Beginner Guide: Greenpark Lot to Level 5

Start at the Greenpark Lot

Every Ore Factory Squad save begins on the Greenpark Lot, a small claim with soft topsoil, a few rock outcrops, and one storage tent. You do not need to leave this lot to reach Level 5 — the goal of your first session is simply to establish a steady material flow and unlock your first worker license so machines can run without you babysitting them.

Pick the right tool for each material

The most common beginner mistake is swinging the pick at everything. Tools are not equal, and using the wrong one wastes minutes on every tile.

• The shovel clears dirt, loose soil, and sand far faster than the pick. Always grab it first on soft ground.
• The pick is meant for hard rock, limestone, clay, and exposed ore veins. It bites where the shovel slides off.
• Dynamite is only for large rock walls and dense ore clusters. Never blow up soft soil — you destroy material you could have collected and you waste an expensive charge.

Keep machines close to storage

Conveyors cost time and space, so place processors and drills as close to your storage tent as possible. A machine that is three tiles from storage needs a long belt; a machine one tile away can drop straight in. Early on, distance is the hidden tax on every unit you produce.

Organize your warehouse early

Before you mass-produce anything, tidy the tent:

1. Clear the walkways so you are not climbing over pallets.
2. Group pallets into zones — one corner for raw ore, one for refined stock.
3. Keep outgoing contract items on the front edge, nearest the loading point.

A clean warehouse saves more time than any single upgrade.

Rush levels to unlock the worker license

Each level raises your throughput caps and, more importantly, unlocks the worker license that lets hired hands run machines automatically. Prioritize the quests that grant the most experience — usually "process X units" and "fulfill a contract" objectives. Do not stop to decorate; function first.

A solid day-one mining rhythm

Follow this loop and Level 5 arrives quickly:

1. Expose stone and ore first — strip the soft soil with the shovel, then break the rock face with the pick.
2. Keep machines running continuously — refill drills and clear jams the moment they stall; idle time is lost levels.
3. Polish the layout later — once automation is online, spend spare minutes tightening belts and labeling zones.

What to avoid

• Do not dynamite soft soil; you lose material and money.
• Do not place drills far from storage "because there is room" — you will pay for it in belt length.
• Do not hoard; sell or contract surplus so your license quests keep progressing.

Reaching Level 5 is less about skill and more about not wasting the early tools. Shovel the soft stuff, pick the hard stuff, place machines smart, and let the worker license carry you into real factory building.