Welcome to your ultimate getting-started guide for Satisfactory 1.0. Whether you’re brand new or returning for the full release, this walkthrough will help you build a solid foundation. Learn how to automate early production, manage resources, and design an efficient factory that sets you up for success.

---

Introduction

Satisfactory is a 3D first-person automation game where you:

• Harvest raw materials
• Craft components for buildings, logistics, and production
• Progress through milestones and the Space Elevator to unlock new tech

This guide covers:

• Basic automation setups
• Early-game resource strategies
• Tips to streamline your first factory

---

Starting the Game

Choosing a Starting Area

Each starting zone is part of one massive, seamless map. For beginners, these two areas are best:

• Grassy Fields – Gentle terrain, plenty of flat space
• Rocky Desert – Great open space and solid early resources

This guide assumes you’re starting in the Rocky Desert.

Tutorial and Settings Tips

• Follow the onboarding tutorial to learn game mechanics and story context.
• Avoid using Creative Mode on your first playthrough—it skips key progression and limits your learning.
• Advanced settings (flying, infinite resources) are tempting but best saved for sandbox play.

---

Getting Started

Step 1: Scan for Resources

• Press V to scan for nearby resource nodes.
• Your first priority is Iron. Use the compass to locate and head to the nearest node.

Step 2: Manual Mining

• Interact with the node using E.
• Break the surface deposit to prepare the node for automation.

Step 3: Build the Hub

• Open the Build Menu with Q.
• Under the Specials tab, select The Hub and place it near your iron node.

Step 4: Start Manual Crafting

• Use the Craft Bench at your Hub to convert ore into ingots, then into rods and plates.
• You’ll automate this process shortly.

---

Early Automation Setup

Portable Miners and Workshops

1. Build the Equipment Workshop from the Specials tab.
2. Craft Portable Miners and place them on iron and copper nodes.
   • Node purity (impure, normal, pure) affects mining speed.

Smelters and Power

1. Gather leaves and wood to create Biomass—your early fuel source.
2. Build Smelters from the Production tab to convert ore into ingots.
3. Use the Biomass Burner at your Hub to power machines.
4. Use Power Poles to connect multiple machines to the same power line.

Constructors and Production Lines

1. Build Constructors to automate the production of rods, plates, and wires.
   • Requires Reinforced Iron Plates (crafted manually).
2. Connect Smelters to Constructors with conveyor belts for a basic automation chain.

---

Resource Management

Storage Containers

• Place containers at the end of production lines to store items automatically.
• Prevents machines from stalling due to full output slots.

Monitor Power Usage

• Your starting power setup allows for ~40 MW across two biomass burners.
• Overloading causes machines to shut down—monitor consumption with the power graph.

---

Unlocking New Technology

Hub Upgrades

• Complete milestones in the Hub Terminal to unlock:
  • Power Poles
  • Conveyor Belts
  • Constructors
  • Inventory Slots

Concrete and Limestone

• Scan for limestone and gather it manually or with a Portable Miner.
• Use Constructors to craft concrete, which is essential for factory structures and power poles.

---

Conveyor Belts and Automation

Using Conveyor Belts

• Conveyor Belts are unlocked early and are key to full automation.
• Connect Smelters → Constructors → Storage for a hands-free loop.

Replace Portable Miners

• Use Miner Mk.1 once unlocked. These permanently automate ore extraction.
• Place directly on resource nodes and connect to power and belts.

Build Smarter

• Align machines with Control to snap structures cleanly.
• Leave space between lines for upgrades and belt expansion.

---

Tips for Better Efficiency

1. Plan Your Layout
   Sketch or visualize your factory before placing buildings to reduce chaos.
2. Centralize Storage
   Keep storage containers in one accessible place to reduce walking time.
3. Use Pure Nodes
   Focus production on pure nodes—they produce 120 ore/min vs. 60 (normal) or 30 (impure).
4. Power Management
   Don’t connect more machines than your power grid can handle. Spread out growth.
5. Customize and Explore
   Use the Customizer for visual flair, and explore to find hard drives, slugs, and drop pods.

---

Next Steps

Once you’re comfortable with:

• Automated iron, copper, and concrete production
• Stable power generation
• Basic logistics (belts, smelters, constructors)

…you’re ready to:

• Build your first Space Elevator
• Progress to Tier 3 & 4 milestones
• Automate reinforced items and modular components

---

Coming Next: Perfect Starter Factory Layouts

Stay tuned for the next guide in this series:
“Perfect Starter Factory Layouts” – with blueprint-style examples for optimizing early-game production!