Okay, so I’ve been messing around with this whole “Automated Workforce Factory” idea in Frostpunk 2. It’s a wild ride, let me tell you. I started off, like everyone else I guess, just trying to keep my people from freezing to death. You know, the usual Frostpunk stuff – coal, food, hope…or lack thereof.
But then I started thinking, “There’s gotta be a better way, right?” I mean, constantly juggling worker assignments, making sure everyone’s in the right place at the right time… it’s a headache. So I started experimenting with automating as much as possible.
My First Foray into Automation
My initial attempt was, uh, pretty basic. I focused on getting the core resources flowing smoothly. I built a ton of gathering posts, then started upgrading them to more advanced structures as soon as I could. The goal was simple: overproduce everything, so I wouldn’t have to constantly react to shortages.
- Coal, coal, coal. You can never have enough. I went heavy on Thumpers and Gathering Posts, then transitioned to Coal Mines as quickly as technology and resources allowed.
- Food. Hunting was my early game, obviously, but I rushed Hothouses. The consistent food output is a game-changer.
- Steel and Wood. These are your building blocks. I didn’t go crazy on these at first, but I made sure I had a steady supply.
The “Aha!” Moment
The real turning point came when I started playing around with the Districts and the new delegate stuff. I realized I could set up specialized districts – one for coal, one for food, one for steel, and so on. Then, I’d assign delegates who had bonuses related to those resources. For example I found out that a coal delegate can help boost the coal production!
It wasn’t perfect, mind you. There was still some manual tweaking needed. Sometimes, I’d have to shift workers around if a particular resource got critically low. Or, I’d have to adjust laws and policies to deal with discontent or sickness outbreaks. But, the amount of micromanaging I had to do was drastically reduced.
The (Almost) Fully Automated City
Eventually, I got to a point where my city was humming along pretty nicely without much intervention. Resources were flowing, people were (relatively) happy, and the icy apocalypse seemed a little less…apocalyptic. It’s that I made sure to upgrade those automatons, and I would build a lot of them! I researched all the automation-related technologies as a top priority. Those upgrades make a HUGE difference.
The key, I think, is to plan ahead. Don’t just react to problems. Think about what you’ll need in the future, and start building towards that. And don’t be afraid to experiment! There’s no single “right” way to do it. You gotta find what works for you and your city.
It’s not 100% hands-off, of course. Frostpunk 2 still throws curveballs at you. But it’s a heck of a lot more manageable when you’ve got a solid, automated foundation in place. I can actually focus on the bigger picture, the story, and the tough decisions, instead of just scrambling to keep the lights on (or, you know, the heaters blasting).
