Hey everyone! Time for another edition of Learning Factory's dev diaries. Has it really been just a month? It was really rich with events for us: we participated in the Base Builder Fest on Steam and released Learning Factory on Epic Games Store but most importantly, we've introduced 3 updates oozing new content and features. Here's a short list of the most game-changing things!

Blueprints To The Max

It's funny that we sometimes hear rebukes (and, ironically, compliments) that Learning Factory is like Factorio but it's not Factorio. Well, yeah, it is definitely not Factorio, nor it was ever meant to be. Naturally, this great game was one of our principal sources of inspiration but we like to think that Learning Factory is more about economics, data, and optimization of stuff. And cats. But there's one feature in Factorio that we and our players are particularly fond of - the Blueprints. Those handy ghosts of buildings can be a great help when planning a really big factory. We started introducing them to Learning Factory last year but in the most recent updates, we've really upgraded them.
For starters, there's a Blueprint Library that you can see in the screenshot above. It contains some pre-made schemes from us (that also serve as tips & tricks for building) but you can also enrich the list with your own creations: press Ctrl and drag the mouse over a group of objects and then press Ctrl+C to copy and Ctrl+S to save the blueprint. And then you'll be able to press the Export button in the library to copy and paste your scheme code and make it shareable. This short video on our YouTube channel explains the basics of it. Please send us your Blueprints, we'd love to check them and try them out in our own Factories!

New Buildings Again (And We're Far From Done Yet)

Blueprints can be an infinite source of fun and experimenting but those are primarily for advanced (and/or really curious) players. Here's something that may be enjoyed by absolutely everyone: new buildings! We have introduced quite a few:
These bad boys will take your Metal (and, occasionally, some Wood) and smelt it into higher-quality Metal! If that doesn't sound cool enough, Lava Furnace actually needs to be placed on lava under the ground. The Underground level is actually becoming quite a world of its own: with underground Zeppelins and metal sources to mine, there's now also an option for sub-surface fishing - make sure to research the respective upgrade for the Fishing Spot!
Speaking of quality, Cotton Gin is your best friend for producing top-quality Cotton! According to our research, the original Cotton Gin was invented in 1793 by an I.L.L.U.M.I.N.A.T.I. member, hiding under the alias of Eli Whitney. This hi-tech version of that magnificent machine is perfect for refining cotton to make sure no Martian dust and sheep nano-particles end up in the product.
Did you know: all tiles on Mars have different quality rates, and some buildings work most efficiently when set up on the proper type of soil or water? For example, Fir Trees grow best in the northern biome, and Fishing Piers achieve maximum productivity when placed near hot or cold water. But even the fitting tiles can be below perfect by default. To ensure top quality, you should consider replacing natural tiles with those produced by you Or by one of these Soil Silos, which are your new helpers for automated ground production. Ground control too major!
This cute little thing is yet another tasting building that we started introducing at the end of last year. Works pretty much the same as others: passerby cats might get inside and will likely add Boxes to their shopping list afterward. And if you're suspecting a Schrodinger Box reference in the design - you're absolutely right!
Last but not least, behold our mighty Experimental Lab! If you look closely, you might notice an empty Cat Knowledge Archive at the base of this awesome new building. Empty Archives are required for the production of these think tanks (or rather think boxes?), and your effort of finding them will be rewarded by the doubled speed of research inside.

Now What?

Speaking of what we're working on now, we must get back to the players comparing our game with Factorio. (Are there really many factory building/optimization games that don't look like Factorio?) We'd really like to highlight what's making Learning Factory unique, that's why we're working on an additional version of the game's tutorial, specifically made for factory-building connoisseurs. This way you'll be able to get past the basic stuff like laying down Transporters and mining basic resources, right into serious cat-catering and data processing stuff! We're also hoping to finalize the Blueprints with a couple of useful new features. And, of course, some new art is looming: right now Sergei the artist is busy improving the looks of the most important item in the Factory - the Yarn Balls. They deserve their own little story but that's for the next edition of these Dev Diaries:
The journey to Catopia continues! Join us if you're still not with us, and let us know what you think of the game so far. We're always glad to chat with our players. See you in the next chapter of Learning Factory's History! https://store.steampowered.com/app/1150090/Learning_Factory

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How to Get More Involved

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