How to Automatically Distribute LogiButts [Demo]

[TI-89]

So, yesterday I became the latest in a long line of those foolish enough to argue with ssilk (for which I beg forgiveness, O Glorious Moderator ) and I made a thing. Thought others might be interested, so I decided to make a new post. I'm not sure this is in the right place, as it's more a demonstration than something I calculated/planned out, but it seemed most fitting.

I'm still pretty new to this game, but I've spent quite a bit of time figuring out the logistics system. In the beginning of this process I searched and read on the forums a lot, and found very little info on how to effectively utilize logistics. In fact most of what I found fell into one of two categories: 1) "logistics is OP/gamebreaking", or 2) "logistics needs to be changed so I can do more." Personally I find myself split rather evenly between the two camps -- logistics is ridiculously powerful, but I love it. That being said, the initial cost is high enough that to fully utilize it you need to more or less commit/plan for very late game.

Anyway, enough intro; if this gets attention I'm sure I'll be rambling away in the comments, and those disinclined to much reading can ignore me
Basically, on the suggestion page for extensions to logistics network (viewtopic.php?f=80&t=18093) there is a diagram of "what you could do with logistics extension." My point was that this can be done in the current system, but that the solution at first appears very unattractive. However, if you take the time to figure out how it all works, you can accomplish pretty much whatever you'd like.

Logistics Network Extension

This: is the diagram shown on the suggestion page.

This: is my implementation of this diagram using [requester chest]->[inserter]->[passive provider] between networks separated by a single tile. The layout is the same, just rotated 90 degrees (iron is bottom left, copper bottom right).

In addition to sharing necessary resources for production, the networks all share logistics bots. After posting the sandbox save in another thread, I decided to add a logistics bot manufacturing zone. (it looks like this now: http://i.imgur.com/ohBq4YE.jpg). In the version I will post here, each network is 'primed' with a single bot, and manufacturing is proceeding, albeit very slowly. Everything is set up, but there is no power supplied to the assembly machines for logistics bots. Once a power pole is placed, the bots will begin to spread. Also it's cheat mode so if you don't want to wait just stick some bots in one of the networks.

I ran the game at 8x speed until bots were saturated (I don't recommend this, it did not seem very stable), then slowed things down and built up manufacturing a bit. You can see on the production chart each bottleneck that appeared.

How it works

It's really very simple: the key is to realize that bots can be distributed by bots just like any other resource. Because requests act as a sort of 'pressure' for each resource, more bots will be supplied as more are in use. All of the ports are configured the same -- I've really not optimized this at all -- and the rate at which they're supplied to different networks depends on how the networks are linked together. I could spend a lot more time explaining but it'll probably make a lot more sense if you download the sandbox and try it yourself.

That being said, here are some screenshots showing how it's configured.

Each network is linked by a requester->provider pair (again all configured the same -- adjusting this will give more bots to one network or another. However, with this implementation each can get the bots it needs; it just may take some time):

Additionally, each inserter will only add one bot at a time to the provider:

Each roboport is connected to a requester asking for 10 bots (this determines how 'responsive' the network is to spikes in demand. The more bots held in the chest, the more quickly the network is able to add bots. Also speed of inserter affects this). The inserter reads bot statistics and adds more if the number available drops below a set threshold:
To reduce bot count when demand falls, there is an active provider, whose inserter has another threshold (bot count will remain between these values, plus the number 'in flight' assuming a sufficient number of bots are available): ,

Production and description of graph

As bots spread, there was a gradual upward trend in production (mostly off chart here). Then, because green circuits were limiting, I added four more assembly machines, leading to the first sharp spike, which quickly depleted the small buffer of copper kept in the green circuit zone -- production was then limited by the inserter speed. So I upgraded to a fast inserter, at which point iron plate became limiting. So I replaced that one with a fast inserter. Etc.... At each point, it is trivial to see which resource is in short supply, because it shows a negative value in it's respective zone. At the end I was up to twelve assemblers for green circuits, which filled demand but consumed my supply of crude oil. There's plenty more around, but the point is it's kinda fun to play around with and see what quantities things are needed in as you scale up.

This mechanic also provides a simple way to prevent overproduction of bots. Though I think I forgot to limit the provider on the logistic bot assembler, so it will keep a chest full in reserve. But because bots are able to move to where they are needed, extra bots will not be pulled from the production zone until there is a shortage. Note that this is not perfect. For example if you have a very busy network next to your bot production, it will pull new bots before bots which have migrated to other parts of the network. But in essence it works.

There is also quite a bit of optimization that could be done in how bots are shared, both in the quantities requested by each network, and the topology created by deciding which networks have 'bot links' between them. For example with this layout, blue circuit production is one of the last to get more bots (even though it is right next to bot production) because they basically have to work their way through all other networks to get there. Hopefully some people try this out, I would love some feedback.