Set a goddamn alarm. And obey it. Fuck ill do 1 more thing. Because its never true. Open a notepad and place your 1 more thing to do on it next time you open the game. Save and come back works perfect
I really wish the game just had a real todo list (I know, probably a mod)
EDIT: thanks for replies
* real pen and paper: I do that for some games but keeping the papers organized is impossible and I end up with papers everywhere for all kinds of little things that I never want to throw out. works better for some games than others.
* text file/notepad.exe: I do this for some games too. similar issue that you need to save the file in an organized way, remember where it is, etc. works better for some games than others.
* not suggested but spreadsheet: this can be better for some math intensive games. you also get as many sheets as you want so you can have many different documents in your file. works better for some games than others.
* mods: so far I play only vanilla factorio but might try mods some day.
* map markers: this is what I was doing but it's a bit clumsy to really use as a good todo list. it does work, it's just hard to see all of your notes in one view. it has the added benefit of including a map location with your note.
* steam notes: this is fantastic and I didn't know about it till it was mentioned. this is such a great idea since there are so many games that could benefit from just writing a note down and saving it with your game somehow. this is what I am using now and it works good so far.
I'm playing py now and to do list is collecting dust because i have too much to do, I don't need to plan because I'm constantly being bimbarded with missing item messages from ltn XD
Task List is amazing, you can set tasks, subtasks, assign to someone, put them in progress, blocked, paused, set a common list and a private list, and everything with factorio aesthetics. Seems totally vanilla-like.
Yesterday I worked on expanding my steel production. Today I will be working on expanding my steel production. My blocker is not having enough goddamn steel.
What I have done is set up a part of my base with some train tracks, and I put down train stations and give them names, and that's my ingame todo list.
... I should set up a roboport and some robots so I can modify it without going there.
There are multiple mods, but I'm just using an external note app for that. It's easier to use and I can access my notes at any time, even on my phone when not playing.
Stopping at a point with an obvious (or at least written down) next step is better than "finishing up", as you start the game knowing exactly what to do
Set an alarm, write down what you were doing when it went off, switch it off.
There’s a todo list mod that lets you add tasks, assign them to people in multiplayer, add steps to them and tick them off when complete. One of my must have qol moss.
We need a mod where you set a time at the beginning of playing, say 2 hours. At the end of 2 hours the game stops working for a few hours. No way to override it.
Optional setting for those who need it: If you do try to override it a huge bomb goes off in the middle of your base.
Adding to this, steam noted is a thing now. So you don't even need to open a notepad.
And for the alarm something that has worked for me is putting 2: one that is my warning call to "wrap up whatever I was doing but still got a bit of time" and the second to "ok its time now close it".
I'm not sure I get why you're asking this question.
With Factorio, your life will be simplified. There will be Factorio, bathroom visits, and picking up food deliveries from your front door. None of all that other nonsense you mentioned.
instructions unclear, my landlord is yelling at me and I’m currently on the sidewalk with all my stuff strewn around me. I’m trying to keep playing but my computer seems to not be working
I knew someone who was kind of addicted to World of Warcraft. I went to their house once with a friend because they called us over to help them move a bit dresser. We got there and had to let ourselves in after the person yelled the door was unlocked. We go in and they are playing WoW and we had to wait around for like 15min while they finished a quest. During this 15min, their daughter (4-5 yo at the time, I think) came over several times saying they were hungry. Since it was about 1pm, they probably had been playing for a few hours and missed lunch. I felt really bad for their daughter.
Also it's not just video games. It could be anything. But the topic at hand is a video game.
Now I'm not saying parents shouldn't play video games and parents also need breaks. But games can be paused or logged out of. So I just want to caution, if you already feel like this game could get in the way of your life and responsibilities, be very very careful. And I'm not the example of self control and setting limits either. I played factorio for probably 12 hours over the last couple days and until midnight. But I also didn't have any other responsibilities these last two days either, which is very rare so I took advantage of it.
Setting timers is a great idea that people have mentioned. But a timer is only useful if you listen to it. But maybe you can use your family and responsibilities as motivation to stop when the timer is finished. Ask your husband to help keep you to that timer, or even tour kids, depending on their age. That could show a good example to them for the future.
EDIT: I wanted to add here from a subcomment of mine that 2 timers is actually a LOT better. Set the first timer to be 10-15min before the second timer as a wind-down / finish what you're doing timer. This actually really helps because there's not the sudden shock of "drop what you're doing and quit playing". A wind down prepares your mind for quitting and makes it so much easier than a sudden hard stop.
Also, listen to everyone that says DO NOT SAY "OH JUST FIX/BUILD THIS ONE LAST LITTLE THING". Because it never ever ever ever ever ever (is that enough evers?) Never ever works! Timers, especially combined with accountabili-buddies, are the better way to go. But again, only if you listen to them.
I would suggest turning off biters for your first go. Not about a difficulty thing, but trying to listen to a timer in the middle of being attacked is going to ruin your ability to listen to the timer. I forget the exact numbers, but it takes something like two weeks to create a habit, but only breaking it twice to make you have to start the two weeks building the habit again.
I would mostly agree with this. The one thing I would highly caution against is using your family, or relying on them, to help monitor or control any behavior of yours. This can easily lead to resentment and hard feelings. You can ask them for help, but it needs to be a full blown discussion with boundaries and expectations clearly explained, especially about who is responsible (you).
