Satisfactory is a game that never stands still. Whether this is through updates or patches, such updates often bring along paths of change in gameplay due to new features, bug fixes, or balance changes. Therefore, to make the most out of Satisfactory, one needs to stand updated with the latest changes and modify the game accordingly.
First and foremost, one of the most critical components of Satisfactory is in choosing a good starting location. This place that you eventually choose is going to greatly determine how you progress throughout the early game in Satisfactory; all this relates to what types of resources you will have access to and whether any challenges may occur.
While placement of a starting base is possible anywhere in Satisfactory, some areas are inherently better than others. The first thing to consider when placing your initial base is resource availability around you. There are things, like proximity to iron, copper, and coal, that will pretty much define how fast you progress in the early game. This is basic stuff needed to create structures and machines that advance the gameplay; having these within proximity will no doubt reduce travel time and hassle.
Second, consider the lay of the land around your spawn-in point. Generally speaking, you will want to be spawned onto a flat expanse of space, as this gives you solid ground to build all your factories and infrastructure. Avoid areas that have steep cliffs or thick forests, as these will make the development and research of the area quite difficult.
The Northern Forest is a bit more subtle in terms of a spawn location but definitely a decent place in which to start this Satisfactory journey. Centrally located, it gives you really good flexibility in expanding in any direction since reaching different biomes and their resources is easily done. You actually start right in the middle of a cluster of pure nodes-a really valuable resource which can really speed up the beginning of your game. Coal may be a bit farther away initially, but taking a quick journey southeast will bring you into an area filled with this resource. That might not be the most straightforward biome in which to start, but it is rather rewarding and strategic for those who have had a bit of experience in playing.
The Rocky Desert has been one of the favorite starting positions for so many players for quite a while, and there's good reason for that: it provides very easy access to plenty of coal-the important fuel used by your factory to make vital items like steel. However, while coal can be rather easy to stumble upon, quartz nodes might be pretty hard to find in this biome. The only quartz nodes are underground, which actually is quite a challenge at the beginning of the game. This may be a minor challenge but also can give an opportunity to develop your mining skills and explore the intricacies of the game's underground world.
The Grass Fields give the new player of Satisfactory a soft learning curve into the mechanics of the game. Its lush landscape and teeming wildlife afford a non-threatening atmosphere for the beginning player to learn how to hunt, tame, and build. This is the perfect area for beginners, but they too have their limits. This biome is full of impure nodes, and these take more work to process. Also, the coal is not as readily available. If you're beyond the basics and looking to move on to another world that's a bit more challenging with richer resources, Rocky Desert or Northern Forest would be a good place to start.
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