[Idea] Applied Energistics.. but for Factorio

[Twinki]

Those who play Minecraft with Automation or Tech Mods, you may know about Applied Energistics: http://ae-mod.info/

In short, it helps out with Automation in a big way. It allows you to store tons and tons of any item into a central control unit, while also giving you wires and machines that can send out or input specific items to the specified location.

So, say you have a chest with 200 Iron Plates and 200 Copper Plates.
You build a "cable" that requires energy, from a Central Control Unit, to one block / tile away from the chest
You the build and place down a "AE Storage Handler" on the chest, connected to the "Cable"
The AE Control Unit will now register everything thats in that chest, so you now have 200 Iron Plates and 200 Copper Plates in your Applied Energistics Network

Now lets build a "cable" a block / tile away from a powered Electric Furnace, from the AE Control Unit.
You then place a "Export Cable" between Furnace and the recently placed cable, and then open an interface telling it to export Iron Plates
The AE network will now take Iron Plates from the AE Control Unit and place them in the Furnace, that makes Steel.


For those who need more help trying to figure this out, can easily google "Applied Energistics Tutorial" and you'll find some finds and other information about AE.


This is just an idea, but I hope a modder can figure out how this can be done without any major issues.

[n9103]

So... you want to rip off a mod for another game word for word, even though we have an existing system that accomplishes almost the same effect?

[cartmen180]

yeah, this is easely accomplished with the wires and inverters

[Twinki]

So... you want to rip off a mod for another game word for word, even though we have an existing system that accomplishes almost the same effect?

No, i'm not very good at coming up with names. I have no idea what to call it, I just used AE for the sake of explaining it.

Applied Energistics allows you to automate on a much bigger and easier scale. So with a system such as AE in place, you could have a bunch of Furnaces in one place all smelting different things. It helps reduce space.

Basically you'd be able to access anything you needed in a central place, you'd have a central control unit where you'd be able to maintain everything, basically just to make it a lot easier to automate.
It'd help organize, and would cut out on the long running to go and get an item to craft something you need.

This would of course need to be something end-game.

[n9103]

We already have 2 logistics systems (belts and robots), why would we want yet another one? One that doesn't add anything new at that.

[Twinki]

We already have 2 logistics systems (belts and robots), why would we want yet another one? One that doesn't add anything new at that.

Just to help out with the automation. It'd be nice to have a central interface to use for taking out items and managing your inventory, while also being able to see how many Iron Plates are being made and lost. To see if you're low on a certain Item. Instead of just simply using Chests, which can be really hard to maintain and see exactly how many of X item you have.

[Boogieman14]

Instead of just simply using Chests, which can be really hard to maintain and see exactly how many of X item you have.

How hard is it to make all chests logistics chests and just hover your mouse over to see the amounts? I really don't see what your suggestion adds over logistics networks.

[Twinki]

Instead of just simply using Chests, which can be really hard to maintain and see exactly how many of X item you have.

How hard is it to make all chests logistics chests and just hover your mouse over to see the amounts? I really don't see what your suggestion adds over logistics networks.

Most of the time certain setups can be ways away. Was just an idea to make it easier.

I have yet to figure out how Logistics Networks works.

[cartmen180]

i suggest you do figure that out first then, and then come back here

[MF-]

"AE" = Items can be sent over wires at infinite speeds, all done automatically as needed.
Since that would make belts, inserters and logistic bots -> pretty much the entire game completely obsolete...