[0.18.37] New fluid mixing avoidance doesn't properly handle multiple fluid inputs

[wladekb]

The new fluid mixing avoidance system doesn't work well with multiple inputs of the same fluid in assemblers/chemical plants, as shown in the example below:

factorio-aggresive-fluid-mixing.png (727.71 KiB) Viewed 792 times

Obviously placing this pipe doesn't mix any fluids, so why we get this action blocked? It looks like separate inputs are perceived as connected here.

I would expect to be free to place this pipe here without any issues, but... ironically bots will happily place this pipe without being blocked.

The problem gets more and more important when you are playing with mods (eg. Space Exploration) that have a lot more recipes and assemblers with multiple inputs for the same fluid. If you accidentally made this mistake on the other end of your base, you can easily spend half an hour finding why the game prevents you from placing a pipe here.

[Rseding91]

Thanks for the report however this isn't going to be changed. Those 2 connections are connected: it's essentially a pipe with the 2 ends where they show. Reference: 86058

Robots don't do any mixing checks and that's on purpose. Just flush the wrong fluid and go back to building.

[wladekb]

Let me argue with that response for a moment.

The referenced example is a different one, you have mixed fluids there. Directly connected pipes have different fluids and that's the situation that prevents you from building further.

In the situation I described the fluid mixing doesn\'t happen because assembler/chemical plant inputs enable only one-way flow of fluids, and the fluid cannot go back into the inputs from the entity, so there is no possibility to get the petroleum gas back into the water pipes/tanks or vice versa using the presented setup. Thus, IMO the reason given "Cannot connect systems with different fluids" which increases confusion and is misleading.

As far as I understand the issue and internal, the entire fluid mixiing prevention system could be less confusing and more reasonable if the systems connected to multiple inputs of the same fluids were not internally merged into one system, which would also be in line with how the fluids can flow. Am I missing something?