Quick Start Guide: Difference between revisions

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This article covers the very first steps of progression, explaining how resource extraction and machines work, and how to build a small starter factory.
New players are also encouraged to familiarize themselves with the [[Interface]] and [[Hotkeys]] articles.


== Overview ==
__TOC__
 
== Manual Resource Collection ==
 
This section explains how to manually gather the resources required for early progression.
 
=== Finding Your Way ===
 
During the early game, you will need to collect several resources manually.
 
To avoid getting lost, use the map by pressing '''M'''. 
If you do lose your way, press '''Escape''' and select '''Teleport to Home'''. 
This will instantly return you to the [[Spawner]] on your starting platform.
 
=== Collecting Copper Ore ===
 
First, collect at least '''50 units of copper ore'''.
 
Both [[Malachite Ore|Malachite]] and [[Chalcopyrite Ore|Chalcopyrite]] can be used, as they contain copper.
These resources can be found in several forms:
* Resource clusters, visible on the map and on the compass
* Surface deposits directly in the terrain
 
Malachite surface deposits are '''green''', while Chalcopyrite deposits are '''reddish-orange'''.
 
Both clusters and deposits can be mined using the [[Multitool]].
However ore clusters never deplete when mined manually, but surface deposits are depleted when you dig them up.
 
=== Collecting Fuel ===
 
Next, collect '''30 units of any fuel'''.
 
The best fuel options at the start of the game are:
* [[Logs]] — obtained by cutting down trees
* [[Coal Ore|Coal]] — mined from clusters or surface deposits, similar to ores
 
=== Returning to Base ===
 
After collecting the required resources, return to your base manually or by using '''Teleport to Home'''.
 
You are now ready to begin building your first machines.
 
== Smelting Copper ==
 
This section explains how to smelt copper and produce your first metal plates.
 
=== Preparing Stone ===
 
At the start of the game, you have access to 99 units of [[Stone Surface|stone]], which is sufficient for early progression.
 
If you need more stone, you can:
* Mine stone rocks scattered across the world
* Dig underground until you reach the stone layer
 
<gallery>
File:First_Steps_Stone1.png|There are small stones.
File:First_Steps_Stone2.png|There are also large stones.
File:First_Steps_Stone4.png|But there is still more stone underground.
</gallery>
Note that the [[Building Material]] recipe requires '''white stone'''.
Red or dark stone variants cannot be used for this recipe.
 
=== Crafting the Furnace and Smelter ===
 
Return to your base and open the Inventory by pressing '''E'''.
In the '''Catalog''', select the '''Unlocked''' tab.
 
In the '''Stone''' category, craft the following machines by clicking on them with the '''Left Mouse Button''':
* [[Stone Furnace]]
* [[Stone Smelter]]
 
Crafting progress is displayed in the lower-left corner of the screen.
By clicking on an item currently being crafted, you can cancel its production.
 
=== Placing the Furnace ===
 
[[File:First_Steps_PlacingFurnace.png|right|thumb|Working Furnace & Smelter]]
Select the '''Stone Furnace''' in your Inventory and close the Inventory.
 
You will see a placement preview of the furnace.
To rotate the preview, press '''R'''.
 
Choose a location on your platform and place the furnace using the '''Left Mouse Button'''.
If you are not satisfied with the placement, you can always remove the machine using the Multitool.
 
Notice the '''red circle''' on top of the furnace — this is its '''heat output'''.
 
=== Connecting the Smelter ===
 
Next, select the '''Stone Smelter''' in your Inventory and place it directly on top of the furnace.
This connects the heat output of the furnace to the heat input of the smelter.
 
The furnace will now supply heat, allowing the smelter to operate.
 
==== Machine Inputs and Outputs ====
 
''Tip:'' All machines have inputs and outputs.


This is a guide for new players of Evospace to introduce them to the game, and guide them in learning the basics. It will cover what the various menu screens do and how to access them, and walk the player through building their first simple production lines.
* Inputs are usually displayed with a '''solid outline'''
* Outputs are usually displayed with a '''dashed outline'''


__TOC__
However, '''heat, kinetic, and electrical outputs''' are always shown with a solid outline.
The machine tooltip clearly indicates which resources the machine accepts and which it outputs.
 
