So I'm an avid fan of Warptorio 2 (and the ill-fated "sequel" that broke license by not being different enough, Warptorio 3). So when I saw Warptorio 2 finally had a version out for Space Age, of course I had to try it out, see what's new, what's gone, and see how gameplay changed.

I was not prepared for what was to come. So I'm leaving a summary of my experiences, my QoL suggestions, and my suggestions for those who may have just discovered the warped beauty of Warptorio.

So I create my file, spawn in.... and right away.... no warp platform? Interesting. Also saw info on waves, wave timers, and auto-warp timers... and all of it was paused. Okay, being given some breathing room to start is a nice touch, I'll give this a point. Mission is clear: hyper-stock all early resources. Iron, copper, coal, stone brick, and a small bit of wood for early poles (I switch to solely using Mediums once they're available). Got to work on standard start while the timers were paused... and then I got to green science. Oh boy. With ZERO warning, the wave timer started. Five minutes later, resource stockpile is gone because the first two waves grouped up and hit at the same time. Some fifty-odd biters. Ouch. Lesson learned. Restarting file.

So here I am, starting to stockpile resources (and ammo, this time!), and I come to realize.... I have absolutely ZERO idea where the warp platform will spawn when I research Ground Platform 1. I also suspected this, but there's also ZERO notification that the ten minute auto-warp timer has started. So I'm stockpiling, but my stockpile end up being some two-odd chunks away from the spawn point. It's a disaster moving that stockpile that far by hand.

So my first two suggestions, if I may:
-- Warptorio was VERY good about providing messages in the message log when ANYTHING nonstandard occurred. Text warnings of timers starting... among other events, like the spawn of the Warp Demolisher >:( ... would go a LONG way to quality of life.
-- A block of hazard concrete at the beginning of the game indicating exactly where Ground Platform 1 will spawn in will be helpful, so that one can specifically route resources to be stored next to it... making the ten minutes one gets to move resources onto the platform a lot less harrowing.

Continuing on, setting down coal snakes, furnaces and burner mining drills... eventually get some steam power going... build a pipe ring to start a small water buffer since storage tanks aren't available yet... and Factory Floor 1 spawns in.... as well as the new method of floor travel. Ouch. Lost six chests to that spawn. I saw there's a post that you're adding hazard concrete to any at-risk tiles, thank you for adding that.

Speaking of at-risk tiles... losing any building that occupied the very corner-most tiles of Factory 1 when upgrading to Factory 2? That's something that never happened with the pre-Space Age Warptorio. Losing two LABS and two Red Science assemblers to that is brutal, and in a game where every tile counts, at-risk tiles for no reason are an absolute detriment. I saw you intended to hazard those corner tiles, but I personally feel the smarter play is to expand the size of Factory 2 by 1 tile each direction so that Factory 1 is the unmodified center and the upgrade just adds the four "wings". Replacing vanishing buildings is not cheap when resource gathering is limited to bare-bones gathering methods.

Some recommendations to those picking this mod up for the first time:
-- Absolutely bring a QoL mod that gives you access to fast robots or instant building, like Nanobots. You will be constantly building and demolishing in ten minute cycles, and with Harvester Platforms completely gone (one of the absolute hallmarks of pre-SA Warptorio 2 and 3) you will be waiting until VERY late game to get the ability to automate resource intake, so almost all of the cycle is spent setting up, gathering, and tearing down before a Vulcanus small demolisher (something that requires uranium ammo to kill efficiently) spawns to ruin your entire platform.
-- On top of that, Even Distribution (for spreading coal and ammo amongst all in-range valid targets) and Fill4Me (to auto-load turrets and furnaces on placement) are absolutely required because of how much up-and-down is going on with furnaces, burner miners, and gun turrets in the first 75+ warp zones (or ten hours) worth of play.
-- Stockpile a TON of Steel early, because BARRELS are basically your only method of reliable transportation of Oil, with Warp Harvesters and the Warp Planetary Gate axed from the mod. Car, solar panels, poles, a couple of pumpjacks, and a rank 2 assembler are basically mandatory any time you're out of oil. And you'll ALWAYS be out of oil.

I'm about to hit blue science, which I hear is needed to access the other planets... fun fact, you need to get warped to the WORST planet, Gleba, to unlock anything above Rank 2 in Factory size upgrades. Brutal. But this mod is made for those who enjoy being brutalized, so take that how you will...

Thank you for the nice review of your journey so far.

• Hazard concrete will be in next update and few more texts that explain your goal as well
• You get warp chest with blue science that helps a lot with resource gathering. Harvester floor was removed, because in space age there are new ways how to get unlimited copper and iron. I wanted to encourage using those new ways as much as possible (thus removing harvester floor, so players have to think outside of the box)
• QoL mods are not needed, but they do make warptorio a lot easier
• Once you unlock blue science you will never be out of oil (fulgora has plenty of oil)
• Gleba might be the worst planet, but it is only planet that exists on its own (talking about research chain) when you combine that with spoil mechanic it makes it basically required to be the first planet
• Fun fact Gleba: This is the first planet with unlimited iron and copper. If you use that right you can reduce how many gathering trips you do by a lot

Gleba: This is the first planet with unlimited iron and copper

I'm not sure I understand. You can produce Iron yourself, as long as you have Bioflux. Which spoils within less than 2 hours. You would have to go to Gleba to get more fruit. Hardly any more infinite than regularly getting more ore from nauvis or lava from vulcanus. Am I missing something?

Yes bioflux spoils in 2 hours (at least 3 jumps probably more like 10), so if we are conservative then we can say that you can sustain belt of iron and half of copper for 1.5 hours (you can process it faster of course, but that requires more space) while doing other stuff. When you combine that with vulcanus research it will last even longer (while also avoiding a ton of stone)

Storing lava with vanilla tanks is not really space efficient (I still store some of it for when I need stone or when I run out of iron and copper)

It is all about space efficiency from a few steel chests of fruits you can have iron and copper for a while. Getting it from nauvis is not bad, but you need more space for storage (it is easier to setup though). And in last place would be lava that is super easy to setup, but takes a lot of space and you have to deal with stone as well