So traders/ships just stop carrying components mid-game?

[nuschler22]

Can't find any plasteel on the map so I can't build the multi-analyzer which is necessary for building components. 

No traders have either components or plasteel. 

I'm stagnant.  I'm strip mining until I can find some plasteel but it's slow going.

Every now and then I'll run into compacted machinery which gives me six to eight components which hardly keeps up with the rate everything breaks down.

Any tips?  Or is just grinding until I find something?  Not very fun.

[b0rsuk]

I'm not sure there even is plasteel to mine anymore in alpha13. Mechanoids drop plasteel. If you make peace with most factions, you'll be getting more mechanoid raids. But even tribal trade caravans sometimes carry plasteel.

Components are common in traders in my experience, just in small numbers. And if you luck out and get an exotic goods trader, you can buy something like 30.

Mid game is something like 7-8 colonists for me. I built a ship in 5502, with the last 200 plasteel from a mechanoid raid with 4 centipedes.

[Shurp]

Once you have a decent colony you should get mechanoid raids to provide you with plasteel.  Gold is harder to come by.  But both can be had by raiding a tomb.

Of course, you need gear to raid a tomb in the first place.  Be daring.  Build a whatchamacallit to make survival rifles and body armor for your half dozen colonists, then go in there  

[BugPowderDust]

I'm not sure there even is plasteel to mine anymore in alpha13. Mechanoids drop plasteel. If you make peace with most factions, you'll be getting more mechanoid raids. But even tribal trade caravans sometimes carry plasteel

There definitely is plasteel to mine in A13, I have had quite a bit, but it had to be dug out to find it- it wasn't exposed to start with

[Jakub k.]

i read "im stagnant" as "im pregnant"

[Robovski]

The traders vary widely in usefulness, but I have yet to see anyone with more than 16 components. Sometimes I'm lucky they have 1 to sell; considering I'm trying to save up 30 to make the component bench it gets a little wearing to get Pirate Merchants with no slaves, 1 weapon I don't want, a couple beers and not much else who won't BUY anything from me because I could have had a trader that wasn't a complete waste of space.

I can say the 16 merchant was on the ground and came after more than 20 hours of play.

[nuschler22]

I've yet to have any insects or mechanoids and I'm in (I think) winter of the second year playing on Cass/rough.

[falconbunker]

I'm not sure there even is plasteel to mine anymore in alpha13. Mechanoids drop plasteel. If you make peace with most factions, you'll be getting more mechanoid raids. But even tribal trade caravans sometimes carry plasteel.

Components are common in traders in my experience, just in small numbers. And if you luck out and get an exotic goods trader, you can buy something like 30.

Mid game is something like 7-8 colonists for me. I built a ship in 5502, with the last 200 plasteel from a mechanoid raid with 4 centipedes.

Oh trust me, there is minable plasteel, I got lucky on my last save which I sadly had to abandon, there was at least two easily accessible 20-30 block veins of plasteel on the map, it's just a matter of luck.