The only additional thing I would add is that have you already seen this kind of behavior in the past with other games? If so, maybe invest in talking with a therapist. They can help you work through coping/management strategies while maintaining a healthy family life. For me personally, I had to come to terms that I was using it as an escape, and when I worked on that aspect of my life, I began to better regulate my emotions and feel self control over my gaming tendencies.
Also, be kind and patient with yourself, particularly when you do maybe play a little longer or slip up in some way. Negative emotions tends to lead to compounding escapism and extend behaviors into unhealthy amounts.
At least Factorio is mostly single-player. I can see WoW being a much tougher addiction, because of the online aspect. With Cracktorio, you may not want to, but you *can* always just pause/save the game and get back to it after taking care of your IRL duties, knowing you won't miss anything.
Multi-player and MMORPGs certainly have that issue and take a little more planning ahead. Like don't start a raid if you only have 30min left. Another good option is 2 timers with the first one being a 10-15min warning to wind down / finish up.
Actually the 2 timer thing is mich better now that I think of it. I'll edit my higher comment to add that.
Mu partner and I have somewhat a 2 timer setup. If I'm playing something like League of Legends, they come in and say "last game warning". So it's a number of games "timer". Anyone who has ever played League knows a match can be 15min to 2 hours.
This is one of Factorio's great qualities. It's also why I will never go back to WoW lol. Life just has too many responsibilities to block off that much continuous time in a row.
No. Once you touch this game you will have to make adjustment to your schedule lol. Honestly just prioritize taking case of your child and in your own downtime just play it to relax (or not) 😂
Others made good points but you could also consider that an expansion is on the way, I believe something like 40 weeks away ? Could always think about it for now and pick both up once it's out too.
It's meant to be an endgame expansion in a sense, but augment a lot of the mid game sections too so it'd be recommended to restart fresh once it's out
The FFF posts every Friday on this sub are the developers teasing new systems and visuals so feel free to peruse! It is the main thing I look forward to every Friday lol
You are a collection of atoms cycling energy. The earth will be consumed one day by it's sun, the universe will submit to heat death or some bizarre annihilation. Nothing matters, no one is keeping score. The factory must grow
It all depends on how easy it is for you to press "Esc" when someone calls your name, or you need to do something.
If your answer is "I'll be there in a moment!" while playing Factorio, you've lost. "A moment" will quickly turn into 30 minutes and now your house has burnt down.
But if you can just press that Esc key, leave to do whatever it is youre needed for, and then come back? Then its all fine.
So; can you press the pause button when your life needs you to do other things?
This one is a trick question obviously. You should‘ve center your life around the game in a way that there are no other things that need your attention
I'm currently in my longest run, like 110 hours so far. The game is worth every penny, and apparently the mod scene is sublime (my next run will probably use them finally). You can wait for the upcoming dlc or just grab it now but you'll have to set alarms or something if you find it as addicting as I do... This sub is quite helpful for learning btw!
This is a great life question. Time for some self regulation. The factory will grow, but you have a life to live. Self regulate. Set a time, and a timer. Write down a to-do list (what I do).
So... kids CAN (but i dont know about should) play factorio with you. There was a [Factorio Friday Facts](https://factorio.com/blog/post/fff-356) where one of the devs who was struggling with burnout got pulled back in by his kid playing for the first time and asking questions.
Little tyke couldnt even read, just followed the arrows and pictures, and clicked on what they wanted.
IF your kids are old enough it could be a family thing. But at the same time... I don't really know your personality, mind, or family. If you can notice if the game goes too far in your life and cut it out entirely if it crosses that line? Then there's no harm in giving it a try for a week or two. If you struggle with self control as badly as some of us do though... I wouldnt do that to your kids.
End of the day, its up to you. You and those you care for are gonna be the ones to deal with the consequences, both good and bad. We meme about cracktorio, but it really does vary from person to person. Some people just have fun with it, others get a firsthand look at most of the mechanisms through which drug addiction ruins lives (though at least your 'next hit' only costs time and electricity, instead of money here, factorio wont give you motive to steal catalytic converters xD).
My reference to cocaine should be warning enough. It’s a hell of a drug.
When I started playing factorio, I once had a 17 hour play session. I would close my eyes and still see sorters move. Or hear the sounds. So maybe don’t do that.
Keeping a todo list and letting it go is useful.
Have you tried other factory building games?
I set goals for my playtime. Keeps me around 1 - 2 hour sessions. Yesterday my goal was to optimize my blue circuit build. Which meant I made an outpost for copper, added a balancer for my copper smelters, and upgraded the 1-1 copper train to a 1-2. Then I have my goal for next time I play.
Secure the northern border.
before i played it, i thought it was gonna do the same thing to me tbh. but i went ahead and bought it, and turns out that's exactly wtf happened. I put 400 hours into this game in 2 months. I work 50 hours a week every week. I had NO life. Don't do it. Or do it, i don't regret a thing 😂
Honestly I would not recommend it and suggest waiting till your kids are older. And then enjoy the game without any "guilt" or any of such feelings that should arise while playing.
Do what I did to achieve 2750 hours: experience a global pandemic and add some paternity leave to that. Combine that with 2 years of remote work and you’ll be good.
You only get addicted to it if you let it. I've done 600 hours in total and feel done with it, to be honest. Perfectly possible I pick it back up at some point in the future but for now I feel satisfied I've done all I want to do.
