Satisfactory

malchior · Post by **malchior** » Fri May 12, 2023 11:53 pm

You can process leaves/wood into biomass from the start. It lasts much longer when processed.

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Sat May 13, 2023 7:53 am

Blackhawk wrote: Fri May 12, 2023 9:46 pm Oof, I don't know when I'm supposed to get a power upgrade, but I've stripped the area around me bare of leaves, and it's now taking longer to collect them than they burn for.

Make sure you are converting the leaves and wood to biomass as it burns more efficiently.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Sat May 13, 2023 9:54 am

I found that out late last night. The problem was that I had consumed all of the fuel around me before I was given access to biomass. They give you the burner in phase 2, and don't give you biomass until phase 6. That probably isn't an issue if you're pushing through and doing only the minimum to advance, but I took my time on each of the early phases to fiddle with the concepts they introduced.

jztemple2 · Post by **jztemple2** » Sat May 13, 2023 11:15 am

Now that I have my hover backpack I've been on a search for more hard drives. Entering on of them into the MAM, I get this choice:

I'm seriously considering going with Iron Wire. Cast Screw just saves me the intermediate step of making iron rods, but iron wire means I don't need a copper mine to make wire and cable. The Coke Steel Ingot doesn't really look like something that will benefit me right now.

By the way, this whole "find the hard drive and unlock alternate recipes" is another think I find really interesting about this game. Satisfactory is my new Dyson Sphere Program or Crusader Kings III, I just don't seem to get tired of it

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Sat May 13, 2023 11:19 am

Lesson learned: Don't put more than one thing into a feed hopper.
I built a simple storage -> conveyor -> constructor -> storage system with the intent of using it to clear out the 'extras' in my inventory (extra ingots, extra ingots from before I had miners, etc.) I dumped all of the different materials into the first storage, and figured I'd just cycle through the recipes that I needed to get those materials out of the way. Nope. It seems to pull items at random out of the storage, breaking the constructor.

IE - if you put in leaves, wood, and ingots into the feed hopper, set the constructor to Biomass (leaves), it apparently pulls wood and gums up the works.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Sat May 13, 2023 1:07 pm

Between having a better handle on the basics, plus knowing that it's a single map (not four separate maps), I think I'm going to restart. I was going to have to rebuild from scratch to make the layout make more sense anyway. I also set up in a terrible location. There is no water anywhere nearby, there wasn't enough room, and while there were resources nearby, but I was off in the furthest southwestern corner of the huge map. Literally - my limestone quarry was on the edge of the void. I know that I could relocate, but I don't have an easy way to move all of my stuff very far, and I'm honestly not all that far along. I'm happier just starting from scratch.

Unagi · Post by **Unagi** » Sat May 13, 2023 11:25 pm

My main factory...

Inside, on the lower floor:

Next floor up, the main store:

Unagi · Post by **Unagi** » Sun May 14, 2023 1:05 am

Blackhawk wrote: Sat May 13, 2023 11:19 am Lesson learned: Don't put more than one thing into a feed hopper.
I built a simple storage -> conveyor -> constructor -> storage system with the intent of using it to clear out the 'extras' in my inventory (extra ingots, extra ingots from before I had miners, etc.) I dumped all of the different materials into the first storage, and figured I'd just cycle through the recipes that I needed to get those materials out of the way. Nope. It seems to pull items at random out of the storage, breaking the constructor.

IE - if you put in leaves, wood, and ingots into the feed hopper, set the constructor to Biomass (leaves), it apparently pulls wood and gums up the works.

I recommend setting up (you may not have it unlocked yet):

Container (of leaves) --> Constructor (Leaves to Biomass)
Container (of wood) --> Constructor (Wood to Biomass)
- then have those Merge their Biomass output - as Input to the 3rd Construction (Biomass to Solid Biofuel) and send the output to it's own container...

