User:AceMcCloud/Nintendo Switch version

The majority of Factorio players use a PC (regardless of brand/OS), and so there are some aspects of the game, and the wiki, that just seem off to players that have only played on the Nintendo Switch.

Vanilla Mode & Mods

The Switch has limited memory, compared to most Windows/Mac/Linux systems (which also use virtual memory), and Factorio stretches that memory to the limit. As a result, when playing on the Switch, there are limitations on the size of the map. In addition, it is not practical to use mods, as many of them would cause the device to run out of memory.

Because Switch users play without mods, what is sometimes called "pure vanilla" mode, many of the Forum and Discord discussions will have limited relevance, as mods are a significant aspect of the general Factorio community. As the wiki is intended for use by all players, its content is mostly restricted to "pure vanilla".

Alt Mode

There is a mode which, on the PC, is toggled by pressing ALT, so naturally it is called "Alt mode". In this mode, the view will show additional information about certain items including the current recipe for any Assembling machine or Chemical plant and the contents of any containers.

On the Switch, alt mode is toggled using Up.

Free Cursor

On a PC, the cursor is, obviously, controlled by the mouse. On the Switch, there are two different cursor modes: "free cursor" and "auto cursor". To toggle between them, press the right stick.

With free cursor, there is a cross hair cursor, controlled by the right stick. Its behaves much like a mouse cursor - its position is relative to the physical screen, and does not change when the character moves, the player changes views, or anything like that. There are some circumstances where using the free cursor can simplify the selection of a particular item.

With auto cursor, there is NOT a visible cursor on the screen and the system will automatically select some object near the character as the active object. Auto cursor mode is more like conventional video games, such as Stardew Valley, where operations are centered on the character itself. The right joy stick can be used to influence which object is selected, but it isn't possible to reliably select a specific item without moving right next to it. In an area with lots of objects, the selected object will be the one in a particular direction from the character - this is where using the right joystick is sometimes helpful.

There are two things players should remember when using free cursor. First, it is often not necessary to move the character, at all, to perform some actions. The second is the action range limit - all actions on external objects have a distance limit, how far away from the character the cursor can be, when performing the action. Some actions (chopping down a tree) have a very short range. If the object's selection frame is yellow then it is in range, red is out of range. In auto cursor mode, an object that is out of range will never be selected.

In combat, free cursor can be used to target a specific enemy, or enemies in a specific area, and is especially useful for selecting targets for long ranged weapons (such as the Tank gun or a Rocket).

Auto cursor will fire at the enemy closest to the character, which may be more useful in some combat situations.

Quick Panel

The Switch does not have the "quick bar" that is available in the computer version but instead has a Quick panel.

The quick panel is displayed when the L key is held down and disappears when it is released. Some players may find this awkward.