Episode 27 is a long live stream, and it is about robots. The base now runs on trains for coal, ore and passengers. Basket researches Construction robotics, builds a line for flying robot frames, and tries out the first construction robot, which does nothing on its own. A power and coal shortage then costs some turrets in the south. Once a roboport goes down, robots start repairing and replacing the defenses. By the end, a first try at moving items between chests with logistic robots works, but slowly, and the iron supply has stalled behind too much copper.
A tour, then research
The stream opens with a ride on a passenger train and a look at the trains built so far. "I figured out how the train stuff works." The coal train is not leaving enough coal at the power plant, so its schedule is changed to make it wait there longer. The goal is stated plainly: "I would like to beat this so that I can play it again."
Research starts with Lab research speed 2, and speed modules go into the labs: "now we're gonna be less fuel efficient or less energy efficient but will be faster." At the research screen, Automated construction reads "unavailable," so Construction robotics comes first.
Building toward robots
Construction robotics unlocks a roboport, a passive provider chest, a storage chest and a construction robot. The robot needs a flying robot frame, so Basket clears old ammunition and spare rail into chests and lays out a new assembler line. Battery production has stalled for lack of iron, so batteries come in on one side of a belt. Filtered inserters pull green circuits and steel onto it, and speed modules go into the new assemblers.
The first construction robots get carried south to where turrets are taking damage. A robot placed by hand just sits there. "I have a drone and he doesn't do anything." The research screen shows Logistic robotics next, and the commentary guesses at what is missing: "I think it needs to be connected to a network."
Out of power
A roboport needs plastic, and the plastic is not being made: there is no coal on its belt. A splitter sends some coal that way, but the bigger problem is power. The coal train has been dropping its load elsewhere first, so its schedule gets a new first stop at the power plant with a wait of 60 seconds. Basket also hand-feeds fuel into the boilers. In the south, turrets go dark: "Are you guys considering firing but you can't? Because you have no power?"
Lost turrets now show up in purple with zero health. "Purple means that nothing's there." A missing pipe gets replaced at the water: "Yes, now we have water." Meanwhile Logistic robotics finishes and Logistic system starts.
Roboports at work
With plastic and red circuits in hand, the first roboport goes down in the battered south and gets a stock of robots and repair packs. "Oh my goodness this is the coolest thing ever." Basket builds an assembler line for repair packs. A second roboport goes in by the steam engines, next to a chest holding laser turrets. "So they grab the four turrets and they put them back in the empty spots."
A third roboport goes by the turret assembly area, and a requester chest farther away asks for 50 laser turrets. Nothing flies over. "I bet it has to be in that range." The research box stops on Laser turret damage 5, which calls for an Alien science pack: "we don't have purple science yet."
Where it ends
Back at the assembly area, a provider chest takes green circuits off a line and a requester chest asks for 200 of them. Nothing moves until logistic robots go into the roboport. "He's only grabbing one at a time. So it's kind of silly." Iron has run out too: copper has backed up, and a train sits waiting to unload it. The research box still reads Laser turret damage 5. The video ends on the assembly area with that one robot at work.