=== Smelting Copper ===
 
Finally, open the '''Stone Smelter''' using the '''Right Mouse Button''' and place the mined '''copper ore''' inside it.
Place '''Fuel''' into the '''Stone Furnace'''.
 
If everything is set up correctly:
* The furnace will light up with a fire animation
* Molten metal will flow inside the smelter
* The smelter recipe progress bar will begin to fill
 
Once the progress bar is complete, you will receive the final product — a [[Copper Plate]].
 
== Researching New Machines ==
 
Before you can begin research, you must build and power a [[Computer]] so that it can start generating '''Computation'''.
 
=== Preparing for Research ===
 
Wait until at least '''23 Copper Plates''' have been smelted, then collect them.
After that, open the '''Catalog''' and craft the following machines:
 
# [[Stone Furnace]]
# [[Copper Stirling Engine]]
# [[Copper Compact Generator]]
# [[Copper Computer]]
 
=== Building the Research Setup ===
 
Now place the machines in sequence, matching their inputs and outputs by color.
 
# Place the '''Stone Furnace'''.
# Place the '''Copper Stirling Engine''' on top of the furnace.
# Attach the '''Copper Compact Generator''' to the Stirling Engine, connecting the '''yellow output''' to the '''yellow input'''.
# Finally, place the '''Copper Computer''', connecting the '''blue output''' to the '''blue input'''.


== Welcome to the world ==
Insert '''Fuel''' into the furnace at the bottom of the structure.
Once powered, the computer will begin operating and generating Computation.
[[File:First_Steps_ResearchSetup.jpg|thumb|center|700px|Early-game research setup]]


Welcome to Evospace.  Presuming that you just entered your first world, you will find yourself standing on a small platform, with a device in one corner. If you have not moved yet, look down - you are standing on it. That device marks your current "Home Location", and can be moved later should you want to.  For now, this is going to be your first mini-factory, and this guide will walk you through the basics of how to build a simple production line.
=== Unlocking Research ===


To begin, let's take a quick tour through the game's menus. At the bottom center of the screen is a '''Hotbar''', and will have two items on it.  The first is your [[Multitool]].  This is used to pick up manufactured items, harvest plants, or dig into the ground.  The second hotbar items are [[Basic Platform]] blocks, and you start out with 999 of them.  Try using your [[Multitool]] [Press the 1 key and Left Mouse] to remove one of the blocks from your starting planform, and then replace it [Press 2 and Left Mouse] with a Basic Block.
Open the Research tree in one of the following ways:
* Click the '''Research''' button in the lower-left corner of the screen
* Press the '''J''' hotkey


To access your [[Inventory]], press '''E'''. The center window is your inventory, and the right window is the Parts Catalog. The catalog has four tabs you can select : Unlocked (things you know how to make), Favorites, All items in the game, and Search results.  You can drag items from your inventory to your hotbar for quick access. To clear a hotbar slot, right-click on it.
Your primary goal is to research '''Automatic Mining'''.
However, this technology is locked behind other research nodes, so you must unlock them first.


In the lower left of the screen are a number of icons. The top five can be used to set the time of day. The two underneath those are for research, and the last two are for singling you are flighting (once you have a [[Jetpack]]) and a toggle to highlight inputs and outputs of machines. Don't worry about any of these for now.
Follow this order:
# Select '''Basic Machines''' and click '''Start Research''' in the upper-right corner of the screen.
# Add '''Automation''' to the research queue.
# Add '''Automatic Mining''' to the research queue.


== Collecting resources manually ==
Once all required research has been queued, all that remains is to wait for the research to complete.


Now it's time to gather some resources. You will need to go out and find some Copper Ore and some [[Fuel]]. Walk away from your starting platform and notice that there is an indicator in the upper left of the screen telling you what you are looking at at.  Don't worry about getting lost - you can always return Home by pressing '''Escape''' and using the '''Teleport to Home''' option.
Note: completed research are displayed in '''green'''. Queued research are '''blue'''. Unavailable research are '''red''', and '''orange''' indicates research that can be completed because their dependencies are queued.  


