Just started playing this, ran out of components--no idea how to get more, trying my first trade caravan (The work bench that makes them is still a huge way off in terms of research and haven't had any traders in the last year =-/)
Kharzette's advice is good if you have a lot of mountains to mine. One of my maps just has tunnels that go on forever and ever looking for components. Second option is caravans and space traders. Third option is to put some right solid gear on, put extra medicine/food on for travel and battle and then go raid a tribe (set up a make shift base before battle if they give you the opportunity). Fourth option is (if you can manage it), turn settlements up to two - supply a caravan with enough food to last at least a month with 2-3 people, and go settle a "Mountainous" area. You can abandon that settlement if its too much work. I have the most success with the last option, just to give you a heads up.
Generally, you're playing in a way that probably blows through components too fast. Fast track Fabrication after you get set up, so you can build your own. Takes a long time to get research up to that point. I usually pick a faction that has slaves and set up fields etc. that have them picking food, mine and cutting trees etc. That way, I can slice two-three settlers (depending on how many I have) work load down to just research. I box the slaves into sections and keep each work type of slaves set to one area (so they dont all riot at the same time basically). I also sell off any useless slaves for good money. Or, you can just convert good slaves and make them join your tribe. But then you bring in a whole new host of problems with happiness, etc.
Kharzette
, Im glad you're playing this game. I play it too much like Caesar 3 or Sim City and never pay attention to whats going on in their personal lives. So far, Ive created a prison that sold people into slavery. Ended up taking up a massive portion of the buildable map by the time I didnt care anymore. At first, it was only once in a while when a trader would buy people. Then after a while, I guess they learned I was the one stop shop and just about every trader and space caravan that passed was buying them. Tribes that would raid me would just be stunned and carted off to a pen. That would also tell me where they came from and where to raid. I think my whole thought process was based off the movie "
Apocalypto" lol.
Also did the human organ harvesting, but that wasnt as much fun. Selling Human Leather is something... interesting, though.
I think the next map Im going to try, Im going to go heavy into mods - (whenever people update them) like you. I've seen some really cool ones, but they never seem to work with the newest version.
TL: DR - Slaves and Prisoners bro. Trivializes the game while your actual settlers are living the high life.
