Vic plays Factorio

[Kruyurk]

I never learned how to build decent train networks, so I'm avoiding it for as long as I can right now.

It is actually pretty simple, all there is to it is dividing the tracks in sections with train signals. Trains will not enter a section if there is another train in it.
There are special signals for intersections that works the same, except trains won't enter the section (i.e. pass the signal) is there is another train in it or in the next section (this way, a train will never stop in the intersection because the next section is occupied, since the train will look two sections ahead before entering the intersection).

If you have several stations with the same name, trains will go to one that is free (e.g. it can make sense to have several "iron ore unload"). For now your base is too small to need that, but at some point it could be useful.
When you load/unload from a train, put some chests along the train station and have inserters load/unload from the chests then onto a belt instead of directly from the train to a belt.

And as Jaedar advised, it is best to build two sided tracks from the beginning of your rail network so that it can be expanded. Just be consistent with the direction of trains for each side of the track.

I expect some tchootchoo action in your future posts.

 

[Average Manatee]

Trains are very much a blueprint things once and then use forever kind of deal.

If you have several stations with the same name, trains will go to one that is free (e.g. it can make sense to have several "iron ore unload"). For now your base is too small to need that, but at some point it could be useful.

It only goes to the one that is free if you set the train limit on the station to 1. Otherwise they can choose the same station to go to and end up piled up. Which can obviously be a good thing if you really want a ton of throughput (one train comes in as soon as another leaves, as opposed to a new train being dispatched when one leaves), but generally not necessary for anything but megabases

 

[Vic]

Spanning 4 belts of ore all over the map to my smelters. Cope and seethe.

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[Vic]

Setting up my science again but...

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What the hell was I thinking creating this incomprehensible mess?

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I need to rebuild my assemblers again and align them nicely like I did with the science. This mess is making my eyes bleed.

 

[Jaedar]

Space exploration style bot attrition should be a core feature.

Is space age doing anything to nerf bots, or are they just buffing belts with the stack inserter and new belt tier?

 

[Vic]

Space exploration style bot attrition should be a core feature.

How does bot attrition work in SE?

 

[Vic]

What's wrong with bots anyway?

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[Jaedar]

Space exploration style bot attrition should be a core feature.

How does bot attrition work in SE?

Each surface has a bot attrition rate (roughly proportional to how good solar panels are). Every tic that a logistics bot is flying it has a chance to explode and drop what it is carrying on the ground. By default the explosion also damages everything nearby, but there is infinite research to make networks with less than 500x bots safe so the explosion only kills the bot. They really don't blow up that fast, even at high attrition, but if you have 1000 of them flying around you will get a couple explosions per minute.

It makes full bot bases kinda unattractive.

 

[Vic]

Building up my science production. Much cleaner and more pleasing to look at this way. While I was goofing around, the Biters were busy evolving. They are now constantly destroying my laser turrets on multiple fronts. I need to research more laser upgrades and probably set up a small bot network on each outpost for repairs. It's kind of scary though that they keep getting harder, I'm curious to see how the endgame on this Deathworld map will look like!

Spoiler

 

[Vic]

Not much to show for today. As the game progresses, progress becomes slower. I'm currently trying to wall off the desert to the north of my base so that I can paint it with solar panels. Production wise, I'm setting everything up to get all the sciences up to a nice rate. My goal isn't to launch a rocket but to set up a nice SPM base, not sure what I'm aiming for yet. Bots will remain the theme for my base.

I'm also learning the ratios so that I can blueprint assemblers and just plop them in if I need more circuits or whatever. Researching faster robots also decreased how many robots have to be active at any given time. Right now I have 6300/8000 logistic bots available, so there is plenty of room to increase production. Or in other words, the current base is running on ~1700 logistic bots.

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[Average Manatee]

Right now I have 6300/8000 logistic bots available

Well, you know what to do

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use logistics bots to bring in your ores rather than figuring out trains

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please don't actually do this

 

[Vic]

First Behemoth enemy sighted.

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Evolution is at 0.9

 

[Vic]

Took me several ingame days to take out this huge Biter nest. I think it's time to look into the Spidertron.

