Automation games and never played Factorio???
Screw the DLC (for now), you need to get started with Factorio ASAP. I started with Factorio in 2017 after I mentioned to a coworker that I liked Minecraft with mods that allowed for automation such as Industrialcraft, Buildcraft, and Immersive Engineering. I have played some Create, but when I did I found that it wasn't mature enough as a mod.
The DLC is mostly aimed towards end-game stuff. Whereas the base game is completed once your factory has launched a rocket with a satellite on board, the DLC picks up from there, allowing you to build automated space platforms, visit other planets each with their distinct differences.
Jumping on this to second it and also be shamelessly elitist. Factorio is the automation game. Nothing tops it. You may think other games look more beautiful, exciting, or engaging, but they are not. Factorio is also one of the cheaper automation games out there with one of the best developers in the industry. Definitely give it a go!