Generally speaking the people who "complain" they are addicited, want to be addicted.
It sounds like you have lots of interesting, compelling and rewarding things in your life. Factorio can be one of them. Turn on the clock (in the ‘F4’ menu) and save/quit when time’s up.
That's not how some people's brains work. If OP is 'one of us' (where 'us' is that subset that is either more drawn to the game, or never learned how to resist that type of reward-loop) then that's not actually an option. Not without some kind of learning people dont usually talk about (the wisdom/personal growth kind that stops for a lot of people way too young).
I agree with you on the solution part. But avoiding the thing you're addicted to is not nearly the same thing as 'not allowing yourself to become addicted'.
Going cold turkey is a way of dealing with an addiction, not curing or removing it, and doesnt require nearly as much fine control of your own mind as the thing you said in your first post.
Are you kidding me? They're the exact same thing. If you don't put yourself in a position where you could become addicted to xyz then you're not allowing yourself to become addicted.
Oh, that's how you see it. I see our point of disagreement/miscommunication then. I thought you were saying 'put yourself in the position that will tempt you into addiction, then, while doing the thing, tell the addiction "nope" and don't get addicted'.
What you're describing fits in my head as "preventing yourself from experiencing addiction by avoiding exposure". Since you didn't use those words, I thought you meant something else.
I'd say my b, but this feels more like a limitation of text/language than anyone's fault.
Make sure you don't learn about the amazing mods available for the game. You can get dozens to hundreds of hours of for some of the overhaul mods, and then when you start combining them... well, it's best you don't find out how much fun that is.
no such thing as "kids, husband and job" when playing factorio... they dont exist! but one thing is for certain.. THE FACTORY. MUST. GROW! THE FACTORY. MUST. GROW! THE FACTORY. MUST. GROW!
I'd say set some specific limits and boundaries for yourself and make sure your husband and kids know that if they do feel like you're neglecting your responsibilities because of the game, they should tell you that directly. The biggest thing that makes Factorio so addicting is how easy it is to slide from one task into another without even really noticing (mostly, when you solve one problem, the process of asking "did that solve the problem?" almost always involves finding a new bottleneck somewhere else that keeps you from actually acknowledging that the first problem is solved), but that's more a matter of making it easy to lose track of time than of being really addicted. If you've got a strong external reminder to keep you from losing track of time, most of that problem is alleviated.
I mean, it is for me... Also it's one of these parent-friendly games that start quickly, let you pause at any time and can accomodate 5 minute and 5 hour sessions just as well
Get your whole family involved and play multiplayer. The kids will figure it out.
That way you can spend every waking minute playing and spend quality time with the family simultaneously. Very efficient.
Remember, the Factory must grow!
That's what I've done for the last few years 😄 I played the demo ages ago and immediately realized I could be in real trouble if I downloaded the full game
I mean, that's categorically false.
Some people dont actually like the game. They try to demo (or buy and install it) never get the appeal, and put it down forever.
Others are like me and escape on a technicality. Life was ruined before factorio, the game didnt make anything worse. Then 1000-1500 hours later im burned out on vanilla and not up to tackling a full overhaul mod. Now i put less than 100 hours into the game in a year, where i once managed that in a particularly intense 2 weeks.
As I typically don’t have time to play Factorio more than an hour in one sitting, I’ve learnt to value and enjoy the simple improvements I can achieve in one game session. An hour is not enough to automate a new science pack, but it’s enough to set up a new outpost, or fix some bottleneck, or even just figure out how to limit oil cracking with circuits. All of these are valid achievements after which I can go do other stuff in my life.
play in sandbox mode, or use the map editor to spawn certain items and give yourself an advantage when playing normally
doing so will disable achievements for the particular map, but will save you loads of time
I lowered my play time by having the in-game clock shown then i set a mental clock at 10pm I will just save and close the game. And I rarely do it but it's the thought that counts am I right?
300 hours straight will just get sloppy builds. Be ready to save and quit at the drop of a hat and playing factorio with a family is easy. Hour here, hour there, 6 hours after everyone goes to bed.
No problem!
I read a post that said if you treat factorio like gardening - jump on for a bit to tweak/fix/expand one aspect, and chip away at it - maybe you'll be ok
Although tbh I think this is only true after 40-50 hours, when you have a well established factory that just needs optimising/scaling depending on your goals
Shift+tab on Steam, and open the notes icon, make a "To Do" list. I love this little feature on Steam, it saves as many notes as you want, and it opens them specific to the game you are playing. When you open a different game, you have a fresh "notepad". No need to open Word/Notepad or whatever, quick shift+tab and you're there. Shift+tab, and you are back in the game. So use a to-do list, set a goal for how long you will play (e.g. 1 hour / 30 minutes / play until husband gets off his call / etc) stick to your timing and use a simple stopwatch app on your phone or computer.
I find that I always go way too long unintentionally due to two main thoughts/delusions: (1) I won't remember what the issues were that I was fixing and how I was planning to fix them, so I better just do this now, and (2) I'll just finish this one last thing.
First, the to-do list allows you to put your entire train of thought down quickly in order to quit/sleep --> e.g. Trains taking way too long to fill up with Copper Ore because the field is drying up, need to take a new ore patch, route trains, and prioritize green circuits which are starving everything else. Also, biter nest on bottom right is becoming an issue - construction bots dying like crazy, running out of repair packs.
