Ribbon Maze
Synopsis
The maze itself is destined to be automated.
Ribbon Maze challenges you to explore a maze in search of rich resources. The maze is impassable, but new late game technologies let you terraform the maze...
Xterminator mod spotlight video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9D9FGv8-POw (thanks Xterminator!)
JD-Plays mod highlight video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZu5xoG5tKQ (thanks JD-Plays!)
Nilaus Maze Runner series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLV3rF--heRVvW7bk8Z_wh6Ckw_qSSUyqJ (thanks Nilaus!)
Experimental support for 0.17 alpha
RibbonMaze 0.7.x are the releases for Factorio 0.17. The minimum version in RibbonMaze 0.7.x is Factorio 0.17.38, to enforce a core Factorio bug fix that caused differences in maze generation on different platforms.
Please note the following known issues:
- transitions between water and maze chasm tiles look a little odd. This is cosmetic, the tiles are correct, so there should be no gameplay effect.
It's early days into testing Factorio 0.17.38, but it's very promising. Still, I can't emphasize enough -- 0.17 is still experimental so play at your own risk ;)
RibbonMaze 0.6.x continues to be availble for players of 0.16 Stable.
Key features
- Perfect maze - only one right path takes you deeper into a practically infinite maze. But...
- Dead ends are rewarding! - resources spawn at dead ends. Longer corridors hold the most valuable resources
- Mixed ores near start - mixed ores near the start of the maze provide an early game challenge, while making sure you can get your factory started
- Also works with vanilla/mod resources - mod settings allow you to decide which of the vanilla resources are affected by Ribbon Maze
- Great for trains - resources are spread out so you'll soon want trains. The maze is "chunk aligned", ideal for rail network blueprints
- Mangroves - the water at the start of the maze is lined with trees. Turn off normal trees in terrain generation if you wish. Mangroves offer wood as an infinite resource, like crude oil, but with new logistical challenges and opportunities
- Terraforming - Terraform the maze into canals using new recipes which provide a late-game need for wood and nuclear-generated steam. Automate the process with special artillery which will explore the maze for you. Decide: will you landfill your canals for more space, or exploit the new mangroves that grow along their banks?
Previewing the map
Vanilla map preview won't work, which is a "feature" because the maze is supposed to be mysterious :)
However you may want to see what you're letting yourself in for. There are mod settings, under the map tab, to reveal one oil and/or one uranium patch near to the start. The route to it won't be revealed. If you're unlucky, a resource might seem close, but need a long winding route to actually get to it.
If you want to check the map more thoroughly, here's the console command I use:
/c game.forces.player.chart(game.player.surface, {{x = -400, y = -1024}, {x = 400, y = 100}})
Mod Compatibility
In general, most mods should be compatible with Ribbon Maze.
Below is a list of successes/problems that have been reported, accompanied by notes and recommended settings to make them work well together. Note, not all of these have been tested by myself personally.
- AAI Industries 👍 Recommend to increase the "clear start chunks" setting to at least 1, if using the shipwreck, in the map tab for Ribbon Maze. Otherwise the shipwreck will overlap the maze wall and not be entirely accessible.
- Angel's Refining 👍
- Angel's Infinite Ores 👍 Can be combined with both vanilla resources and other mods.
- Bob's Ores 👍
- Research queue ⚠️Mostly works but RQ doesn't handle the icon overlays used by the oil scanning technology, and crashes if you go to the text view of the technologies. Track this issue here: https://mods.factorio.com/mod/research-queue/discussion/5c0660a485d73f000c0413d7
- Resource Spawn Overhaul 👍 If you wish it to overhaul resources, then turn off all dead end resources in the map tab of the Ribbon Maze mod settings.
- VehicleSnap 👍
Soft modding
Ribbon Maze is designed to be "softmod" friendly. The core maze and resource generation logic can function
without the mangroves and terraforming prototypes. The mod's control.lua pretty much just registers events, for everything else it calls out to other scripts. The settings are all handled from a single file that could be replaced in a soft mod to configure and customize the mod experience. So
just providing a different control.lua and settings-control.lua file should allow heavily customized setups, scenarios and soft mods.
Credits
Terrain graphics for maze adapted from the MIT-license More Floors mod by Tone
(https://mods.factorio.com/mods/Tone/More_Floors).
Thanks to illiander42 for various modifications.
Thanks also to Factorio staff and forum users for their help and support!