Field notes · Early factory
The fastest way to lose time is to build a larger version of an unstable loop. These are the constraints that make early production observable, recoverable, and ready to expand.
Working route
Keep Gold, Residue, and incoming Wet Sand on distinct paths. A jam is easier to fix when its source is visible instead of buried in a pile.
Wet Sand is denser than Residue. A downward diagonal of Shakers lets incoming Wet Sand settle while the Residue is gradually pushed away.
When sorting a mixed pile, configure a Filter for the denser material. Gold settles under Sand, giving it the best chance to reach the Filter.
Use a side-facing Launcher or an open collection lane to clear stopped pixels. Do not close the factory until you can recover a blocked input.
Water seeks a flat pool and can leak through unblocked corner joins. Build collection depressions and close diagonal seams.
Freeze Lava to Scoria, excavate Cinder, move the solid, then ignite it only inside a contained worksite.
A Filter works through a pile with density constraints. Flatten the feed before assuming an allowed material can reach it.
Questions answered
Start with the Wet Sand to Gold and Residue loop. It is the first documented research route and exposes the material, sorting, and recovery constraints you will use later.
Residue leaves slowly from the Shaker top. Use a downward-diagonal Shaker layout and keep a clear route for the Residue so Wet Sand can keep reaching the machines.
Not reliably. Lower-density pixels above denser ones may not reach the Filter. Configure the densest material first and keep the input layer shallow.
Evidence notes
These are useful player examples, not official specifications.