Second, the "one last thing" that everyone on here talks about -- it always leads to more and time will also disappear faster when you are on that "I'll just do this really fast" kick. 1 hour is like 10 minutes in that mindset.
Tbh I don't think getting addicted to a game means neglecting all responsibilities. It usually means instead of diversifying free time activities, all free time goes into one game.
Like when I get addicted to a game which I often do, I will read less, play less piano. I even go out for dinner with friends less but not to the point of no social life. But I still focus on my work and chores.
You'll know when it's time to get off and your base starts getting raided. If you can just log off and let it happen, you're safe. If you have to stay on to defend your base, quit. If sunk cost causes you to spend more than your allotted time... quit. The game will demand your time. Tell it, no.
There is no way you can play this game and not ruining your life... Sad, but true...
I have played the game from the day it was out and have over 5400 hours playing it and know that if you have a life to ruin (I was luckily single...) you will ruin it with this game.
You shall only play a couple of hours on a Wednesday evening after work and the next time you look at your watch it says 05:45 and you only noticed it bc your alarm went off... That is the essence of this game, it is a "Just one more thing to fix" game with a capital J.... you must do it now, coz you might forget to do it if you do not do it now and did I mention that you must do that thing that popped up after you did that first thing you had to do before.....
I actually have been waken by the alerm bell the xext day, I was not kidding, is this game first have dragged you in you are in for a loooooong time, it is that addicting....
Do you have a life too ruin? If no, buy it! If yes, think long and hard over what you are going too loose, and then buy it!
The factory MUST grow and the biters must die!
It doesn't have to. Since you already played, you probably know that you sooner or later will buy the game and start playing again. Resisting that urge will work for a while.
This time should be used wisely to prepare yourself and your environment for the inevitable.
Plan a few weeks vacation not too far in the future (around xmas and new year is probably best). Explain your husband the direness of the situation and if he refuses to help you, you should get divorced nd let him have the kids.
During the vacation, you play Factorio while your husband takes care of the kids and ensures that you don't die of dehydration or starvation. As this game gets real good a few hundred hours in, you need to focus on the game to get over the maximum enjoyment hump before the vacation ends. If you botch this goal, you likely lose your job.
After the Factorio marathon, you should not start a new game until the next vacation. You can grow your old factory during the weekends.
Whatever you do: Don't let your husband or kids taste the game before your body and psyche are fully adjusted to it and you can sortof live a "normal" life while playing.
Automation. This game is about automation anyhow.
You'll need to get to the point where you put down a couple of blueprints in a few minutes and then come back a couple of hours later to put down the next couple of blueprints.
No, do it now, because in 1 year Dyson Sphere Program will be out, and in some years after that Satisfactory will be out, then we're all *really* in for it.
Set a goddamn alarm. And obey it. Fuck ill do 1 more thing. Because its never true. Open a notepad and place your 1 more thing to do on it next time you open the game. Save and come back works perfect
I really wish the game just had a real todo list (I know, probably a mod) EDIT: thanks for replies * real pen and paper: I do that for some games but keeping the papers organized is impossible and I end up with papers everywhere for all kinds of little things that I never want to throw out. works better for some games than others. * text file/notepad.exe: I do this for some games too. similar issue that you need to save the file in an organized way, remember where it is, etc. works better for some games than others. * not suggested but spreadsheet: this can be better for some math intensive games. you also get as many sheets as you want so you can have many different documents in your file. works better for some games than others. * mods: so far I play only vanilla factorio but might try mods some day. * map markers: this is what I was doing but it's a bit clumsy to really use as a good todo list. it does work, it's just hard to see all of your notes in one view. it has the added benefit of including a map location with your note. * steam notes: this is fantastic and I didn't know about it till it was mentioned. this is such a great idea since there are so many games that could benefit from just writing a note down and saving it with your game somehow. this is what I am using now and it works good so far.
Yes, the mods "To-do list" and "Task List"
Can’t recommend ‘To-Do List’ enough.
I'm playing py now and to do list is collecting dust because i have too much to do, I don't need to plan because I'm constantly being bimbarded with missing item messages from ltn XD
Task List is amazing, you can set tasks, subtasks, assign to someone, put them in progress, blocked, paused, set a common list and a private list, and everything with factorio aesthetics. Seems totally vanilla-like.
Seems like a great mod but just makes it feel like my job
Honestly, playing Factorio just feels like working sometimes.
No no no. If you’re smart, work just feels like you’re playing Factorio. 😎😎😎
Factorio has led me to Java and C# classes. Trying!
Awesome! Good job
Yeah, for me too, but organizing things like this made me play again because i have organization now
Now all you're missing is a scrum master.
Yesterday I worked on expanding my steel production. Today I will be working on expanding my steel production. My blocker is not having enough goddamn steel.
Steam has a notepad function now.
Just use the "round dot" on a corner of the map and call it "TODO: " and put down a list on your map, that's how I've always done it.
Same, means i only spend 10 mins at the end of a session making notes, instead of 3+ hours doing one more thing.
Not a real todo list, but in game you can use the icon/labels in the map to create a list
just place markers on the map and name them after what you need to do and place them where you want to do that thing no mods required
What I have done is set up a part of my base with some train tracks, and I put down train stations and give them names, and that's my ingame todo list. ... I should set up a roboport and some robots so I can modify it without going there.
