Agreed, and aside from balancers and some train grid blueprints I don't use external blueprints. There are just some things I don't like re-inventing. Sometimes if I do a back-to-back factorio game I'll bring over some blueprints but I learned early that external blueprints are the quickest way to ruin the game for me.

> no blueprints carried forward between saves

I use exactly 3 exceptions between saves:

1. First generation ship to just get me to space

2. Second generation ship to get me to the other planets

3. Third generation ship to get me to the Shattered Planet

Everything else, I'm with you. I don't use blueprints between saves.

With how much of a pain it is to deal with building in space, I'd rather just use the same blueprint.

Same. I do use blueprints (I usually make copypasteable smelters, circuit factories and whatnot) but only in the same save, all of them get chucked when I start a new save. And of course no copying blueprints from the internet at all.

So the first iteration of the design is always slightly wonky, so it remains fun :)

I think that's a good rule. If there's something particularly tricky I will make a blueprint and carry it between games, but it's rare. And I only use my blueprints, with the exception of belt balancers (which I'm not smart enough to figure out). Using other people's blueprints is the fastest way to kill the fun in Factorio.