Enemy option levels for newer player?

[jpinard]

I started a game and turned them way down (not off) and I ended up having no enemies whatsoever. So I was hoping to get enough enemies and evolution to keep things interesting and force me to setup defenses, but not so much that they wipe me out, or it becomes hopeless dealing with them.

[AIM-9X]

I find normal settings are fine, during early game I hunt bases as they are weak to stop closer bases from expanding a destroying me, then once pollution reaches to further out enemies I usually have a decent defense.

[DCYW]

Ursprünglich geschrieben von Senpai-kun:

If you're new and want some breathing room from the biters, you have two simple options. The first is to use a rail world, where biters cannot expand so you aren't constantly under pressure by new nests being built in your direction. The second is to enlarge the size of your starting area so that the biter bases start farther away from you, giving you a reasonable amount of time to set up.

It sounds like you don't want to halt biter expansion, and I would agree that it makes things a little too easy if they can't expand because then you don't really have to build any perimeter defenses, just stomp biter bases every now and then. However I think the default settings on normal worlds are a bit harsh on new players - there's usually a nest or two which are so close that you'll get attacked before you get a reasonable opportunity to even research your first tech.

If you want a normal start, then I suggest rushing research on gun turrets so that you can have something to defend and attack with apart from the pistol. The first biter attacks come at you really fast.

Grenades has a throwing range and faster. Turrets only defends base and barricades area.

[knighttemplar1960]

Turrets defend the base in places that you aren't. You can't be in 2 places at once and still try to build things.

[Qiox]

I found that as a new player, I only need to adjust one setting to help me get the hang of things and that's the starting area size. I set it to 300% and I get to build a fairly large base, and put up strong defenses all around before I will see any attacks. But when I do head out, or my pollution gets that far out, what I face won't be so easy that it is boring.

For now, the important part for me is learning how to get everything setup in a reasonable amount of time.

[Katitoff]

Ursprünglich geschrieben von jpinard:

I started a game and turned them way down (not off) and I ended up having no enemies whatsoever. So I was hoping to get enough enemies and evolution to keep things interesting and force me to setup defenses, but not so much that they wipe me out, or it becomes hopeless dealing with them.

Then keep things default.

Anything less then that is for people who randomly fall asleep on their keyboards.

[DCYW]

Ursprünglich geschrieben von Senpai-kun:

Ursprünglich geschrieben von DCYW:

Grenades has a throwing range and faster. Turrets only defends base and barricades area.

Grenades aren't an option when you are still in the burner stage and haven't researched a single tech yet, which is when you'll suffer your first biter attack on normal settings. There is no grenade/turret dichotomy at this stage of the game.

I am playing with mods, so different story.

[Eigyriel]

Hello. If you just started factorio. I recommend to remove all enemies from the base or use the "pacifist" mode so they won't attack you first.

Removing enemies would give you time to launch your rocket and explore the tech tree at your rate without having enemies pushing you.

pacifist mode is nice aswell. for the same reason but you would have to fight at some point to expand but you can also try out weapons.

Once you feel confident you can always restart another game.
BUT I would recommend to try to expand in the first one just to see where you ♥♥♥♥♥♥ up so you won't make the same mistakes.

I ♥♥♥♥♥♥ up with conveyors (no clean bus), then with trains (too many + trafic jam), then with robots (wayyy to many).
And recently I ♥♥♥♥♥♥ up with fluids. (barils are much better).

So yep you've got stuff to discover (not mentionning logistic system) so. Don't be afraid to make a first ♥♥♥♥ boring game with no ennemies because in the end enemies are not a threat.
This game is about optimisation, automatisation and the "blowing up aliens" is like 20% of it.

Have fun on Cracktorio :)

[Eigyriel]

Grenades are great for 1 thing. => tree removal.
To fight aliens the best thing to do is to increase your tech. And do it fast.

unlock MK2 ammo (copper + steel) is important.
Or you can run near a base. place 10-15 gun turret while running. Grab ammo in your inventory and load them up. Very efficient to wipe an alien base.

Later on you've got artilery trains. :D :D :D MAKE SURE YOU HAVE GOOD DEFENCES BEFORE LOADING IT.

They will auto-attack everything in range and those base will send aliens toward the train's location.

Yep that's another time I ♥♥♥♥♥♥ up :D

[DCYW]

Ursprünglich geschrieben von Eigyriel:

Grenades are great for 1 thing. => tree removal.
To fight aliens the best thing to do is to increase your tech. And do it fast.

unlock MK2 ammo (copper + steel) is important.
Or you can run near a base. place 10-15 gun turret while running. Grab ammo in your inventory and load them up. Very efficient to wipe an alien base.

Later on you've got artilery trains. :D :D :D MAKE SURE YOU HAVE GOOD DEFENCES BEFORE LOADING IT.

They will auto-attack everything in range and those base will send aliens toward the train's location.

Yep that's another time I ♥♥♥♥♥♥ up :D

I use shotgun and grenades when exploring, I will make sure to construct assembly plant for production of grenades and shells for shotgun.

[Nailfoot]

I hardly ever explore until I've gotten the spider. Radar exploration is good enough until then, even on railworld settings.

[knighttemplar1960]

I explore to find nests and resources as soon as I have a car and grenades. I clear early nests (even large ones) by driving parallel to the nest and using the car's machine gun and lobbing grenades out the window. That's my go to method until I have explosive rocket researches maxed out and I use that until I have atom bombs.

[Nailfoot]

Ursprünglich geschrieben von knighttemplar1960:

I explore to find nests and resources as soon as I have a car and grenades. I clear early nests (even large ones) by driving parallel to the nest and using the car's machine gun and lobbing grenades out the window. That's my go to method until I have explosive rocket researches maxed out and I use that until I have atom bombs.

I dont think I clear ANY nests until I have lasers. Then I just turret creep them away. Once I get bots, it's just trivial.

I hate using atomic bombs as I dont like the pock Mark's left all over.

[knighttemplar1960]

Ursprünglich geschrieben von Nailfoot:

I dont think I clear ANY nests until I have lasers. Then I just turret creep them away. Once I get bots, it's just trivial.

I hate using atomic bombs as I dont like the pock Mark's left all over.

I prefer artillery myself but I do use Atom bombs. The places where the nests were is just as ugly as the craters as far as I'm concerned.

When I set up a map I use defeault settings but move the sliders for resources to where they are for a railsword so I get large spread out resource patches and full expansion for the bugs. I have to go out in search of resources before I get my technology tree completed so I have to clear out some nests. Pre-bots I use the drive by method of clearing.

[Warlord]

Ursprünglich geschrieben von knighttemplar1960:

Ursprünglich geschrieben von Nailfoot:

I dont think I clear ANY nests until I have lasers. Then I just turret creep them away. Once I get bots, it's just trivial.

I hate using atomic bombs as I dont like the pock Mark's left all over.

I prefer artillery myself but I do use Atom bombs. The places where the nests were is just as ugly as the craters as far as I'm concerned.

When I set up a map I use defeault settings but move the sliders for resources to where they are for a railsword so I get large spread out resource patches and full expansion for the bugs. I have to go out in search of resources before I get my technology tree completed so I have to clear out some nests. Pre-bots I use the drive by method of clearing.

That's pretty close to what I do every time. Railworld preset, but biter expansion on (so I have to search for natural chokepoints and defend all of it well). I also turn on science prices x10, which streeeeeeeeetches out the tech tree. I tell you, some of the really good techs look very scary to work on when it costs 50,000 of each bottle.