Really like the mod, thanks. The one thing I would ask for to improve my experience would be an option to scroll the map by dragging the mouse, like it does in map view when you hold LMB.

I don't think that's reasonably possible without using the map view already. I've been experimenting with swapping to the map view entirely, but I cannot promise anything from that yet.

That's cool, I just wanted to mention it. Since you apparently read these messages, uhh, did you disable music while in sandbox mode? I maybe just spent but I couldn't find an option to turn it on. Not a big deal either, just wondering. Thanks again for the mod

I did not, this is just how Factorio works now with the music overhaul; there's nearly nothing I can do about it without rewriting a music playback engine within Lua. I submitted it for feedback during the beta, but it's quite a large change and I heard nothing about it. Interestingly, the same ideas I have for the map view would also handle the music issues.

Well, let me know if you need any help. I'm not really familiar with Lua or modding, but maybe my time could be useful somehow.

Your personal opinions on some potential (or lack of) functionality could help with the decision making, because everything is a tradeoff. This mod is still using its original system that existed before 2.0, where there can be multiple Surfaces, and the mod makes them during the gameplay as necessary: one for you, one for your team, one for each other person in the game as they use it. To give you the enhanced capabilities without allowing you those same capabilities in your normal world, it temporarily moves you to a different team/force that's based on what you were before, but with the elevated capabilities.

2.0 has some very nice new capabilities, like remote-view, ghost cursor, and the list of Planets/Platforms, but they also come with large differences compared to this old approach. The largest drawback with the Planets is that they must be defined before any game starts, while it loads all the things like recipes and items.

So, here are a handful of important differences that you could weigh in on how important they are to you.

• Do you prefer the newer ghost-cursors and remote-building via remote-view, compared to the current Sandboxes which have real inventories and items that you're placing?
• Do you prefer the Sandbox as a separate thing you shortcut into (and are then a bit disconnected from the other views, including alerts), compared to the remote-view's list of places that you can swap between quite freely?
• Would you prefer more shared Sandboxes, imagining you might have to carve out your own section in multiplayer, compared to having your own personal one?
• Are Planet-specific features, like heating/freezing and lighting, important within the Sandboxes?
• Would you prefer more themed Sandboxes, or less but configurable Sandboxes?
• Would you prefer more "cheat-like" tools within the Sandboxes?

Maybe you can see by now, but it might be possible to be much more integrated with the rest of the new systems, but it would likely come at some costs of what exists today: less enhanced recipes/things while you're in the Sandbox. It might not be a real dichotomy, either, I wonder if keeping some of what exists now around but also adding less-configurable but more-integrated options for those use cases. It might be confusing to have multiple "kinds" of Sandboxes with different limitations/capabilities. For now, I'm still trying options to see if it's going to work well at all.

1 In my opinion the new ghost-cursor & remote building would be better because I'd never be trying to place a build item and run out, needing to hit Q & re-click. I also wouldn't ever fill up my inventory & need to make a trash can to dump it.

2 I have only really used sandbox with the grid view, and that's been fine for me mostly.

3 Personally haven't played multiplayer Factorio. If I did, I'd want to see their creations, and them, mine. Maybe even work together on things.

4 I've been to Fulgora, but any designs I've made weren't concerned about power, they were all dealing with recyclers and such. It might be nice to have an option to show freezing & heating for once I get to Aquilo, but I kind of doubt it. I haven't had any reason for anything like that yet.

5 I'm not sure what you mean by themed Sandboxes. Do you mean like configuring the colors? If so, I'd like that

6 I can't think of any cheat like tools that I would use. I mainly use it for making circuit network stuff.

Hope this was helpful. Let me know if you've got other questions

This was helpful, and the answers mostly align with my own. By theming vs. configurable, I should have mentioned that I was talking about some Planet-specific features (from the previous question). For example, right now the Sandbox isn't themed - it's somewhat "universal" and it's slightly configurable - if you need to, you can change some properties of your Sandbox, like to remove gravity or pressure to allow some recipes that require one or the other. That's in contrast with something like Fulgora: lightning is a very specific mechanic that only applies there; to support that means there would be a different, unique Sandbox where lightning applies. So, for designing Fulgora-specific contraptions that depend on lightning, you could go to a certain Sandbox that allows that.

I personally can't think of a use case for a lightning theme that I would make use of. I always am using the electric floor, with unlimited power. If ever I turn that off, it would be for the very final design where I added power poles... even adding lightning rods here in the sandbox, it's like, you'd need to exit the sandbox to check where the geography will allow you to place your creations.. That's why I don't think it's needed, in my case.
Good luck & i look forward to your future updates

I'll chime in and give my answers. I use this mod continuously through my playthroughs.

Do you prefer the newer ghost-cursors and remote-building via remote-view, compared to the current Sandboxes which have real inventories and items that you're placing?

