Space Age for New Players?

[ENGLISHNAME]

Should I even think about looking at the new DLC if I haven't beaten the game? I've gotten far in a few times but never done a full playthrough.

[Sky Render]

It's definitely a logistics-heavy expansion. If you don't feel you have a firm grasp of how the game's logistics work, Space Age will be frustratingly difficult at best, and impossible at worst. You absolutely have to plan ahead to get anywhere in it!

[ENGLISHNAME]

Originally posted by Sky Render:

It's definitely a logistics-heavy expansion. If you don't feel you have a firm grasp of how the game's logistics work, Space Age will be frustratingly difficult at best, and impossible at worst. You absolutely have to plan ahead to get anywhere in it!

Hm interesting, I find the base planning really fun so it's good to hear that's a big focus, but yeah I wouldn't say my grasp on the base game is "firm" lol. Thanks!

[DaBa]

It's almost certain whatever the reason is behind you never actually finishing a run of Factorio, the expansion is only going to severely amplify it. The game is even longer, more complicated and challenging than it used to me.

[Freeman]

I bought the game and expansion 2 weeks ago and played 80 hours since, incredible experience BUT I havent enjoyed the space stuff anywhere near as much as figuring out Nauvis. It seems so disjointed to me, but I was expecting it to be a case of moving to new planets and setting up new factories with new toys to play with. There is an element of this of course, but so far I dont see any reason to make much in the way of infrastructure beyond the new buildings and research items. Then, there isnt any point shipping new foundries/miners back to Nauvis as everything is already running there just fine, which makes most of it seem pointless. I'm still getting my head around it though so I might be missing something, but I feel that the original game would have been better for my tastes where launching a rocket was a big deal that took a lot of work. I had research done on Vulcanis in little under 5 hours, expecting there to be a lot more reasons to build and explore, but there isnt. I am now heading to the next planet of the DLC, maybe things will change I dunno, but I expect if you didnt like the original enough to continue this DLC wont change your mind

[Lantantan]

You get the absolute joy of learning and then unlearning the game every new planet you arrive on. 3 of the new planets are self sufficient in all the basics, but each in a different way. So don't be discouraged by people calling this a "logistics heavy" expansion, you'll only have to put these things together 40-80 hours in.

[Zogtar]

I recommend playing the base game first, at least getting trains set up, then deciding from there.

That being said... It's easier to get out to space with the expansion than it is without... you just need to prep in advance for space... and you have a manual save system that you can always reload to a certain point.

[UNBREAKABLE]

I am new and have the DLC enabled, but so far it doesn't seem too different from the base game at least until after you reach blue science. I don't intend on leaving the first planet until i'm ready and there's still plenty to do after you unlock the ability to create rockets so there's no rush.
fun.

If you're on the fence about buying it though I would wait until you reach blue science, and if you like the game still it might be worth it to consider DLC.

[chrisbamb]

Originally posted by Judge Caveman:

I recommend playing the base game first, at least getting trains set up, then deciding from there.

I've never really understood the fascination with trains. I've had countless playthroughs to setting off the rocket and never, ever used a train system!

I do tend to get to the rocket, set it off and then restart as the fun for me in the game is the setting up from scratch to launch rather than expand as big as possible and launch multiple rockets. Maybe I've just never got to the point that I am needing to go far enough to use trains.

[POWER WITHIN USER]

I've never really understood the fascination with trains. I've had countless playthroughs to setting off the rocket and never, ever used a train system!

Any amount and configuration of text that we could ever send you isn't going to compare to you actually trying to use the train system.

Put like 20 hours into it and you'll understand.
Start off with bidirectional trains, move to using multiple trains in the same system (still bidirectional though, as if you're starting out in Trainsport Tycoon Deluxe) then move on to single direction trains with wide turns and far more complex networks.
Wrap it up with the newly added interrupts and wildcards.

Otherwise, you're missing out on one of the best tools this game has to offer.

[Zogtar]

Originally posted by chrisbamb:

Originally posted by Judge Caveman:

I recommend playing the base game first, at least getting trains set up, then deciding from there.

I've never really understood the fascination with trains. I've had countless playthroughs to setting off the rocket and never, ever used a train system!

I do tend to get to the rocket, set it off and then restart as the fun for me in the game is the setting up from scratch to launch rather than expand as big as possible and launch multiple rockets. Maybe I've just never got to the point that I am needing to go far enough to use trains.

You definitely don't need trains if you don't want them (not saying they're not useful, they are).

I meant it more as, "Hey, if you learn how fluids, signals, and trains work in this game, you can handle the DLC."

[gedankenlust]

I haven't completed the base game yet either, but I still bought spage age

[Fartin' Futa King]

If you are still planning to not finish the game, then buying space-age is meaningless, because it comes after you unlocked most stuff on Nauvis.

If you plan to do that, then at the time you launch your first rocket you should know enough to explore space. At least if you didn't rush or skipped important game mechanics (e.g. drones).

Anyway game is giving you enough time to learn and as always you solve problems by steps. It's not trying to be hard, it's trying to entertain you and give you new slightly unique experience. Gleba can be frustrating by entartaining you with time limit and 3 big pentapods stomping your crops, but for the most part it's pretty chill and unhurried.