Thoughts on campaign mission 3

[RandomEngy]

I just finished campaign mission 3 and I have a bit of feedback. This is the one where you start with a lot of resources and need to make some military things and retrieve a computer part. (Not sure if this is the best place for it, please move if I've got it wrong)

So the way I thought this was set up was for you to make a little factory to churn out grenades, rockets and defense drones, stockpile a bunch then as a reward for your hard work factory-building, let you go stomp all over the biter hive. In this thought, I was quite disappointed.

I set out, kill the first biter nest and set up shop. After I get things figured out I throw out like 20 defense drones, get my rocket launcher ready and head out. Killed in seconds. Hmm, I guess I need to be in the car? I can kite and kill a wave biters but more arrive before I can drive to the hive and kill it. It's now almost a bullet-hell type situation. Biters show up from every angle and wear the car down; and once the car is down you're dead. If you hit a rock, you're dead. If you graze a hive, you're dead. I do the best I can, failing over and over as I learn how to perfectly control the car and am eventually able to kill one or two buildings in a trip before fleeing back to base, walling in and repairing and saving (after a dozen or so tries). I was about halfway through the big base when my metal ran out and I could no longer make repairs. I eventually realize that trying to kill them in this game is futile and restart, trying to make the base faster and more efficient, saving more metal. I get my base going and get into the routine of unwall -> deploy 7-10 defense drones -> drive out and try to kill a few buildings (repeat with many tries) -> flee -> wall back in behind turrets -> turn around car -> repair -> save.

At this point I've already tried to lower the difficulty; if that options exists I couldn't find it. I also looked repeatedly for some magical item I needed to craft but overlooked. But after a long time I've cleared away every biter building and the only enemies left are the big crazy worms in the trees. The objective is telling me to find the computer to the southeast but none is in sight. After wandering all over I end up reading 4 forum threads about this level and find that you can accidentally destroy the computer while killing the biter nests right next to it. Finally I go for the cheese to get to the next level: drive right up to the computer and take it, defeating the level in 1 minute (thanks to a forum tip).

What do I think about this?

1) The computer should be indestructible, or at the very least fail you when you destroy it so you don't spend more time playing after your defeat has been unknowingly sealed.
2) You should be rewarded for making a cool factory that churns out military stuff with a satisfying destructive romp through the enemy base. Not with some hellishly hard action game (which people who signed up to make factories are not going to enjoy). There might be a place for that, but I don't think it's part of the campaign that's introducing gameplay to you.
3) You should be able to lower the difficulty and that option should be easy to find.

Anyway, just wanted to post because it's the first big roadbump in what has been a really fun game. Can't wait to get to all the crazy advanced stuff. Keep on truckin!

[bulldog98]

At this point I've already tried to lower the difficulty; if that options exists I couldn't find it. I also looked repeatedly for some magical item I needed to craft but overlooked. But after a long time I've cleared away every biter building and the only enemies left are the big crazy worms in the trees. The objective is telling me to find the computer to the southeast but none is in sight. After wandering all over I end up reading 4 forum threads about this level and find that you can accidentally destroy the computer while killing the biter nests right next to it. Finally I go for the cheese to get to the next level: drive right up to the computer and take it, defeating the level in 1 minute (thanks to a forum tip).

Against Worms the poison capsule is good.

[ssilk]

Did you also read the gameplay FAQ about that?

[RandomEngy]

Did you also read the gameplay FAQ about that?

I read through all of the forum threads discussing that mission. As far as I could tell the only way people beat it was either leapfrogging turrets into the base or rushing to grab the computer part. Neither of which seems like a very satisfying way to complete the mission.

The general combat advice was to research piercing rounds (which I already had) or to research a bunch of tech that isn't available in that mission.

[ssilk]

I asked, cause that FAQ also mentions, that this whole level might change, cause many found it too difficult.

https://forums.factorio.com/forum/sea ... e+3&t=3272

Edit: ah, no, that was written for level 2, not 3.