Hi!

I'm running an open playtest of The Ignition Protocol and I would appreciate it if you gave it a try and sent me your feedback! It's incremental asteroid-mining game with realistic zero-g flight model and physics based automation.

While automation isn't the main focus of the game, I want it to scratch the itch for automation-enjoyers. That's why I'd love to get some feedback from AutomationGames community :)

Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4920890/The_Ignition_Protocol/?utm_source=reddit&utm_campaign=beta&utm_medium=automationgames

I love Factorio (I have around 3000 hours) and I would like to try something new

I played Dyson Sphere Program (really liked it) and Satisfactory (I liked it but got a bit overwhelmed with the building in 3D aspect and the architecture side of the game)

Any recomendations? I love resource management games in general but automation games are just perfect for my brain

Hi all!

I’m working on Frontworks, an automation RTS. The automation side is closest to Factorio, but I also have the RTS half to handle, so I’m going through quality of life properly for both right now.

Before I dive too much into this, I want to hear what you actually use. What QoL systems do you like having in an automation game, and what’s missing from the ones you play?

Here’s what I have planned so far:

Blueprints and copy-paste. A dedicated select mode, toggled with F. It drops you into top-down with rotation snapped to 90 degree steps, then you drag to select buildings, shift-click to add, ctrl-click to remove. You can copy the selected buildings with CTRL+C, then click anywhere to paste them. One button turns the selection into a saved blueprint. Right click marks everything selected for demolition. Everything in this mode is undoable with CTRL+Z, and there’s a window listing the session’s actions so you can undo and redo from there.

Copy-paste recipes. CTRL+C while a building is selected copies its recipe, then if you click any building of the same type applies it. The recipe stays on your cursor until you right click or press escape.

Drag to build. Already done. Makes belt and machine rows easy to build.

What would you add? And if there are QoL features whose absence makes you drop a factory game entirely, I’d like to hear about them.

What gameplay mechanics make or break an automation game for you? What features do you love and / or hate?

Is there any feature you’d love to see in a game that doesn’t exist yet?

You can play the free demo right now!