Should you make an assembly line for all products?

[Stealth]

So I'm in the tier 5-6 stage of the game (1st play through) and need 50 computers. For the more complex stuff, I've been manually feeding into assemblers. Should I just make an assembly line for everything? Will I need huge amounts of all components eventually or are some things just for unlocking tiers and that's basically it? Versatile Frameworks for example have only been for the elevator so far.

I'm just not sure if I should just focus on manually getting these small amounts of components to unlock tiers or build assembly lines since I will need them in the future. I just don't know what lies ahead.

[Nooberix]

the stuff you feed into the elevator is just needed for exactly that - progressing to the next tier. But you will need the versatile framework later for more complex parts for the elevator. Computers will be needed for quite a lot of things, I would definitely suggest to create an assembly line for that and fill some storage with it.

[Stealth]

Alright, so aside from frameworks, basically everything for the elevator is one time? For HUB tiers I should have automated production of those products?

[Nooberix]

For the currently last elevator upgrade you need all elevator parts again. And I haven't checked if update 5 will introduce new tiers.

[Stealth]

Ok thanks!

[Sky Render]

When working on Space Elevator parts, you always need previous-level Space Elevator parts to build current-tier ones; no exceptions, even on up to the final absurd level.

[Obz3hL33t]

A LOT of Elevator components are reused. Check the Wiki for details.

My advice on John Henry's Hammer might surprise you: when you get sick of hand-crafting, automate. That informal metric handles the balance nicely. My tolerance for hand-crafting got lower the further into the game I progressed, and I'm sure it's that way for everyone else as well. And on second games (I started one in Grassland just to have something to compare Dunes to) tolerance is even lower. I have a BUNCH of biofuel generators in the second game to keep up with the profusion of automation whereas in the first I only used the HUB twins until Coal. I can't imagine doing that now! I'd go nuts.

From time to time you'll need to call upon John Henry, and when you do it will be critical enough to not be annoying, so the rule applies all the way through to the end.

During the Great Stator Shortage ol' John Henry really lent a hand. "Phew, I have Stators now!" <- Not sick of having Stators!

Now two possible forks in the road:

"Stator shortage AGAIN? Geez. Hammer time. Groan." <- Sick of crafting Stators

"With a Stator stockpile I can expand production without my projects shutting down. Soon I will be producing a Stator surplus!" <- How not to get sick of crafting Stators

Taking the first fork will eventually nudge you onto the second. This game is a marvel of social engineering. "Why keep pushing the feed bar when you can make it push itself automatically? Then you can press this bigger feed bar that produces tastier food pellets!" *Squeek!* *Squeek!*

[Stealth]

Thanks for the additional info :D

[cywizz]

It depends what your goal is for the game. If it is just to go through the motions to get to the end tiers, then pick your automation projects as suggested above. If you are like me and enjoy factory building and challenges, then you automate everything, even if it is just 1 manufacturer sitting making something. I even have sections in my factory that makes biofuel, beacons, etc. All up to you...actually also up to your power management skills because automating all requires a lot if you go for full automation :)

[Obz3hL33t]

I don't actually need to finish this integrated nuclear power and waste reprocessing project to finish the final delivery, y'know ... but I can't be too salty because there's not a snowball's chance in a Pressure Conversion Cube that I'm going to actually finish before the last of the goods trundle into the Space Elevator.

On the other hand the Great Nitrogen Pipe Project has officially met with success! Only after building it with elevation preserved along its entire journey did I discover gas isn't subject to head lift requirements. There's a reason there's no such word as "gasqueduct". And yet I have built one.

I'm, ahem, not quite good enough to claim credit for "going through the motions". "Muddling my way through" is all I can claim credit for. (Unless it's radioactive. Everything radioactive is perfectly load-balanced on Mk5 belts. When I throw the switch you'll barely see radioactive stuff on belts. It'll race past a little at a time into perfectly-balanced facilities that never back up until the final sink of plutonium rods. That has taken quite a lot of planning. I hope I didn't make any mistakes ... radiation is no joke!)

[Nooberix]

Originally posted by Obz3hL33t:

I hope I didn't make any mistakes ... radiation is no joke!)

I can confirm that. I realised some power drops and went to my plants to check what could be a reason (was expecting water shortage). Turned out I miscalculated my sulfuric acid and therefore my uranium waste could not be processed. All the belts were loaded with waste, the whole place was a contaminated hell...

[Stealth]

Originally posted by Nooberix:

Originally posted by Obz3hL33t:

I hope I didn't make any mistakes ... radiation is no joke!)

I can confirm that. I realised some power drops and went to my plants to check what could be a reason (was expecting water shortage). Turned out I miscalculated my sulfuric acid and therefore my uranium waste could not be processed. All the belts were loaded with waste, the whole place was a contaminated hell...

So... stay on coal power. Got it thx xD

[Nooberix]

Nah, nuclear is fun - if you are doing it right :D