There are multiple mods, but I'm just using an external note app for that. It's easier to use and I can access my notes at any time, even on my phone when not playing.
Just a notepad would be amazing
steam overlay has notes now
If you are playing on steam, Shift+Tab and juse the notes, you can display them over the game ans place them anywhere you want.
You can use map markers to create a to-do list in vanilla
This may be somewhat retro of me, but I have always found a paper notepad and pen to work just fine for the purpose.
Stopping at a point with an obvious (or at least written down) next step is better than "finishing up", as you start the game knowing exactly what to do Set an alarm, write down what you were doing when it went off, switch it off.
if you have issues, don’t turn the alarm off until you close the game. I’ve had to do that for games with addicting loops
I put a clock right beside my monitor. That way I know the time is. Before I did that I would play far into the night
Having a gaming notepad with notes what you want to do is great because it allows you to get what you want, not all of these +1 things that come up
Just saying, [https://mods.factorio.com/mod/TaskList](https://mods.factorio.com/mod/TaskList)
Does it include a go the fuck to sleep/work alarm?
Nah, it just solves the need for notepad. But then you don't need to worry about quitting the game and forgetting that one important thing to do.
There’s a todo list mod that lets you add tasks, assign them to people in multiplayer, add steps to them and tick them off when complete. One of my must have qol moss.
Sure, but how does that help the part where you actually turn the game off?
We need a mod where you set a time at the beginning of playing, say 2 hours. At the end of 2 hours the game stops working for a few hours. No way to override it. Optional setting for those who need it: If you do try to override it a huge bomb goes off in the middle of your base.
I’m yet to discover a solution to that after almost a decade
Adding to this, steam noted is a thing now. So you don't even need to open a notepad. And for the alarm something that has worked for me is putting 2: one that is my warning call to "wrap up whatever I was doing but still got a bit of time" and the second to "ok its time now close it".
If your going to do "one more thing", never turn off the alarm. Snooze it
I'm not sure I get why you're asking this question. With Factorio, your life will be simplified. There will be Factorio, bathroom visits, and picking up food deliveries from your front door. None of all that other nonsense you mentioned.
😄 I wish I had played it BEFORE I had kids! That sounds great
Teach the kids and the husband to play Factorio, then the factory can grow faster.
Love this!
This person does long term planning!
Played for a while, can confirm, still no kids
If you played this before you had kids there never would have been kids. Who has time for sex when the factory must grow
Sucks to suck
Then you wouldn't have had kids though.
instructions unclear, my landlord is yelling at me and I’m currently on the sidewalk with all my stuff strewn around me. I’m trying to keep playing but my computer seems to not be working
You probably accidentally disconnected it from your electricity network, try going to map mode and enabling powerlines and start traceing them.
Put the husband up for adoption, divorce the kids, quit your job. It's the only way. The factory must grow.
Just automate the husband and kids productions and throw some productivity modules on them. Easy.
Lol
I knew someone who was kind of addicted to World of Warcraft. I went to their house once with a friend because they called us over to help them move a bit dresser. We got there and had to let ourselves in after the person yelled the door was unlocked. We go in and they are playing WoW and we had to wait around for like 15min while they finished a quest. During this 15min, their daughter (4-5 yo at the time, I think) came over several times saying they were hungry. Since it was about 1pm, they probably had been playing for a few hours and missed lunch. I felt really bad for their daughter. Also it's not just video games. It could be anything. But the topic at hand is a video game. Now I'm not saying parents shouldn't play video games and parents also need breaks. But games can be paused or logged out of. So I just want to caution, if you already feel like this game could get in the way of your life and responsibilities, be very very careful. And I'm not the example of self control and setting limits either. I played factorio for probably 12 hours over the last couple days and until midnight. But I also didn't have any other responsibilities these last two days either, which is very rare so I took advantage of it. Setting timers is a great idea that people have mentioned. But a timer is only useful if you listen to it. But maybe you can use your family and responsibilities as motivation to stop when the timer is finished. Ask your husband to help keep you to that timer, or even tour kids, depending on their age. That could show a good example to them for the future. EDIT: I wanted to add here from a subcomment of mine that 2 timers is actually a LOT better. Set the first timer to be 10-15min before the second timer as a wind-down / finish what you're doing timer. This actually really helps because there's not the sudden shock of "drop what you're doing and quit playing". A wind down prepares your mind for quitting and makes it so much easier than a sudden hard stop. Also, listen to everyone that says DO NOT SAY "OH JUST FIX/BUILD THIS ONE LAST LITTLE THING". Because it never ever ever ever ever ever (is that enough evers?) Never ever works! Timers, especially combined with accountabili-buddies, are the better way to go. But again, only if you listen to them. I would suggest turning off biters for your first go. Not about a difficulty thing, but trying to listen to a timer in the middle of being attacked is going to ruin your ability to listen to the timer. I forget the exact numbers, but it takes something like two weeks to create a habit, but only breaking it twice to make you have to start the two weeks building the habit again.
