Tutorial:Independency

Independency is a gameplay strategy where factories do not depend on each other, removing the need to manage connections between them and when one factory breaks, others are not affected. Instead of importing many raw resources from afar and handling the distribution of intermediate products, each product is made "from scratch." Factories become spread across the world.

Overview

Throughout the entire game, new components are introduced. These rely on simpler components. Intuitively, you might think you can use parts you're already producing to make new parts. For example, in Tier 1:

• You automate  Iron Plates and  Rods.
• Then you realize the need to automate  Reinforced Iron Plates, so you decide to produce them using the existing setup. You have fewer Plates and Rods left, but some are still piling up.
• Soon enough,  Rotors need to be automated. With few Iron Rods remaining, you have to either produce very few Rotors or expand the production of Iron Rods.
• Later, once you decide to automate  Motors, you realize your Rotor production is lacking. At this point, you end up doing a lot of backtracking to figure out what part of the production line is lacking. While it seems easier to "just use existing Rotors," the rebuilding involved can get overwhelming.

The problem boils down to tediously managing the distribution of Iron Rods, a basic component.

The concept of decentralizing instead aims to make each factory as independent as possible. This gives you the freedom to decide how much of each component to produce without being restrained by the output of other factories. The result is also a significant simplification of logistics.

Factories

Each factory is built to be as independent as possible. Components are produced from raw resources. A factory can have different outputs. It is logical to group them if they have some relation between them, such as a common input. For example, a factory producing Reinforced Iron Plates and Rotors makes more sense than a factory for  Concrete and  AI Limiters.

In practice, you decide either how much of a raw resource you want to use as input, or how much of the target component(s) you desire as output.

Location

The ideal location for any factory is near the raw resources it uses. As the game progresses, it is increasingly unlikely that all resources will be nearby. This either caused by them being used by other factories, or their availability in the world ( Crude Oil,  Bauxite and  Nitrogen Gas are notable examples). In that case, decide which resources to import from elsewhere and transport long-distance.

Target outputs

Except for the early game, only building materials and consumables need to be produced. Only lower tens or single digits of each item should suffice.

See Category:Building materials and Category:Equipment materials.

Main base and central storage

It is convenient to have the output of all factories easily accessible in one location, in so-called central storage. As each factory is independent, central storage is the final destination. Thus, it is ideal to have the HUB and Space Elevator set up here.

A main base can also have multiple otherwise independent factories near each other, which makes it easy to transport their output to central storage.

Exceptions

It is reasonable to make exceptions to the independency approach as desired. You might want to avoid transporting Crude Oil over long distances, set up Aluminum Ingot production in one location, or have a shared Steel Ingot smeltery for nearby factories.

These ultimately boil down to personal preference. The point is that the approach does not have to be followed strictly.