Steel distribution?

[Mr. Tact]

Despite having a few hundred hours in this game and having completed all but one milestone through Tier 8 in a previous play through, I really don't feel like I know this game that well. I have started my version 1.0 run and I am currently laying out my main steel facility. It will eventually (many hours of play from now) have 3600 steel ingots of production per minute.

My question is -- what kind of split should I do between Steel Beams and Steel Pipes? I have a vague inkling in the back of my mind it should be something like 60% beams and 40% pipes. I won't be looking for any record breaking builds, I just want to progress through and finish all the phase challenges.

[Kage Goomba]

I'm not sure if that will change later - but ratio sounds about right.

I would caution you however - some alt recipes use steel pipes to make things easier - etc.

So it kind of comes down to what your intending to do.

Everyone does things a little different so you will never really get the same answer twice - and all answers will be bias'd.

[Fenix]

60/40 sounds fine, you can always tweak it later.

[RadioIesbian Fluid]

Depends on alt recepies, you only really need steel beams for mk3 belts and the versatile framework plus some train tracks and decorative stuff. All other recipies can be substituted for steel pipes instead. Like encased beams can be made with pipes and concrete with an alt recipie.
And pipes are used in so much other stuff.

So i would say 90% steel pipes and 10% beams.

[Mr. Tact]

I'm certainly not against using alternate recipes, but it seems a 90/10 split would cause problems at least in the short run. Perhaps when I have reach Tier 7 or so increasing pipes significantly could be a thing.

[RadioIesbian Fluid]

its about the split i got atm. making around 337 steel beeams/min fed into a single dimensional storage and 120/min of that going to veratile frameworks. While i'm making around 4000/min steel pipes atm using the cast pipe alt recepie by mixing steel + concrete to make a 1:1 ratio of steel ingots to pipes.

I have not run low on steel beams yet.

But i have all alt recipies now.
Its also not super hard to change from beams to pipes as the beams become less needed. Once you have tier 4 belts and the encased pipes alt recipie, the need for beams will dramatically go down.

[Kage Goomba]

Originally posted by Mr. Tact:

I'm certainly not against using alternate recipes, but it seems a 90/10 split would cause problems at least in the short run. Perhaps when I have reach Tier 7 or so increasing pipes significantly could be a thing.

Agreed - i tend to add more if needed or adjust later.

[Phoenix Cat]

Originally posted by Mr. Tact:

Despite have a few hundred hours in this game and having completed all but one milestone through Tier 8 in a previous play through, I really don't feel like I know this game that well. I have started my version 1.0 run and I am currently laying out my main steel facility. It will eventually (many hours of play from now) have 3600 steel ingots of production per minute.

My question is -- what kind of split should I do between Steel Beams and Steel Pipes? I have a vague inkling in the back of my mind it should be something like 60% beams and 40% pipes. I won't be looking for any record breaking builds, I just want to progress through and finish all the phase challenges.

Try to get the ALT recipe that just uses Iron Ingots for Pipes. No need for Steel. I been using it for a long time in my new 1.0 playthru. Reserves steal for other things.

[Mr. Tact]

Originally posted by Phoenix Cat:

Try to get the ALT recipe that just uses Iron Ingots for Pipes. No need for Steel. I been using it for a long time in my new 1.0 playthru. Reserves steal for other things.

Hmm, interesting. I'm going to assume it isn't a recent recipe addition and I either never got it or simply didn't take notice of it. That does appear to be something useful for later in the game when you have expanded to multiple areas and Iron is plentiful. I'll keep that in mind for later. Thanks.

[RadioIesbian Fluid]

Iron pipes are new with 1.0. Its not super efficient tho, if you want a lot of pipes, going with steel is better, specially with the solid steel alt and the cast pipe alt.

[Phoenix Cat]

Originally posted by RadioIesbian Fluid:

Iron pipes are new with 1.0. Its not super efficient tho, if you want a lot of pipes, going with steel is better, specially with the solid steel alt and the cast pipe alt.

It is useful when you have Iron Nodes with no Coal around. Not as efficient, but there are more Iron Nodes than just those near Coal.

[Mr. Tact]

Well, that makes me feel better. I thought I had looked through most (if not all) of the alternate recipes before. :D

Thanks everyone. I think I'll plan for 60% beams and 40% pipes for now, but also keep in mind to attempt to make the build as flexible as possible for changes in the future.