Best Starting location

[Deadly Peanut]

New player:

i've started a first save in the flat forest start area, but i'm becoming aware it may be best to restart in an area that has access to all the starter resources plus coal and water.

I did some research and one reddit post said to 'start at the northern forest, then walk west for a bit' which has 'Iron, Copper, Limestone, Caterium and not too far away Coal and Water'

Is this accurate? or is there a better start area that includes coal and water access?

TIA for all helpful responses :)

[aY227]

It is correct, this is one of the most (if not most) op locations - go west on the road until you find 3 pure iron nodes - one downside is that there is not much space over there so you will need "a bit" early concreto to expand.
Remember to try to get Blade Runners (caterium research) - it's a game changer :)

[Justalotofnumbers]

well i specifically chose a badlands biome like there is normal copper pure limestome 1 node of pure iron 2 coal nods narby in the very badder badlands and water near to it

[Deadly Peanut]

Originally posted by aY227:

It is correct, this is one of the most (if not most) op locations - go west on the road until you find 3 pure iron nodes - one downside is that there is not much space over there so you will need "a bit" early concreto to expand.
Remember to try to get Blade Runners (caterium research) - it's a game changer :)

thanks very much.

Please feel free to chat about start locations if you like... i'll read any posts with interest :)

[Markimus Prime]

Either that location, which is probably the best in terms of concentration of resources or there's a good starting location in the Northern part of the desert where there's iron, copper, limestone, coal, sulphur...pretty much everything close, and oil not too far. Plus it's flat. It's relatively easy to build when there's nothing in your way.

[Evilsod]

There is no 'best' starting location, they all offer something different. Some people might just prefer what one location offers over another.
Resources aren't the only factor. The terrain is too. Not everyone wants to build sky factories on loads of ugly Foundations.

[Two Gun Bob]

I agree with aY227, that's a very nice spot once you figure out how you'r going to build it out. I like to keep all permanent flooring on the same grid so my strategy is start in the flat valley surrounded by cliffs, with 3 iron nodes. Then extend a ramp top the limestone above and encompassing the copper nearby too

Nothing goes on the first floor except mines, smelters, and a little semi-automated biofuel generator area.

When building levels consider how you traverse them when you need to. You can fall 5-6 levels without damage if you step off, and then there's green jelly for long drops. I like to build a shaft almost all the way to the jelly to keep bodies on target whenever I use that device. You need a minimum of 5 full size walls (40m) in height to clear a miner, and air lifts are only good for 8 walls straight up at the very most, so I like to make my floors 6 walls (48m) high with 1m thick floor material. Mid game can use the tubes, end game will have you in a jetpack, and both of those work well with 48m between floors.

[Markimus Prime]

Originally posted by Evilsod:

There is no 'best' starting location, they all offer something different. Some people might just prefer what one location offers over another.
Resources aren't the only factor. The terrain is too. Not everyone wants to build sky factories on loads of ugly Foundations.

Given that, you obviously have a preferred starting location, so why not share it?

[Evilsod]

Originally posted by Markimus Prime:

Originally posted by Evilsod:

There is no 'best' starting location, they all offer something different. Some people might just prefer what one location offers over another.
Resources aren't the only factor. The terrain is too. Not everyone wants to build sky factories on loads of ugly Foundations.

Given that, you obviously have a preferred starting location, so why not share it?

Because I've only played 3 of them, once each, and they've all had different pros/cons? The only one I've not tried yet was Northern Forest, which was the least appealing of them because I'm not so sure about the idea of limited space.

Saying I have a favourite is meaningless, especially when the OP is asking about 'best'. They've just been different. Not to mention there is no possible way I can claim to have approached each area with the 'optimum' start on a first attempt.

[The Big Brzezinski]

The "hardest" start in the dunes desert is by far the easiest. Everything is extremely flat compared to other starts. Lots of resources are right at your doorstep, including caterium, quartz, sulfur, coal, and water. Oil is only a stone-throw away.

[Evilsod]

Originally posted by The Big Brzezinski:

The "hardest" start in the dunes desert is by far the easiest. Everything is extremely flat compared to other starts. Lots of resources are right at your doorstep, including caterium, quartz, sulfur, coal, and water. Oil is only a stone-throw away.

Depends what you consider the 'start', imo.
So many of the nodes in the Dune Desert are Impure. That will slow down your production earlier on as you'll need to tap more nodes, which in turn, increases power draw for the miners. The progression to Coal is probably a little easier than some locations though.

These places are pretty big. My understanding is, the pod can drop you at a bunch of preset locations around the region. Part of the fun is surely setting up where you land, or at least nearby. If all you're going to do is run to the same location you did previously... that seems a bit boring to me.

[Humveetech]

I started south I guess. Has everything. Coal is just across the ravine. Caterium is close by. Quartz isnt too far away. I just ran conveyors to everything. I have unlocked everything and built everything. I just ran conveyors and trains everywhere for chit and grins

[Two Gun Bob]

just remember that bauxite is primarily in the SW of the map. By the time it matters then location isn't much of an issue but the NE desert for instance is hampered a little by that.

[Maehlice]

My favourite area is the east side of Rocky Desert along the cliffs around the lake there.

However, I second the Western Slopes (just west of the Northern Forest) along the water as the best place to start. As others have mentioned, it has everything but Bauxite and Uranium -- both of which are easy to transport by the time you need them.

[Mogges]

In midgame you have to expand anyway and as long as you have iron, copper and limestone, it doesn´t really matter where you start. The forest location at the cliffs, the best spot, isn´t really helpful as already mentioned, there isn´t a lot of space to build. All three iron nodes are very close to each other and with that huge amount of resources there is no room at all to build dozens of smelters and constructers. You will build vertically ( not everybody´s favourite to have sky factories ) or lead the belts away from the source to have free space. As already mentioned, all starting areas have pros and cons and this is intended by the developers.

[Deadly Peanut]

thanks once again to all posters... i'm taking some notes :)