I went back to 1.1

[cantina_fly]

I've loaded up Space Age several times now and it just hasn't clicked. I wish I could describe it better. Each time I've started up a Space Age game I quit within the first 30min. I can't blame it on mods entirely as I occasionally load up a stock game and still have fun with it. After my first stock .15 game I loaded BA, AAI, and dozens of other mods I've added since and it's come to define what I think of when I think of Factorio. If I had to make an educated guess I'd say my personal definition of Factorio has simply drifted too far from the base game such that Space Age feels like a different game based on Factorio.

I went into Steam today and opted into the last stable beta and disabled Space Age. Currently updating my mods back to 1.1 supported version and actually looking forward to playing again. I've never made it past mid-game in BA (I'm looking at you Angel's Petrochemical Processing!) but it's always been a fun balance of designing around complex interconnected systems with occasional bug stomping.

[computeraddict]

So you quit Space Age before it actually diverged from pre-2.0 vanilla...? Huh?

[robot256]

The mod set you've been playing absolutely is a totally different game, it would be weird if you thought vanilla 2.0 or space age were at all similar to it. If that's what you prefer then be happy! Vanilla, Space Age, and plenty of other mod packs with still more completely different games will still be there if you ever want a change of pace.

[Panzerknacker]

Same applies for me. It's mainly due to the 2.0 fluid system which removed one of the major interesting mechanics from the game. Whats left is, to me, just items moving by on belts and the inserter simulation, at least in the early game. I already give up long before running into something new. Maybe thats my fault but dont come and tell me that machines which do the same thing only faster are going to change this.

I'm also just another player being used to a particular way of playing, I'm really a minimalist, trying to complete the game with as few technologies as possible. For me, Space Age just doesnt work, I feel it forces you more into using certain techs than the basegame did, like being able to build a space platform without even researching Solar power after getting the 'Steam all the way' achievement only to find out now you still need to immediately research Solar power and build solar panels in order to not be trapped on Nauvis forever.

[mmmPI]

I went into Steam today and opted into the last stable beta and disabled Space Age. Currently updating my mods back to 1.1 supported version and actually looking forward to playing again. I've never made it past mid-game in BA (I'm looking at you Angel's Petrochemical Processing!) but it's always been a fun balance of designing around complex interconnected systems with occasional bug stomping.

Bob's mod were ported to 2.0 ,it's not the case for Angel's yet, so if you never made it past mid-game, it may be a good time to try 2.0 !

[pioruns]

I've loaded up Space Age several times now and it just hasn't clicked. I wish I could describe it better. Each time I've started up a Space Age game I quit within the first 30min.

That mean you have touched zero Space Age content. In 30 minutes, you are not reaching space ships and planets, you are playing just like you would in Vanilla, building the same factories and basic things. Nonsensical decision.

[mmmPI]

That mean you have touched zero Space Age content. In 30 minutes, you are not reaching space ships and planets, you are playing just like you would in Vanilla, building the same factories and basic things. Nonsensical decision.

But OP wasn't playing vanilla ! TBH I had hard time making sense of the decision too because Angel petrochem doesn't impact much the early game. But maybe OP plays with a long list of mod that weren't ported (yet) in 2.0 and change a lot the 30 first minutes.

[Tertius]

But OP wasn't playing vanilla !

I recommend the OP to just play Space Age vanilla and judge only after having visited all the planets. The time on Nauvis might seem "too easy" without overhaul mods, but the real challenge of Space Age is on the various planets, especially Gleba and Aquilo, as well as building the different platforms. Building with Quality is also a big challenge. In 1.1, Nauvis was the only place to build on, so everything was concentrated here, and all mods deal with it, but in Space Age it's just one of the (easier) planets. Overhaul mods are there to enrich the vanilla experience, but Space Age is already a vastly enriched game as a whole, so first try without overhaul mods.

If it comes to the fluid change in 2.0, in can be seen there are more challenging tasks to do in Space Age than having to deal with the old fluid mechanics. Space Age with the old fluid mechanics would be just a chore and not really playable, since it deals much more with fluids than original 1.1 out on the planets. Nauvis became a bit easier, but the real challenges are out on the planets and with space logistics.

[cantina_fly]

I'm not in any way saying it was a logical decision, but games are meant to be fun and after 30min it felt like work (relative to what I'm used to). Usually in a new game, my brain is planning 2-3 steps ahead as monkey brain lays out blueprints and builds stuff. I have a BluePrint library with 7yrs worth of BA specific layouts for various processes so it's like legos for my brain connecting inputs and outputs, handling waste, etc... My current mod list is 3 screenshots long so yes, I haven't been playing vanilla for a looong time. When Space Age launched I knew it would take a while for mods to catch up so I put it on the back burner and played other games. RimWorld is a secondary love so I'm used to a wait after new content/patches drop.

