Iron doesn't require very mindful additives which can significantly alter it's physical properties. It's a single-element material that can be smelted down, unlike Steel, which is a science unto itself. For simple applications that don't require high-specification properties, cast or forged iron can...

Usually when I experience neurological breakdown right around the tier 3 science/oil phase.

The problem is the classic deadlock: How do you fill a train with full barrels if it's already full of empty barrels. Because the train isn't the problem. It's the economy, stupid. 1. Regulate empty barrel production. Make them at the refinery, and only inject new barrels if the standing supply at t...

I asked for this ages ago. Glad to see it come around. It's not OP. We've just gotten used to a very inefficient solution for putting things into and out of a storage unit. 1. It should attach to the end of the belt (like an underground connection), thus it can't be run in parallel like Inserters wi...

I'm speechless. All I can do is applaud.

Steam reviews currently at 897 positive, 3 negative. I don't think I've ever seen a Steam launch that is by all rights perfect, but now I have.

All said is true. Note also this comparison between the different types of transport: https://forums.factorio.com/wiki/index.php?title=Transport/What_Transport_for_which_case%3F Heh, feels like ages ago I helped with some of that information. Early game, they are not much use as resources and biter...

My quirks?

I use 1:1 copper cable:green circuit setups.

I also put copper cables on belts in larger setups.

Why? Because I know that I just made some OCD guy in the world to flip-sh*t every time I do it.

I'm going to go with the "K.I.S.S." philosophy on this one. If you're thinking about it too hard, it's too complex a solution. If you're simply trying to 'intersect' (or fork) two railways, a basic ring (or T-junction) with controlled ins/outs work best as long as you can block additional ...

what you're actually discussing is a loop rail system (one-direction loops) vs a shuttle system (bi-directional). For a shuttle system running multiple trains, you don't need to run double-tracks the whole length. As long as there's a cut-around for passing large enough to hold the 'waiting' train(s...

quite true. It is not efficient for a train to exclusively route to an oil field. Pipes/pumps would be the best choice here. However, if you have train tracks in place for other stops, and there is an oil field nearby or along the way, it certainly doesn't hurt to add one more short stop with an ext...

Normally I will use pipe for short-distance applications, but for longer distances, I'll favor a train that services my refineries. I'm always looking for reasons to use more trains, although I find that it's too late in the game for me to care by the time I've cleaned out several biters' nests, I'm...

I'm still jonesing for some kind of paving ("soft rail") system to make cars more useful to navigate places other than open deserts. But this post does bring up a good point.. why can't we traverse puddles? not just trains, but belt-bridges? I don't think we'll see railway overpasses anyti...

Elaborate setups are often unnecessary beyond sating highly technical forms of OCD. Most simple 'load balancing' as an idea is good when you have two or more sources of the same goods, such as a parallel pair of iron smelting layouts. A load balancer is ideal to ensure that neither source is the sol...

Until the new additions to the logic system and a way to measure how much of each liquid is stored in tanks there's no reliable way of preventing stalls or you just skip out on a part of the oil industry (Light Oil Processing) altogether. That or you have to split the Oil Industry up into two compl...

I won't argue the on-site smelting vs not. It's something I'm on the fence with as it is. I just tend to not leave myself much room in my primary base for a proper logistic link. That said, I can't stress enough the need for logistic bots for train loading/unloading. They make life so much easier. T...

Outposts simplify the logic needed to do something without having to turn an area into a spaghetti monster by providing more uninterrupted space. The drawback is in setting up the logistic links needed to do so. Setting up a rail line is a resource, time, space, and logistic nightmare that winds up ...

I will be honest, nearly all train stations benefit from having their own logistic bot network and a pile of drones to do the sorting/loading across the tracks. it saves a LOT of space and brainpower (at the cost of the up-front resources and electrical power). The two go together like peanutbutter ...

Brilliant!


And yes, I've done cables on belts. It's not bad. It's a critter that can get out of hand easily, but it's not an evil. Evil is using a cable-on-belt design in multiplayer and watching the OCD's freak the F out.

1. Play the game, get comfortable with the basic mechanics, and don't worry about losing. Play with biters off for a while if it suits you, it'll let you focus on building your own design preferences. The game goes a lot smoother when you're not spending a lot of time having to think about the small...

Postby -root

Oh look! An island!

Proof that map generation is, well.. wonky in general.