The amount given mainly the steam cores make it quite easy to stablise as you don't have to really rush tech or anything just get the base steam core buildings and focus laws into med (for house of healing + overcrowd) and gg you win. While the resources and labor given at the start is way to much. When the 4+ storm is not even hard to handle and doesn't even need the gen. Kinda a massive balance issue in a mode meant to get you to make a gen and rush it if you need to in order to have it up by 4th storm or get reked. The big problem with builders mode is the fact you don't have to ever make the gen even on extreme to maintain stable positive growth till pop cap than maintain that pop level. Yes its slightly less coal efficient but that's just part of the challenge than. While new homes you can see the radii so know in advance. The first heat zone not being usable thou is minor to say the least as you would of left that space open for the gen production buildings anyways so moving homes there later on would be a waste. As such the build zone (edge of pit) is further out.

As you can see the pit in last autumn and builders mode makes a larger radii, than any of the other gens radii. The exact reason on why these gens are like that and the others are not donno but might have something to do with them being made differently vs the other gens. Is it annoying yes and I personally don't like it but it is also not a issue or a oversight if intended given the same happens on last autumn. Its the same as on last autumn, No one ever said that the first heat zone is buildable on every gen nor dose it have to be. It was reported and not fixed early on if it was not intended would of been fixed as would be easy to just raise base range. The first gen range is likely intended to be how it is.

Frostpunk endless mode