
Transportation times to get your von neumann probe places to do the things it can’t do from map view is often a frustrating hurdle in Final Factory.
A potential proposal is to allow an mid-early game structure that houses a simplified version of our von neumann probe built using an asteroid miner, a 3d printer, and an assembler that can only make what those structures can make.
A player can click on said structure from map view to immediately take control of the probe there (that has its own inventory and minifleet that is usually stored in the Von Neumann Probe Hangar when the player isn’t using it). This lets them quickly switch to managing affairs in a far away place without having to get there the slow way just to replace a structure or two or solve a local bottleneck.
If they switch back, the simpler von neumann probe drives back to the structure same as any other bot seeking a shipyard.
This makes the game flow more easily and feel like less time is spent getting from place to place and more time is spent playing with the games mechanics.