Copper is smelted from either of two ores called [[Chalcopyrite Ore|Chalcopyrite]] or [[Malachite Ore|Malachite]], both which you can find in colored rocks - Black with red stripes or Green. Chalcopyrite can also be found in reddish patches of ground.  Once you find some, use your multitool to gather about 30 ore.
A small blue "i" icon on a research item indicates that it is required to open the [[Portal]] - thus completing the game.


For fuel, you can either find some [[Coal Ore|Coal]] in Black rocks or greyish patches of ground, or harvest some '''Logs''' from trees.  Again, get about 30 units of fuel.
== Automatic Mining ==


Once you have your resources, return home.  It's smelting time.
After researching '''Automatic Mining''', you gain access to automated ore extraction.
From this point on, you no longer need to mine ores manually.


== Making Copper ==
=== Preparing the Machines ===


You start out with 99 Stone, which you can use as an initial building material until you have Copper.  If you need more stone, mine the rocks that are scattered about in the world.
To set up automatic mining, craft the following machines:
* [[Stone Furnace]]
* [[Stirling Engine]]
* [[Drilling Rig]]
* [[Stone Chest]]


Now to smelt the Copper ore into copper, we will need to make two machines.  Open your inventory, and look at your Unlocked Catalog.  In the '''Stone''' section, click on the '''Stone Furnace''' and the '''Stone Smelter''' to make one of each.  As you are making items, you can see the progress in the lower-left of your screen.
=== Finding a Copper Cluster ===


Open your inventory, click on the Stone Furnace, and close the inventory. You will see a ghostly furnace in front of you.  You can rotate it using the R key if you like, but it's orientation will not matter.  Pick a spot on your platform, and use the left mouse key to put it down.  If you want to pick it up again, you would use your Multitool.  Notice that on the top of the furnace, there is a dashed red circle.  As it's a dashed line, it is an Output, and as it's Red it's for Heat. Right click on the furnace to access it's interface.
Open the map by pressing '''M''' and locate the nearest copper ore cluster.
Both '''Malachite''' and '''Chalcopyrite''' are suitable.


In the middle of the interface is a progress bar.  Above that to the left is the Input area, currently empty. Drag the fuel you collected into that empty box.  The furnace is now creating heat, but as it's not being used, it's in a paused state - no fuel is being lost.
Bring some '''Fuel''' with you (or gather it along the way) and travel to the cluster.


Now open up your inventory again, and select the Smelter.  On the bottom of the smelter is a solid red circle. That tells you that it's the input side for heat.  Put the smelter on top of the furnace, so the red circles touch each other.  Then the heat from the furnace will flow into the smelter.
The Drilling Rig extracts the ore corresponding to the cluster it is placed near.
It has:
* Unlimited vertical range
* Limited horizontal range


Finally, open up the smelter (right click) and put in the copper ore. You will see Copper Plates being created in the output area of the smelter, under the progress bar.
=== Preparing the Platform ===


== Researching new machines ==
Once you reach the copper cluster, build a small platform slightly above it for convenience.
Before we look at the research tree, we need to do some preparation.  You will need 16 copper plate, so pick that up from the smelter.


Create one of each of the following : Stone furnace; Copper Sterling Engine; Copper Compact Generator; Copper Computer.  We are going to assemble these items to create '''Research Points''' so that we can unlock new machines.
Create a '''6×6''' platform using '''Basic Platforms'''.
You can hold the block placement button to create lines or flat surfaces more easily.


Put down the Furnace.  On top, put down the Engine (connecting the red circles).  The engine has a dotted Yellow circle, as it coverts heat into motion (i.e. Kinetic energy). Connect the yellow side of the Generator to the engine. This has a dotted Blue circle, as it converts Kinetic energy into Electricity.  Finally connect the Computer.
Before placing the '''Drilling Rig''', make sure that the tooltip at the top of the screen shows '''copper ore'''.
If it shows '''stone''', the rig is placed too far from the cluster and will mine stone instead.


Now fuel the new furnace, and we're ready to do some Research.
=== Connecting the Machines ===


Press '''J''' to access your research tree. We are going to unlock '''Automatic Mining''', but it's locked behind two other technologies. So first, research '''Basic Machines''' by clicking on it, then clicking on '''Start Research'''.  Once that's complete, unlock Automation and then Automatic Mining.  If the research progress stops, you've probably run out of fuel.
The Drilling Rig has A kinetic energy input and an item output, shown as a dashed square.


