Factorio Forums

I am finding Mission 3 of the New Hope campaign aggravatingly difficult (on 'Normal' - I wish there was an 'easy' setting).

I play these kinds of games for logistics and resource accumulation. I like to build and progress at my own pace and finish a level when I pretty much have lots of everything.

I can't do that on this map. There's no resources to gather, and since the only available defences are gun turrets, I have to be mindful that I don't run out of ammo and stuff to make ammo. (Not to mention being functionally unable to put a wall around your base or rebuild the walls that are destroyed. There's some stone but it's too far away.)

That would be fine on it's own - but there are super mega waves of monsters (that are apparently psychic since they beeline for me every 'wave'... no matter where I am even if I'm not at my base) It feels like 2 dozen small biters and 1 dozen medium biters every 5-10 seconds. I'm not even talking about the base respawns - this is just the waves that come after you even before you get in to attack.

First thing I did on this map was to set up turrets and a wall, and then set up the solar array. Then I set up factories to build Rockets, Drones and Shotgun Shells - so I have plenty of those. However, as soon as I set foot outside my base I'm surrounded - even with 24 active drones and firing - too many medium biters. I immediately have 8 medium biters on me and my car is destroyed and I follow soon after. (It doesn't help that the car controls are reversed from the way I'd expect them to be and I always turn the wrong way and I don't see an option to reverse it in the keybinds. I find driving backwards to be the best solution although I don't know if that hurts my speed)

What the hell am I doing wrong? I didn't buy this game to wade into combat with limited resources - this is absolutely upsetting. I'm willing to cheat to skip this stupid level.

Moved to the help board, where it belongs to.

Have you had a look into the FAQ? https://forums.factorio.com/forum/vie ... =18&t=3272

Thanks, I considered posting it in help - but it felt from the headers that it was for technical/bug type help. Thanks for moving it.

Thanks for the link to the FAQ. I tried searching the forums, but all that did was pull up every post where someone used the word 'hope' eg: "I hope this works..."

On this thread;
https://forums.factorio.com/forum/vie ... =18&t=3228

Then I make a 2x2 formation of turrets near main nest and load with ammo.

This is my problem I only get about 1/2 way to the main nest before I'm completely surrounded. 2x2 turrets even with drones up isn't enough. Was this made harder since these guides were posted? I've also tried watching youtube videos and it just seems like I have nearly 3 times as many Medium biters as in the vids I watch.

I found making a base in the mission absolutely useless, as it only attracts biter attacks to you. Instead, go after the south-west base first, destroy it and loot the spaceship wreck there, then immediately go after the main nest (don't forget to craft all the rockets you can). The direction of the attack is very important, though, you have to attack from west, below the lake. Build a 3x5 (3 wide, 5 high) wall of turrets as close as you can get to the nest without provoking the biters, be sure you leave enough space between the turrets to allow you to run through. Advance by mining the back row of turrets and putting it into the front. Eventually, you'll be fairly close to one of the spawners or a worm. Once that happens, take your rocket launcher and put a few rockets into the enemy structure, you'll undoubtedly attract the biters but you can just go back to your turret wall, wait until the biters are gone and then go back to finish what you've began. After destroying a few worms and biter nests, you should have a somewhat clear way right to the enemy wreck. That's where you make a run for it, go straight for the spaceship wreck and take the computer from its inventory; you'll be followed by biters, but they won't be fast enough to catch you before you reach the wreck. Once you have the computer, you win.

Just remember that you must advance as fast as possible, because you might run out of ammo very soon.

I had the same thing. I found this in reddit explaining how to skip the mission:

This works in 0.9.8, Windows, and probably others too (with different folders).
•Make sure the game is closed
•Go to C:\Users<User>\AppData\Roaming\Factorio. The easy way there is to go to your install directory, click through config, mods, or saves, and go up a level.
•Make a back-up (just in case), and open player-data.json in a text editor
•Add missing levels using the structure that other entries use.

I discovered I can see the biter attacks on my radar. I ran east and dropped all my drones near the rocky area and managed to survive without too much damage. Then I ran south through the trees and picked up the computer with control-click so I could keep running and hope to stay alive while the dialogue runs and the mission ends.

This mission is absolutely stupid - runs counter to the experience I expected when I got this game, and wasn't a 'fun twist'. It would probably be fine if there weren't so many medium biters that are too difficult to kill with the tools available. This game is still in Alpha - so that's my experience and feedback as an Alpha Tester.

Are you playing the 0.10 version of the game? If so, you've been fairly lucky as the worms are bugged and often don't shoot you. The eastern forest is protected by big worms who can kill you in just a few hits.

I didn't even see any worms in the eastern forest. There are worms in the south forest, though (That was the way I tried to go the first time I tried to go around)

Huh, I met the eastern ones but didn't see the ones in south... strange. Although I have played the mission on 'oldschool' difficulty, so maybe the placement of worms is different in normal.

ShivaFang wrote: This mission is absolutely stupid - runs counter to the experience I expected when I got this game, and wasn't a 'fun twist'.

Agreed. I love the game, but that mission made me give up on the campaign.

Possibly the quickest and/or easiest way to beat the level that I have found? Run for it. Don't try to kill any of the biters. Just drive through the main nest and past the wreck without stopping. When you get close enough, Shift-Click the wreck. You'll pull the items right out of it even from within your car. Don't run into anything for the next few seconds, and the level ends. VICTORY!

(I know, kinda lame, but it works. Does require some tricky driving and quick clicking.)

eduran wrote:

ShivaFang wrote: This mission is absolutely stupid - runs counter to the experience I expected when I got this game, and wasn't a 'fun twist'.

Agreed. I love the game, but that mission made me give up on the campaign.

Yeah. If I knew there was only one more mission in the campaign I would have given up too as being not worth doing. Oh well, campaigns done now. I tinkered with the scenarios (from the 2nd level purchase) but didn't find them interesting so just playing on free mode now.

Thanks this tutorial was really appreciated.

I would say even necessary, cause this level is so against the grain of the game... I'd vote for removing and combining it with the next one.

Hi,
first it was a little bit frustrating. But if you use the turrets (not forget the ammo) it will be very easy. Turrets will not need energy - thats why it works
Franz

There is an extremely easy way to beat this level (IF you're willing to cheat a bit).

First, spawn a tank into your inventory by pressing ~ and entering: /c game.local_player.insert{name="tank", count=1}
This will give you a tank which has 5 times the health of a car and can smash through trees and rocks taking almost no damage, and it can also crush biters and hives at the cost of some health if it's up to full speed.

This next step is optional, but you can spawn several explosive tank shells into your inventory with /c game.local_player.insert{name="explosive-cannon-shell", count=1000}
You can load your shells into the tank as you take it in to fight the nest, but you really don't have to do any fighting at all. It's just nice to fire a few shots in their direction.

Finally, drive your tank straight towards the wrecked ship in the southeast corner of the map (careful not to run into it or it will be destroyed!) and click on it while still in your tank, then shift-click the computer into your inventory. After the last message finishes displaying on your screen, you are victorious!

Follower robots for the win. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFAmaladfso