[1.1.5] Unintended consequence of waypoints and train limits

[barbary]

Plan a train back to a station that has the new train limits through a waypoint.
The train travels to the waypoint then because of the train limits stops saying "Destination Full".
I expected the train to look past the waypoint and only leave the first real station if the next real station (with limits) has space.

1) Have several trains load at a real station
2) Have the next stop be a waypoint
3) Have the last stop be a real station with a train limit of 1

Always happens.

There are a couple of problems to do with using stations as waypoints in this way. I believe it also cause the line to have the distance penalty added. Really needs a real waypoint rather than a repurposed station. Or more logic when a station is used as a waypoint.

factorio-current.log

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[NotRexButCaesar]

Do you really need waypoints anymore? The train limits make them unnecessary.

[Rseding91]

Thanks for the report however that's working fully as intended.

[wobbycarly]

Do you really need waypoints anymore? The train limits make them unnecessary.

If you have more trains than destination stations available (eg, deliberate product backlog) then having them go to a waypoint station in a holding yard/train stacker prevents them blocking a loading station or the main line. I believe they'll stop at the waypoint. (I just wish that "Destination full" trains would repath instead of holding the same station reservation...)

[barbary]

Do you really need waypoints anymore? The train limits make them unnecessary.

Absolutely one has to do with how many trains are running the other has to do with the route they take. They have almost nothing to do with each other.

[barbary]

Do you really need waypoints anymore? The train limits make them unnecessary.

If you have more trains than destination stations available (eg, deliberate product backlog) then having them go to a waypoint station in a holding yard/train stacker prevents them blocking a loading station or the main line. I believe they'll stop at the waypoint. (I just wish that "Destination full" trains would repath instead of holding the same station reservation...)

In my testing they will re-path if there are no other trains available to send. What you need to do in this case is use a different stop one that can be reached to drive them into the stacker and then have the next stop be the final destination. That way re pathing isn't needed at all.

[barbary]

Thanks for the report however that's working fully as intended.

If I may just added a few points. It looks like we have 2 ideas on what a waypoint is for.

1)A station that has no limits and can be used to direct a train into a stacker.
2)A re route to force trains to take a particular route into or out of a base. Maybe a more Northern Route because even though it's longer as a human I know thats going to be more efficient. (I'd argue that this is a more traditional waypoint use.)

Current behaviour is good for scenario 1 and totally unhelpful for scenario 2.

I have to admit I would kind of like to have both uses but scenario 1 I can make work without using a waypoint.

[SoShootMe]

If I may just added a few points. It looks like we have 2 ideas on what a waypoint is for.

1)A station that has no limits and can be used to direct a train into a stacker.
2)A re route to force trains to take a particular route into or out of a base. Maybe a more Northern Route because even though it's longer as a human I know thats going to be more efficient. (I'd argue that this is a more traditional waypoint use.)

Current behaviour is good for scenario 1 and totally unhelpful for scenario 2.

I have to admit I would kind of like to have both uses but scenario 1 I can make work without using a waypoint.

As I understand it train pathfinding never looks beyond the next schedule entry. To support scenario 2, I think you'd need waypoints (that is, entries with no conditions) to cause the pathfinder to plan a route through them and reserve the destination (that is, the next entry with any conditions) if needed, or for the train to stay put if it can't.

In this case it wouldn't make sense for the waypoint stops to have a limit set, but if they did, it seems like they would have to be reserved too. This means trains would need to be able to hold multiple reservations. I haven't thought through other possible implications but seems like this is more of an Ideas and Suggestions thing.