The upcoming expansion for the factory automation game Satisfactory, titled Core Values, presents a significant design hurdle for developer Coffee Stain Studios: creating appropriately sized caves. Unlike the open-ended sandbox of the base game, this expansion shifts the player's focus to underground environments, necessitating a careful balance between restrictive spaces and ample building room.
In Satisfactory's existing maps, players have near-limitless space to construct their sprawling factories. Resource nodes are strategically placed to be accessible, and the lack of spatial constraints allows for extensive expansion. However, Core Values will confine players to cave systems, demanding a new approach to factory design and resource management. This shift means that traditional conveyor belt logistics will be less effective, pushing players to adopt new tools and strategies.
Game director Emmet Burke explained that the challenge lies in providing enough space for players to exercise their creativity without making the caves feel like empty, uninspired boxes. "We want to be very careful how much space we allow for different players, because you still want to have the cave feeling," Burke stated. "You want to have the little tunnels to explore, but you want to make sure there's always enough areas that if people want to unleash their creativity, they have the space to do that, but then you don't want to just give them a big box [where they can] just build whatever they want."
The developers must anticipate how players will utilize the available resources and space throughout the game's progression. This involves testing factory layouts against the cave's dimensions, considering available technologies, resource quantities, and building sizes. Art director Torsten Gunst likens this process to managing a triangle of constraints: the cave's environment and dimensions, the required factory size, and the cost of in-game recipes.
While specific details about new logistics tools remain under wraps, producer Julio Mendez hinted that the unique environment of Core Values will introduce challenges that necessitate their use. "I don't want to spoil anything out right, but there will be challenges that come from the specific new environment that we have," he said.
To accommodate players who may not optimize their factories perfectly, Coffee Stain also plans to add a buffer of extra space. "We have a rule of thumb for players like, well, me: 'We just give them an extra like 25% cave space for the ones who want to build bigger,'" Burke noted, acknowledging that players will inevitably discover unforeseen factory configurations.
Ultimately, the design of the caves in Satisfactory's Core Values is a meticulous process aimed at providing a challenging yet rewarding experience, ensuring that the subterranean environments are both practical for construction and engaging to explore.