How long did it take you to understand this game well?

[CuteLittleBunny]

I've been playing Factorio and it's quite addicting, but I'm really bad at it even after watching some tutorials on YouTube because of the different maps so I'm wondering how long it took others to become good at this game.

[Steelwind]

Wait, are you telling me at some point you are supposed to understand the game well? :p

[KatherineOfSky]

I think understanding is an ongoing process. Even after over 1200 hours playing, tons of time watching YT, reading forums, learning and experimenting, I STILL learn new things about the game! You can play the game pretty casually, (and get to the end even if inefficiently), but the depth of Factorio is what keeps most people playing and enjoying :-)

[CuteLittleBunny]

Originally posted by Steelwind:

Wait, are you telling me at some point you are supposed to understand the game well? :p

I'm just assuming that a lot of people are smarter than me or spent longer time than I did playing and understand how to do things in Factorio lol.

Originally posted by KatherineOfSky:

I think understanding is an ongoing process. Even after over 1200 hours playing, tons of time watching YT, reading forums, learning and experimenting, I STILL learn new things about the game! You can play the game pretty casually, (and get to the end even if inefficiently), but the depth of Factorio is what keeps most people playing and enjoying :-)

I watched your videos and they're really informative and helpful, but I'm still too stupid to understand anything past episode 3 or something like that xd

[KatherineOfSky]

Originally posted by CuteLittleBunny:

I watched your videos and they're really informative and helpful, but I'm still too stupid to understand anything past episode 3 or something like that xd

You're not stupid! Factorio has a pretty big learning curve! I didn't even start making videos until I had around 600 hours in game! Don't worry -- as you play and gain expereince, things will start to come naturally to you! Enjoy the learning journey!

[Steelwind]

On a more serious note. :p

It really is a puzzle/optimization game. You learn the basics of what the pieces are and how they fit together then you make a big sloppy mess, that works, and tweak it as you learn better ways.

At the point I am now (1k+ hours between Steam and before that) I have a pretty solid understanding of the basics but still enjoy making things then tweaking them to fit the map or my game plan for this play through or even just figuring out a better way.

I am sure someone smarter, or more analytical, than someone else will do these things faster or that some people might never "get it" or enjoy it but either way I think it is worth the time to try.

[Izen]

Well, i haven't played that much but i like to build big things, so all my factorys until now are a BIG mess.
thing is, there is no right way to play this, just follow what you learn and you will be ok

[saturnine_nl]

Every playtrough gives you new pieces of the puzzle. You learn new things, discover new ways.
Its never ending. Thats what makes this game so unique and addicting. One of the most important things i learned are the ratios.

Can you tell us what problems you encounter, maybe we can help you explain it so you understand and learn to apply it to your own games.

[CuteLittleBunny]

Originally posted by saturnine_nl:

Every playtrough gives you new pieces of the puzzle. You learn new things, discover new ways.
Its never ending. Thats what makes this game so unique and addicting. One of the most important things i learned are the ratios.

Can you tell us what problems you encounter, maybe we can help you explain it so you understand and learn to apply it to your own games.

I guess I'm kind of stuck on what to do next, on tutorials that I watched, people are creating these smelting stations and all that but I have a hard time understanding how to connect the resources to the station and making it efficient. I also don't understand why this is done and how using mining drills placed next to stone furnaces is different from doing that

[Steelwind]

Originally posted by CuteLittleBunny:

Originally posted by saturnine_nl:

Every playtrough gives you new pieces of the puzzle. You learn new things, discover new ways.
Its never ending. Thats what makes this game so unique and addicting. One of the most important things i learned are the ratios.

Can you tell us what problems you encounter, maybe we can help you explain it so you understand and learn to apply it to your own games.

I guess I'm kind of stuck on what to do next, on tutorials that I watched, people are creating these smelting stations and all that but I have a hard time understanding how to connect the resources to the station and making it efficient. I also don't understand why this is done and how using mining drills placed next to stone furnaces is different from doing that

There are a couple related issues that push the evolution to a smelting setup.

