I took the plunge and doubled up... what now?!

[QueenPixxa]

I was trying to make concrete and I couldn't find it, even after researching it.
So I got all flustered and angry and uninstalled the game.
Then I decided I didn't want to quit, and went to reinstall it, but I thought What's the sense without the last piece? So I got the DLC.

I am not expecting to miraculously find the concrete recipe now, I will probably never find it, that's ok. But I would be grateful to you guys if you can tell me which big (or small) differences in game mechanics I am expected to find now.

[Jipopotamus]

Concrete can't be made in the tier 1 grey assemblers iirc. This could have been the problem. If you press the e key and look at an item you want to make, it tells you if it can be handcrafted and what machines it can be made in.
Alt clicking on anything also gives some extra info which will probably help you out a lot in general.

[Hurkyl]

As an aside, you can use the search feature in lots of places. E.g. anywhere where you would be selecting recipes, you can use the search box (or CTRL+F) and search for concrete.

So, if you're in any menu where the recipe for making concrete would be shown (handcrafting menu shows all recipes even if they can't be handcrafted, but buildings only show the things they can make), that's how you can find the recipe to do the crafting.

[Hurkyl]

Originally posted by QueenPixxa:

I am not expecting to miraculously find the concrete recipe now, I will probably never find it, that's ok. But I would be grateful to you guys if you can tell me which big (or small) differences in game mechanics I am expected to find now.

The changes to game mechanics all came in the 2.0 patch.

Instead, the expansion offers new features, which can be turned on/off using the mod menu

• Elevated rails for a more flexible train network
  
• The quality feature which gives the recycler and is a system for making better versions of most items
  
• The Space Age scenario itself, which is effectively a change to the latter half of a vanilla playthrough followed expanding to Nauvis orbit and then an interplanetary factory, with industry on each planet being fairly distinct from the rest

If you haven't played with the options, these ought to have been enabled automatically when you got the expansion. If you plan to continue a game you started before getting the expansion, I think things will "just work" to change your game to the Space Age scenario... and if you haven't reached blue science yet, or at least haven't gotten very far into it, you wouldn't yet have reached any of the changes.

In regards to the Nauvis (starting planet) part of a Space Age playthrough, what happens is that white science (and the rocket launch) is moved earlier in the game, and a lot of recipes have their costs adjusted to use white science instead of yellow/purple science. And a few recipes have instead been moved to other planets.

[Fel]

Not sure how you couldn't find it even after researching it.
https://wiki.factorio.com/Concrete
10 Water + 5 stone bricks + 1 iron ore, in an assembling machine 2 or 3 (because the first tier can't do liquid stuff). gives you 10 concrete.

[Hurkyl]

Originally posted by Fel:

Not sure how you couldn't find it even after researching it.

Because there are a lot of icons to search through. And grouped into different tabs to boot so you might even be looking on the wrong one.

Although as another poster suggested, the issue might have been they were looking through the Assembler 1's crafting menu, where Concrete would not appear.

[QueenPixxa]

About the concrete, I used filters and searches of course, but it's most possibly what Jipopotamus said, I was trying to use the basic assembler and instead I should have used one of the more advanced ones.
After all I'm glad I got angry, at least 1. I got Space Age; and 2. I start a new factory because the one I had going was an absolute mess that gave me headaches. I already deleted it.
I'm just a bit worried by words I read like spoilage and quality... That's why I'm asking if there are many changes from the base game that I will need to adjust to.

[Fel]

That's definitely a possibility, but if that is the case then I am not seeing OP have much fun with Space Age, as it uses a bunch more machines on top of adding new mechanics.

The base game goes out of its way to show you which machines can use a recipe in its tooltip, both in the technologies screen and in the inventory's crafting screen.
Being able to find and use that information is quite important if you want to progress without looking up guides for every new recipe you unlock.

[Hurkyl]

Originally posted by Fel:

That's definitely a possibility, but if that is the case then I am not seeing OP have much fun with Space Age, as it uses a bunch more machines on top of adding new mechanics.

I don't follow.

I've played Factorio a lot, and I sometimes have trouble finding an icon. I occasionally open the wrong building when looking to craft something, and takes a moment before I realize I've done so. I've watched world record Factorio speedrunners stumble looking for an things in the crafting menu.

Having hiccups in accessing UI is normal, and the OP not knowing how to fix the problem they had doesn't really suggest anything more than having trouble with troubleshooting, and likely haven't had this problem before to know what might be wrong and how to correct it.

