10
Day 160 of posting screenshots every day, of whatever I've been working on that day, until I run out of content or get bored
(lemmynsfw.com)
We're finally there. The last last last thing to do, for this project. Like, actually. Just 3 unfinished miners, and that's it.
I really like how this walkway aesthetic came out. The new 1.1 build pieces are doing their job.
The slope transitions ended up slightly wonky, with the transition from 1m-thickness to 2m-thickness, then back to 1m. Doubling up on the covering cable looked marginally more acceptable than just leaving part of the foundations exposed.
And that's it! Actually! Project complete!
Wide shot of (mostly) the whole area, cause why not.
Traditional nerd docs.
Do you start a game from scratch or do you unlock evening from the start and just build as nice a factory as you can? I'm currently just starting steel. But it's kinda frustrating to have to wait for resources and unlocks sometimes
I don't play in creative mode, or with any cheats, if that's what you're asking. This save started from scratch and unlocked as I went along. It's my 3rd or 4th one, and is tied for the farthest I've ever progressed.
After going through the early game a few times now, I think my recommendation is a mix between the two: beeline (however much you're comfortable with) to a certain midpoint, where you've got most of the real powerful stuff unlocked, then start being more methodical/thoughtful/permanent. In this playthrough, I started building permanent stuff after unlocking coal power and Mk.3 belts, and I think that was actually early. I think I should have waited for Mk.4 belts. That ensures you have access to all the really important cosmetic buildables, like pillars and beams, as well as some really important functional stuff like smart splitters and trains.
Mk 4 belts is definitely the time to get serious about builds. Until then, you're basically just making the best with what you've got, and belt upgrades/other QoL features are coming pretty frequently.
Once you get Mk 4 belts, you have opportunities to actually make some highly productive factories. Still 2 levels below the highest possible belt speed, but it's good to start "early endgame" types of builds that you ride with the rest of the way through, because a lot of things don't really require faster than Mk 4 belts until you get to true endgame builds. And that means it's a good time to disassemble and optimize all those early copper/iron assembly lines because you're going to start needing a lot more throughput to start later builds. Screws will always be something of a bottleneck, though.
This is also where the game slows dramatically, and it might be a while before you go up to the next space elevator phase where you get aluminum going. You just unlock refineries, you just unlock manufacturers, you just unlock trains, and it's a lot to try to figure out all at once. So the Mk 4 belts are going to be in use for a while as you get everything else up and running to be able to proceed.
TL;DR: speedrun until you get Mk 4 belts (raid crash site parts for milestones and MAM research if you have to), then start big project planning once Mk 4 belts are available.