Factorio Space Age | New Planets & Mechanics

Factorio Space Age | New Planets & Mechanics

The highly-anticipated release of Factorio’s Space Age expansion is finally here, featuring an exciting array of new additions. With new buildings, elevated trains, and revamped fluid mechanics, there’s a lot to explore. However, nothing compares to the sheer scale of the new planets that have been introduced. We touched on these new planets in this article before the launch, but now it’s time to dive deeper into what these worlds have to offer!

Vulcanus

As its name suggests, this planet is one huge volcanic wasteland. Sandwiched between your ‘home’ planet of Nauvis and the star, it’s no wonder the planet’s surface looks like an overbaked cookie. And don’t worry, while lava planets may seem cliché, Wube has ensured that Vulcanus offers more complexity than simply being “really hot and covered in lava.” Let’s take a closer look at the planets’ various biomes so you can get a better idea.

• Mountains: Towering blackened monoliths dominate the landscape, splashed with yellow and white from sulfuric vents and calcite deposits. Don’t expect to find any refreshing mountain streams though, your only water source here is to extract it from sulfuric acid. Tasty.
• Ashlands: Much like Valheim’s Ashlands (minus the roaming skeletons), these barren lands are dotted with scorched trees ripe for charcoal harvesting. The sparse landscape makes these vacant valleys perfect for setting up your initial factories. Keep an eye out for spots near lava basins - they’ll be your starting source for iron and copper.
• Lava Basins: Welcome to the planet’s hellish hot tubs. Lava pools and rivers dominate the land here, with glowing stone bridges snaking between them. Amidst this fiery landscape, you’ll find precious tungsten deposits crucial for Metallurgic Science. But you won’t be able to just slap some electric miners down. You’ll have to build yourself some of the new Big mining drills.

Once you’ve found an ideal place to get set up, you’ll need some foundries to get copper and iron from the lava. The resulting molten metals will give you more bang for your buck when making plates/wire. Just don’t get too comfortable, the new demolishers can quickly tear through an unprepared factory.

Ready to get out of the heat? Let’s move on to our next candidate for expansion, Fulgora.

Fulgora

This planet isn’t nearly as hot, quite the opposite actually, though it is just as desolate. Made up of windswept plateaus and oilsand oceans this planet is inhospitable to most life. Although, upon closer inspection it appears that it wasn’t always like this. Alien structures litter the plateaus, some of which provide much needed cover from the rampant lightning storms that overtake the planet at night. Unlike Vulcanus, Fulgora doesn’t really have distinct biomes. Instead it’s made up of plateaus of various sizes that you can build on. Which is important since the only things you can build directly on the oilsands are offshore pumps and elevated rails. The plateaus have 3 sizes with distinct uses for each.

• Large: Are usually completely barren, making them ideal for building factories on. That is, if you can keep them protected from the lightning.
• Medium: Are the homes of the largest concentrations of alien ruins, and have a middling amount of resources. This is where you’ll want to start, since the alien ruins provide good protection from the lightning storms.
• Small: These hold the highest concentration of resources, but are usually separated by a moat of oilsand. So you’ll need to transport the resources to a processing facility.

Speaking of resources, outside of heavy oil, the only resource you can get a hold of on this planet is scrap. Using drills on the ruins of the ancient civilization yields this item, but you’ll need some recyclers if you want to get anything useful out of it. Recycling the scrap you collect will return a variety of resources from stone to processing units (blue circuits). Along with the new ore Holmium which is needed to make the new Electromagnetic plant and science pack. The plant is particularly exciting since it has a built in productivity boost of +50% and five module slots. So it’s a game changer for circuit and module production.

The bleak wastelands are certainly cool, but can feel weary at times. Fortunately, Gleba is anything but lifeless.

Gleba

Now you’re back in the heat, though it’s more humid than Vulcanus. The ground squelches under your feet as you wander about the fungal forests. Some places are drier than others but the amount of life never wanes. Gleba’s unique mechanics revolve around the prolific biology of the planet. But before we get into those, let’s talk about the natives you’ll have to contend with if you want the biological bounty this planet holds.

