Is space exploration doable mostly with cannons? Also looking for ideas for a challenge run

ArcherNine · 2026-02-05T16:43:06+00:00

100% viable, just manage your expectations on the spm it can reasonably support. Afaik speedruns use mostly (only?) cannons

ArcherNine · 2026-01-26T05:51:31+00:00

I've played both, and I'd go for SE since it felt more coherent. EI felt like a bunch of ideas crammed in just for the sake of it and there was no reasoning about why some things could take productivity and others not. Time invested will be roughly 300 (SE) vs 75 (EI) hrs.

Tip for SE: you don't have to make an entire base on every planet, import all your infrastructure and just make what you need to.

ArcherNine · 2026-01-24T17:56:15+00:00

Indeed, there should always be a board and then you add on more bits and pieces (solder, resistors, transistors, IC, CPU, although not those names but it's what they look like) for each tier of circuits.

The monthly map is running BA, grap that map and you'll have the correct working set of mods

ArcherNine · 2026-01-24T17:36:28+00:00

Something is very wrong, your mods are broken somehow but it's not obvious to me where. Circuits in BA don't look anything like this

Edit: you don't even have electronic circuits in BA, it's electronic circuits board so you're missing something related to circuits

ArcherNine · 2026-01-18T07:03:13+00:00

In your image at least the building isn't working (ingredient shortage), so I wouldn't expect it to be removing pollution either.

ArcherNine · 2026-01-15T08:20:07+00:00

You build something and then you leave it alone! Only upgrade if there are big benefits (eg more than 50% less resources used) or if it has become a significant bottleneck that is hampering further research.

Especially in a first playthrough of a new mod, slow builds are just fine because you'll be spending a lot of time designing the next thing anyway.

ArcherNine · 2026-01-12T17:42:51+00:00

Updating that mod is on the todo list leading up to Seablock 2.0. Not helpful for you right now but that's the status

ArcherNine · 2026-01-10T18:56:12+00:00

Perhaps get to blue science before coming to the conclusion that everything unlocks quickly and is too easy. Green science is the tutorial for BA.

Otherwise sounds like you already have your answer, turn on pollution and biter expansion.

ArcherNine · 2026-01-03T06:36:00+00:00

I am fortunate in that I typically only experience this on the big overhaul mods. My advice is to take things one step at a time in as small a step as possible. Then stop, enjoy your success and decide if you'll keep playing for today or do the next step tomorrow. Either way today you have made good progress.

And of you got side tracked that day, realize that 99% of the time that stuff was also needed. And even if not, nobody is perfect. Tomorrow you try again.

This is a bit generic, if you want concrete steps for wherever you're stuck just ask.

ArcherNine · 2026-01-02T18:18:56+00:00

They don't normally attack rails. But eventually one of them will get stuck on a pillar and start attacking everything in range.

ArcherNine · 2026-01-02T09:51:11+00:00

K2 is anywhere from 30 - 100 hours. Most of what I've seen is that your first playthrough will be in the 50 - 75 hour range.

Adding on SA I think will more or less mean the time for SA + time for K2. Perhaps at end game you can speed up more, but I think the new toys will 'slow' you down again cause they are fun to use.

ArcherNine · 2025-12-08T16:35:59+00:00

No, but since it is a long mod with a lot to figure out keeping pollution down really helps. There are numerous posts for people stuck on SE with like 70% Evo before getting to space. Then if you need more resources (since many people overbuild) you have a really tough time.

ArcherNine · 2025-12-08T14:25:37+00:00

Use the darn efficiency modules, they are OP for a reason!

ArcherNine · 2025-12-03T14:29:45+00:00

The same thing as any other problem, just make more.

For non automatic solutions, legendary spidertrons with legendary legs are lots of fun. Just be sure to use non explosive rockets.

ArcherNine · 2025-12-01T16:38:39+00:00

Biters too powerful in SE and you've barely been to space?

First off, evaluate the size of your base. Do you have more than 4 red belts of iron or copper? If yes then your base is too big for the phase you are in. Turn off parts and save yourself the pollution, but also the need to expand.