== Mining ==
Place a '''Stone Chest''' at the item output.
Now we don't want to keep going out and manually mining ore - it's time to automate that.  Build the following : Three Copper Hand Generators; A Copper Drilling Rig; and a Stone Chest.


Next we want to find a place to drill for Chalcopyrite.  Press M to open your map. If the ore names are not shown, use the Options button, and select Ore Names.  Find the nearest Chalcopyrite Ore to your home and walk over there.
Connect a '''Stirling Engine''' to the kinetic energy input.
To power the Stirling Engine, you have two options:
* Dig out one block below the engine and place a '''Stone Furnace''' underneath
* Rotate the Stirling Engine horizontally using '''Shift + R''' and place the furnace next to it
* Or install a drill on a small 3x3 platform
<gallery>
File:First_Steps_DrillingRigVertical.png|Underneath design
File:First_Steps_DrillingRigHorizontal.png|Horizontal design
File:First_Steps_DrillingRigPlatform.jpg|Platform design
</gallery>


Select the Drilling Rig from your inventory, but don't put it down just yet.  Check the text at the top of the screen to make sure that you are over the Chalcopyrite deposit.  Next, select your Basic Platform blocks and build a 6x6 platform. You can '''Drag''' to build a line of blocks, or '''Shift Drag''' to build an area. You could build directly on the ground, but it's easier to keep things tidy on platforms.  If there's any dirt on top of the platform, the multitool can remove it.  Now place your drilling rig, checking that it's going to mine the correct ore.
=== Starting Production ===


On the back of the rig, there are 3 Kinetic inputs. Attach your hand generators to these (match the circles using R to rotate) and once placed, use Left Clicks to wind them up.
Insert '''Fuel''' into the furnace to start the setup.


On the other side of the rig, there's a square output port.  Put your Chest right in front of it, touching the rig. Now the rig will happy mine ore for you while you are away doing other things.
After the drilling progress bar fills up, the Drilling Rig will output ore directly into the Stone Chest.
As long as the furnace has fuel, ore extraction will continue automatically.


== Next Steps (Homework) ==
== Next Steps (Homework) ==
Here's some ideas that you might want to do to move forward.
At this point, you have a working basic factory and access to automation. Here are several directions you can take next to continue your progress:
 
* '''Automate fuel production'''
Coal is the most reliable option: you’ll only need one more Drilling Rig placed on a coal cluster, and it will be able to supply fuel both for itself and for other machines. Alternatively, if the nearby soil fertility allows it, you can build an [[Automatic Farm]] and supply it with water using an [[Atmospheric Condenser]].
 
* '''Automate copper ore processing'''
Use [[Conveyor|conveyors]] to deliver ore to Smelters; to place items onto them, use [[Robot Arm]].
With the same Robot Arms, unload the smelters onto another conveyor and place a Chest at the end.
Don’t forget to supply fuel to all furnaces!
 
* '''Improve ore smelting efficiency'''
Middle-click (MMB) on any copper ore and check its processing recipes.
Some of them allow you to produce more than one plate from a single unit of ore.
 
* '''Explore the machines you’ve already unlocked'''
Use MMB to inspect any machine (in the Catalogue, Research tree, inventory, or after placing it in the world).
Compare their input and output values, examine available recipes, and think about how you can use them right now.


* Feed and Empty your copper smelter.  Use chests and Robot Arms to feed ore into the smelter and take out copper plates. Use Conveyors to move items from place to place.
* '''Set up your first Circuit production'''
* Replace the drilling rig hand generators with sterling engines. You'll need a fuel source (Atmospheric Condenser to feed water into a Automated farm to feed wood into Furnaces)
This will be your first truly complex and multi-stage task, but it’s essential: research costs increase exponentially with your progress.
* Make copper more efficient. Middle Mouse click on some Chalcopyrite ore. To the right is a series of machines that prosses the ore into different forms.  Multiple plates can be made from a single ore.
Insert the appropriate [[Circuit]] into Computers — this will dramatically increase their computation output.
* Build one of every Copper object.  Understand what they do, and how they might fit into production lines.  Middle Clicking on a machine will tell you how it's made and what it can do.
* Move from Copper into Steel.  As you move up the resource tree, your machines will become faster, but need more energy.


