets there.


As I said, an overarching theme of this rebuild is simplicity. The UI is no exception to this rule:


And the in-game menus are designed to have extra data if you want it, but to also show you at-a-glance what is happening in your factory. Those red bars mean you're losing money!


This new style is very bright, though, isn't it? Good thing Godot has a robust Theme system! For those who prefer a darker approach, uFactory will have a comprehensive Dark Mode toggle from the first beta:




So, you may be asking "when do we get to try this out?" And the answer is before the end of the year! I don't have an exact release date yet (it'll probably be a drop-when-it's-done kind of thing), but I do expect to have a beta demo with three levels released before the end of December 2023!