[Hurkyl]

Originally posted by QueenPixxa:

About the concrete, I used filters and searches of course, but it's most possibly what Jipopotamus said, I was trying to use the basic assembler and instead I should have used one of the more advanced ones.
After all I'm glad I got angry, at least 1. I got Space Age; and 2. I start a new factory because the one I had going was an absolute mess that gave me headaches. I already deleted it.
I'm just a bit worried by words I read like spoilage and quality... That's why I'm asking if there are many changes from the base game that I will need to adjust to.

I think a lot of people like to restart often, so don't worry too much. There is a mild concern that being quick to restart might prevent you from spending the time working through a problem, but as long as you avoid that, restart all you like when you dislike your factory and want to make a new one.

Another option that preserves some of your progress is to grab a bunch of resources and walk someplace else on the map, carve out a space from the biters, and start building a new factory from scratch.

[kremlin]

Restart-itis is especially brutal in factory games, though...
Motivation to do things like refactor your factory may give you the urge to start over from scratch but you push a little farther and get the tools to do it far faster and easier later in the game.

[QueenPixxa]

Originally posted by Hurkyl:

Originally posted by QueenPixxa:

About the concrete, I used filters and searches of course, but it's most possibly what Jipopotamus said, I was trying to use the basic assembler and instead I should have used one of the more advanced ones.
After all I'm glad I got angry, at least 1. I got Space Age; and 2. I start a new factory because the one I had going was an absolute mess that gave me headaches. I already deleted it.
I'm just a bit worried by words I read like spoilage and quality... That's why I'm asking if there are many changes from the base game that I will need to adjust to.

I think a lot of people like to restart often, so don't worry too much. There is a mild concern that being quick to restart might prevent you from spending the time working through a problem, but as long as you avoid that, restart all you like when you dislike your factory and want to make a new one.

Another option that preserves some of your progress is to grab a bunch of resources and walk someplace else on the map, carve out a space from the biters, and start building a new factory from scratch.

Yes, I did that, just walking away and restarting in a different place. I know it sounds crazy, but I was bothered by the idea of a bunch of abandoned machines just sitting there and doing nothing. I should have stayed a bit longer maybe, and then go and recoup everything later.
Restarting is a waste of time in Factorio. I just need to get that into my head.

@Fel I am actually having a blast, but the information that a more evolved machine for concrete is needed was nowhere to be seen. You don't need to speak in 3rd person, you know, you can address such concerns to me directly, I will try hard to understand you ;)

[Nico]

Originally posted by QueenPixxa:

@Fel I am actually having a blast, but the information that a more evolved machine for concrete is needed was nowhere to be seen. You don't need to speak in 3rd person, you know, you can address such concerns to me directly, I will try hard to understand you ;)

Usually the Factoriopedia can tell you exactly how something can be crafted, which would probably show that you do indeed need a higher tier assembler. On top of that it also should show it if you hover over the recipe on the research tree.

Originally posted by QueenPixxa:

I'm just a bit worried by words I read like spoilage and quality... That's why I'm asking if there are many changes from the base game that I will need to adjust to.

Quality is an entirely optional feature, so as long as you don't use quality modules you won't have to engage with it at all. Though you might still want to use it at least a little bit for the space platform

Spoilage on the other hand .... well, good luck with that. You do need an entirly different mindset compared to the usual factory to deal with it.

[Fel]

Originally posted by QueenPixxa:

@Fel I am actually having a blast, but the information that a more evolved machine for concrete is needed was nowhere to be seen. You don't need to speak in 3rd person, you know, you can address such concerns to me directly, I will try hard to understand you ;)

I was answering Hurkyl, which is why it was third person for you (I had not seen that you posted right before me until after I posted it), sorry if it looked like I was looking down on you.

Here is how it looks when mousing over the recipe in the technology screen:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3473446214
And here is how it looks when mousing over the recipe from the inventory:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3473446304

In the default game mode (freeplay), it should show you these icons telling you what machines can be used.
Weirdly enough, it does not show the machines when it can be crafted by hand and in all tiers of assembling machines (which definitely sounds like an oversight to me).

And it is great that you are enjoying your time, I definitely prefer to be wrong in this case as all of us around here really like this game and want others to enjoy playing it as well.

[Katitoff]

Originally posted by QueenPixxa:

I was trying to make concrete and I couldn't find it, even after researching it.
So I got all flustered and angry and uninstalled the game.
Then I decided I didn't want to quit, and went to reinstall it, but I thought What's the sense without the last piece? So I got the DLC.

I am not expecting to miraculously find the concrete recipe now, I will probably never find it, that's ok. But I would be grateful to you guys if you can tell me which big (or small) differences in game mechanics I am expected to find now.

You literally have library showing you what is made where and how.
Game was never as clear cut as it is now.

But boiiii, if building blue assembler cracked you, I can't wait to hear the first time you'll go against circuitry.

[MAlipioC]

wtf is this post lmao