That was a good leaderboard battle! Great purchase on the basic automation tech card. I purchased one the first day it was discovered. Factories are indeed a great card for large cities.
I haven't given Exode much of a look as most of my gaming time is spent in the Splinterlands. But RisingStarGame is a great choice as it doesn't require a lot of time, and can be played in the background while playing other games.