Factorio is Fun...but I'm too Noob to Understand its Mechanics

[Black Lives Matter]

I'm obviously not far in the game and very new.

So, two missions in a row, "research car" and "rebuild train network" start off with pre-built bases that can be retrofitted.

Trying to build a production line for green potions for research feels like trying to organize the wires in my PC after making a new build in the 90's. It's not fun.

Multiple parts require steel plates, that also require copper, and then, a conveyor belt. Then one of those assembly line mechs.

I feel like I'm just spending an hour standing there how to get the copper wires combined with steel plates to make circuits.

I suppose that's part of the fun of the game if you like to tinker...I like strategy and simulation, but I'm not fond of experimenting and configuring.

Great game for engineers...I'm a humanities guy....

[Yung Venuz]

Wrong game for you then, green potion is not nearly as complex as some of the later potions, maybe just play around in sandbox mode or something...


btw it's iron plates and not steel, steel is something else and it's not used in making green potions.

[TheDiaz]

Originally posted by Phoenix RISING:

I'm obviously not far in the game and very new.

So, two missions in a row, "research car" and "rebuild train network" start off with pre-built bases that can be retrofitted.

Trying to build a production line for green potions for research feels like trying to organize the wires in my PC after making a new build in the 90's. It's not fun.

Multiple parts require steel plates, that also require copper, and then, a conveyor belt. Then one of those assembly line mechs.

I feel like I'm just spending an hour standing there how to get the copper wires combined with steel plates to make circuits.

I suppose that's part of the fun of the game if you like to tinker...I like strategy and simulation, but I'm not fond of experimenting and configuring.

Great game for engineers...I'm a humanities guy....

Are you kiding me? I'm a Psychology student and I'm here. Now, I'm kind of multifacetic so I know a bit of configuration and systems (and there's a systems class in psychology too that goes around the therapy, btw) and love looking at stuff working as intended, but is a headache. Still, fun to learn.

[Shurenai]

It's not so much "experimenting and configuring" as it is "Doing some math". Figure out what you need, in raw materials, to craft whatever it is you're trying to craft, and use that to determine what you need to build.

If your goal is to build green circuits for example, To feed two assemblers making circuits you need three assemblers making wire, and you can set them up in a "W" shape, and use inserters to transfer wire directly from assembler to assembler.. and then just run a single line of iron down to the two circuit assemblers and output to a belt.

Once you know what you need in raw materials, everything else can be done in straight lines almost, with little to no "complexity", it just requires some space.

My green and red science with some labs on screen as well. On this world i havent worried over-much about everything being pretty, but it shows kindof what i mean.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1370412051

The "W" shape i mentioned above, One on each side of the "output" belt.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1370413006

[AlabasterSXS]

Hey phoenix. Working out a green science production for the first time was the real first test on understanding advancement of the assembly line, for me. It's going to look ugly the first time, but its important to get it. While you experiment, try to really stretch out those belts to give you SPACE.

There are many different ways to combine two different materials onto one belt, neatly divided on either side. This is useful for production of the "assembly line mechs" or Inserters, that is required for green science. One method is to bring the two belts of different materials together so they run into each other ---><----, then place a belt oriented perpendicular ---->v<---- at the point of convergence. both belts will unload their material onto their respective sides(iron and gears for instance).

Inserters will grab from either side of the belt, but will only place material on the far side from where the inserter is placed.

Goold, luck. Don't give up. Ask questions.

[Ficelle]

Eheh, it is what this game is all about
Green is nothing compared to later stuff

Still, it is not hard once you figure how it works
You have infinite space, ressources are infinite, and anything you build can be taken back at no cost

Try to give you space when buiding, no need to make it super compact,
Dont hesitate to raze parts of the factory once you expand and rebuild better elsewhere

The only hard part eventually is optimization, being compact and efficient, but it is not needed at all

[Warlord]

Originally posted by Phoenix RISING:

Trying to build a production line for green potions for research feels like trying to organize the wires in my PC after making a new build in the 90's. It's not fun.

Oh, you're gonna HATE blue science. Oil is like doing computer cabling, while also dealing with 5 different hoses of different liquid cooling, and if the hoses touch eachother the liquids start mixing.

And that is 3rd out of 7 science packs.

[Black Lives Matter]

Originally posted by AlabamaSxS:

Hey phoenix. Working out a green science production for the first time was the real first test on understanding advancement of the assembly line, for me. It's going to look ugly the first time, but its important to get it. While you experiment, try to really stretch out those belts to give you SPACE.

There are many different ways to combine two different materials onto one belt, neatly divided on either side. This is useful for production of the "assembly line mechs" or Inserters, that is required for green science. One method is to bring the two belts of different materials together so they run into each other ---><----, then place a belt oriented perpendicular ---->v<---- at the point of convergence. both belts will unload their material onto their respective sides(iron and gears for instance).

Inserters will grab from either side of the belt, but will only place material on the far side from where the inserter is placed.

Goold, luck. Don't give up. Ask questions.

