Factorio Forums

Only just found this today. Really enjoying it.

Just a quick question.

I've started a sandbox mode game with standard settings, and a few hours in and I've yet to have any critters attack my base. Is it just because I'm not pumping out enough pollution yet? I have a bunch of boilers going nearly full time, and ten or so stone furnaces cooking round the clock. Just seems a little quiet.

If there are any trees around your base, cut them down. They absorb pollution.

Also furnaces and boilers aren't the only things producing pollution. Essentially every building does with only few exceptions. Once you start expanding you naturally start producing more pollution even without adding more boilers and furnaces.

Isn't the sandbox scenario peaceful by default?

no

The map generator is very generous with default settings. The default "starting area" causes the nearest alien bases to often be VERY far away (relative to how far pollution spreads). But it's very random. If you want some combat in the early game, try generating a new map with a smaller starting area.

If you're not sure about continuing your current game vs starting over, go exploring and find the nearest alien base. Then check if your pollution is spreading that far (press m for map and alt for show advanced info, red = pollution). If your pollution is nowhere near an alien base, you're in for a dull game.

Thanks for the advice. I started a new game anyhow to make use of what I learned in the first few hours and through watching a few lets plays, and I took the opportunity to nudge up the size of the critter spawns. I also learned how to see the smog on the map, so I can see it getting closer to causing an attack as I expand. Exciting stuff.

Yea, it takes a little time for the biters to realize your there. Usually once you get science(red & green packs) automated you'll be producing enough pollution to get their attention.
Trust me, once you get their attention you will wish you didn't, they can be brutal lol.

Hardison wrote:Yea, it takes a little time for the biters to realize your there. Usually once you get science(red & green packs) automated you'll be producing enough pollution to get their attention.
Trust me, once you get their attention you will wish you didn't, they can be brutal lol.

I think they are so easy, I had to install Dytech's Warfare module to make them do any damage to my base. It's so easy to stop them (after playing beating the game 6 times)