Early Game on Rails

[shopt]

It doesn't take 50 iron and 50 copper to make a lab, ...

So the tech requirement is 50 iron (plus the 8 you start with) and 10 (not 50) copper. And you are technically correct, a lab doesn't cost that much, it costs 36 iron and 15 copper. But that lab is useless without at least one boiler, one steam engine, and one offshore pump, which brings the iron total required to 78. So the game forces you to acquire 58 iron and 10 copper before you can do the final crafting steps (the intermediates are all still craftable except green circuits) on 78 iron and 15 copper worth of stuff. This is a storm in a teacup if ever I've seen one. Your build order has changed in a way that stops you from doing ... nothing that I can think of. I'm seriously curious as to what gameplay path is now closed to you at that stage of the game?

Now if you were complaining about oil, I could maybe see it. I had to drive to an oil patch, and plop down a pumpjack, power pole, and solar panel before I could research oil processing. My game is truly ruined.

[PunkSkeleton]

If I understand correctly OP's point is that trigger research is annoying for experienced players. I'm not far in my playthrough (with my 8 years old son) but so far (and I'm a rather experienced player with all achievements and more than a thousand hours into base game) only having to mine oil before building refineries seems annoying. Especially in multiplayer. Everything before that comes naturally unless you want to do something like lazy bastard. I didn't even notice the changes expect for electric drill research which I think is great.
My son likes the new trigger research, he's not completely new to the game but can be treated as a very casual player.

[SirSmuggler]

My only complaint with the trigger techs is that they don't respect the "show reseach tree on compleation" (don't remeber the actual name of the setting) that automaticaly opens the techtree window when you compleate a reseach.

If I want to know what I just unlocked, I have to;
1. Notice that something happended.
2. Open techtree.
3. Scroll to the bottom to see allready reseached stuff.
4. Try to guess witch one I just unlocked.

Not a big issue at all mind you. Realy just a nitpick.

Allso, I guess most people don't even use this setting any way.

[ManaUser]

You do still get a chat style message, and unless something else finishes before you look I guess, the trigger technology in question should be focused when you open the technology screen. (Check started a new map to check.)

That said I'm not real convinced this trigger technologies are an improvement, mostly because they don't really stand out in the tech tree. But I don't think they get in the way significantly either.

[Kyralessa]

Admittedly, while in general I like the trigger technologies, I do think unlocking refineries by drilling for oil is kind of silly. Why would I go drill for oil if I don't know what I can do with it yet?

But I still like the principle of the triggering, just maybe not the specifics in this particular case.

[BlueTemplar]

FYI :
Friday Facts #376 - Research and Technology
https://factorio.com/blog/post/fff-376

there are times even in the base game where you do discover new resources - specifically oil and uranium processing. Just like researching processing for a new resource on a different planet, it's similarly strange for the same reasons that you can research deep into oil refining tech tree while you haven't even seen a crude oil patch yet, or unlocking nuclear reactors without having met uranium.

Now in order to really get into oil processing, you will need to have touched some crude oil. This helps prevent the situation where especially in the "green science" tier, a lot of players would research very far ahead from what their factory can currently process, and then later feel discouraged seeing all the piled up recipes to work through.

[Starfly]

having to mine oil, before I can build the refineries are annoying as hell. Since setting up the oil outpost is the last step in getting oil up and running, not the first

Same with uranium. Now i have to build up my rail system/clear the area to start mining it. Then i have to wait for the science to finish it (playing marathon rail+deathworld). Then i have to wait to build the machines. Then I can plan out the setup and finally profit from the ore which is waiting for hours at my base now.

[Panzerknacker]

Yeah I don't think its a good idea to have to go and mine stuff without being able to make anything with it, the only incentive being another arbitrary research somewhere further up in the techtree. It was better being able to craft something new like solid fuel to have a real reason to go and look for oil.

At the same time I dont understand why all the barreling recipes still unlock all together way before you can even use them, I always found that rather confusing.

[spacedog]

I also don't see the big deal about the iron and copper at the beginning. As has been stated, you have to craft all of that anyway in order to get even the most rudimentary factory set up. If that's helpful to new players, then cool. It's completely ignorable once you know what you're doing.

I will second the complaints about things like oil though. It's a hard stop in the game, and an unwelcome speed bump. Before,we could just queue up all the technologies and go set up the oil patch when we're ready. Now research totally grinds to a halt and you have to drop what you're doing to get research going again. That, or research other things you weren't really aiming for until you get the pumpjack down.

If a new player gets to the point of fluid handling and refining oil, and still needs this kind of handholding, then I just don't know what to say.