Hello everyone!
Enjoying shapez 2 so far? We've seen a great amount of you who picked up the game during Early Access take it for another spin with the 1.0 release, and we're really excited to have you back. If you're new here, welcome! This devlog will be interesting to you especially.
While the tutorial took you through all the basics to get started on your factory, here are some additional tips & tricks for if you've already progressed a bit!
Keep the Vortex clear
You'll build the very first bits of your factory along the Vortex. However, this space is the most valuable real estate in the game. You're limited in how many belts you can connect to the Vortex, so you'll need to be smart about how you manage this space.
So instead of building your factory on the Vortex Platform, move your initial factories to other platforms. This makes sure you don't get tangled up getting things to the Vortex. You could also consider deleting parts of your factories to make an improved version!
Don't be afraid to delete and improve
You'll learn the ins and outs of factory building as you go, so naturally, you'll end up with bits of factory you're not particularly proud of. You could make some tweaks to improve the worst of it, but this often just moves the issue. Often, it's simpler and better in the long run to just... delete it, and start over. Use what you've learned so far and come up with a new design!
Think in layers
While you may initially only use the different building layers to cross two belts or feed both inputs of a Stacker, there's so much more to layers than just placing belts: you can also place buildings on every layer! If you've unlocked all layers upgrades and the building you're placing is only one layer tall, you can stack three of them on top of each other. Is your production line not producing enough? Just copy it and stack another two on top for triple the production!
The same works on Platform scale as well. Any platforms can be placed on every building layer, so if you're running out of space or need to scale up production quickly, don't be afraid to move up a layer or two.
Tip: you can simply select buildings and platforms and use [Ctrl+C] and [Ctrl+V] to copy and paste!
Check the resources around you
The elites don't want you to know this but the shapes floating around in space are free and you can just take them! You may be able to save some time if you have a look around for what shapes are readily available, even if it requires a bit of cutting beforehand.
You can use the shape filters in Overview Mode (the view if you scroll all the way out) to easily locate the parts you need. Even if it's quite some distance away, you can use trains to bring it to your factory.
Research Credits
It's a good idea to take a bit of time to tackle some shape jobs in Classic Mode, or a passive Research Credit provider in Manufacture Mode. Research holds some very important upgrades: global speed multipliers, Vortex inputs, train speed and capacity to name a couple. You can unlock new buildings that work similar but different, often even better, like the Cutter and Swapper that don't delete shapes. There are more tools to optimize belts and trains, and of course the aforementioned 3rd building layer!
Aim for full belts
When you click on a belt, you'll see the maximum throughput of it in the little window that pops up. By the same logic, if you click on a building, you'll see its maximum production speed. You can use these two values to determine how many buildings you need to fill up a belt.
If all your belts are at capacity, it'll be easier later down the line to balance them. You won't need to go back to calculate how many shapes are being produced somewhere if you know it's at a belt's maximum capacity. If you need something at a 3:2 ratio, you'll know you need 3 belts of one and 2 belts of the other. This leads into our next point!
Function Blueprints
Once you're thinking with full belts, you can standardize parts of your factory. Or specifically, standardize specific steps! This becomes important once your factory really starts scaling up rapidly.
If you find yourself using a specific step of a process a lot, make a blueprint out of it. For example, you'll likely end up in a situation where you need to stack the output of two Space Belts. Build a platform, place enough Stackers on it to service a Space Belt, connect everything with normal belts and save it as a Blueprint! Whenever you end up in the same situation again, you won't have to reinvent the wheel.
Blueprints you tend to use a lot can be added to your hotbar for quick access, by dragging its icon from the Blueprint Library to your preferred hotbar slot!
Tip: if you've copied something with [Ctrl+C], you can press [Ctrl+B] to turn it into a blueprint!
Pipette tool
Going back to micro level, don't sleep on the Pipette Tool! While you can get to all your buildings with the hotkeys quite quickly once you get the hang of them, there may be an easier way. If you've already placed the building you're looking for nearby, simply hover over it and press [C]!
Need more info? Check the Codex!
When all else fails and you're at your wits' end, the Codex has got your back. You can find information about everything in the game in the Codex, complete with search function and neat example videos. It even covers more advanced topics, like the coveted Make-Anything Machine!
You can find the Codex in the top right panel as a button with a book icon. Or, simply press [G]!
Got shapez 2 on your mind while at work? Try the community-made wiki! It even has a page about the Codex!
That's it for today! Be sure to share your factories with us here in Steam or our socials. We'll see you again soon!