As you might expect since this planet is teeming with life, it’s also teeming with a brand new type of enemy, the pentapod. These five legged creatures litter Gleba’s surface, they’re not overtly hostile in most situations, but the fruit you need to harvest for agricultural science happens to be their main food source. So you’ll have to be ready when they’re drawn in by the aroma. Now you know what you’re getting into, let’s talk about what you’ll get out of it.

Agriculture

This is the main mechanic of Gleba. Throughout the jungles you’ll find two species of fungal trees that produce harvestable fruits. These resources, yumako and jellynut, will be used in a variety of Gleba’s recipes. Luckily, the agricultural tower makes getting industrial amounts of these fruits quite easy. However, like plants in real life, these fruits won’t stay fresh forever. So you’ll want to shove them in a biochamber ASAP. The biochamber is also used to get copper and iron on this planet through bacterial processing.

Bacterial Processing

Stromatolites that litter the surface of Gleba and house the bacteria needed to make ore. You can get them from processing the fungal fruits too but in lesser amounts. Once you unlock the biochamber you’ll be able to make plenty of the metallic microbes. And don’t worry about oil, basically all oil products can be made with the fruit.

We have one more stop to make before things wrap up, hope you don’t mind getting wet.

Aquilo

It’s time for the big reveal! Wube has finally lifted the veil on the mysterious fourth planet. So, buckle up and brace yourself for some major spoilers ahead!

Aquilo is a chilling departure from the other planets we’ve explored. Imagine a world of endless liquid ammonia oceans, at least 200 km deep, with no solid land in sight. Your only refuge? Floating icebergs that barely support your weight. Welcome to the ultimate challenge for even the most seasoned factory builders.

• Icy Expanse: The planet’s surface is a vast ocean of liquid ammonia, dotted with sparse icebergs. These frozen platforms are your only building space, but don’t get too comfortable – they’re only a few meters thick!
• Frigid Atmosphere: Aquilo’s sun is a dim speck in the sky, providing little warmth. Expect howling winds and constant snowfall that will freeze your machines solid if left unprotected.
• Resource Scarcity: Unlike other planets, Aquilo is notably lacking in basic resources. You’ll need to get creative with what little you have:
  • Ammoniacal solution from the ocean (via offshore pumps)
  • Crude oil and lithium brine (from resource nodes)
  • Fluorine gas bubbling up from the depths
  • Pathetically weak solar power (only 1% as effective as on Nauvis)

The planet’s unique mechanics revolve around heat management and space constraints. You’ll need to construct heating towers and intricate heat pipe networks to keep your factories from freezing. Expanding your base means crafting “Ice platform” tiles to extend the icebergs, a slow process that requires careful resource management. Aquilo introduces some exciting new buildings to help you survive:

• Heating Tower: Burns chemical fuels to generate heat, crucial for keeping your machines operational.
• Cryogenic Plant: A powerful 5x5 structure used for cold-temperature processes and late-game items like quantum processors.
• Railgun Turret: The ultimate defensive structure, with a staggering 10k base damage and 40 range.

The Cryogenic science pack is your ticket to advanced research on this frigid world. You’ll need to master the art of coolant production and cryogenic processes to unlock Aquilo’s full potential.

Don’t let the harsh conditions fool you – Aquilo offers a uniquely satisfying building experience. The need to balance heat distribution, space management, and resource scarcity creates intricate logistical puzzles unlike anything you’ve faced before. Just remember, when half your base inevitably freezes over, take a moment to admire the eerily beautiful sight.

Conclusion

With that, we’ve reached the end of our solar survey. Each new planet introduces exciting and unique challenges for you to overcome on the path to an interplanetary industrial empire. And remember, you’ll have to get each date new pack to one central location if you want to use it in research.

Ultimately, this expansion will take the Factorio experience to new heights. If you want to learn more about the expansion and Factorio 2.0 check out this article. And if you want to experience the revamped game with your friends, we’re doing a discount for 30% off your first month on our Factorio server plans so you can automate uninterrupted. All you need to do is use the code FACTORIO at checkout. Act fast because the code is only valid through November 21st. Stay efficient!