I actually did this to get copper and steel plates on the same belt to make the circuit chips.

Then I realized that I needed to somehow split the iron plates three ways: to produce cogs for the red potion, plates for circuit boards, and then plates again for the inserters.

On the FIRST mission of the campaign, I spent about two hours just figuring out, with the help of my wife watching, a configuration to produce green potions. The end solution was satisfying, but I thought things would get easier.

Originally posted by Ficelle:

Eheh, it is what this game is all about
Green is nothing compared to later stuff

Still, it is not hard once you figure how it works
You have infinite space, ressources are infinite, and anything you build can be taken back at no cost

Try to give you space when buiding, no need to make it super compact,
Dont hesitate to raze parts of the factory once you expand and rebuild better elsewhere

The only hard part eventually is optimization, being compact and efficient, but it is not needed at all

LoL, I actually did run out of iron in the first campaign map. The machines stopped working because they had mined them out.


I have considered tearing up the entire starter factory and starting over, but I do not have the...vision...to create something as efficient and organized as it.

Also, I have not considered thinking about playing this game as a puzzler.

I play it on easy...the threat of biters (who have yet to appear) give me anxiety, too, but not as much as trying to rout iorn plates three different ways.

[The_Unguided]

Originally posted by Phoenix RISING:

I play it on easy...the threat of biters (who have yet to appear) give me anxiety, too, but not as much as trying to rout iorn plates three different ways.

You can use "Splitters" to easily split a belt into 2 balanced belts, add more splitters to split into more belts. Also there is a setting when you create a freeplay map (what almost everyone plays this game for) that sets the biters to "never attack first", so you can take your time to figure things out without worrying about being overrun.

[brian_va]

Originally posted by Warlord:

Originally posted by Phoenix RISING:

Trying to build a production line for green potions for research feels like trying to organize the wires in my PC after making a new build in the 90's. It's not fun.

Oh, you're gonna HATE blue science. Oil is like doing computer cabling, while also dealing with 5 different hoses of different liquid cooling, and if the hoses touch eachother the liquids start mixing.

And that is 3rd out of 7 science packs.

yeah, was going to mention oil myself. if you think its complicated now, you are in for a treat.

@OP, don't worry too much about efficiency at the start, just figure out what you have to have and take the brute force approach to get it working; efficiency can come later. something that works for me (even after 500 hours) is to work backwards. in this case, you need green science; that means transport belts and inserters. break those down, and for transport belts you need plates and gears, so you need to make some gears, feed those along with plates to an assember, and you will get belts. drop them on a belt, route them to the green science assemblers. do the same for the inserters.
its only as complicated as you make it.

[Grumpy Old Gamer]

Open the blueprint UI in the upper rigth corner of yoru screen in game. Slect import blueprint.
Copy and paste the followign text there for a green science setup that produces 2 green per second from iron and copper plates, no other inputs needed.

