The sense of the provider chest
Posted: Mon Sep 02, 2013 5:04 pm
Well, I want to discuss it. I mean, there are three chest types for the circuit-network: storage-, requester- and provider-chest. The logistic robots move the items between those chests. The requester chest has the highest priority, then the providers and then the storage (correct me, if I'm wrong). The robots always try to empty a requester chest.
So, at this point I can use the providers to put some stuff in, which is then moved either into the requesters or storages.
I see the following problems here: you cannot tell, in which storage an item should be inserted - maybe I should speak better about the target destination. The stuff is stored in the nearest available a chest, which might get a problem, if that storage chest is full. Because that chest works as an output for another production.
Well, you can handle that, by wiring the inserters for the provider chest, but that's stupid: assume we don't have enough logistic bots to handle all transports, then items are inserted into provider chests. To count them correctly, you need to wire all storage AND all provider chests into one big network. This is stupid, because you can half the work just by using only storage chests.
The consequence is for me: I use only storage and provider chests and didn't see any disadvantage in that. The layout looks mostly so: the item from an assembly is moved by a smart inserter into the storage chest. The chest and inserter are wired, the inserter programmed to move only 10 items into this chest or so. So when the amount is reached, the inserter stops, production stops and all is fine.
I can think only for one use, where a provider chests is really needed: if you want to bring stuff from far outside into the inner factory, no matter, if there are more storages in between. For example ore or unused rests of ammunition. But who does this really need?
So the questions for me are:
- am I alone with this problems or did I just not see how they should be used correctly?
- is it possible to change the providers, so that they for example can be "targeted" into a direction? (The bot takes up the item and moves into that direction -if not requested by a requester chest - and THEN he searches for a storage chest), or have some other use?
- and if not: shouldn't they just be dropped from the game, because they make things only more complicated as needed?
So, at this point I can use the providers to put some stuff in, which is then moved either into the requesters or storages.
I see the following problems here: you cannot tell, in which storage an item should be inserted - maybe I should speak better about the target destination. The stuff is stored in the nearest available a chest, which might get a problem, if that storage chest is full. Because that chest works as an output for another production.
Well, you can handle that, by wiring the inserters for the provider chest, but that's stupid: assume we don't have enough logistic bots to handle all transports, then items are inserted into provider chests. To count them correctly, you need to wire all storage AND all provider chests into one big network. This is stupid, because you can half the work just by using only storage chests.
The consequence is for me: I use only storage and provider chests and didn't see any disadvantage in that. The layout looks mostly so: the item from an assembly is moved by a smart inserter into the storage chest. The chest and inserter are wired, the inserter programmed to move only 10 items into this chest or so. So when the amount is reached, the inserter stops, production stops and all is fine.
I can think only for one use, where a provider chests is really needed: if you want to bring stuff from far outside into the inner factory, no matter, if there are more storages in between. For example ore or unused rests of ammunition. But who does this really need?
So the questions for me are:
- am I alone with this problems or did I just not see how they should be used correctly?
- is it possible to change the providers, so that they for example can be "targeted" into a direction? (The bot takes up the item and moves into that direction -if not requested by a requester chest - and THEN he searches for a storage chest), or have some other use?
- and if not: shouldn't they just be dropped from the game, because they make things only more complicated as needed?