Yes. Having an inventory is more trouble than its worth most of the time, and cleaning up an item dump is tedious.

Do you prefer the Sandbox as a separate thing you shortcut into (and are then a bit disconnected from the other views, including alerts), compared to the remote-view's list of places that you can swap between quite freely?

No. I think Sandboxes should be like planets and space platforms that you access via remote view but with its own tech tree if possible.

Would you prefer more shared Sandboxes, imagining you might have to carve out your own section in multiplayer, compared to having your own personal one?

Preferably, I'd be able to create Sandboxes on the fly and choose what type of Sandbox it is (personal/shared, Navuis/Vulcanus/Space Platform, etc.)

Are Planet-specific features, like heating/freezing and lighting, important within the Sandboxes?

Yes. The reason I use Sandboxes is to test scenarios, so the ability to change what environment the Sandbox mimics is important.

Would you prefer more themed Sandboxes, or less but configurable Sandboxes?

Yes, I would rather create a "Fulgora" Sandbox rather than have to tweak a bunch of settings to make the environment like Fulgora.

Would you prefer more "cheat-like" tools within the Sandboxes?

Yes, I like having infinity-chests, -undergrounds, -pipes, -accumulators, etc. I also like the ability to set tiles to create resource patches, lakes, trees, etc.

A few more notes: Unlike JMB0123, I usually have Electrified Floor turned off since my blueprints need to have power poles in them, so I like to know when something is without power. I just make sure I have an infinity-accumulator near by.

I also like building grid-bases, so the actual planet terrain isn't as important since everything is going to be constrained by the grid more so than the planet's topology.

There's roughly two distinct topics at play here, and it's important to clearly separate them.

Controlling the game

Factorio 1.0 only had (for purposes of this discussion) three controllers: Characters, Gods, and Editors. The Editor is way too powerful and cheat-y, the Character is the usual intended experience, and the God was basically only used for the "Sandbox" scenario. That's what inspires this mod: a temporary and segregated God/Editor-like experience inside of your current game. That is what this mod is in-tune with: the God and Editor controllers.

Factorio 2.0 introduces the Remote View controller method, which replaces the old, separate idea of the "map view." This is now much more known than the God and Editor controllers, and it presents a new way of interacting with things that are not where your Character is.

Swapping to, and/or adding a Remote View, is possible, but it's quite different than the originally intended experience. It's a 2.0 experience. It may or may not be better, depending on your own play-style. It only handles how you interact with the Sandbox.

Planetary Features, Static/Dynamic Sandboxes

Factorio 2.0 introduces Planets, and nearly all Planet-specific features are coupled directly to the idea of Planets. For example, requiring heating elements, electrical storms at night, music and ambient noise, just to name the few that continuously pop up as topics on this board. We should name a few more for further consideration: appearing in the Space Map, appearing in any Planet-selecting GUI elements, being able to travel to the location via Platforms, and being very clearly, statically defined before the game loads. These are very unfortunate decisions about the updated engine for Factorio.

Sandboxes are not Planets. They do not have most of the qualities that make a Planet. It would be odd if they behaved like Planets. Unfortunately, Planets are the only "solution" to these problems: you cannot have music, lightning, heating, fog, custom pollution, and so on without a Planet.

Supporting Planetary-sandboxes is also possible, and it would handle what you can do within the Sandboxes. But, it's unlikely to be in the ways that everyone wants, because of the 2.0 engine's features/limitations.

Current/Future Plans

More generally, with newer users from the 2.0 release, much of the feedback is to essentially be more like the Editor, and more like specific Planets. That is not the ultimate purpose of this mod. The answer to these sorts of problems is: use the Editor in addition to this mod.

There is an immediate solution to many of those problems: the latest release of this mod introduces a new Scenario that lets you play God/Editor with every Planet becoming a "sandbox" for itself. In that mode, the terrain is a laboratory, one for each Planet, and you have immediate access to all of them.

There are no plans to incorporate those Planet-specific and highly static features into the core design of this mod, where you can quickly enter/exit your own Sandbox during the course of your game. The current features, like adjusting daylight, gravity, pressure, and so on, will be ever so slightly expanded, but will not be fundamentally different than they are now.

There are plans to integrate the Remote Viewing concept with the Sandboxes that this mod provides. This naturally leads into adding/removing Sandboxes more dynamically, as Platforms can be, so that is also under consideration.

There may be plans to provide a single, shared Planet representing a general sandbox.

I think the latest update solves the original request, and a handful of what we've been discussing here. Not only is the Remote View working for Sandboxes, but it will be the default way of interacting with them; it's more familiar to most users, and it's significantly less complex (therefore safer).

The original God-like interaction is still possible, but in less cases, because it can only be used if your Character can be safely returned to later on. There are nearly no cases where the Remote View won't work. And it sounds like it will solve a handful of problems that people had with the God-mode.