One-planet challenge
One-planet challenge is a popular challenge for experienced FU players who like engineering/automation.
Conditions
The goal is to progress (obtain higher-tier resources and reach higher-tier techs) without visiting any planets except your starting Garden planet.
- Visiting missions (such as Verdant Ruins) and trading at Outpost or Science Outpost is usually allowed.
- Buying ores from Geologist, station terminals, etc. is usually not allowed, because it's too easy and cheapens the challenge, with the exception of Zerchesium Ore, which is unobtainable otherwise.
Under these conditions, most things in the game are obtainable, with the exception of some Precursor machines like Erchius Converter.
Strategy
The Garden planet is tier 1, so it doesn't have tier 2+ ores in the ground. They need to be obtained by other means.
This can be accomplished by using chemistry, plants, liquid interactions, machinery (sifters, crushers, centrifuges, extractors), bees, tenants (including merchant NPCs), etc.
- For example, you can get Titanium by growing some Blade Trees, or by mixing some Steel Sand Block blocks, etc.
Research points
Because the starting planet is tier 1, the passive gain of Research is very low on it. You would want to counter this: produce some pricey materials/crops and throw them into the Computers.
Terraforming
At tier 4, it becomes possible to craft Microformers. Microforming a small area creates a subbiome, which will change spawning monsters (including bees), blocks, plants, trees, etc. Some biomes will have Geodes. There are 34 bee types (of which only Xenodaemonae and Reaper can't survive on Garden planets), and these bees produce all sorts of things.
At tier 6, it becomes possible to craft Terraformers. This can change the planet type (if 50% of the planet is terraformed), which will change the outputs of Atmospheric Condenser. For example, you can obtain Trianglium Ore by terraforming the planet to Lightless. It will also change the weather (allowing access to Blue Grav-Liquid, etc.).
Note that microformers/terraformers don't create new ores in the ground.