And go on a dedicated run collecting wood/leaves.... come back with an inventory full...
Try and get yourself over to Coal asap.... (obviously)

** Don't waste Animal Protein on Biomass, save it for Alien DNA to earn yourself SINK tickets.

My little set up (lower level)

and then upstairs I have the containers for leaves/wood inputs - and the output of solid biofuel... right near my Biomass Burner

I'm probably not being all that helpful, but wanted to try.

jztemple2 · Post by **jztemple2** » Sun May 14, 2023 1:28 am

Unagi wrote: Sat May 13, 2023 11:25 pm My main factory...

Wow, that's really nice. I'm just now starting to put everything on foundations, I guess that will be in my next hundred hours of play

Meanwhile, I just had a really awesome experience. I unlocked geothermal power and spotted two sources way the hell away from my base. I've unlocked the hover suit and have developed the technique of planting power lines and poles while hovering, so I don't have to bother with running or driving. And in the course of my two hour expedition, I managed also to figure out how to get up near vertical cliffs, avoid poison gas and hunt for the elusive hard drives. And the views were fantastic:

Unagi · Post by **Unagi** » Sun May 14, 2023 5:56 pm

That looks great. You have traveled far!

And yeah, I took a lot of time nudging things around, building/unbuilding... probably too much time, but I like building bases so much...

Alas, I've spent no time getting to my next milestone(s). So, I have a great deal of catchup to do. Plastic and Rubber.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Sun May 14, 2023 6:58 pm

Does anybody have any quick tips on how to actually line things up? I know about holding CTRL, but the buildings area all different widths, which tends to break it. For example, building three rows consisting of smelter -> constructor -> storage container and connecting them with conveyors results in a mess due to the completely different widths of the three buildings.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Sun May 14, 2023 8:39 pm

The other thing that keeps throwing me off is the equipment workshop. It's design suggests that it's intended as an outside wall (it has a solid wall with a door on one side, side walls, and the side opposite the door is completely open.) But the open side doesn't seem to snap to anything (like the HUB or the outside of a foundation), while the solid walls and door don't make sense sitting on top of a foundation.

jztemple2 · Post by **jztemple2** » Sun May 14, 2023 10:42 pm

Blackhawk wrote: Sun May 14, 2023 6:58 pm Does anybody have any quick tips on how to actually line things up? I know about holding CTRL, but the buildings area all different widths, which tends to break it. For example, building three rows consisting of smelter -> constructor -> storage container and connecting them with conveyors results in a mess due to the completely different widths of the three buildings.

Well, you're one up on me, as I didn't know about holding the CTRL

. I guess I'm not that finicky when it comes to placing things. If you're building on foundations you can use the lines of the tiles to line things up, that's what I do. But I'm more concerned with the green lines to make sure the belts are straight.

I've just unlocked nuclear power, but I've yet to do anything with drones and I wanted to explore that first. In fact, I'm at a bit of a mental wall; I'm not sure what I want to do next. One thing is, everything is still too manual. I've got a Supercomputer Factory (below), but I still chose to hand delivery some components because to add some automation to the upstream supply means I'll have to build new facilities and those will need a bunch of upstream supplies. I think I have to sit down and scratch out some diagrams and figure out how to provide resources to all facilities. I already have my shopping arcade for supplies and I tried siphoning off that, but that just results in drying up my shopping stockpile.

I guess I have to work backwards. Start with the most advanced things I want to build and identify the next items upstream. Then do that again for the next set of items upstream of that. I guess I'll end up with, say, a facility that makes only screws, and every facility that needs screws will get them delivered from my screw factory. Or am I crazy?

jztemple2 · Post by **jztemple2** » Mon May 15, 2023 10:19 am

Question to anyone who has "completed" the game. I'm working on Tier 8 milestones and then the Phase 4 objectives for the Space Elevator. So are there any objectives after that? One of the things I liked about Dryson Sphere Project was that there was a bigger objective for the long term, does Satisfactory have some like that?

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Mon May 15, 2023 12:29 pm

...and now the game has me printing up graph paper. And it's for planning layouts, not for anything respectable (like making a dungeon for D&D.)

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Mon May 15, 2023 1:20 pm

jztemple2 wrote: Mon May 15, 2023 10:19 am Question to anyone who has "completed" the game. I'm working on Tier 8 milestones and then the Phase 4 objectives for the Space Elevator. So are there any objectives after that? One of the things I liked about Dryson Sphere Project was that there was a bigger objective for the long term, does Satisfactory have some like that?

