I propose a dedicated blog entry "Saved Games"

[brunzenstein]

where seasoned (probably moderator selected) users may post their games or parts of them (including the necessary mods) so that newcomers get a decent head start.
That blog entry should not be dedicated to show "mine is bigger then yours" but provide high quality a platform where newcomer can improve (so to say by discussion even interactive) on the 'real thing" - surely much faster the watching countless hours of video tutorial.

[ssilk]

I forwarded this to the devs. Current state is, that they think about providing some "demo maps" with the game.

My opinion here is also, that there should be on a regular basis (every two weeks?) some high quality maps (in a blog?...); cause that would bring users into the community, that normally prefer to play alone.

[brunzenstein]

The very point is, besides showing the underlying mechanics, the biggest problem a newcomer encounters lays in early failed basic strategic setup of the map in general. As bloody newcomer, I know what I'm talking about.
That is that one encircles himself early, running out of space between pipes and storages, laying oil pipes not under ground but also that he fails by to not planning the single tasks wide enough from the beginning and/or not focussing early on their individual scalability of each of the different task (oil, chemical, tools, science e.g.). As well as clever tool management.

[Ghoulish]

The very point is, besides showing the underlying mechanics, the biggest problem a newcomer encounters lays in early failed basic strategic setup of the map in general. As bloody newcomer, I know what I'm talking about.
That is that one encircles himself early, running out of space between pipes and storages, laying oil pipes not under ground but also that he fails by to not planning the single tasks wide enough from the beginning and/or not focussing early on their individual scalability of each of the different task (oil, chemical, tools, science e.g.). As well as clever tool management.

Funnily enough everyone was a bloody newcomer at one point. I think you're trying to learn D, E and F, before you know where A, B and C belong. If you were to screen shot your factory today, then compare it to a factory you'll make in say 1 or 2 months time, there will be a lot of change, changes you've made through trial and error, through learning, and the same could be said of us all too. I've been playing Factorio for 8 odd months now, and I'm still learning better ways to lay things out, or tricks to simplify things and so on..

If an experienced player were to upload their map, and a new player were to load it, they wouldn't understand what was going on or why the design is the way it is, in fact I'm willing to bet that any changes they'd make would likely throw a spanner in the works. Further if someone wants help with oil for example, there's a million layouts, blueprints, pictures, videos and tutorials available already.

[brunzenstein]

If an experienced player were to upload their map, and a new player were to load it, they wouldn't understand what was going on or why the design is the way it is, in fact I'm willing to bet that any changes they'd make would likely throw a spanner in the works. Further if someone wants help with oil for example, there's a million layouts, blueprints, pictures, videos and tutorials available already.

Valid point - but - not everybody's videos are from the quality Xterminator
http://youtu.be/I_H0hR7B5_w
or the legendary Colonelwill and Xethte with their fulminant train tutorial are offering.
There is a lot of stuff on the internet on Factoio in all shades, most of them are honestly more time waste then productive
The newcomer is often shyed away by videos done by nice willing guys who simply overrate their abilitys as lecturer or simply cannot do it properly.