So what do I... do?

[Vornin]

I'm not really sure what the point of the game is. It's certainly a great start and a fun gig for an hour or two but I feel lost. I understand what a sandbox game is but in other ones I feel like I have an objective. The nebulous one in this game is to build a rocket. Okay... so hear me out.

I start, get things set up, get electricity, have every ore being mined automatically... and now it feels like the game is over. I have everything I need and there's nothing else to do nor any survival aspects as I have never been attacked in my 7 hour playthrough.

So I sit here with my automated tons of Iron and Copper ingots and my 4 automated research stations and just watch the research go up as there's nothing else to do other than wait for new things in the tree to unlock. Even when they do, it's just a new resource to automate or a new device that I feel like I don't need.

Is the entire concept and market just to appeal to OCD people who want to micromanage a ton of little things just for the sake of it and not have any real "game"? I could literally sit here and win at this point while the research does itself. I see no reason to explore or ever leave my little compound.

As I said, it is an enjoyable demonstration of what the factory system can do and is pretty impressive but can anyone help me out? Am I missing something? Is the game just in a very early state with more things planning on being added later? Any advice at all?

[Electric Donkey]

I suggest you test your theory of being able to win with your piles of ore.

[Mazian]

Nailed it
I enjoy it, but it's not for everyone.

[anon_omis]

What's the point of Minecraft?

[Vornin]

Originally posted by AnonOmis1000:

What's the point of Minecraft?

That's like asking what the point of Legos are. This game doesn't have the freedom or choice to compare the two. Also they're completely different games with completely different objectives and gameplay styles in mind.

[KatherineOfSky]

The point is to build a factory... if the settings are too easy, try fewer resources based further apart... and many more biters. THEN you wuill have reason to build, if only to defend yourself.

The game can be as difficult as you make it, or as easy.

Why would you have chests full of ore when it need smelting? Have you set up oil production yet? Have you gone out and killed biters to gain access to alien artifacts?

Factorio is a game where there is NO waiting. If you are waiting around, you're not making the most of your time opportunity to expand production.

A rocket takes a LOT of materials to build. From the sound of your post you are a long way off.

Perhaps you desire something with even more challenge? Antielitz is the world record holder for Factorio speed runs -- try to beat his sub-2-hour time to build a rocket... That'll get your blood pumping.

[JS Clifton]

I think the problem is that you're missing a lot of the gameplay features. You need steel (which is double-cooked iron in a regular furnace until you unlock steel furnaces) for a lot of things, and oil (in its processed form) is required from products from batteries to robotics. The game is about expanding your factory and facing greater challenges of proccessing more materials while defending yourself against an increasingly aggressive and powerful horde of bug creatures.

[NimrodAbsolution⁧⁧98]

Originally posted by AnonOmis1000:

What's the point of Minecraft?

Minecraft actually has a goal you need to be slightly-skilled to beat
Factorio can be done just by winging it

Originally posted by Kh Addiction:

-Snip-

Yeah the game doesn't have any challenge when you aren't being attacked by biters
Biters haven't attacked you yet because either you set them off or the polution hasn't hit them yet, try uping your difficulty settings

[Vornin]

Originally posted by Tacomancer:

Originally posted by AnonOmis1000:

What's the point of Minecraft?

Minecraft actually has a goal you need to be slightly-skilled to beat
Factorio can be done just by winging it

Originally posted by Kh Addiction:

-Snip-

Yeah the game doesn't have any challenge when you aren't being attacked by biters
Biters haven't attacked you yet because either you set them off or the polution hasn't hit them yet, try uping your difficulty settings

I do have them turned up. I guess turning the starting area size way down and resource frequency down would help. Then I'd actually have to leave and find new stuff and set up depots that run between them that are guarded. Now that actually sounds like more of a game. As it stands I'm just sitting here watching my research crawl up with boxes full of Steel, Iron Plates, Copper Plates, and Stone Bricks.

Should I just quit and restart?

[NimrodAbsolution⁧⁧98]

Originally posted by Kh Addiction:

Originally posted by Tacomancer:

Minecraft actually has a goal you need to be slightly-skilled to beat
Factorio can be done just by winging it


Yeah the game doesn't have any challenge when you aren't being attacked by biters
Biters haven't attacked you yet because either you set them off or the polution hasn't hit them yet, try uping your difficulty settings

I do have them turned up. I guess turning the starting area size way down and resource frequency down would help. Then I'd actually have to leave and find new stuff and set up depots that run between them that are guarded. Now that actually sounds like more of a game. As it stands I'm just sitting here watching my research crawl up with boxes full of Steel, Iron Plates, Copper Plates, and Stone Bricks.

Should I just quit and restart?

Possibly
If you're not interested in getting achievements you can just cheat in some items in the new world

You could also try mods like Rso and others which increase difficulty

[TaterShovel]

Are you doing anything with your resources, or just letting them collect? You say you have research going, so obviously you're producing something, but are you producing all four of the science packs? (red, green, blue, purple) If you haven't made it that far down the research tree yet ... just wait. The game really kicks into high gear when you have to set up oil refineries, fluid handling, etc. and you find out that your starting ore patches have dried up. Now you need train networks to get materials from farther away, dealing with the biters between them. You'll need stronger defenses to protect against them when they decide to attack ... and they WILL attack.

[gatekeeper124]

try bob mods you will like it if you want more challenge

[Schmoop]

build a rocket.
maybe this just isnt your game

[Timi]

Originally posted by Kh Addiction:

my 4 automated research stations

Found a big part your problem. Research is pretty slow, you'll need more labs. The more you have, the faster your research. Faster you research, the less you wait for new tech. I usually research tech faster than I have the time to implement all the new things I get from them right away. This is especially true for the later techs, which take ages. Doing that with only four labs.. yeah, that'll get boring.

Increasing the amount of labs also requires you to expand your production of everything else, which increases the amount of pollution you generate, which increases the hostility and makes the aliens evolve faster which requires you to pollute even more to get production of defences going.

Not to mention the amount of stuff the rocket itself needs.

[covert]

A useful mod for you would be RSO (if you dont know how to install mods look it up). Its a mod found on the factorio forums that basically gives you your starting resources, and the rest are very far away. Once you use the starters you have to secure more ore, ship by train, etc.

[Murrin]

Actually, the aim of the game is to get off planet. (You crashlanded, remember from the very first campaign?)