New Ferrumium users usually do not break the planner. They just make a few predictable mistakes early on. This page covers the ones that come up most often and what to do instead.

Starting with machines instead of a goal

It is easy to begin by dropping machines into the layout right away. That usually creates a messy plan fast, because the factory still has no clear purpose.

Start with a simple target instead. Decide what the factory should make, which inputs you expect to use, and how large the first version needs to be. Even a rough plan is better than placing parts at random.

Assuming placement means the setup works

A machine on the screen is only one part of the job. It still needs the right recipe, the right inputs, and enough output capacity.

If the layout looks complete but the numbers do not make sense, check those three things first. In most cases, the problem is not the machine itself. It is what the machine is connected to.

Ignoring planner feedback until the end

Many beginners keep building and plan to check warnings later. That usually turns one small problem into ten connected ones.

Ferrumium shows useful feedback while you work. Watch the rates first, then look for bottlenecks, missing inputs, or blocked outputs as the layout grows. In detailed mode, connection labels also make throughput limits easier to spot.

Treating every connection as if it has infinite capacity

A connection is not just a visual link. Belts and pipes have limits, and those limits affect whether the plan actually works.

If one part of the layout looks underfed or blocked, check the connection before changing recipes or rebuilding the whole area. The issue may just be a throughput limit.

Letting the layout stay flat for too long

Small factories can stay simple for a while. Larger ones get hard to read if everything lives in one open area with no structure.

Once a build starts to grow, use Groups to keep related parts together. If one section needs its own internal layout, move it into a Subfactory instead of stretching the main view further and further.

Using the wrong tool for the job

Some users try to do target-based planning entirely in the planner. Others open Drafts when they really want to place and adjust the layout by hand.

Use the planner when you want direct control over the factory layout. Use Drafts when you want to start from a production goal and work backward from the result.