Factorio is a sandbox game where you are free to set your own goals.
As a new player, my goal was to explore everything the game had to offer, and that meant researching all the technologies in the game and learning how to use them effectively.
A secondary goal is to make efficient use of space, which is limited by biters, base layout, and resource layout.
Another goal is to automate as much as possible instead of hand-crafting.
Yet another goal you might have is to defend your base against the biters to go after them pre-emptively. If you enjoy the combat in the game there are a wealth of ways to get more of it or increase the difficulty. On the other hand, if you don't like combat you can dial it down or even get rid of it entirely.
Mods increase your options exponentially, and give you much more new stuff to explore and use.
Like any sandbox, what you do with everything you're given is up to you. The limits are: your interest, your skill, and your imagination.
As a new player, my goal was to explore everything the game had to offer, and that meant researching all the technologies in the game and learning how to use them effectively.
A secondary goal is to make efficient use of space, which is limited by biters, base layout, and resource layout.
Another goal is to automate as much as possible instead of hand-crafting.
Yet another goal you might have is to defend your base against the biters to go after them pre-emptively. If you enjoy the combat in the game there are a wealth of ways to get more of it or increase the difficulty. On the other hand, if you don't like combat you can dial it down or even get rid of it entirely.
Mods increase your options exponentially, and give you much more new stuff to explore and use.
Like any sandbox, what you do with everything you're given is up to you. The limits are: your interest, your skill, and your imagination.