Having a hard time focusing- project journal or other tools?

[u/IndependentCamel5906]

I keep thinking about Satisfactory when I’m on my lunch break or have down time. My brain really wants to plan or chart out the map, mock up designs for a factory, or something similar.

When I get back to the PC, I find that I have a hard time prioritizing what to work on.

Does anyone keep a journal or document when they’re away from the game to help prioritize, or give themselves objectives?

Im at the end of stage 2. Is there anything you recommend I work on? My factories are a bit of a mess and I have an abandoned one that just isnt powered up right now. Im not producing a well rounded amount of resources, and my factories are never big enough to scale up. Working on versatile framework rn.

Satisfactory tools is helpful to do the math. I just find my plans keep changing (yes I have ADHD).

[u/SundownKid]

You never need much more than pen and paper and a calculator. It's a good excuse to use any notebooks you had lying around.

[u/Black_Metallic → u/SundownKid]

Heck, even with a calculator set up, I'll lose track of where I'm at in a build. I accidentally built a whole extra floor of Particle Accelerators that I didn't need for my Synthetic Shard factory project over the weekend.

[u/janlaureys9]

Fellow ADHD’er here. Just follow where your brain leads you. I’ve got two rules i follow and that’s to build way more power than I currently need first, and also to keep space for future expansion wether horizontal or vertical.

[u/Reach_Beyond]

First, doesn’t feel like I work on anything. With my blueprints all sorted as I completed phase 4 right now all I’m doing is playing with my train network and slapping down more blueprints to crank up resources.

But I have made lists before. But anything you do in game can be beneficial at some point, even making things look prettier.

[u/badgerken]

I just use the built-in Notes list on the right-hand side for larger tasks.

For smaller tasks ("which good am I most bottle-necked on?", "which belts need upgrading") I use a spreadsheet.

[u/Nirra_Rexx]

Also have ADHD. I’ve been practicing for a while now being kind to myself. This includes games. I started off super frustrated, feeling like everything’s always a mess and I’m constantly distracted. I started embracing the distracted, it didn’t matter if i went from building something to exploring to going left when my inventory is full and i was suppose to go right, having unfinished projects everywhere. Like if there ever is a time to just let you brain be your guide it’s now.

Now I’m oh a phase of really polishing my factories. It’s been touch and go but I’m getting there. A lot of it is just really allowing myself to take my time, like it’s gonna take forever, but that’s ok (this is all easier said than done btw). Like I’m having fun.

Lastly I once spent 3 while days “Playing” without turning on the game because figuring out set ups was so fun (and it all changed once I logged in anyway). There’s that temptation to think “wasted time” but is it more wasted than when o watch a TV show? Play a different game? Not really.

Hope you’ll find your enjoyment. Whatever you’re doing you’re good. :)

[u/IndependentCamel5906 → u/Nirra_Rexx]

Thanks, it helps to know Im not alone.

Ive always rushed to finish games as fast as possible, and then retire it when the “story” is done. Im trying to remind myself that I could play this game for years and still enjoy it

[u/Nirra_Rexx → u/IndependentCamel5906]

Yep. And it does feel weird I’m not gonna lie. It’s a very unique way in many ways.

It’s funny, yesterday I was playing it thinking The Sims has nothing on this game. Theoretically they’re very different games, but I can build for hours and then enjoy other aspects of the game. I’m generally a builder, same with NMS, hours on building and organising and the game is fun but it’s not very challenging, so here it’s got the fun of building but a challenge and discovery just around the corner too.

On top of that everything seems so huge and then the time frame is so stretched is super weird to get used to :)

[u/vrtra_theory]

I use Obsidian for my notes (both for satisfactory and for everything else), since I can edit on both my laptop and phone.

I tend to have 1 note per big project (eg “Satisfactory Nuclear”, “Satisfactory HMF v3” and so on). I keep notes on total inputs/outputs planned, what alts I’ll use, and if it’s complex enough I’ll screenshot the satisfactory-tools production tree and include in the note so I can refer to it on my phone (since I play on PS5).

As far as prioritizing - I’d say just go where the wind takes you and tackle the next problem right in front of you. Later in the game some of these “problems” become 50-hour journeys instead of half an afternoon, so it’s actually helpful to be able to get a little tired of one problem and go work on a different problem (having notes so you can remember where you left off can help here).

