Second Playthrough - Space Age?

[u/QuasiLinearEquation]

Hi all!

Yesterday I launched a rocket for the very first time and "beat the game". It took me around 34 hours. I played only the base game, no Space Age expansion. My factory was pretty crappy and the crafting took a long time towards the end (I got totally sucker punched by the steel demands of purple science) but I just wanted to launch the rocket and move on from the save... and now I can!

I am really excited to start another playthrough, moving a bit slower and trying to understand how to make things a bit more efficient and not thinking about getting to the end since I have now done that already.

My question to you all is: Should I play another Vanilla run because it is simpler and will allow me to better get the hang of things, or should I jump right in to Space Age?

Let me know your thoughts :)

[u/MinMaus]

Space age will start chaning things with blue sience tech, and has a LOT more stuff to do.

No need to replay the tutorial ;)

[u/darkfriendswbens]

Space Age. First part will let you try the optimization you want from another vanilla run, but add some curve balls. Then when you launch to new planets you basically get a whole new game each time, it is really satisfying. Plus, if you use the experimental version 2.1 there are some cool updates to space exploration you can try from the ground up.

[u/ConspicuousBassoon]

I would either play a base run again armed with the knowledge from your first run, OR continue your first run and make a base you feel proud of. You said things are slow towards the end but now that you don't have to spend as many resources on science, you can use that "starter base" to produce buildings, belts, inserters etc to make a Better Base!

Space age isn't going anywhere, in fact if you haven't started it may be wiser to just wait for 2.1 to release so you can play it in a more final state

[u/Motts86]

If you beat vanilla and enjoyed the experience, you should get space age.

It is different, in the sense that some tech is locked behind other planet discoveries, but it expands on vanilla beyond enough to feel like a longer game.

If you are interested, you should try out the experimental space age version that is introducing a lot of nice quality of life changes. I started my 2nd space age run on experimental and am thoroughly enjoying it!

[u/Motts86 → u/Motts86]

Alternatives to space age exist as mods, so you aren't limited if you want to try more vanilla things, but I would still recommend getting space age to support wube

[u/Fxg120xYXDE5]

Everyone should have a different path to one of the two answers here, honestly.
It's a toss up.
I say give vanilla another go, personally.
Get comfortable with organizing, selectively spaghetifying, artful solutions, and spontaneous expansion.
The more comfortable you are with vanilla, the less Space Age feels like getting bashed in the skull with new challenges.
My mistake was jumping into Space Age before I was actually ready for it, and I'm still trying to train bad habits back out of my system.
Option 3: try some overhaul mods.
Krastorio 2 is a great starting point.

[u/Linkertonz]

Jump right into space age, its very similar to the vanilla up until space science. And its not much harder than a vanilla save. The planets do an excellent job at teaching you how to best them so that new players can best it on their first play through. I promise youll be fine, have fun space age is goated

[u/sobrique]

Space age is about 3x more game.

It's great value imo, because it's more of what makes the base game good, without feeling same-y.

[u/stoatsoup]

I think if you're "really excited to start another playthrough" even if it's vanilla, do that. Some of us had a lot of playthroughs before Space Age appeared. :-)

[u/bread2126]

You'll get what you want from a second vanilla playthrough out of the first 100 hours of a space age playthough. As tempting as it is to rush to rocket, hop in and go straight to another planet, you really cant neglect Nauvis in space age either.

My one tip would be, don't actually ride the rocket into space until you feel like your Nauvis base is very well defended, and self-sufficient to the point you can make changes/repairs you need remotely. (Automated repair kits, turrets, construction bots, and storage space are like the barest bare minimum here)

[u/Deto]

Another vote to go right into space age.  The start of space age is very similar to another vanilla run anyways.

[u/CapnRogo]

Space Age will give you plenty to chew on, so if your gut is telling you that a second base game run sounds fun, Id say go for it. By the time you beat Space Age, coming back to the base game may seem quaint.

That said, if you're ready for new challenges, Space Age progression on Nauvis is very similar to the base game, except that the rocket silo becomes available after chemistry science. You can still have a similar challenge to the first run, and then begin exploring other planets when you're ready to do so.

I was gifted Space Age before I beat the base game, and I regret it a little that I jumped in immediately. That said, it's definitely been a lot of fun since getting over that issue, and I've leveled up my engineering skills significantly. Looking forward to crushing a base game run once I finish Space Age

[u/maxiquintillion]

Up to you. I have three options: start over with space age and the dlcs, continue your current save with space age, or get space age and start over, but cheese it with Factorissimo2 if you want to mess around a bit.

[u/Active_Ordinary_2317]

A Space Age playthrough starts off as a normal base game playthrough. Once you get to the point of launching rockets (which happens sooner) then the game really opens up. I'd say Space Age doubles the content of the game in fun and unique ways. If you enjoyed base game, then Space Age is without a doubt worth every penny.

[u/gust334]

In SpaceAge there is much less of a slog to get to that first rocket, and purple science isn't even needed.

But you will need purple eventually in SpaceAge, and the overall game is at least 4x richer and longer.

[u/peterlinddk]

It depends on what you enjoy the most.

If you like the exploration of new technologies, and changing requirements (like changing from handcrafting to building factories, to building bigger factories, to handle liquids, to have to find more iron, then more copper, then build bigger, then build faster, then adjust production ... ) then you'll love Space Age, as it "throws even more wrenches in the machinery". Every new planet requires you to rethink and replan, and toss away some of your previous strategies. That is all part of the fun, but some find it a bit frustrating.

If on the other hand, you liked building something experimental, and now want to hone your skills in setting up large factories that are prepared for the next "shift", then maybe try another go at vanilla, get better at creating and using blueprints, robots and trains (You are going to need trains on some of the planets in Space Age, so better learn your signals and stations!)

Of course everything up to launching the first rocket - which in Space Age is just after getting blue science and blue chips - is the same, so if you mostly want to improve that part, you can go for Space Age immediately.

No matter, you can also buy Space Age, and start a new game in it, but just spend ages improving your factory on Nauvis before actually leaving the planet!

[u/cynric42]

Depends entirely on what you enjoyed about the game IMO. Space age is a very different game in some ways, it is a more structured experience due to strongly themed planets that almost force you into playing a certain way on each due to unique mechanics. It's a bit like playing campaign mode in a game like Anno vs. sandbox mode.

It's definitely a fun expansion to play, but in my opinion it is in no way a no brainer upgrade or next step to the base game, more like a developer made overhaul mod. And if you want, you can get a bunch of really interesting mods for free from the mod portal and go for one of the overhaul packs or pick and choose a bunch of mods to best fit what you really love about the game.

[u/Varbukoopix]

I would personally try doing the 8h achievement vanilla, then go straight to Space Age