Picture these scenarios:
- Skipping coal power and going straight to 2.1GW Liquid Biofuel in 29 hours
- Using 97 portable miners on a resource node to extract 3200 ore per minute
- HUB and MAM decisions by using a wheel of random choice
- A truck station play through where 100+ factory carts are used to transport resources
This original blurb was written in 2019 when I released this website …
Hi I’m SMERKIN 5000 and these are examples of how I approach playing Satisfactory. You can tune into any number of Satisfactory content creators and generally they are all playing the game in a similar way. I like to explore all aspects of the game and the technology it provides, this provides unique entertainment and lets you get an insight to the game you may normally not be exposed to.
I also really like the early game experience, so I tend to start a new play through every 2-3 months and focus on a theme or challenge. This allows me to demonstrate how I approach the early stages of the game and steers me away from MEGA BUILDS which generally put me to sleep.
With over 4000 hours in the game, I decided that I needed a Satisfactory website to bring together my existing tutorial series and also provide a location to showcase my existing builds. I wanted a clean domain name that was easy to remember and after some brainstorming the GURU identity was born (an influential teacher or popular expert). To date my game hours are 5500+.
Speaking of my tutorial series, you will notice that these are edits taken from my Twitch live streams, this is what I call unpolished videos. I am simply not able to stream full time and create high quality videos. So my compromise is to create videos while streaming, as the knowledge remains the same, and at times the viewers contribute to what is contained in the video so it is fitting they remain part of the end product.
People often ask “what mods do you use?”. I don't use mods, I won't until the 1.0 release of Satisfactory and I've done a full playthrough. Using mods changes your game experience and once you open that can of worms there's no going back. I do however use the Satisfactory Calculator Interactive Map for some foundation placement / alignment / shape creation / copy & paste. This is what I call out-of-game mods and I accept this is totally cheating. However I think it strikes the balance when streaming (not being the foundation laying simulator) and also this is the unique experience I provide via my streams.
I am based in an Australian country town called Deniliquin. I previously worked in the IT industry for 20+ years and for the past 5 years I was working remotely for a USA based software company creating documentation for their computer monitoring software products. After streaming part time for 18 months, in April 2020 I decided to take the plunge and become a full time streamer. I have also recently become qualified to work in the child care industry, being able to share in a child's early development is really a wonderful privilege.
EDIT September 2024
In August 2022 I decided to take a break from streaming as I had started a relationship and moved 5 hours away to be with Louise. I took the time off to enjoy the beginnings of our relationship and also I felt I needed to take a break. Since then we've gotten engaged, bought a house and with some permanent accommodation I can setup my streaming environment and get back into it … just in time for the 1.0 release.
This original blurb was written in 2019 when I released this website …
Randy, my German Shepherd (and best friend) gets more attention on stream from my viewers than me, hence he has his own camera and green screen setup. Randy is a thoroughbred who is about 5 years old as of writing this. He is named after my favorite South Park character Randy Marsh and funnily enough their personalities match.
EDIT September 2024
Randy is now 9, but I don't have a dedicated green screen setup for him but he'll still make an appearing in streams for some pats and cuddles.
Hopefully the information on this website will help you out with Satisfactory and inspire you to be creative in your own way. Come by and check me out during my live streams on Twitch or reach out to me using any of the social media links above.