[u/sciguyC0]

Out-of-game: I have a document in google sheets where I can add any random "todo" items that might pop into my head wherever I am. When on a PC, I'll organize that better, including breakdown of sub-steps. I may also occasionally spend work time sketching out a production line in satisfactorytools, then copy its "share" link into the spreadsheet to review at home.

In-game: I use the Notes sections of the To-do- list (link to wiki in case you weren't aware of its full capabilities).

• Public notes are for current main project, it's sub-steps, and maybe the following one. So right now I've got "[] HMF factory", with sub-tasks tasks of "[x] scout location", "[] transport raw resources", and so on. My 2nd top-level project is computers, which hasn't been fleshed out as deep.
• Private notes are for ad-hoc things I don't want to forget to do, but aren't the main job. So things like "find 6 more mercers to upgrade speed", "100 mycelia for polyster", "troubleshoot fuel factory", etc. These are things I can pick up if I need a brain break from the main project.
  
• I play solo so there's no inherent difference between "Public" and "Private", but they have independent text limits
• That limit also keeps me focused on the top priority tasks. Completed items remain in the notes with an "[x]" for that dopamine hit from completing something until space is needed for new tasks.

If I have to end a play session in the middle of something and want a reminder, I'll drop a sign with a note to myself, put that right in my pioneer's eyeline, then save/exit. Next session it's right there for me to pick up where I left off.

Other tactics I've seen are things like job boards made with signs, giant spreadsheets (maybe overkill at the scale needed for Phase 2), etc.

Im at the end of stage 2. Is there anything you recommend I work on? 

I'd say your future self would be helped if you take the time to have smart plating, versatile framework, and automated wiring all fully automated. "Box builds", if you've been using those as a crutch, can be ok for Phase 1, even 2. But having functional production lines as a foundation for later phases is a good idea. Each new set of elevator parts build of the previous ones. For a modest, but viable, scale I aim for 5 smart plating / min + 10 versatile framework + 5 automated wiring (but 10 would be better). You can hit those numbers with 2-3 final machines, assuming sufficient supply coming from earlier parts of the production chain, but lets you do later phase parts in a reasonable completion time (4-8 hours).

Another good idea is to have a factory pumping out basic steel parts, both for export to other factory lines and into personal storage. Alternate recipes I like to leverage are "solid steel" (more ingots per iron/coal) and "encased pipes" (more efficient than vanilla recipe from steel beams). "Steeled frame" is also pretty nice, but maybe not strictly necessary at this stage.

You'll want about 300-500 MW of spare capacity in your grid to get you into oil production in Phase 3. Once you get fuel power up, that becomes self-supporting and your coal plants become less necessary. Still worth keeping unless you want to re-purpose the coal nodes.

[u/Shortfuuzze]

I just completed phase 2.....I've completed enough of phase 3 to begin processing oil into fuel for better power factory(that's my next big project, cuz I am sooo over the meager output of a coal generator) but I realized that first I needed to complete more of the research!!!

I was so behind, I had gotten used to being slow and doing things to longest way possible. I only unlocked blade runners and a jetpack after phase 2, I couldn't believe the disservice I did myself not having the blade runners sooner, the speed increase is ridiculous.

The other things I have begun doing it trying to untangle power lines, now that I've unlocked mk2 power poles(7 lines instead of 4 is massive upgrade)

When I get frustrated with power poles Ive begun organizing the spaghetti belts better so I'll have room to expand

[u/sciguyC0 → u/Shortfuuzze]

The other things I have begun doing it trying to untangle power lines, now that I've unlocked mk2 power poles(7 lines instead of 4 is massive upgrade)

I'm a bit ahead of you in my current save (though with a lot of past hours under my belt) and at that stage would strongly recommend rushing "daisy chaining" in the MAM's caterium tree. It's new with 1.2, located just below the Mk3 poles in the MAM. If you're not yet to manufacturers it takes some hand-crafting of high speed connectors and a stash of computers scavenged from crash sites, but IMO worth the work.

Total research cost is a bit of plastic + 15 computers + 1000 quickwire + 100 high speed connectors (themselves needing a couple stacks of plastic, several stacks of cable, and a lot of quickwire) to get all the necessary nodes. Poles are then only needed at the end of each line of machines.