The Blueprint -

0eNqdnOtu20YQhV8l4G8x5c7e/QJ9gPwsgkJWWIeoRAkU1dYw/O6lIkty4qF0zv4yfPt49jLcmcOhXqrH9aHdDV0/Vg8vVbfa9vvq4Y+Xat899cv18Wfj866tHqpubDfVouqXm+N3+1XX9qu23i1Xf9dSvS6qrv/W/lc9mNfF3X9e7vft5nHd9U/1Zrn63vXtTwh5/bqo2n7sxq49ifnxzfOf/WHz2A7TNS6kcVj2+912GOvHdj1OV9ht99O/bfvjtSdUbfyiep6+5tejrl84cuEcpisPT8N2+nqPlCahb6PaHsbdYawUsiUUuiv3Wze0q9MvnUJ1PDXfp3qCamGtgacCWuN1A26W63Xdrqe/HrpVvduuWw0tZ8EKLN3akEajNdfhTzK7H5tgtd3t2qFeLR8nBcpVMik53FB8FMDAmlssPIrwVTfXkNrv1t04Tj/8iPvs4QU310jq+n07qEAdFzQcHkJ6WIoG9bjGBGgM5L6Myq78ZXTaZSKgOuMzm3AcMqcZwB23sCJP40lD8AB9gkfP+a4B7HYRmgoEpVhyQ72/zV92VDds+/qpXQ71v9/bdq1tKXHIJHt80TzBQxYNP5RMwKc30lRkKyQ+yYkANvPYcH9mbUOlUk4HXxKrrp/LqwyfAsX7Ny8rfLYS7k+2tTwWWEN7DbO/lvuxno+NS/6DzIGnllDuLOGN3JhJDQ2+BfEwrDNOZcKwwbEZXsIEr6BrWGgAoIbNksOVfTk8Tnnqtp8y1VU3rA6dujOcwANw+ACIIMRD2+ExKPCucJ6c60aZauCcdgE4V/U7hyo7spUEMsEJ14hMbWY1Ajdi37DVBDBwb1goopSxOvRsIgC3dm+5+jSeZ0VjOULy+dY7q3k2o/Cek3w9/jVYIBJWILI8n1oC54RPJb6XfwUmsyC7dNpEhobPnDxgShke6wCs0AmZv79MwRaaXfqMulK3yzFuV/BsDoLMRCBnIt2aCCJPDPgWSHSWgVAzTQWiIJa5iOpsRoMf0/7+DS8Ke0wj47UsFFiaiDuJXoWqw/fs2Y8MP7BQZPh4FEV8+HgQBRyKx1CGoQk/nxIOJTxFg1N5TxGh4jE1c5CqVDyorofdfSoeVcbDEZAIM9HhWonT6ZzyCYAtcBOt+sysIMMTDZQLMjx7f6DZAA+gLtag+QxkH7nAHBQAy5iDgmMd764hWM/7YAg20KYdQkUebdVR5WmhnonoSbjKTFMt8MC0IQIrqlj18V5DlE6eUCt0Ni76k3FL6xNk2I7WB80m8mTrbHIKMo9EIDlCZ6QLEEgtXy1BmymzpiwyB6ZhqcjGMuZ2O9RcFSY/eb1nKeoVYFdC4OPVGLqWQvYD0ZZhiYWjqylo4ehyCtm6JrKlj9WbehDbPBArQ1dPui6o/yLjupj+C7kpTBDLVghllq42IKyjsci+E0/XG40+j4EuDBog2iTy9YZBxp34OsvoA898eWCAkVu+QNJX5l3PBOUjz9CE9ZHjZbEv59aH7mHlOqz77W+Jps1vWybalzirM5oDeXxDm4p9VNsgLZqJPb2RCH3XIoGtmS9aMteUPLLUl4zulchlktkQvAQ0eR36JEN2i+MPMmS7OPY5rru1kHz3un44uEiD9PIWaod4u9Ui6YRD+mtrC/OIVgjBoWyLOgRFWtTlrUUd2Xkeb1GH9Dk4U4ZwHs9vIV5gwxeiRpYKrUyio08vEjyf46lPSw3V19C8KQLeGECewp6BM8qEdWIhYRa/bc3ocqxLCunyrEkKUQNrFkLUyDqbEDXhB8DMymTWckR0xYa1BiEq4V4LTmWeDOFUJGZuhTLRmoDfYojWBGKogcwaIChb4yC+Z0zwIT+zKJnsF0FUJbYBFYIasrUDggrpb0JQC6dK+qIQ/QYZV+XJ3hAIGtjeEIga2d4QiJpYbxaiZjyR1VebaDkw51C+n2Rmw1IRX7ag6cDrg+bfQQo6yJXZiDM0X9iOGkgTI4cyv5K+TizyK2dmJ5X5lbToXPTCCXkZaUiP7cbGkcYU2YK0ZCmxBWck2yJbkJbsymxB+jp0Ox3w1os0tK/gEWoscgVn1pG3E6IO4u0E9SMcxDRE3T+DMHiFPkMQvJKcIeAVzwzAwdn5DMDDmeQMIODZyQyBtsCQd9NNYqnIS+SG38D6B/BIQzdBAp9FIWLoJkgIK7R7B2Eta71BVNo4g6i0cQZRaeMMotLGGURNrO0FUek3fRAq00OARxf1IQw4VUjXCoJa0rWCoI50rSCoJ10rCMr2qkHQSDpZEJR99QeCZtLJQqCOffUHghrSiIKg9Js/ENWyThREpd/8gaiefUsJotJv/kBUOv/7QP26OH3Q4sO7D3VcVOvlRJl+9vvQtv2nL6cC75P89qVdTb/9px32p39PccrrGuPDlJ/+DwO8GcQ=

[Grumpy Old Gamer]

Originally posted by Warlord:

Originally posted by Phoenix RISING:

Trying to build a production line for green potions for research feels like trying to organize the wires in my PC after making a new build in the 90's. It's not fun.

Oh, you're gonna HATE blue science. Oil is like doing computer cabling, while also dealing with 5 different hoses of different liquid cooling, and if the hoses touch eachother the liquids start mixing.

And that is 3rd out of 7 science packs.

They actually get easier after blue, since by then you genberally have a mainbelt set up and roboports everywhere.

[Jingleballs]

sandbox it to figure it out if you have to. Once you hit that breakthrough, it'll be good

[Warlord]

Originally posted by Dorf In Space:

Originally posted by Warlord:

Oh, you're gonna HATE blue science. Oil is like doing computer cabling, while also dealing with 5 different hoses of different liquid cooling, and if the hoses touch eachother the liquids start mixing.

And that is 3rd out of 7 science packs.

They actually get easier after blue, since by then you genberally have a mainbelt set up and roboports everywhere.

Hehe, shhhhhhh, don't tell him thaaaaaaat! ^.^

[Doom Sayer]

I read you saying "get easier?"
....
LOL.

[alterEgo]

Wait you're having with green potions they are simple as ♥♥♥♥ lmao, use your brain c'mon.