No matter how the problem breaks down, one single person will only ever be able to complete the work of a single person. One equals one; it's the reflexive property of equality in math and while people aren't numbers, it still holds true in this case. What technology changes, though, is that while "a single person" remains the same, "the work of..." is a variable that can be improved. One of the fun aspects of the fantasy of automation gaming is seeing that variable scale upwards forever, with a tech tree that gets deeper into sci-fi territory with each new discovery. Alternately, like in Pistonica, tech could advance to the steam age and no further, because once you accept the idea of machines that work perfectly and never break down, dirigible drones and skybound locomotives fit right in.
On the Island Where Nobody Goes
The demo for Pistonica released recently and it's your basic Satisfactory-style automation game, except on a lovely tropical island where every tool and machine is designed like it's the early 1900s. Wooden drive shafts replace electricity cables and all power is rotational, so rather than batteries to store excess energy you need a nice set...
