Requester/Provider Assembling Machine

[SHiRKiT]

I'd like to suggest here that Assembling Machines should be connected to the logistics network. I think this could be a nice addition, and I think with some hacking code this could be incorporated as a mod. If those AM have their costs increased, or this is added via a module (or some sort) I think this would be even better.

[piggy2]

what a great idea! that saves you 4 squares of factory!

[cartmen180]

so basicly add the requester and supply chest functionality into the assembler itself?

[ssilk]

Hm. Good idea - and not so good.

Pros:
- easy setup (no chests, inserters)
- should be able to know what it should request.

Cons:
- changing recipes needs to empty the stacks first.
- how much should it request? Depends on so many factors.
- no visible "feedback" anymore. The moving Inserters let me see immediately if everything is ok. We need another feedback then! (Idea with lamps on the top of assemblies, which shows the state of the stacks)

[vedrit]

- how much should it request? Depends on so many factors.
- no visible "feedback" anymore. The moving Inserters let me see immediately if everything is ok. We need another feedback then! (Idea with lamps on the top of assemblies, which shows the state of the stacks)

2nd point: It should request the same amount as what an inserter would put in. 2 production runs by default, increase with research
3rd point: the viable feedback would be the logistics bots flying all over the place.

[Align]

- changing recipes needs to empty the stacks first.
- no visible "feedback" anymore. The moving Inserters let me see immediately if everything is ok. We need another feedback then! (Idea with lamps on the top of assemblies, which shows the state of the stacks)

-What do you mean? Changing the recipe of an assembler already puts the contents of input and output slots into your inventory.

-Assemblers already have animations for when they're active, though they're a bit hard to see when info-mode is on. Or do you mean while they're waiting for more material?

[DerivePi]

I guess in the late game there is pressure to move away from managing the details of the factory, but if all you have to do is place an assembler in a robot zone to automatically produce goods, then all of the magic of figuring out the factory logistics is gone. The game is reduced to countless other RTS games where it becomes a simple matter of mining some resource and spamming production buildings.

Of course, this is coming from someone who thinks the robot system is already too convenient and the idea that the use of the robot system to primarily offload and sort goods at a train station is anathema (ie robots should not be the most effective way to organize a train station).

[SHiRKiT]

I guess in the late game there is pressure to move away from managing the details of the factory, but if all you have to do is place an assembler in a robot zone to automatically produce goods, then all of the magic of figuring out the factory logistics is gone. The game is reduced to countless other RTS games where it becomes a simple matter of mining some resource and spamming production buildings.

Of course, this is coming from someone who thinks the robot system is already too convenient and the idea that the use of the robot system to primarily offload and sort goods at a train station is anathema (ie robots should not be the most effective way to organize a train station).

While I understand your concern and I respect it, from what I've learned by watching your stream on Twitch (and I enjoyed it =]), I've concluded that you like games pretty hardcore after watching your playthrough of modded KSP.

Now back to the topic:
- Changing recipes should put items into palyer's inventory. If not possible:
+ Or we do not change the recipe
+ Or we just destroy items

- Visible feedback could be added by a red lamp above it showing lack of materials. I totally agree with this! Maybe this can be done with the new masks system.

- The problem with the number of items it should request is clearly an issue. With large factories, robots can delay the delivering of materials, and things like copper coil production will be mostly impossible to be done in large scale, at a minimum 80% worktime.
+ Adding research to allow 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x the amount of materials won't change this issue for recipes like this.
+ We need to allow the player to select the amount of times the material it takes, up to let's say, 100x (for copper coil production).

One of the things I aim with this proposal is the ultra late game development. Having 20-30 mods installed allow you to go to ultra late game goals, like having ultra huge size factories that consumes resources like a beast, and you never stop expanding it. Space becomes a real issue, and in a game that can automate everything, another automation step seems a cool idea (for a mod) to me. If you place this really further down the research tech tree, you'll have the same result of when you fully unlock logistics robots. You don't migrate everything to the new way of transportation, it takes several hours to do so. So this actually increases the gameplay, and shrinks some of the repetitive tasks (placing a blueprint of 2 assembling machines, with 4 inserters on the middle, 2 chests, a lamp and a power pole, select the recipes for them, set something on the requester chest and set a limit on the inserter into the provider chest).

This even allow you to go into a new challange: having no backup production of anything. AM don't hold up much space of the built recipes, so let's say, you have 5 AM that produces coil, and suddenly you need 500 coils, you'll need to wait a long time to have that request fullfilled.

Anyways, these are just thoughts and ideas! ^^

[SHiRKiT]

One of the latest tests I had my factory was pretty big, and I was using tons and tons of robots. I think (I may be wrong) that anything that removes the entity count (this would remove 2 inseters per AM MINIMUM) would help.