Satisfactory1.0 is out, and with it comes a big question that any base-building enjoyer asks: Where’s the best place to put your base? Whilethe answer to this question depends heavily on your level of experience and how you play, there are some general guidelines you should keep in mind when you’re picking your starting location. There are four starting options in the game, but remember that you can relocate at any time, as long as you have the resources.
The starting locations in this base-building, resource-management sim are theGrass Fields, the Northern Forest, the Rocky Desert, and the Dune Desert.Each of these locations has pros and cons, and which you pick will determine what resources you go after and how you power your factory. Beginners and veterans will approach the game differently, so keep your own experience level in mind as you choose your starting region. Which region you pick will determine your starting strategy, so make sure you understand each region’s positives and negatives before setting up shop.
4Grass Fields
The Grass Fields are the most beginner-friendly of the four regions, with wide, flat lands that host some of the nicest views Satisfactory has to offer.It’s got an abundance of Biomass, making powering your early-game factory pretty simple. Additionally, the Grassy Fields offer a pretty wide variety of resources, with ore nodes and oil relatively close by. This region is listed first in the four starting region options, and for good reason.
Satisfactory: How to Setup (& Run) a Dedicated Server
A Satisfactory dedicated server can seem complicated to create, but, as long as the system requirements are met, it only takes a few steps to set up.
As mentioned previously, the Grassy Fields region is the friendliest for beginners. As a beginner, there are a few thingsyou’ll want to keep in mindwhen placing your base;most importantly, are you in proximity to iron, copper, and Limestone nodes?These three resources are pivotal to getting your factory up and running. Concrete, made from Limestone, is the foundation for any building you want to do, while iron and copper sources are needed to fulfill orders. Unfortunately, finding a good spot in the Grassy Fields might mean sacrificing the convenience of one of these types of nodes.
Overall, the Grass Fields region offers a safe, if slow, starting area for beginners and veterans alike to set up shop.
One downside of this area is that, thanks to its flat profile, resources are relatively far apart from one another.This means that you’ll need to either spend a lot of time carting stuff back and forth or prioritize setting up conveyor belts early on in your playthrough.Another downside to be aware of is that most of the ore nodes in this region are impure, which will pretty heavily impact your harvesting times.
3Northern Forest
Prohibitive Forests Mean Less Room To Build, But High Amounts Of Biomass Mean Easy Power
The Northern Forest facilitates what is likely the fastest starting area in the game, so if you’re looking to set up and grow quickly, this is the area for you.It’s got super rich Biomass reserves thanks to the abundance of foliage and also hosts pure ore nodes that offer quick harvesting.Iron and Limestone are readily available, as long as you have the infrastructure to support their production and refinement.
to take advantage of everything the Northern Forest has to offer, you need to be prepared toexploreSatisfactory’s worldand get a lay of the land.There are a few ways you can make the area a bit more simple to explore, using platforms, pathways, and the many tools at your disposal to clear your way.You’ll be able to make pathways using Concrete, which is made using the Northern Forests' Limestone deposits. Being able to navigate simply and quickly will make this dense biome a bit friendlier to build in.
The downside of the Northern Forest is that setting up your base will be hindered by the diverse terrain and dense woods.It’s mountainous and rocky, so setting up foundations will improve your ability to build out, but this in and of itself will take extra work.If you don’t mind the trade-off of some extra building as you expand and continue to build, the Northern Forest will provide a strong springboard for veteran players. If you find yourself running out of space on the ground, you can also consider building laterally into the trees.
2Dune Desert
Huge, Open Areas Allow For Massive Factories, But Power Is Hard To Generate Early
As its name suggests, the Dune Desert’s wide-open spaces and even spread of ore nodes make it a consistent location to landif you’re not worried about power generation.Rrevhattyexplores the region on YouTube, and you’re able to see that this region has great spaces to set down a factory. With the high density of nodes in the region, your supply of geologic material will keep your production of Concrete, Reinforced Iron Plates, and Steel at a high.
This treeless desert biome provides plenty of space for future expansion.
As you develop in this rocky region, you’ll needthe assistance of portable minersto keep your resource-gathering efficiency up. While you start out gathering ores with your own two hands, you’ll quickly discover that this is not the most efficient use of your time.With just how many different nodes there are in the Dune Desert, portable miners will save you time and increase your production exponentially.
Despite the plethora of resources the Dune Desert offers, it lacks Biomass severely, making early-game power generation a bit more difficult than in other areas.This means that you’ll need to jump to coal or oil power pretty quickly in order to keep up with the amount of raw resources you’ll be able to harvest.Copper and Limestone are also harder to come by in this region, again meaning that your early game will be pretty slow unless you commit to gathering from further out.
1Rocky Desert
Plenty Of Geological Resources, Allowing For Easy Early And Mid-Game Power Generation
The Rocky Desert provides a good balance between the resource variety of the Grass Fields with the open areas of the Dune Desert.It also contains a good bit more water and resources than its desert counterpart, making the early game much more forgiving for new players.You’ll be able to rely on Coal for early-game power, then switch to nearby Oil sources as you develop your factory.
If this isn’t enough to convince you to give the Rocky Desert a try,BungleRulesexplains their reasons for starting here on YouTube.
When you lack the Biomass that the Grassy Fields provides, Coal and Oil are essential topowering your factory in Satisfactory. Early on in the Rocky Desert,you’ll need to scrounge the landscape for what little Biomass you can find until you’re able to switch to coal.This switch will increase the power generation, allowing you to build more machines. This will prevent short-outs, meaning that your production line can continue to run smoothly.
The only real drawback to the Rocky Desert is its lack of Biomass, meaning your start might be slow until you get your coal-powered stuff up and running.However, it’s still got more plant life than the Dune Desert, so it’s a safer bet for newer players who want a bit of a challenge in the early game.If you do want to start here, start on the western coast that’s rich with ore, then expand north to take advantage of the coal deposits there.
If At First You Don’t Succeed, Give Up And Move Your Base
While relocating your base in Satisfactory is no easy feat, sometimes it can be the best way to diversify your production.The best way to get started moving bases is to set up the fastest conveyor belts you have from your original base to the location you’d like to move to.This way, you can send all the materials you need to get set up in the new location. If you want to bring your machines with you, link a few Mk2 containers in series at each end. Dump all your disassembled machines into these containers, and you should be good to set up on the other side.
Satisfactory: How to Fix a Broken Power Grid
A guide explaining how to fix broken power grids in Satisfactory. It mostly involves selectively disconnecting wires and evaluating supply lines.
If you’re not interested in the conveyor belt method, you can also set up a bunch of truck stops between your new base and old base area, whichPHENIXX CREATESexplains how to use on YouTube.The only thing you’ll need to worry about here is fueling the stops, but if you’re in an area with abundant Oil, this shouldn’t be too big of an issue. No matter what you choose to do, there are better ways to move your base than carrying everything by hand.
Deciding to move your base is not a small choice, and many players have mentioned that sometimes,it’s just easier to start over completely if you find yourself frustrated with the location you chose to start with.If you find yourself in this situation, it’s up to you to determine whether the work will be worth it.
Choosing to stick it out in a subpar location will force you to think creatively, while moving to somewhere with the resources you need might make your playthrough a bit easier.Satisfactoryis all about optimization and critical thinking; the problems that this game presents are those of logistics, and it’s your job as the player to figure out how to solve them.
