I think they're different enough things to both be enjoyed for what they are. I've rebuilt dozens of engines, was a shipyard welder for a few years to boot. G

I think they're different enough things to both be enjoyed for what they are. I've rebuilt dozens of engines, was a shipyard welder for a few years to boot. Genuinely enjoyed the physical aspects of working on machinery, but Factorio scratches 80% of the itch with 10% of the effort. You get to fun-build while never breaking a tap, busting a knuckle, or wondering where in the ever-loving hell your 10mm socket teleported to when you looked away for just one damn second. Ahem. By analogy I'd say it's similar to games like Guitar Hero, where you get a reasonable fraction of the satisfaction of being able to play an instrument for only a small amount of the work.