I believe that is it for Early Access. Now you spend 2000 hours making your factories pretty and create roads across the entire map and get all the hard drives...

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Mon May 15, 2023 1:25 pm

Blackhawk wrote: Mon May 15, 2023 12:29 pm ...and now the game has me printing up graph paper. And it's for planning layouts, not for anything respectable (like making a dungeon for D&D.)

You don't lose any resources when tearing things down so I just start putting it together in game and then tear 80% of it apart and do it again and then tear 55% of it apart and then do it again and then tear 20% of it apart and do it again and then say, F it, good enough.

...and then I think of a better way to do it and add yet another floor to my factory and start again there.

Have you been paying attention to the input/output ratios to maximize your machines? I know you've mentioneda distaste for games making you do math, but you can lose a lot of efficiency if you aren't paying attention. Satisfactory makes all the numbers easier to see (and mess with) than Factorio.

I'll just leave this here: https://satisfactory-calculator.com/

Unagi · Post by **Unagi** » Mon May 15, 2023 1:35 pm

Blackhawk wrote: Sun May 14, 2023 6:58 pm Does anybody have any quick tips on how to actually line things up? I know about holding CTRL, but the buildings area all different widths, which tends to break it. For example, building three rows consisting of smelter -> constructor -> storage container and connecting them with conveyors results in a mess due to the completely different widths of the three buildings.

First, I will assume that you are building on a foundation.

Bare with me, I don't think you are speaking to this:
Generally speaking - at least in the fist stages of industry - things tend to split off into 1-to-2, or 1-to-3 branches (or merge back)...
So, if something splits/merges into/from 2 lines - I look at the center line for that, and place the Spliter/Merger centered on the one line that 2 Contstuctors touch upon. For a 3 - 1, the merger would be centered on the middle Constructor...
But, you probably already handle that kind of stuff...

However, I think this is more what you are getting at:)
But, for something like the Foundry...

** The key (*IMO) is getting the forced right angles on the conveyor belts.

Let me show you an 'organized mess' that starts with a Foundry (far back). So, with just a Foundry that is making Steel and a side input of Wire - I make a factory with 3 main outputs...

The Foundry forces its output off the center of the building (where I have an industrial storage container)... I'm standing on the Foundry here (very bottom of the screen), looking back in the opposite direction the last picture was from.

So what I do, is I build it backward really...

3 Outputs, back into the 2 Constructors, and (offscreen) to the left an Assembler... which needs the output of one of the 2 Constructors (and Wire)...

and so, again - it's the forced creation of right angles on the conveyor belts that ultimate make it look like a factory:

But, also - I make use of multiple floors to also keep things straight - so for these Assemblers, their input comes from a lower level:

(the lower level is also only right angles)

Not sure if that helps or not.

Unagi · Post by **Unagi** » Mon May 15, 2023 1:50 pm

My portal system...

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Mon May 15, 2023 1:52 pm

I wish I had the patience or design sense to make my factories look like yours Unagi. I need to do a walkthrough video of my setup sometime just to embarrass myself for you all.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Mon May 15, 2023 2:19 pm

coopasonic wrote: Mon May 15, 2023 1:25 pm I know you've mentioneda distaste for games making you do math, but you can lose a lot of efficiency if you aren't paying attention. Satisfactory makes all the numbers easier to see (and mess with) than Factorio.

I'll just leave this here: https://satisfactory-calculator.com/

There is math, and then there is math. 120/minute ore out of a node with two 30/minute smelters being inefficient is different from games that throw logarithms at you. I'm aware of it - although I'm still limited enough in resources that I can't do much about that yet. I'm still working on tier 2. I just decided that my factory was a mess, and it had been created before I had foundations, and before I had a solid grasp on what I would need. It was time for an update.

Thanks for the link, although I have already been using it. I doubt that I ever bother trying for the perfect efficiency that some of the tips suggest, but I do pay attention to it.

