That would be game mechanics (the software) instead of gameplay (how a user plays the game). Still, the scale of the mechanics leads to more complexity than yo

That would be game mechanics (the software) instead of gameplay (how a user plays the game). Still, the scale of the mechanics leads to more complexity than your average crafting game. If your interpretation of what linkdd wrote is correct, his point is directly controverted when considering that threading discussion in the article. If you know the history of Factorio, then you also know there are many underlying, interlinked systems like that in the simulation that are complex. The software must handle all the ways in which those subsystems could possible interact. The comparison to Dwarf Fortress is apt. Another similarly complex game that comes to mind is Distant Worlds: Universe, a 4X game that, with all the managers turned on, plays itself.