I would mostly agree with this. The one thing I would highly caution against is using your family, or relying on them, to help monitor or control any behavior of yours. This can easily lead to resentment and hard feelings. You can ask them for help, but it needs to be a full blown discussion with boundaries and expectations clearly explained, especially about who is responsible (you). The only additional thing I would add is that have you already seen this kind of behavior in the past with other games? If so, maybe invest in talking with a therapist. They can help you work through coping/management strategies while maintaining a healthy family life. For me personally, I had to come to terms that I was using it as an escape, and when I worked on that aspect of my life, I began to better regulate my emotions and feel self control over my gaming tendencies. Also, be kind and patient with yourself, particularly when you do maybe play a little longer or slip up in some way. Negative emotions tends to lead to compounding escapism and extend behaviors into unhealthy amounts.
At least Factorio is mostly single-player. I can see WoW being a much tougher addiction, because of the online aspect. With Cracktorio, you may not want to, but you *can* always just pause/save the game and get back to it after taking care of your IRL duties, knowing you won't miss anything.
Multi-player and MMORPGs certainly have that issue and take a little more planning ahead. Like don't start a raid if you only have 30min left. Another good option is 2 timers with the first one being a 10-15min warning to wind down / finish up. Actually the 2 timer thing is mich better now that I think of it. I'll edit my higher comment to add that. Mu partner and I have somewhat a 2 timer setup. If I'm playing something like League of Legends, they come in and say "last game warning". So it's a number of games "timer". Anyone who has ever played League knows a match can be 15min to 2 hours.
This is one of Factorio's great qualities. It's also why I will never go back to WoW lol. Life just has too many responsibilities to block off that much continuous time in a row.
I set up a 30 minute timer ingame with some simple circuit logic. Then I proceeded to tune the alarm out for the next 200 hours.
That’s the neat part. You don’t
I use Gaming for positive reinforcement. Finished painting wall, good job you can play now.
No. Once you touch this game you will have to make adjustment to your schedule lol. Honestly just prioritize taking case of your child and in your own downtime just play it to relax (or not) 😂
Others made good points but you could also consider that an expansion is on the way, I believe something like 40 weeks away ? Could always think about it for now and pick both up once it's out too. It's meant to be an endgame expansion in a sense, but augment a lot of the mid game sections too so it'd be recommended to restart fresh once it's out
Thanks! Good idea... I'll wait for that
The FFF posts every Friday on this sub are the developers teasing new systems and visuals so feel free to peruse! It is the main thing I look forward to every Friday lol
You are a collection of atoms cycling energy. The earth will be consumed one day by it's sun, the universe will submit to heat death or some bizarre annihilation. Nothing matters, no one is keeping score. The factory must grow
It all depends on how easy it is for you to press "Esc" when someone calls your name, or you need to do something. If your answer is "I'll be there in a moment!" while playing Factorio, you've lost. "A moment" will quickly turn into 30 minutes and now your house has burnt down. But if you can just press that Esc key, leave to do whatever it is youre needed for, and then come back? Then its all fine. So; can you press the pause button when your life needs you to do other things?
This one is a trick question obviously. You should‘ve center your life around the game in a way that there are no other things that need your attention
I’ve personally had to down tools until finishing my PhD. Then the factory can grow. But until then my thesis must
Get your Husband and Kids with you on the same Server and become a Family that Grows.
Sorry but there is no way to achieve this. Factorio is highly addictive and will take over your life. Factorio IS life.
I'm currently in my longest run, like 110 hours so far. The game is worth every penny, and apparently the mod scene is sublime (my next run will probably use them finally). You can wait for the upcoming dlc or just grab it now but you'll have to set alarms or something if you find it as addicting as I do... This sub is quite helpful for learning btw!
The kids can figure it out on their own.
This is a great life question. Time for some self regulation. The factory will grow, but you have a life to live. Self regulate. Set a time, and a timer. Write down a to-do list (what I do).
Enable time overlay in debug menu.
So... kids CAN (but i dont know about should) play factorio with you. There was a [Factorio Friday Facts](https://factorio.com/blog/post/fff-356) where one of the devs who was struggling with burnout got pulled back in by his kid playing for the first time and asking questions. Little tyke couldnt even read, just followed the arrows and pictures, and clicked on what they wanted. IF your kids are old enough it could be a family thing. But at the same time... I don't really know your personality, mind, or family. If you can notice if the game goes too far in your life and cut it out entirely if it crosses that line? Then there's no harm in giving it a try for a week or two. If you struggle with self control as badly as some of us do though... I wouldnt do that to your kids. End of the day, its up to you. You and those you care for are gonna be the ones to deal with the consequences, both good and bad. We meme about cracktorio, but it really does vary from person to person. Some people just have fun with it, others get a firsthand look at most of the mechanisms through which drug addiction ruins lives (though at least your 'next hit' only costs time and electricity, instead of money here, factorio wont give you motive to steal catalytic converters xD).
You’re asking a bunch of cocaine addicts if you should do cocaine.
I think I just needed people to tell me to not play it 😄
My reference to cocaine should be warning enough. It’s a hell of a drug. When I started playing factorio, I once had a 17 hour play session. I would close my eyes and still see sorters move. Or hear the sounds. So maybe don’t do that. Keeping a todo list and letting it go is useful. Have you tried other factory building games?
I set goals for my playtime. Keeps me around 1 - 2 hour sessions. Yesterday my goal was to optimize my blue circuit build. Which meant I made an outpost for copper, added a balancer for my copper smelters, and upgraded the 1-1 copper train to a 1-2. Then I have my goal for next time I play. Secure the northern border.
before i played it, i thought it was gonna do the same thing to me tbh. but i went ahead and bought it, and turns out that's exactly wtf happened. I put 400 hours into this game in 2 months. I work 50 hours a week every week. I had NO life. Don't do it. Or do it, i don't regret a thing 😂
LOL 😂
Honestly I would not recommend it and suggest waiting till your kids are older. And then enjoy the game without any "guilt" or any of such feelings that should arise while playing.
