One Large Factory or Smaller Specialized Ones?

[PharAway]

I was thinking of trying a different tack with my next let's play series. Normally it seems most people have a main line of plates and create lines for steel, etc to feed intermixed assembly machines. I was thinking of having just one main line of raw plates, oil, and coal. What I would do then is create mini factories either close by or spread apart. Everything needed for that end product would be in this mini factory.

Another alternative is having sub factories producing mass quantities of intermediate goods. Then have belts run from the sub factories to other sub factories and so on. So have say 20 assembly machines making copper wire and it outputs to the needed sub factories.

Thoughts? Anyone try this and what is your successes?

[Marconos]

I do self contained lines for a singular purpose.

One line makes Red / Green research.
One line makes blue research
One line does military items (turrets, ammo, capsules etc.)

it's really whatever you prefer to do.

[hoho]

I generally just grow my stuff organically as a single base:
put things down wherever there is space and conveyors/pipes are near enough
don't plan (much) ahead
have a tangled mess of pipes and belts all over the place


Obviously mining outposts are separate from it.

Seems to work quite nicely so far for me

[ssilk]

Well, this is a good question, cause I also think a lot about this.

The point is: with the logistic bots it is a quite good strategy to put the whole production part as narrow as possible together, feed in the raw materials and wait for the end-product. This works quite well, but the result is a factory, without plan, very chaotic.

The next logic step - from my view - is then not to separate all the end-products, but to separate the intermediate products! The wheels is one example. Or steel production. The circuit production is the best example, because I mean you need so many of them, that it makes sense to separate it. Also the basic oil production should be separated, cause it has very different needs, but currently you need to centralize the oil production, because you cannot transport the liquid end products by train (only with a mod).

And then you have higher and higher tiers of end-products.

I mean the module production is a own factory. That makes sense. Also the capsules and weaponry.

It makes also - as said - sense to have the circuit production separated. But I would also place some circuits into the main factory, to handle problems with supply. But this cannot be explained well, I think this must be decided, when needed.

But for the rest I would make it like before: put as many assemblies as near as possible together.

In short: what I mean is, that you should not make a top-down design, go bottom-up! Separate the furnaces, then the intermediate products, then some end-products, but you have always the alternative to put everything into the main factory, which can do anything, which is needed.

[redomer]

One big Base is usally better.

Pro:
- Better to defend
- Advanced Logistics (Currently only Robots) cover every place that matters (+ they don't die anymore)
- Everthing in one place: maintance, repairs and upgrades can be done in one place instead of all over the place + way easier to spot bottlenecks
- Pollution is in one place you are maybe able to keep that area biter free (you can use the vacant space for solar panels and keep your primary production save)
- It is possible to get all energy from your main base and you only need enough poles

Cons:
- You may have only very little space to work with when you build new production lines that don't use robots unless you screw everything over
- Robots may crowd a single hangar causing the whole operation to slow down
- You most likely need tracks and they need space and possibly even more for larger/more stops (as your raw resource demand grows)

[Ric]

I tend to build everything in a one large base up to the point of producing advanced circuits & Blue research.

For everything above that I usually use logistic robots as they will be unlocked by then + most these items require some form of oil which isn't usually right beside my main base.

I've played about a little with sets of assemblers making all the basic items on mass arranged round central beacons for module bonuses. Then either transporting by belts or logistics to where they're needed.
It had a fair bit of success with this method although it's tricky to tell which one is more efficient overall.

You probably produce more items using the specialized bases but it may end being a longer transition to other areas, therefore sacrificing efficiency overall.

[therapist]

One large factory is easier to defend and requires less resources for the transporting of goods or electricity from one base to another.

Several small specialized factories means your factories are spread out over a larger area, meaning that your pollution will be soaked up by the landscape quicker and more effectively.

I sometimes put a large distance between my mines and my starting base for exactly this reason, the mines don't produce enough pollution to rile up the biters on their own. Other times my only coal or copper patch is in the middle of a forest far away from the clearing I want put my large base in, so I am forced to build conveyors for flippin' miles.

[PharAway]

Thanks for the replies everyone! I suppose the general consensus is larger bases are better for ease of use and defensability.

I might try the smaller bases on a separate playthrough to test it out and see how it goes. My general idea is to treat the game like true to life factories are. Usually when building cars for instance not all of the production (from raw material to completed car) is in one space. There might be a facility for brakes, another for interior, and another for electrical. At that point it is brought to a central facility where the car is built. So maybe using that idea. Or, having satellite facilities feeding a distribution facility that ships intermediate/finished goods to a storage facility.

Not that I'm going for maximum efficiency but rather "realism" I suppose.

[Bleda]

I think there are a few things missing to make the separate sub factories thing working well. First of all, of course, is being able to transport all liquids on a train. Secondly, it takes too long to get from one sub factory to another and you end up driving around in your car most of the time. So there should be teleporters at some stage in the game. Finally, there should be more rail signals, so you can use more trains on your tracks.

Right now, I agree, that one big main base is much easier to handle.

[ShivaFang]

I like to set up a main 'science' base, where I set up all my science production lines (I put iron and copper on one belt line, copper wire and circuits on another then wheels and conveyers on the last and run that all the way through)

I like to (but don't always) put my oil production/refining on a completely separate power grid that also powers my military. That way even if the lasers eat up all my power my main science is 'sacred'. The only oddness there is I have to funnel sulphur and plastic back to the main base to make batteries and advanced circuits for T3 blue packs. I also wind up using the oil part of the base for auxillary production such as engines and drones.

It's still kind of 'one big base' but I maintain separate power grids.

First of all, of course, is being able to transport all liquids on a train.

I really liked the way minecraft handled liquids - and I know this is a different game but I'm hoping something similar could be done. Basically all the liquids are handled the same with only a few exceptions (lava and water, mostly) and anything that can be done with one can be done with the others.

It would be nice if the 'fill oil barrel' option could be used for any liquid. I'd love to be able to transport petroleum or sulphuric acid in barrels. Even water could be handy to transport into a landlocked area.