The first train you make will cost more than belts. Its a investment because when you already have a great rail network going. Some of the later trains added into the network will drive mostly on old rail tracks. In the long run trains beat belts.

The way I see it solar panels is the only structure in the game that do not require any automation, and that is the problem. I think I would feel better about them if they required some kind of automation to work. Was toying with the idea that panels are fragile and that they take damage from the en...

A suggestion: Maybe accumulators should not be able to store power from panels, and that you have to use steam engines to store power in accumulators. For this to work I think steam engines and boilers should get some upgrades you can research in the lab. (maybe able to burn rocket fuel as a upgrade...

When I play without using panels I actually try to manage my electricity and efficiency modules becomes usefull. Being power efficent should be important, And that mechanic is removed from the game when you are able to spam panels. Which again is a false idea, sure, you may be able to have "Un...

But you're not limited. Oil is infinite and can be turned into solid fuel. Thus steam power is a free and infinite power source no different than solar. With steam you need the oil extraction feeding into the set of factories to convert to solid fuel. Still Steam engine need water and fuel. They ca...

Sunlight is not a resource to manage in this game.
To fix the panels sunlight should feel more like an actual resource.

Sure you can spam steam engines all you want but you are still limited to how much fuel you have.

Imagine a "furnace panel" making iron plate without the need of Iron ore. Undeniably overpowered. Solar panels need to be removed from the game. It makes me sick to see cannibal mutant underground dwellers defend solar panels. Be one of the superior and sophisticated coal burner extraordin...

As far as I understand, the beacons also use power when the buildings it affect are inactive.
This is a huge problem. Only way to use beacons are to abuse the broken and overpowered solar panels and accumulator.

This is how I do it:
One Extra basic efficiency module assembly for the drills.