Use of alternate recipes

Question

First, I apologize for the long post. This is not really a suggestion. Rather a discussion on alternative recipes. In fact, in my case, I found out that I hardly use them. The only two alternative recpipes I actually use are the alternative screws made of iron ingot and the alternative reinforced iron plates made of wire and plates (although I know that the alternative recipes often produce more resource-efficient and in larger quantities).

Why is that?
As I have seen, there are many mega factory builders. I am not one of those. I do not build foundations with four by four kilometers total size or ten floor buildings (2 floors is my limit). I try to build my factories on the ground and integrate them into the landscape. My factory is supposed to flow in the countryside (by the way, my base is in the Grassy Fields). I can not build a complex with 50 iron smelters whose output is then routed everywhere. So, to some extent, I am forced to classify my individual factory areas into "topics". I have a complex that does everything in terms of iron and copper. I have a complex that does everything with respect to steel. And I have a complex that does everything related to oil and computer technology. Sometimes products are exchanged with each other (copper is sent to steel, etc.). And finally, everything flows together in a central warehouse and is stored there.

And here come the alternates:
For example, if at some point in the game I get an alternative recipe for cables that contains rubber, then it would be a considerable effort for me to route rubber to my cable producers. I would not only have to make room for assemblers (instead of constructors). I would also have to rebuild everything to find the space for the additional conveyor belts. Or I convert my cable producers into oil and electronics, but then I would have to make room that I simply do not have.

The result: I look at almost all alternative recipes and decide to leave everything as before.

How are you doing in this regard? Is it just my laziness (after all, I could rebuild my factories from scratch every time)? Is it my shitty layout? Actually, my layout is pretty well organized and optimized, but of course the philosophy of integrating the factories into the landscape naturally has certain limitations - due to the existing topographic conditions.

Comments

I think that part of this is down to the game being in early access. I get the feeling that the sort of people who want to make the epic mega bases are the people who have already unlocked everything or already know what everything is from a previous play through and want to create the most efficient version of a factory so, once all of the technology is actually in the game and people know what is available then they will plan with those technologies in mind.

People who have created mega bases now are going to have a hell of a job reworking everything, but personally I've managed to completely fill small containers with every kind of object without creating a mega factory. I get the feeling that as the new tech levels are released, the alternative blueprints will just act as encouragement to redesign bits of my factory in order to support the greater amount of items needed later. I've actually already started doing that to a certain degree.

Having said all that. Even if they don't get used, it's no bad thing that they are in there. As I said, I've got all of the current items building but I've not used smart or programmable splitters. I wouldn't say that there is a problem with those things because of that. It just gives people different ways to play. If you've made a really good factory using the standard recipes then that seems perfectly legitimate to me. :)

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Yeah, I don't understand why people are so eager building a factory which produces 17,75 supercomputers a minute. But maybe I'm missing something. Maybe we little people with our one container of supercomps will file bankruptcy in tier 7 or 8...

I agree with you, that alternative recipes are a nice aspect in the game. I just would love to see more easy ones like the screw recipe (forget the rods, make them directly from ingot). Alternates that "shortcut" a manufacturing process are the good ones, I think.

Best wishes

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There IS an alternate recipe just like that, Ingots straight to screws. It's the first one I try to get whenever I do a fresh start. Factory redesign is in my opinion part of the fun for me, and I'd imagine others as well. As they expand the end game, you are going to need alot more of the basic items, unless you are just one of those players who let the game run overnight, which kinda defeats the purpose of increasing efficiency (not to mention you aren't playing) you are going to be waiting along time for end game stuff. That's what alternate recipes bring, less manufacturing - more items or less build time or both.

 I find it a good balance to start the game, get the basic items manufacturing in a temporary setup, concrete, plates, rods, wire, screws in that order. Then when you build the elevator, start to explore for crashes for new wrecks, some are going to need higher tier stuff, but you should get 4-5 hard drives pretty easily that will set you up for a better factory down the road when you decide to set down roots somewhere. That's whats so great about factory games, many different play styles will work, and since beauty is in the eye of the beholder, your layout will most certainly differ from every other player out there. The point is to explore different setups, & tinker. You will evolve as the game evolves. New fresh starts as new stuff is added and improved upon. Alternate recipes also add "re-play-ability".

Answer 1

The "problem" starts when you get higher up in the tiers.

You basically can make (almost) everything by hand on a crafting bench.  THe problem is that this starts to get tedious.  The steps just become so long it becomes unfeasible this way, though you still will do this in a pinch (such as when you're at a wreckage and need something you have the materials for but don't have on hand)

Your reinforced iron plate production may be adequate now. Which is perfectly fine. It's one of the components for conveyor belt Mk2, so you will be needing quite a few of them as you start using that instead of the Mk1 belt, and even upgrade your Mk1 belts into Mk2.

You will need to venture out and belts will get longer, so having a good supply of these will become a necessity. Making these by hands... emmmm... no.  I went through 2 full containers of reinforced plate when I moved over to Mk3.

But you will need the plates for modular frames.  And you'll need modular frames for heavy modular frames.

To unlock Tier 6 & 7 in the space elevator, you'll need 1000 heavy frames, 1000 computers and 1000 motors. (unless this changes from experimental).

You don't need a factory making very high amounts of Heavy Modular Frames, a single Manufacturer may suit you fine.... for now... but feeding that single unit 100% will need more than 1 reinforced iron plate assembler.  And more than a single Reinforced Iron Beam assembler... Which will need more than 1 steel pipe constructor. (which you'll also need for the beams once you get the alternate recipe which is much more efficient than the one using Steel Beam.  etc.

Those super big factories are nice for getting Youtube views (a video for "meh, here's a single assembler making computers" isn't goign to be attracting much attention).  But they take a lot of play time to create.  Necessary no.  but you will end up upgrading as you go and as the need is there. :-)