The final straw of sorts was seeing Bob's mods was recently updated but it wasn't by Bob, but a new author. And it wasn't integrated with Space Age just able to load with the base game. Looked to be the same with Angel, moved on and up to someone else to update it. I'm not saying I won't update in the future, but for now, playing the game I like won out over waiting for older content to be integrated.

[Panzerknacker]

i think it has something to do with the trigger techs which were a nice idea but the implementation feels forced.

[mmmPI]

I recommend the OP to just play Space Age vanilla and judge only after having visited all the planets.

That make sense and is rationnal, but not everyone is logical

I have played with very long modlist time ago, i found it's a pain, every day you have 1 or 2 that may have updated , fixing a bug AND modifying a feature, making it hard to keep blueprints, in 7 years bob and angels mod have gone thru so much, it makes sense that one would never have gone past mid-game, because of this, but i guess some players like it.

but for now, playing the game I like won out over waiting for older content to be integrated.

I wouldn't expect the 3 pages long of mod to be all updated, statistically. That would make the waiting period tends to infinity if you were to wait for every single one of them to be, and if it doesn't suit your taste when it's a new mod author that maintain/expand, it's not only infinity but impossibility i think. So in the end if you want to play the game as it was back then, i think it's the proper call to use the version of the game from that time

[470lm]

for me it's the rebuilding of bases that makes me want to go back to vanilla
every time i land on a new planet i practically start a new game because everything has to be rebuilt from scratch, which caused a massive burnout in a short amount of time
i moved to vulcanus, but constantly felt homesick for nauvis, despite my vulcanus base being far better

i guess i just want to build one big base where everything takes place on the same planet

[Makka77]

i guess i just want to build one big base where everything takes place on the same planet

There are a few mods that put everything on one planet. I haven't tried them, but I know they exist because I bounced off SA at first and wanted what you describe. I persevered though and eventually "got" the new vibe and altered paradigms. But the option is there!

Or you could use editor and put calcite and pentapods all over Nauvis... run wild!

[Tertius]

every time i land on a new planet i practically start a new game because everything has to be rebuilt from scratch, which caused a massive burnout in a short amount of time

You don't need to do this. You just need to build small production lines on the planets. You're able to import everything from your mall on Nauvis, then build on the planets just the planet specific items you need to unlock their tech, finally produce the planet specific science pack. Everything else, including the material required to build rocket silos, then processing units, rocket fuel and low density structures for starting rockets, can be imported by trader platforms from Nauvis. They bring these and collect the planet specific items. There are incentives to build these locally, but you don't need it.

[GluAp]

I've loaded up Space Age several times now and it just hasn't clicked.
I wish I could describe it better.
Each time I've started up a Space Age game I quit within the first 30min.

[...] games are meant to be fun and after 30min it felt like work. [...]
I have a BluePrint library with 7yrs worth of BA specific layouts for various processes [...]
My current mod list is 3 screenshots long [...]

This might sound strange to you, but from the things you said, I would guess it is more about you and not about the game.
I'd say it is just getting older. Something changing in your life, maybe you didn't even notice? Are you stuck in a situation you don't like?

You seem to be a factorio player for quiet some time. But yet you didn't finish BA. You made it halfway through BA but you feel the base game's first 30 minutes are 'work'?

Factorio is a game that is very useful when trying to procrastinate. To stop thinking about things you ought to think about but you really want to avoid. Keeping your mind busy. But Factorio is not an easy game. Especially since getting older usually comes with taking more responible tasks at work where you are mentally more drained.

Maybe around the time when you started playing Factorio it made you feel good and relaxed since you could focus on the game and be distracted from other things that were expected of you?
And you have a mod list '3 screenshots long'? Isn't that a sign of not being able to chose? Why not finish a mod pack and move on the next thing? Instead taking in more and more and basically construct a never ending game?

And now coming back to vanilla you notice it all. It should give you happiness but it's the opposite. You should feel good in vanilla. But it doesn't work.
So your conclusion is to go back to old 1.1 BA. You have all the Blueprints you ever needed.

I don't know if this is your story. But it is (was) mine. If this resonates with you, you might think about it. For me this sounds very much like a case of procrastinating and not letting go of something that once served a purpose but does not anymore now.

I've been trying to finish Pyanodon's Mod set for at least 5 years now. And I kept starting over and over again, was never satisfied with what I built. Yet never finished it (stopped halfway to chemical ^^). And I had phases where every other mod or vanilla felt like a lot of work so I went back. I was very engaged with the FFFs over the last years. And I have been so much looking for for Space Age. And yet - after visiting my 2nd planet I lost interest. I'm not sure if I ever will finish Py or SA. Maybe I will outgrow gaming before that happens. But I learned a few things on the way.

In between I played Shapez and Rimworld, too. Looking back I kinda don't wan't to 'play' those games anymore. There are to many things you can optimize and there is no real goal. For me at least.