Unagi wrote: Mon May 15, 2023 1:35 pm Bare with me

I'm not sure where this is going, but... *Drops pants*

Unagi wrote: Mon May 15, 2023 1:35 pm First, I will assume that you are building on a foundation.

I was not. I was still early in the game (I still am, just not quite as early), and am only now switching my factory from dirt to foundations. It's sort of like the suggestions earlier when I was having fuel problems about making solid biofuel production line - that was two technologies and a full tier ahead of what I had to work with (I'm guessing that people who have played a lot skip the 'onboarding' tutorial, that gives you an entire tier before you even get to tier 1. At the time, all I had was leaves and wood (I am running a solid biofuel line at this point, though.)

Thanks for the tips. I can see what you're saying, although I still don't have half of the structures you're referring to. I've just started using splitters and mergers, and at the time was just dealing with lining up smelters and trying to put constructors behind them. I also ended up solving it by working backwards - scrapping it all, putting in the constructors (which are wide), and then putting the smelters in line with them instead of in line with each other.

My new design has the smelters right next to the miners, with the belts delivering me ingots rather than ore, thus removing the smelters from the factory itself and saving room.

Now, why did we have to be naked for this?

Unagi · Post by **Unagi** » Mon May 15, 2023 2:44 pm

Blackhawk wrote: Mon May 15, 2023 2:19 pm Now, why did we have to be naked for this?

I know you will appreciate it... This is one of those "now what's the spelling/rule here?" things that I've managed to know, but then I take the lesson I learned ages ago, many times, and then reverse it all on myself - and fail. many times.

jztemple2 · Post by **jztemple2** » Mon May 15, 2023 3:14 pm

coopasonic wrote: Mon May 15, 2023 1:20 pm
jztemple2 wrote: Mon May 15, 2023 10:19 am Question to anyone who has "completed" the game. I'm working on Tier 8 milestones and then the Phase 4 objectives for the Space Elevator. So are there any objectives after that? One of the things I liked about Dryson Sphere Project was that there was a bigger objective for the long term, does Satisfactory have some like that?
I believe that is it for Early Access. Now you spend 2000 hours making your factories pretty and create roads across the entire map and get all the hard drives...

Actually I've never been one for making things pretty or decorative, much to the chagrin of my wife. And since I unlocked the hover backpack I've been hovering all over the map laying down power lines as I go. I've given up driving, although I do really have to plan ahead due to not having the extra trunk space.

coopasonic wrote: Mon May 15, 2023 1:25 pm I'll just leave this here: https://satisfactory-calculator.com/

What an awesome

site. I've been using the map page but haven't really explored the rest until now.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Mon May 15, 2023 5:06 pm

Any tips on space elevator placement? Since I don't know what I'm going to have to do with it, and since I don't know what techs I'm going to be getting next, I don't really have any context when it comes to deciding where to put it (how far away, how much clearance, whether there is a 'front' to worry about, etc.)

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Mon May 15, 2023 5:13 pm

Also, is there any way to set a 'reserve' on my storage? If I set up an assembler to make reinforced plates, for instance, it eats screws faster than I can make them, and I end up not having a screw when I need one.

Is there any way to tell it, "Hey, leave at least five stacks of screws alone"? Or some other way of achieving the same result short of splitting the input and making space for a second screw storage bin?

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Mon May 15, 2023 5:37 pm

Blackhawk wrote: Mon May 15, 2023 5:13 pm Also, is there any way to set a 'reserve' on my storage? If I set up an assembler to make reinforced plates, for instance, it eats screws faster than I can make them, and I end up not having a screw when I need one.

Is there any way to tell it, "Hey, leave at least five stacks of screws alone"? Or some other way of achieving the same result

Well, you can...

Blackhawk wrote: Mon May 15, 2023 5:13 pm short of splitting the input and making space for a second screw storage bin?

Never mind.

More seriously, it's not possible to make too many screws. Just make more!

No... more.

Aren't you listening!?

Unagi · Post by **Unagi** » Mon May 15, 2023 6:30 pm

Blackhawk wrote: Mon May 15, 2023 5:13 pm Also, is there any way to set a 'reserve' on my storage? If I set up an assembler to make reinforced plates, for instance, it eats screws faster than I can make them, and I end up not having a screw when I need one.