== Closing ==
== Closing ==
We hope you find this guide useful.  If you have any comments or suggestions, please feel free to put them into the '''Talk''' page, and we'll review them.  Also, if you have any questions, we have a Discord channel here : [https://discord.com/channels/446797368839503893/500231296178585600 General Discord Channel]
We hope you find this guide useful.  If you have any comments or suggestions, please feel free to put them into the '''Talk''' page, and we'll review them.  Also, if you have any questions, we have a Discord channel here : [https://discord.com/channels/446797368839503893/500231296178585600 General Discord Channel]

Latest revision as of 14:44, 28 February 2026

This article covers the very first steps of progression, explaining how resource extraction and machines work, and how to build a small starter factory. New players are also encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Interface and Hotkeys articles.

Manual Resource Collection

This section explains how to manually gather the resources required for early progression.

Finding Your Way

During the early game, you will need to collect several resources manually.

To avoid getting lost, use the map by pressing M. If you do lose your way, press Escape and select Teleport to Home. This will instantly return you to the Spawner on your starting platform.

Collecting Copper Ore

First, collect at least 50 units of copper ore.

Both Malachite and Chalcopyrite can be used, as they contain copper. These resources can be found in several forms:

  • Resource clusters, visible on the map and on the compass
  • Surface deposits directly in the terrain

Malachite surface deposits are green, while Chalcopyrite deposits are reddish-orange.

Both clusters and deposits can be mined using the Multitool. However ore clusters never deplete when mined manually, but surface deposits are depleted when you dig them up.

Collecting Fuel

Next, collect 30 units of any fuel.

The best fuel options at the start of the game are:

  • Logs — obtained by cutting down trees
  • Coal — mined from clusters or surface deposits, similar to ores

Returning to Base

After collecting the required resources, return to your base manually or by using Teleport to Home.

You are now ready to begin building your first machines.

Smelting Copper

This section explains how to smelt copper and produce your first metal plates.

Preparing Stone

At the start of the game, you have access to 99 units of stone, which is sufficient for early progression.

If you need more stone, you can:

  • Mine stone rocks scattered across the world
  • Dig underground until you reach the stone layer

Note that the Building Material recipe requires white stone. Red or dark stone variants cannot be used for this recipe.

Crafting the Furnace and Smelter

Return to your base and open the Inventory by pressing E. In the Catalog, select the Unlocked tab.

In the Stone category, craft the following machines by clicking on them with the Left Mouse Button:

Crafting progress is displayed in the lower-left corner of the screen. By clicking on an item currently being crafted, you can cancel its production.

Placing the Furnace

Working Furnace & Smelter

Select the Stone Furnace in your Inventory and close the Inventory.

You will see a placement preview of the furnace. To rotate the preview, press R.

Choose a location on your platform and place the furnace using the Left Mouse Button. If you are not satisfied with the placement, you can always remove the machine using the Multitool.

Notice the red circle on top of the furnace — this is its heat output.

Connecting the Smelter

Next, select the Stone Smelter in your Inventory and place it directly on top of the furnace. This connects the heat output of the furnace to the heat input of the smelter.

The furnace will now supply heat, allowing the smelter to operate.

Machine Inputs and Outputs

Tip: All machines have inputs and outputs.

  • Inputs are usually displayed with a solid outline
  • Outputs are usually displayed with a dashed outline

However, heat, kinetic, and electrical outputs are always shown with a solid outline. The machine tooltip clearly indicates which resources the machine accepts and which it outputs.

Smelting Copper

Finally, open the Stone Smelter using the Right Mouse Button and place the mined copper ore inside it. Place Fuel into the Stone Furnace.

If everything is set up correctly:

  • The furnace will light up with a fire animation
  • Molten metal will flow inside the smelter
  • The smelter recipe progress bar will begin to fill

Once the progress bar is complete, you will receive the final product — a Copper Plate.

Researching New Machines

Before you can begin research, you must build and power a Computer so that it can start generating Computation.

Preparing for Research

Wait until at least 23 Copper Plates have been smelted, then collect them. After that, open the Catalog and craft the following machines:

  1. Stone Furnace
  2. Copper Stirling Engine
  3. Copper Compact Generator
  4. Copper Computer

Building the Research Setup

Now place the machines in sequence, matching their inputs and outputs by color.