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[Vic]

Cleared out all the Biters in the desert. That took a minute, but went much faster after I upgraded to the Power Armor MK2. I'm going to use the desert for solar panels exclusively, so that should be enough solar power for a good while...

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[Vic]

Snatched a blueprint from factorioprints.com for my solar panels and hooked my new solar farm up to my bot network for easy construction.

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[Vic]

Reached 500MW. That should be fine for now. I still haven't set up purple science. That's going to be next on the agenda so that I can finish the remaining researches and launch my first rocket.

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[Vic]

Claimed more space in the north. Mostly because I had fun killing Biters. I tried walling off some space outside of my pollution cloud. The turrets should take care of any expansion parties.

For the combat, I flicked between two power armor suits, one full exoskeletons, the other full personal lasers and two mk2 shields. That made it really easy to run in, switch to lasers, kill a bunch of spawners, and run back out before the acid hits me. Basically a max damage suit with a sprint that makes me more vulnerable for its duration. It was pretty fun clearing all those Biters after coming up with this.

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Keeping the border secure from illegal aliens.

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[Vic]

Kiting a bunch of Biters. Man, these nests get pretty big out there.

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[Vic]

Found this video, haven't watched it yet, though. I'm going to try and goof around with trains myself first, but I'll leave it here for posterity.

 

[Average Manatee]

The in-game tutorial is pretty good. The only "hard" thing is signalling complex intersections, but that's a "figure it out once, blueprint it and never worry again" thing. Unless you want to get creative or go to megabase level all you need is a 4 way and a T-intersection in your blueprint book.

I do really wish there was a way to easily lay down long 2-lane segments of tracks w/ signaling and power easily though. The track laying tool is nice for being able to easily curve and go diagonal and whatever you need when going around various obstructions but then you have to do it again in reverse, then do another run with power, then another run with signals.

 

[Vic]

Finally set up all of my sciences (sans space) and started researching the Spidertron, because why not pilot a big spider mech.

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Changed up my defenses a bit. It was a huge waste of time trying to wall off my pollution cloud. Not doing this again if I can avoid it. Setting up defensive perimeters around my base and outposts should be enough. I also think that by killing so many Biters I propelled evolution forward as there are now a lot more Behemoth enemies, but maybe that's just natural evolution. A double wall to keep enemies at max turret range and roboports to repair the outer walls.

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Not much to do now but stand AFK and wait for the researches to finish. Currently at 63SPM production

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Gave a large order to my bots.

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[Vic]

Hell yeah, look at this big boy.

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Edit:
How cool is the Spidertron? It's really well made! Love how it stretches its legs to walk over tiles of water. I wonder if it triggers arachnophobia in some people.

 

[None]

bitch I still don't see any trains

 

[Hellraiser]

The in-game tutorial is pretty good. The only "hard" thing is signalling complex intersections

Pretty much, that's how I learned it, either that or the official wiki's tutorial:

https://wiki.factorio.com/Tutorial:Train_signals

I still check it from time to time because I have an irrational lack of desire to use blueprints and keep reinventing the wheel (although to be honest I always find improvising the most fun in this type of games).

Either way the basic rule is the traffic lights signals is always a section end/start point and that's where trains will stop, chain signals need to all be free until the target traffic light for a train to enter the section (other exits can be occupied if there is branching, just the chain signal path to the one exit the train cares about needs to be free). Trains look at the signal on their right side. That's all there is to it.

Don't want trains to block a section? The exit should be a chain signal, the traffic light should be far later after the exit chain signal to give enough room when the train stops (so that it's end doesn't end up before the last chain signal it passed). Want trains to stop before a section? Traffic light. You'll figure it out eventually.

Well that and also you can filter/lock spaces in cargo wagons to particular items are something you need to learn a bit (especially for resupplying outposts with ammo, walls and repair kits for bots). I think the % full conditions in train automation always use maximum capacity and you need to use absolute rather than relative criteria for cargo wagons. Fluid tanker wagons are easier with this.

 

[Vic]

No trains to show yet but I've got a rocket silo!

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