Getting the raw resources to a smelting array can be done with belts or trains depending on how close the deposit is to the array. Also, once the array gets to a certain size/efficiency trains start making more sense since you need more, higher tier, belts to feed it where as a good train station can keep it going easier.

Getting resources out depends on how you want to set things up. A main bus is pretty common and makes things MUCH easier as you grow. There are many great videos on using a main bus, check out KatherineOfSky's videos on them. Another option if you are spread out is trains running to supply your outposts or far ends of your factory.

[Steelwind]

Also, for early game I find it easier to make a mini smelting area and main bus to get the ball rolling then expand out from there. Staring out spaghetti that first game makes sense but after you see a main bus in action you realize it is easier to set a small one up right out of the gate.

Here is the kickstart for my Lazy Bastard play through. It is small and would need many upgrades to keep up with a larger system but makes for a quick way to get things rolling. Especially in a Lazy Bastard playthrough where everything has to be done via the machines.
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1256507391

[saturnine_nl]

keep one side of the furnace row for input (coal and iron ore for example) and the other side for output. (the iron plates) use inserters to put the coal and iron in the furnace, and another inserter on the other side to get your iron plates out.

[CuteLittleBunny]

Originally posted by Steelwind:

Originally posted by CuteLittleBunny:

I guess I'm kind of stuck on what to do next, on tutorials that I watched, people are creating these smelting stations and all that but I have a hard time understanding how to connect the resources to the station and making it efficient. I also don't understand why this is done and how using mining drills placed next to stone furnaces is different from doing that

There are a couple related issues that push the evolution to a smelting setup.

Getting the raw resources to a smelting array can be done with belts or trains depending on how close the deposit is to the array. Also, once the array gets to a certain size/efficiency trains start making more sense since you need more, higher tier, belts to feed it where as a good train station can keep it going easier.

Getting resources out depends on how you want to set things up. A main bus is pretty common and makes things MUCH easier as you grow. There are many great videos on using a main bus, check out KatherineOfSky's videos on them. Another option if you are spread out is trains running to supply your outposts or far ends of your factory.

Originally posted by Steelwind:

Also, for early game I find it easier to make a mini smelting area and main bus to get the ball rolling then expand out from there. Staring out spaghetti that first game makes sense but after you see a main bus in action you realize it is easier to set a small one up right out of the gate.

Here is the kickstart for my Lazy Bastard play through. It is small and would need many upgrades to keep up with a larger system but makes for a quick way to get things rolling. Especially in a Lazy Bastard playthrough where everything has to be done via the machines.
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1256507391

Originally posted by saturnine_nl:

keep one side of the furnace row for input (coal and iron ore for example) and the other side for output. (the iron plates) use inserters to put the coal and iron in the furnace, and another inserter on the other side to get your iron plates out.

Thank you for all the tips :). I feel that I'm probably am going to be lazy and just try to figure everything by myself and hopefully it works. Then I'll look up other people's bases and compare those to mine when I get further into the game

[Steelwind]

That is the best way the first couple times around. When you get frustrated look up solutions online and incorporate them. Best to work out why they work as you go then start using those techniques as you move forward. It is one big learning experience.

[saturnine_nl]

There is a good and bad thing in using blueprints (shortcut key B) you can make a library of designs, that you can use in your games, but it doesnt encourage trying new ways to do things different. It becomes a copy - paste of previous games, which takes away the fun of finding out new ways. So use it with caution :)

Good luck and have fun, and remember we are only a post away ...

[stlyau]

Katherine is the one most people mention due to her posting here often, but there are others you can watch and learn from as well. Xterminator, Nilaus, Quill18, Scarhoof Plays, or even Arumba. All are good at explaining what they are planning or actually doing in their series. It can be rewarding to watch these people make mistakes that you do yourself and knowing it's not that difficult to overlook one little detail that screws up the entire factory until you've backtracked the problem 15 minutes later.

*edit* P.S. - I've got over 800 hrs played, 450+ on one map alone and it's probably been torn apart and completely rebuilt at least 4 times just to move production around to better locations. Power has gone from Steam, to Steam and some Solar, to purely Nuclear. As long as you're well defensed and powered, a complete production shutdown to rebuild/relocate is only a minor convenience at times.