  1. Place the Stone Furnace.
  2. Place the Copper Stirling Engine on top of the furnace.
  3. Attach the Copper Compact Generator to the Stirling Engine, connecting the yellow output to the yellow input.
  4. Finally, place the Copper Computer, connecting the blue output to the blue input.

Insert Fuel into the furnace at the bottom of the structure. Once powered, the computer will begin operating and generating Computation.

Early-game research setup

Unlocking Research

Open the Research tree in one of the following ways:

  • Click the Research button in the lower-left corner of the screen
  • Press the J hotkey

Your primary goal is to research Automatic Mining. However, this technology is locked behind other research nodes, so you must unlock them first.

Follow this order:

  1. Select Basic Machines and click Start Research in the upper-right corner of the screen.
  2. Add Automation to the research queue.
  3. Add Automatic Mining to the research queue.

Once all required research has been queued, all that remains is to wait for the research to complete.

Note: completed research are displayed in green. Queued research are blue. Unavailable research are red, and orange indicates research that can be completed because their dependencies are queued.

A small blue "i" icon on a research item indicates that it is required to open the Portal - thus completing the game.

Automatic Mining

After researching Automatic Mining, you gain access to automated ore extraction. From this point on, you no longer need to mine ores manually.

Preparing the Machines

To set up automatic mining, craft the following machines:

Finding a Copper Cluster

Open the map by pressing M and locate the nearest copper ore cluster. Both Malachite and Chalcopyrite are suitable.

Bring some Fuel with you (or gather it along the way) and travel to the cluster.

The Drilling Rig extracts the ore corresponding to the cluster it is placed near. It has:

  • Unlimited vertical range
  • Limited horizontal range

Preparing the Platform

Once you reach the copper cluster, build a small platform slightly above it for convenience.

Create a 6×6 platform using Basic Platforms. You can hold the block placement button to create lines or flat surfaces more easily.

Before placing the Drilling Rig, make sure that the tooltip at the top of the screen shows copper ore. If it shows stone, the rig is placed too far from the cluster and will mine stone instead.

Connecting the Machines

The Drilling Rig has A kinetic energy input and an item output, shown as a dashed square.

Place a Stone Chest at the item output.

Connect a Stirling Engine to the kinetic energy input. To power the Stirling Engine, you have two options:

  • Dig out one block below the engine and place a Stone Furnace underneath
  • Rotate the Stirling Engine horizontally using Shift + R and place the furnace next to it
  • Or install a drill on a small 3x3 platform

Starting Production

Insert Fuel into the furnace to start the setup.

After the drilling progress bar fills up, the Drilling Rig will output ore directly into the Stone Chest. As long as the furnace has fuel, ore extraction will continue automatically.

Next Steps (Homework)

At this point, you have a working basic factory and access to automation. Here are several directions you can take next to continue your progress:

  • Automate fuel production

Coal is the most reliable option: you’ll only need one more Drilling Rig placed on a coal cluster, and it will be able to supply fuel both for itself and for other machines. Alternatively, if the nearby soil fertility allows it, you can build an Automatic Farm and supply it with water using an Atmospheric Condenser.

  • Automate copper ore processing

Use conveyors to deliver ore to Smelters; to place items onto them, use Robot Arm. With the same Robot Arms, unload the smelters onto another conveyor and place a Chest at the end. Don’t forget to supply fuel to all furnaces!

  • Improve ore smelting efficiency

Middle-click (MMB) on any copper ore and check its processing recipes. Some of them allow you to produce more than one plate from a single unit of ore.

  • Explore the machines you’ve already unlocked

Use MMB to inspect any machine (in the Catalogue, Research tree, inventory, or after placing it in the world). Compare their input and output values, examine available recipes, and think about how you can use them right now.

  • Set up your first Circuit production

This will be your first truly complex and multi-stage task, but it’s essential: research costs increase exponentially with your progress. Insert the appropriate Circuit into Computers — this will dramatically increase their computation output.

Closing

We hope you find this guide useful. If you have any comments or suggestions, please feel free to put them into the Talk page, and we'll review them. Also, if you have any questions, we have a Discord channel here : General Discord Channel