Is there any way to tell it, "Hey, leave at least five stacks of screws alone"? Or some other way of achieving the same result short of splitting the input and making space for a second screw storage bin?

You can make an entire container your "for-when-I-need-one store" that has priority (all X Thousand of them, not just 5 stacks - alas - as that's the REAL part missing here in Satisfactory- the ability to make a Container hold a limited amount...

But, eventually you unlock a Smart Spliter... and you can send all of your "screws" to the split... make them all go to the path toward the container, and then set another path of the Container to be "Overflow"... So once that container is full (would be nice if it was just 5 stacks), the 'Overflow' path will be triggered and you will start sending Screws to your production line.

jztemple2 · Post by **jztemple2** » Mon May 15, 2023 6:50 pm

Unagi wrote: Mon May 15, 2023 6:30 pm But, eventually you unlock a Smart Spliter... and you can send all of your "screws" to the split... make them all go to the path toward the container, and then set another path of the Container to be "Overflow"... So once that container is full (would be nice if it was just 5 stacks), the 'Overflow' path will be triggered and you will start sending Screws to your production line.

Huh, I unlocked Smart Splitters quite a while ago and never thought about that use

I did do jury-rigging with different types of belts, splitting like Blackhawk mentioned to make a reserve container on a dead-end branch; it would fill up and then the regular flow would continue to the end user but I'd have a container with stock. The different types of belts was so that when I took items from my reserve it would refill while still allowing flow down the main branch. I also built my "shopping arcade" pictured above, which was a dedicated systems of buildings that would keep about a dozen different containers full of end products from as simple as iron rods to Heavy Modular Frames. So when for instance I might suddenly need a couple of hundred steel pipes I had a container full of them. However, it was a lot of work and a labor of love, but not really worth all the effort if I was going to do it all over again.

Of course next to my Hub I had a couple dozen personal containers (those footlockers) with little signs on each where I kept a quick supply of everything from screws to computers. As I got low in any supply I'd put a task on my work sheet to swing by the arcade or a factory and and get items to refill that footlocker.

Blackhawk wrote: Mon May 15, 2023 5:06 pm Any tips on space elevator placement? Since I don't know what I'm going to have to do with it, and since I don't know what techs I'm going to be getting next, I don't really have any context when it comes to deciding where to put it (how far away, how much clearance, whether there is a 'front' to worry about, etc.)

It's nothing to worry about, since it is easy to disassemble and move to a new location. Just put it somewhere it won't be in the way, you'll only need to go there once in a while and transfer items into the elevator, but you won't need a constant stream into it, at least I didn't.

jztemple2 · Post by **jztemple2** » Mon May 15, 2023 11:00 pm

A couple of suggestions for things I've come across. Some folks may already know these, but I didn't find them for quite a while.

First, I am keeping a list of where I'm currently using Powershards, since they are a limited supply. I was doing it with pen and paper, but now I'm alt+tabbing to a Windows Note. You always are short of Powershards and often where you once needed them, you don't now.

Second, I just realized that if I am using the "N" Search function or any other that puts the cursor on the screen, I can move the cursor over to the right edge of the screen and click and not only does it display the To Do list, but there are also places for public and private notes. I'm finding this helpful since I'll be wanting to do Task A but on the way over to get something I'll come across Task B and after working a while on that I forget what Task A was...

Meanwhile, a short video taken while hovering over my HUB

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Tue May 16, 2023 2:18 am

I'll just leave this here...

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Tue May 16, 2023 12:47 pm

I have coal. Or, rather, I have the plans for coal power. The problem is that the nearest coal is either 500m away up the side of a cliff, or 1km away. I built near water and was planning to belt the coal back to my base, but looking at the location, I'm seeing two pure coal nodes, a crater lake close by, and lots of flat space. I think I might just build a power plant there and run wires back to the base. It would certainly clear up a lot of space.