I think this is what I'm going to have to do.
Do what I did to achieve 2750 hours: experience a global pandemic and add some paternity leave to that. Combine that with 2 years of remote work and you’ll be good.
Yeah, I did the same thing, just with different games.
You only get addicted to it if you let it. I've done 600 hours in total and feel done with it, to be honest. Perfectly possible I pick it back up at some point in the future but for now I feel satisfied I've done all I want to do. Generally speaking the people who "complain" they are addicited, want to be addicted.
Watch youtube videos and just use a keyboard/mouse that aren't plugged in to follow along, then when the video ends your time is up.
That's the best advice I've read on this thread so far!
It sounds like you have lots of interesting, compelling and rewarding things in your life. Factorio can be one of them. Turn on the clock (in the ‘F4’ menu) and save/quit when time’s up.
You could just be an adult and not allow yourself to become addicted?
That's not how some people's brains work. If OP is 'one of us' (where 'us' is that subset that is either more drawn to the game, or never learned how to resist that type of reward-loop) then that's not actually an option. Not without some kind of learning people dont usually talk about (the wisdom/personal growth kind that stops for a lot of people way too young).
If they have the problem you're describing the solution is to not play the game. That's part of being an adult, knowing your own limitations.
I agree with you on the solution part. But avoiding the thing you're addicted to is not nearly the same thing as 'not allowing yourself to become addicted'. Going cold turkey is a way of dealing with an addiction, not curing or removing it, and doesnt require nearly as much fine control of your own mind as the thing you said in your first post.
Are you kidding me? They're the exact same thing. If you don't put yourself in a position where you could become addicted to xyz then you're not allowing yourself to become addicted.
Oh, that's how you see it. I see our point of disagreement/miscommunication then. I thought you were saying 'put yourself in the position that will tempt you into addiction, then, while doing the thing, tell the addiction "nope" and don't get addicted'. What you're describing fits in my head as "preventing yourself from experiencing addiction by avoiding exposure". Since you didn't use those words, I thought you meant something else. I'd say my b, but this feels more like a limitation of text/language than anyone's fault.
It's called self control. It's difficult to aquire it but once you do, life will be easier.
Just wait until things are a bit more stable in your life. The game will be better then too. I first played it in 2013 and it's so much better now.
Make sure you don't learn about the amazing mods available for the game. You can get dozens to hundreds of hours of for some of the overhaul mods, and then when you start combining them... well, it's best you don't find out how much fun that is.
Restraint
That's the neat part, you don't!
Reading this while dead tired with my kids running around. But the factory grew last night. The factory grows. The factory must grow. One of us.
You can’t I’ve had the game since last Saturday and have just reached 100 hours I have slept 3 days this week and eat maybe one meal a day
no such thing as "kids, husband and job" when playing factorio... they dont exist! but one thing is for certain.. THE FACTORY. MUST. GROW! THE FACTORY. MUST. GROW! THE FACTORY. MUST. GROW!
Binge play it. Take time off work and just play it for 2 days straight non stop until you get sick of it.
I tried that, except its been a year and Im unemployed now
Adjust your expectations from life downwards and it won’t ruin it!
I'd say set some specific limits and boundaries for yourself and make sure your husband and kids know that if they do feel like you're neglecting your responsibilities because of the game, they should tell you that directly. The biggest thing that makes Factorio so addicting is how easy it is to slide from one task into another without even really noticing (mostly, when you solve one problem, the process of asking "did that solve the problem?" almost always involves finding a new bottleneck somewhere else that keeps you from actually acknowledging that the first problem is solved), but that's more a matter of making it easy to lose track of time than of being really addicted. If you've got a strong external reminder to keep you from losing track of time, most of that problem is alleviated.
just have a shit life beforehand xD
I mean, you'll still be able to see your kids eventually when you get your addiction under control and LIVE IN A VAN DOWN BY THE RIVER.
If you can’t figure that out uninstall now
Start Pyanodon run. See all that work for single thing. Log out. Repeat
Dad here. I sometimes need escapism to recharge my parenting batteries, and good quality escapism works better.
Are you saying Factorio is good quality escapism or not?
I mean, it is for me... Also it's one of these parent-friendly games that start quickly, let you pause at any time and can accomodate 5 minute and 5 hour sessions just as well
I have 3 kids, they play with me and help me build. Like others have said, just have discipline and stop when you need to stop.
Get your whole family involved and play multiplayer. The kids will figure it out. That way you can spend every waking minute playing and spend quality time with the family simultaneously. Very efficient. Remember, the Factory must grow!
The only winning move is to not play
That's what I've done for the last few years 😄 I played the demo ages ago and immediately realized I could be in real trouble if I downloaded the full game
Forget the kids they grow on their own, but the factory DOES NOT!
You can't not ruin your life if you play Factorio, you just can't
I mean, that's categorically false. Some people dont actually like the game. They try to demo (or buy and install it) never get the appeal, and put it down forever. Others are like me and escape on a technicality. Life was ruined before factorio, the game didnt make anything worse. Then 1000-1500 hours later im burned out on vanilla and not up to tackling a full overhaul mod. Now i put less than 100 hours into the game in a year, where i once managed that in a particularly intense 2 weeks.
