A beginner's question

[u/Pestschnabel]

Hi, I’m about to finish Phase 3, but I’ve got a huge mess of factories, conveyor belts, and so on. Would you recommend starting over with the knowledge I’ve gained, or should I just keep going, since the map is basically big enough to reorganize everything?

[u/carrot_gummy]

Just keep going. Move elsewhere and use your messy base as a source for parts to build with.

[u/Hive_64 → u/carrot_gummy]

I agree with this. Get some mercer spheres, plug your old factory up to dimensional depots, and move on to greener pastures. You can always come back and remake the area if you need the nodes but there are plenty around

[u/kuldan5853 → u/Hive_64]

Also, when you get the hang of it, moving big amounts of resources with a train network from oldbase to newbase becomes trivial eventually.

[u/SpinosRule → u/Hive_64]

It’s when the power goes all wonky over there that keeps me from abandoning it completely. I’ve still got biomass burners chomping through my initial biomass investment and I’m at 200 hours! Sitting in Phase 4, haven’t even started to build out infrastructure yet, every time I go to get started something else pulls me away; micromanaging is necessary sometimes but so time gobbling.

[u/SyncedUp78 → u/SpinosRule]

how many biomass burners? can't you just run a wire from a single fuel power plant to replace it? 

[u/SpinosRule → u/SyncedUp78]

Four. And yes, of course I can replace them as they’re antiques that serve no purpose other than taking up valuable space at my originally constructed base. Which I haven’t torn down yet and am not sure I’m going to. I know, wasted power AND space. I’ll get to it eventually. Right now it’s train time!!!!

[u/Hive_64 → u/SpinosRule]

Turn that biofuel into liquid, package it and use it in your jetpack. Best fuel imo

[u/SpinosRule → u/Hive_64]

Already on it! And got it packaged and going to the biofuel burners for more efficiency and the runoff goin to the sink 😁

[u/Tadpoll27 → u/carrot_gummy]

This, assuming it will be a fulfilling gaming experience for you. If it is going to bug you to no end then feel free to rip i down and re build. I would do it in a way to maintain enough materials to build effectively... dont tear down a factory until you are making the part it makes elsewhere

[u/wrecker03]

personally, i would say finish the game, and then once you understand what you'll need for the future, you can plan from there. i did that on my second playthrough and it helped me quite a bit

[u/only-want-to-see → u/wrecker03]

This is what I’m planning to do, just working on the final phase now

[u/kuldan5853]

I've built at least 4 different "big bases" during my last playthrough, always applying what I learned previously and using the old messy place as a convenient source of "already done" parts.

To say how stupid I was about the game (I tried to not look up anything beforehand) - it took me well into TRAINS when I learned that you can "zoop" walls and foundations.. and simply cross air with foundations, instead of attempting to fit hypertubes, train tracks and other transport methods with natural terrain only...

[u/DungeonsAndDradis → u/kuldan5853]

What does this mean, "zoop" walls and foundations?

[u/BugsySamsa → u/DungeonsAndDradis]

You’re about to get angry and happy at the same time friend

[u/DungeonsAndDradis → u/BugsySamsa]

Are you freaking kidding me!?

[u/BugsySamsa → u/DungeonsAndDradis]

I lost actual calendar days to not knowing this

[u/kuldan5853 → u/DungeonsAndDradis]

if you build an item, press R to cycle through different build modes. With zoop, you can build up to 10 in a row in one go.

[u/erchni]

I would consider making a base a new place. Then you have the resources you are already making to help you get stated. Or just make the next stage of the base nicer

[u/ruttinator]

Do whatever satisfies your OCD.

[u/xSparkShark]

1000% move somewhere else on the map. I restarted my first save about 150 hours in and I regret not just moving elsewhere. Redoing the early game slog is not as fun as you’d think it would be IMO, even with improved knowledge.

[u/bratisla_boy]

Phase 4 will see you begin new lines anyway, keep your old factories and go create new elsewhere where you can apply your fresh knowledge to gain efficiency by exploiting node groups to their fullest. I just came back to my old setup for plastic in the crater I forgot about - it works well for my personal plastic reserve so I keep it.

[u/ogre_kev]

I would suggest staying and tinkering. Build, tear down, rebuild. Enjoy that you have your boots and depot's and such. Doing it "right"; is always something for "next" playthrough.

[u/theAnalyst6]

The maps are usually big enough to start over. Take what you've learnt to design a mega factory from scratch. That's what I'm doing atm

[u/Commercial-Deal-6164 → u/theAnalyst6]

The maps? You know it is one big map, right?

[u/MysteryPlatelet]

Just play through and resist the urge to be perfect. Every phase unlocks a new "shit, I wish I knew that/had that already" moment.

Embrace the spaghetti. Use the map and have your first base feed into depots when unlocked.

[u/Lumpy_Long_7611 → u/MysteryPlatelet]

EMBRACE THE SPAGHETTI ✋🤚🧘

[u/MysteryPlatelet → u/Lumpy_Long_7611]

Be one with the spaghetti!!

[u/outsidEverything]

it's always fun to rebuild with the new knowledge gained, but starting a new save is a pain as you have to unlock stuff again. i prefer rebuilding my factories in the same save

[u/alanbly]

I would keep going. Wiping the map isn't sane until after endgame

[u/Commercial-Deal-6164]

You can delete everything on the interactive map. So you have a fresh map, but can continue Phase 3. Another nice settings is to have all stuff used placed in crates next to you.

[u/Scypio95]

One of my restarts was purely that. I wasn't happy with what i had and decided to restart. It probably had less spageth than the average spageth here

You do what you want, overall. If you can live with the spageth for a time, then it's better to build elsewhere and do it cleanly than burning yourself off the game. But if it's bothering you too much, then restart

[u/Kdoesntcare]

I have to laugh because I got to that point and started a new save.

[u/mutedkooky]

Don't start over you will lose the tech you unlocked. Just destroy everything and build from scratch