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Factorio's 0.17 update brings a tutorial and map editor to the mechanical time-sink

Build 'em up

Despite being in development for a fifth of my lifetime, Factorio has somehow only reached version 0.17. Crikey, software development terms, eh? Whenever I've developed a game, I just make 'em up. Still, I wager the folk behind the mechanical monstrosity that is Factorio have everything scheduled out nicely, laid out on complex spreadsheets which work themselves out without human input. But still, their assembly line continues to self-construct. Nerds.

This week's latest stable release brings in new content for construction nerds old and new with a new tutorial and world-construction tools.

There's no one big standout feature to the stable release of Factorio 0.17, but there's plenty of neat additions for new starters and long-time captains of industry. There's now an introduction scenario to help you better get to grips with the game's outrageous complexity. It'll start you out in a smaller space with more limited tools and a handy robot companion to get you started.

Budding terraformers can now try out a new map editor by entering /editor directly during a game. There are some nifty little features like area cloning and time control, but the neat thing for me is being able to hop into a level editing suite with multiple pals. I can't off the top of my head recall another bespoke map editor letting you perform some collaborative architecture. It's a really nice touch, that.

0.17 comes with a grab back of other nifty features, including automated mod downloads, better fluid sloshing, and some tougher bugs to fend off. Importantly, it adds functionality to the most important shortcut in any creator's toolkit: CTRL-Z.

You can find a full list of changes over on the update's release notes.

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Natalie Clayton

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Writes news when everyone else is asleep, sometimes

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