Did the starting biome shrink?

[GuyPerfect]

Started a new game today and the initial biome seems a bit tiny compared to any other game I've played:

 

Is this my eyes playing tricks on me, or is that actually smaller than usual? It looks like it's got all the usual goods in it, but I swear the space is a lot more restricted.

I like the smaller starting area, since it forces you to consolidate your efforts into a limited area, but part of me wonders what impact a smaller initial biome will have on the game as a whole. For someone who has a plan of action from the outset, organizing the workforce and resources isn't that big a deal, but what happens to new players?

[BlueLance]

I think its because your portal is so high up, usually they are lower than that IMO but otherwise it looks about right, I build my base the same way everytime and It looks like it would fit, just a bummer id have to dig into slime so early lol

 

I do like the idea though of a smaller one though

[chemie]

Do you really need 3 fridges that early game?

 

[BlueLance]

42 minutes ago, chemie said:

Do you really need 3 fridges that early game?

 

Cough Cough I usually have about 1 fridge per dupe... but mines are in carbon pits, just so the food is somewhere XD

[brummbar7]

12 hours ago, GuyPerfect said:

resources isn't that big a deal, but what happens to new players?

It looks about the same to me, but even if it were smaller, new players would be fine.  They wouldn't know any better.  After all, way back in the beginning the starting biome used to be 30% larger than it is now, but nobody complains about that now.  It's all relative

[GuyPerfect]

4 hours ago, chemie said:

Do you really need 3 fridges that early game?

 

One of 'em isn't even plugged in and is in reserve for "Cooking Ingredients". The middle one fills up completely with Meal Lice until I can get around to compacting them into Lice Loaf to store in the right-hand one. In a pinch, I can just unplug all three and use them all for Meal Lice until resources open up.