How much solid biofuel will I need once I'm past the phase of burning it for power?

jztemple2 · Post by **jztemple2** » Tue May 16, 2023 12:53 pm

Blackhawk wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 12:47 pm How much solid biofuel will I need once I'm past the phase of burning it for power?

I never used it after getting coal power except when I needed remote power or I used biofuel in a vehicle.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Tue May 16, 2023 1:11 pm

jztemple2 wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 12:53 pm
Blackhawk wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 12:47 pm How much solid biofuel will I need once I'm past the phase of burning it for power?
I never used it after getting coal power except when I needed remote power or I used biofuel in a vehicle.

So, if I have a couple of thousand lying around, I shouldn't need to keep a production line going for them?

Also: I can build a space elevator, but I can't break a damned rock!

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Tue May 16, 2023 1:43 pm

Wow, I just discovered zoop mode and the middle-click cloning. Those are huge time savers.

Zoop mode - with the build tool out, hit the button to cycle build mode (R for me, but I rebind everything, so I'm not sure if that's default.) Zoop mode lets you lay out whole rows of things, laying foundations the same way that you lay conveyors, by clicking the start and stop

Middle click cloning - if you're pointing at something with the build tool out and middle-click, it will select that item for placement. Much faster than looking for that particular item in the menu over and over.

naednek · Post by **naednek** » Tue May 16, 2023 2:03 pm

Blackhawk wrote: Fri May 12, 2023 6:21 pm After 2 1/2 Total War campaigns, I need a change of pace. I think I'll give this a go (it being on sale on Humble doesn't hurt.)

well, damn you

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Tue May 16, 2023 4:49 pm

Blackhawk wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 1:11 pm Also: I can build a space elevator, but I can't break a damned rock!

Depends on the rock, but when you find sulfur you can unlock explosives and some options may open up.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Tue May 16, 2023 4:57 pm

coopasonic wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 4:49 pm
Blackhawk wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 1:11 pm Also: I can build a space elevator, but I can't break a damned rock!
Depends on the rock, but when you find sulfur you can unlock explosives and some options may open up.

I know, I just mean the generic rocks that they like to put in the middle of every decent flat surface.

jztemple2 · Post by **jztemple2** » Tue May 16, 2023 5:04 pm

Blackhawk wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 4:57 pm
coopasonic wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 4:49 pm
Blackhawk wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 1:11 pm Also: I can build a space elevator, but I can't break a damned rock!
Depends on the rock, but when you find sulfur you can unlock explosives and some options may open up.
I know, I just mean the generic rocks that they like to put in the middle of every decent flat surface.

Many of those will yield to explosives, if it isn't part of a larger formation.

Unagi wrote: Mon May 15, 2023 6:30 pm But, eventually you unlock a Smart Spliter... and you can send all of your "screws" to the split... make them all go to the path toward the container, and then set another path of the Container to be "Overflow"... So once that container is full (would be nice if it was just 5 stacks), the 'Overflow' path will be triggered and you will start sending Screws to your production line.

Thanks to your suggestion I've been using those Smart Splitters to allow me to send the excess from my shopping arcade to sinks.

Unagi · Post by **Unagi** » Tue May 16, 2023 7:01 pm

Blackhawk wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 1:43 pm Wow, I just discovered zoop mode and the middle-click cloning. Those are huge time savers.
Zoop mode - with the build tool out, hit the button to cycle build mode (R for me, but I rebind everything, so I'm not sure if that's default.) Zoop mode lets you lay out whole rows of things, laying foundations the same way that you lay conveyors, by clicking the start and stop
Middle click cloning - if you're pointing at something with the build tool out and middle-click, it will select that item for placement. Much faster than looking for that particular item in the menu over and over.

Dang, I wish I had thought to point this out. It's huge.

Unagi · Post by **Unagi** » Tue May 16, 2023 7:10 pm

Blackhawk wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 12:47 pm I have coal. Or, rather, I have the plans for coal power. The problem is that the nearest coal is either 500m away up the side of a cliff, or 1km away.

In the Grasslands starting location (the one you left behind) -- you had 4 -Normal- nodes about (less than perfect) nodes about 700m away to the NW ... with a lot of water.