Early-game blueprints

[mnicolella]

I would really like to have access to blueprints earlier in the game than construction robots.

I'm totally fine with a restriction on this being that I have to have the items needed for construction to be in my inventory.

[JohnyDL]

this is already in 0.15 just so you know. You can play the experimental version by opting into the beta with properties in stream and then blueprints are free, blueprint books are free and have unlimited slots in them, they're both transferable as default between saves and even the blueprint strings mod has in effect been added to vanilla play. it's super awesome

[mnicolella]

Oh neat, thanks - I found the blueprints...

When I place a blueprint it places a ghost building - is there any way to actually build the stuff without construction robots?

[Honey.Badger]

Oh neat, thanks - I found the blueprints...

When I place a blueprint it places a ghost building - is there any way to actually build the stuff without construction robots?

Nope, gotta pay the research toll to get there. The point is that you can plan things out, but to auto-build you need to work your way up to robots.

Or: if you play with mods, "Nanobots" is a good one that gives you single use robots that you "shoot" at a ghost building
https://mods.factorio.com/mods/Nexela/Nanobots

[mnicolella]

Ok, then my suggestion turns into "I want a way of building a ghost building with the building in my inventory, without construction robots"

[JohnyDL]

Try the nanobots mod they're still behind research but so so so much cheaper for a quick early game fix https://mods.factorio.com/mods/Nexela/Nanobots

[Nick-Nack]

Here's a proposal for what you want, worked out a bit more. Would that fit with what you need?
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=48110