So I was about to give up on my first factory

[Frightning]

Because of incessant biter attacks, and a lack of Advanced Circuits and Flying Robot Frames (so I wasn't in a position to automate repairs). Given that I had 2 outputs (1 Oil, 1 Iron), this made it to where I had to almost constant run to my outputs to repair turret damage and then return to my base, only to have to do it again in a minute or two. Then I read up a bit on how pollution affects biter bases and attacks and realized why they were attacking me so much:

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They were sick and tired of my motherfucking pollution wafting into their motherfucking spawners!

Realizing this, I also noted that had a large number of Batteries stored up and plenty of Steel Plates and Electronic Circuits as well. This gave me an idea: Laser Turret creep. One problem, my power grid wasn't up to the task. So I used some of those Batteries to make a bunch of Accumulators and built a fresh set of 1:14:10 Steam power, and then built 15 Laser Turrets and a bunch of Medium and Big Power Poles, and set out to kill me some biter bases.

The result?

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I'm being attacked only about a third as much as before, and overall less severe too. I erected power connections from my main base to my outputs in the process as well (they were operating on local Solar Power (in the case of my latest Coal outpost, no power at all). So now my outputs can safely sport Laser Turrets in addition to their current Gun Turrets. My only real concern now is how soon before the biters reach Behemoth status (my defenses are not ready for that yet, and it's going to be some time before I have that solved, though I have already automated Laser Turret production and have like 100 of the things stashed now, so it's mostly a matter of beefing up my power infrastructure some (mainly more Accumulators) and then dispensing the Turrets around my perimeter.

So glad I decided to do this (and why didn't I try it sooner?! *facepalm*).

[AutoMcD]

It takes a pretty long time for that to happen, I've played through a few times now and even after launching rocket have not encountered the behemoths.

The phrase "The best defense is a good offense" applies very well to this game. If you clear out the spawn camps that are within the pollution radius, the attacks will drop dramatically.

Obviously keeping this radius to a minimum makes this easier, but with a perimeter made using large electric poles and laser turrets it's not too difficult to keep your "safe zone" cleared out. Your pollution level is not bad, and going to solar helps a lot.

Don't underestimate the efficiency modules, for the high power buildings it's better on resources to put the module in than to build as much solar, plus a building with reduced consumption has reduced pollution output.

[Frightning]

It takes a pretty long time for that to happen, I've played through a few times now and even after launching rocket have not encountered the behemoths.

The phrase "The best defense is a good offense" applies very well to this game. If you clear out the spawn camps that are within the pollution radius, the attacks will drop dramatically.

Obviously keeping this radius to a minimum makes this easier, but with a perimeter made using large electric poles and laser turrets it's not too difficult to keep your "safe zone" cleared out. Your pollution level is not bad, and going to solar helps a lot.

Don't underestimate the efficiency modules, for the high power buildings it's better on resources to put the module in than to build as much solar, plus a building with reduced consumption has reduced pollution output.

I'm over 40 hours in and have been seeing Big Biters and Big Spitters for some time now (most attacks these days have as many Big enemies as medium if not more), hence my concern about Behemoths showing up soonish.

[Shokubai]

The phrase "The best defense is a good offense" applies very well to this game. If you clear out the spawn camps that are within the pollution radius, the attacks will drop dramatically.

Bentham calls it Mowing the lawn and I think its quite appropriate.

[Xterminator]

Good post! This is definitely a good strategy and aspect of the game to learn. By clearing out bases in your pollution range you can pretty much turn off attacks completely. Of course sometimes they will build new bases in your pollution and you will get some attacks from that if you don't find them and destroy them quickly. If you want to be ballsy and perhaps a bit foolish you could avoid building defense almost completely if you are very proactive about clearing the bases.

However, I think a combo of both like you did is best. Clearing out bases fairly often on the pollution range will allow you get away with much lighter defenses like turret "outposts" in main areas rather than walking in your entire base like you might do otherwise.

[taiiat]

yep, it's very helpful for the Player to actively go out and attack Bug Bases.
more Bases means more Pollution related attacks.

especially since Bugs 'reproduce' in a sense, making new Bases periodically. if left alone, eventually there will be quite an alarming density of Bug Bases.
very important to smash some of those Bases!

though you could also build fortress walls and then build walls of turrets behind those walls, and robot stations to repair it all - but that's less fun if you ask me.

[Shokubai]

Base defense gets pretty trivial when you can include your defensive line in your logi network so that things get replaced and repaired automagically.

[aka13]

There is one additional trick which is not often mentioned, but you can place any object (for example, a wooden chest, or an electric post) to prevent biters from settling around in in 3 chunk radius. So, when you clear out a biters nest, place something there, and they will never expand there again

[Shokubai]

There is one additional trick which is not often mentioned, but you can place any object (for example, a wooden chest, or an electric post) to prevent biters from settling around in in 3 chunk radius. So, when you clear out a biters nest, place something there, and they will never expand there again

Which is kind of a cheat in my games that I avoid. Biters are mostly trivial as it is. No reason to gimp threw them.

[AutoMcD]

Cheat? They are simple creatures. Would you drop a hive in plain sight of alien structures? Of course not!

[nobodx]

You're in a good position, with lakes around you.

Once you've ramped up your turret and walls production, you can close the gaps between them and have a nice and comfy base

Like this:

[Shokubai]

Cheat? They are simple creatures. Would you drop a hive in plain sight of alien structures? Of course not!

They are smart enough to come find me based on the direction my pollution spread, even against the prevailing winds.