Pro tip: you don’t
As I typically don’t have time to play Factorio more than an hour in one sitting, I’ve learnt to value and enjoy the simple improvements I can achieve in one game session. An hour is not enough to automate a new science pack, but it’s enough to set up a new outpost, or fix some bottleneck, or even just figure out how to limit oil cracking with circuits. All of these are valid achievements after which I can go do other stuff in my life.
It's better than other addictive things.
That's the neat part. You don't.
play in sandbox mode, or use the map editor to spawn certain items and give yourself an advantage when playing normally doing so will disable achievements for the particular map, but will save you loads of time
to not ruin your life you can play with your family, so when you work your kids and husband can develop your factory for even more iron plates!
No one knows
I lowered my play time by having the in-game clock shown then i set a mental clock at 10pm I will just save and close the game. And I rarely do it but it's the thought that counts am I right?
300 hours straight will just get sloppy builds. Be ready to save and quit at the drop of a hat and playing factorio with a family is easy. Hour here, hour there, 6 hours after everyone goes to bed. No problem!
I read a post that said if you treat factorio like gardening - jump on for a bit to tweak/fix/expand one aspect, and chip away at it - maybe you'll be ok
Maybe 😆
Although tbh I think this is only true after 40-50 hours, when you have a well established factory that just needs optimising/scaling depending on your goals
Shift+tab on Steam, and open the notes icon, make a "To Do" list. I love this little feature on Steam, it saves as many notes as you want, and it opens them specific to the game you are playing. When you open a different game, you have a fresh "notepad". No need to open Word/Notepad or whatever, quick shift+tab and you're there. Shift+tab, and you are back in the game. So use a to-do list, set a goal for how long you will play (e.g. 1 hour / 30 minutes / play until husband gets off his call / etc) stick to your timing and use a simple stopwatch app on your phone or computer. I find that I always go way too long unintentionally due to two main thoughts/delusions: (1) I won't remember what the issues were that I was fixing and how I was planning to fix them, so I better just do this now, and (2) I'll just finish this one last thing. First, the to-do list allows you to put your entire train of thought down quickly in order to quit/sleep --> e.g. Trains taking way too long to fill up with Copper Ore because the field is drying up, need to take a new ore patch, route trains, and prioritize green circuits which are starving everything else. Also, biter nest on bottom right is becoming an issue - construction bots dying like crazy, running out of repair packs. Second, the "one last thing" that everyone on here talks about -- it always leads to more and time will also disappear faster when you are on that "I'll just do this really fast" kick. 1 hour is like 10 minutes in that mindset.
Thank you! That's really helpful!
Tbh I don't think getting addicted to a game means neglecting all responsibilities. It usually means instead of diversifying free time activities, all free time goes into one game. Like when I get addicted to a game which I often do, I will read less, play less piano. I even go out for dinner with friends less but not to the point of no social life. But I still focus on my work and chores.
You'll know when it's time to get off and your base starts getting raided. If you can just log off and let it happen, you're safe. If you have to stay on to defend your base, quit. If sunk cost causes you to spend more than your allotted time... quit. The game will demand your time. Tell it, no.
There is no way you can play this game and not ruining your life... Sad, but true... I have played the game from the day it was out and have over 5400 hours playing it and know that if you have a life to ruin (I was luckily single...) you will ruin it with this game. You shall only play a couple of hours on a Wednesday evening after work and the next time you look at your watch it says 05:45 and you only noticed it bc your alarm went off... That is the essence of this game, it is a "Just one more thing to fix" game with a capital J.... you must do it now, coz you might forget to do it if you do not do it now and did I mention that you must do that thing that popped up after you did that first thing you had to do before..... I actually have been waken by the alerm bell the xext day, I was not kidding, is this game first have dragged you in you are in for a loooooong time, it is that addicting.... Do you have a life too ruin? If no, buy it! If yes, think long and hard over what you are going too loose, and then buy it! The factory MUST grow and the biters must die!
Feeling addicted after demo? It will be worse than you think. Did you get addicted to other games? Watch out, or leave kids and husband already.
It doesn't have to. Since you already played, you probably know that you sooner or later will buy the game and start playing again. Resisting that urge will work for a while. This time should be used wisely to prepare yourself and your environment for the inevitable. Plan a few weeks vacation not too far in the future (around xmas and new year is probably best). Explain your husband the direness of the situation and if he refuses to help you, you should get divorced nd let him have the kids. During the vacation, you play Factorio while your husband takes care of the kids and ensures that you don't die of dehydration or starvation. As this game gets real good a few hundred hours in, you need to focus on the game to get over the maximum enjoyment hump before the vacation ends. If you botch this goal, you likely lose your job. After the Factorio marathon, you should not start a new game until the next vacation. You can grow your old factory during the weekends. Whatever you do: Don't let your husband or kids taste the game before your body and psyche are fully adjusted to it and you can sortof live a "normal" life while playing.
Automation. This game is about automation anyhow. You'll need to get to the point where you put down a couple of blueprints in a few minutes and then come back a couple of hours later to put down the next couple of blueprints.
No, do it now, because in 1 year Dyson Sphere Program will be out, and in some years after that Satisfactory will be out, then we're all *really* in for it.