Whats the hardest setting thats barely beatable?

[Neoxx]

Playing in hard mode (alien settings maxed) for the first time, with no starting coal to boot, I didn't have a hard time setting up the base and crawling toward victory. It wasn't that hard, just slow because of keeping pollution down.

What could make this harder, so much so that it is borderline unbeatable? It doesn't necessarily have to have alien settings maxed, as I think that makes the play dull with a sea of enemies everywhere, there's no variety. Maybe lower alien settings, but a really small starting zone? Regular aliens but super sparse resources? More water, tough but sparse aliens and "oasies" of resources really far apart?

I'm looking for settings that you're lucky to get a base established/expanded, but you still feel if you were more efficient or strategic it is still possible.

[OBAMA MCLAMA]

set starting area as low as possible, and max biter settings. Soon as you place a building 50 biters will attack you.

[boro]

With too many biters their AI fails so I often find it harder on high/big than on very high/very big. Starting area size has a big impact on difficulty.

[SHiRKiT]

Play with DyTech mod and Resource Spawner Overhaul. It's pretty damn hard to beat that game.

https://forums.factorio.com/forum/vie ... =14&t=4761
https://forums.factorio.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=43

[undeadnightorc]

To add what others have said, play on a desert setting. Not only is it a pain in the arse to find trees for starting fuel, but the lack of trees actually spreads pollution faster.