How to start right?

[Hexzyti]

I'm looking at starting up again, but my last save was sooo inefficient and its been so long since i last played that I've lost all knowledge and would rather restart on the right foot.

So I was wondering how to get start off right and get progress going a lil faster as the early game is a bit of a slog for me (now that I know how good it gets after your first few space elevator milestones the early game feels so, so slow, especially having to run everywhere), so any tips?

[cswiger]

Prioritize coal and caterium. Balance production and consumption. Use the AWESOME Sink.
Beware of doggos bearing nuclear waste.

PS: See the tab labelled "Guides"...?

There are several hundred available for you to look over. Maybe glance at one or two from the "Top Rated All Time", and then ask more specific questions if you still want more advice.

[Hexzyti]

Originally posted by cswiger:

Prioritize coal and caterium. Balance production and consumption. Use the AWESOME Sink.
Beware of doggos bearing nuclear waste.

PS: See the tab labelled "Guides"...?

There are several hundred available for you to look over. Maybe glance at one or two from the "Top Rated All Time", and then ask more specific questions if you still want more advice.

Me when I forget guides exist thank you for the tips, I'll check out some guides to get some more in depth knowledge

[Alaskan Glitch]

I would start in an area with pure or at least normal nodes of iron, copper, and limestone. With coal, oil, sulfur, and quartz nearby. For that reason I really like the Rocky Desert, either in or near the lagoon by the Northern Forest, or on the far western shore, north of the Islands (where the oil fields are located).

I think the hardest part of starting over is getting use to having less. For example, your until you get Mk 2 Power Poles you are stuck only able to connect 4 power lines and you don't have the FISCIT architecture, foundations, roofs, windows, etc. from the Awesome Shop. Which limits your design choices.

Have you considered restarting using Update 8 currently in Experimental mode? It allows you to restart, but keep all the Tiers and Milestones you have previously unlocked. It also gives you the ability to get all the items from the Awesome Shop and MAM so you don't have to start over completely from scratch.

[Hexzyti]

Originally posted by Alaskan Glitch:

I would start in an area with pure or at least normal nodes of iron, copper, and limestone. With coal, oil, sulfur, and quartz nearby. For that reason I really like the Rocky Desert, either in or near the lagoon by the Northern Forest, or on the far eastern shore, north of the Islands (where the oil fields are located).

I think the hardest part of starting over is getting use to having less. For example, your until you get Mk 2 Power Poles you are stuck only able to connect 4 power lines and you don't have the FISCIT architecture, foundations, roofs, windows, etc. from the Awesome Shop. Which limits your design choices.

Have you considered restarting using Update 8 currently in Experimental mode? It allows you to restart, but keep all the Tiers and Milestones you have previously unlocked. It also gives you the ability to get all the items from the Awesome Shop and MAM so you don't have to start over completely from scratch.

Oh I had no idea experimental allowed for that, I may try that and see how it feels, I will keep your tips for starting in mind, thank you!

[Remnar]

The following is how I get started. You can do it however you like; since there is no "wrong" way of doing things.

I started a new game for update 8, and didn't skip anything but the intro, as I like to test everything from the start. I got through the HUB upgrades just fine as usual. You'll want 2 portable miners on ore, 1 on copper and 3 and lime stone. Set up 3 smelters, 2 for iron 1 for copper. You'll be handcrafting the lime stone blocks for a while until you get it automated. As you set up your automation and add platforms and readjust your buildings, you'll want to keep the drills in place until you no longer need to hand feed the smelters.

Eventually you'll want to set up 3 constructors with 3 boxes (storage containers) to make solid biofuel. 2 boxes will be your input for grass and wood. 1 box will insert grass into a constructor, the other will insert wood into the other constructor. Set them to make the proper biomass (one from grass, one from wood). Have these 2 merge and go into a 3rd constructor making solid biofuel, and have that hooked to your 3rd box. This will feed your biomass burners. I had 8 additional, including the 2 on the HUB before I got to coal power.

[Aven]

Collect a few hard drives and the scattered components from nearby crash sites before you start serious building. Unlock Cast Screws and sink the high end components to unlock your essential Awesome Shop purchases like Conveyor Floor Holes.

[BrightStar]

Hi there, I have 2,950 hours in game and I agree with the above,
but running around everywhere can be demotivating. :)

It will be a while before transport networks are setup.....
So, very early on.... Very basic... Before Coal and base building, I do this...

Let the machines do the work.
The less you build on a workbench (hub), the better.

1.
I place containers near the hub and run belts to them from the constructors for plate, rods, wire, cable, concrete, screws, reinforced plate, etc... have them in the same area for a while. Automate asap, like immediately.

2.
I automate the bio (leaves and wood) where I can just drop leaves in one container and wood in another and then merge their constructed outputs.. the automation builds the rest for fuel. Have the final output container next to the biomass burners and all of it next to the hub. Don't use the biomass burners on the hub (inefficient). Only use the individual biomass burners when you get them.
Gradually start base building or redesign the initial layout of machines on platforms as soon as possible, mainly for organization purposes. Later, build the factory or factories, mega or modular or a combo of both, but not right away. I prefer a combo of modular and Mega.

I have had three full play through completions where I took my time and enjoyed the game. Exploring, locating crash sites, slugs, seeing sunsets, etc. I have started and stopped on many different tier levels only to start over again... because... I didn't like the way things were going, like even at tier 7, lol.
Sometimes it was a bit of fresh air just to start over. :)

Hope this helps for very early-slow game. :)