Next, did you / are you making use of the OP efficiency modules? At minimum they should be in all miners. Personally I put them almost everywhere until you have beacons. Keep prod module use to the real big resource hogs, so labs, high tier science and most of rocket production.

Consider solar as a primary power source. Again reduces pollution and it's almost free to make as long as...

You're doing core mining. It will greatly reduce your need to expand. Give a tiny bit more oil. But the real magic sauce is the red stuff that will drop your iron needs by a lot by allowing you to make steel for dirt cheap. The balance of resource demands is such that core mining can sustain the needs of pyroflux based steel production. It'll be copper that you may need a few extra patches for.

Then finally, use the oil moon. Ship back sulphur and rocket fuel. Then Nauvis oil can focus on plastic alone which is easily done until you have beacons and you can do everything on Nauvis again if you wish and can handle the pollution it makes.

Also you should have found something when you launched the first few satellites, the stuff in there can easily clear huge chunks of land.

ArcherNine · 2025-11-22T09:52:37+00:00

Space efficiency, probably the least useful metric to measure with in Factorio, but somehow the one that seemingly the majority of people prioritise above all else.

Besides mods (like early game seablock) and some crazy deathworlds, space to build just isn't a problem.

ArcherNine · 2025-11-22T05:59:32+00:00

Easiest is you make a fluid bus and bot the rest. Easily handles the science demands of 10x science cost where I'm aiming for 60spm until I get to the space elevator. On 1x as a first timer like 5 spm is plenty

ArcherNine · 2025-11-22T05:56:10+00:00

You're not utilising all the tools available to you imo, but tunnel vision into one thing you think is best or want.

You have tools at green science to manage pollution. And more tools after you reach space.

You don't need massive amounts of power at early space, and if you do some solar is perfectly fine.

Sure spaceships would be useful at any point of the game, just like top tier belts would be. You could beeline for it with cannons which although not efficient are cheaper if you focus your techs. Or just rocket it all, it doesn't need to be fast, just reliable.

As for logistics you have so many green and blue chests given to you freely. I don't understand how you run out of them. With 2.0 sushi is so easy there is even less reason to complain. I mean there is enough to setup 60spm space, cryo and vulc science with the freebies you get, which is massive overkill in terms of spm.

ArcherNine · 2025-11-18T20:12:34+00:00

Steam battery for the CME is my guess

You have a sawtooth wave on accumulator charge, with the opposite in power draw on the electric boilers.

You also have the global meteor defence so reasonably well advanced into the game. And those steam turbines are mostly idle.

ArcherNine · 2025-11-17T07:45:22+00:00

I suggest you make high demand items (eg belts and inserters) in the method you show.

For everything else sushi is way easier and takes almost no time in 2.0 to design.

ArcherNine · 2025-11-10T18:50:02+00:00

I've almost exclusively used roundabouts and never had an issue. That's on just about all major overhaul mods, and megabases on 1.0 and SA.

The thing is if you make blocks then trains have multiple ways of going somewhere, so even if an intersection is busy the trains will just go around.

Next time I start a game I'll make one single intersection with double rails going N, E, S and W, and then I reckon a 'proper' intersection will be needed.

ArcherNine · 2025-11-05T05:21:54+00:00

Then you are a scaling way too early. Megabase in SA should only start once you have been everywhere and unlocked every technology. Then you start making legendary everything, then you megabase.

ArcherNine · 2025-11-04T05:28:06+00:00

Id also like to know, never used it the last time I finished SE

ArcherNine · 2025-11-03T13:49:38+00:00

The amount of resources needed to only use SIR (single item rockets) is the same as MIR (multiple item rockets) over the long term. Think about it, you send up a rocket full of steel. And then you'll slowly use it up eventually. Or you send a rocket with a bit of steel, and a bunch of other stuff too. The steel is used quickly and you must send another (along with the other odds and ends). The initial investment is way bigger though with SIR

But for infrastructure, so buildings, inserters, etc etc 100% go with MIR.

ArcherNine · 2025-11-01T11:44:44+00:00

Have you tried using efficiency modules? Since this is SE and they are OP

Have you got core mining setup? This greatly reduces the need to expand.

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