Satisfactory Early Access – Episode 06: Coal Runnings

I thought this was going to be a bonus episode I swear! After making some automation improvements last episode I had every intention of laying a bunch of foundation down and building up.

However, when it became clear the coal was going to hamstring my process, I pivoted. As a result this next episode is centered around exploration.

[G^G] Satisfactory Early Access – Episode 6: Coal Runnings

Impressions from Episode 6 – So Far They Have Done Vehicles Right

After stick close to home for most of the game, I really appreciate what the tractor has done to the game. It allowed me to break free of from my gassy prison, and explore new sections of the map with ease.

On top of being able to blockade run, the utility the tractor brings really fits the themes of the game. It really is your mobile workstation, and it is convenient to the point that I am actually using it around the base as well as opposed to running back and forward from the hub.

I am also pleased by how the combat is evolving. Some of the monsters I am running into outside of the standard Fluffy Tailed Hog are proving to be quite dangerous! The fire spitting monsters in particular have been a real problem for me since I prefer to engage in melee range.

I also appreciate that the ranged weapons aren’t clearly overpowered yet. The slow rate of fire and relatively low damage of the rebar gun means melee combat is still an attractive option in a lot of situations. While lore wise it doesn’t make sense that you can insta-build factories but have to use the equivalent of a revolutionary war musket in combat, from a game-play perspective I think it was a great design choice. Obviously later on we’ll see if there are bigger and badder weapons, but for now the balance is on point.

Now that I am getting a handle on things I would like to see the game become more dangerous, but I am still glad that by default things are relatively peaceful. While the developers have specifically stated they don’t have it on the roadmap to do base defense, I hope this is something the modding community can eventually put into the game for more advanced players.

Then again I maybe I should think twice about adding a robot Preston Garvey to the game…

Lessons Learned

1. There are in fact several conveyor belt upgrades you can get! I will likely need the next upgrade when I upgrade my mining rigs.
2. I can get vehicles! However, I need to figure out how to get through gassy areas before those will come into play.
3. Make sure I actually read the descriptions of items and structures in full before making any grand assumptions about the game…

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I hope you enjoyed my content, and until next time… stay efficient everyone!

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