Ground bots

[Tomarev]

TL;DR

Transport system for multiple low deliveries.

What ?

New transport system with new mechanic similiar to Turing machine. On concrete we can draw bot paths with some signs. For any bot we can write primitive program. Each line of program contains sign name and command. For example (see picture), when bot pass A1 sign it would turn right on any cross.

Suggestion.jpg (257.68 KiB) Viewed 1039 times

Why ?

Some reflections related to "bots vs belts" topic. I think logistic bots not only overpowered, but they do all job themselves, nothing left for players. If we ignore them, then we face one problem: it is difficult to deliver small packages across one factory. Belts will waste space and trains are too large for inner delivery. Ground bots will solve problem of this type. Moreover, they are expandable (just continue bot path) and player have additional logistic puzzle (flying bots are too simple).

[voddan]

This is almost exactly what I was thinking after reading the FFFs!

The fact that the logistic bots are grounded, and thus require space to drive, will prevent their overuse instead of belts!
Any base which adds too many ground logistic bots will stop functioning because of traffic jams, just like a real city.
That will solve the Bolt vs Belt problem at it's root.

Some minor corrections:
1. Integrating programming into bots is unnecessary - it will be fun enough to lay empty spaces and pavements so that the AI could find the most optimal routes for all bots.
2. Even without strict routes a simple enough AI can be implemented that will very efficiently guide bots around the factory with few traffic jams
2.5 I can describe the navigation algorithm in detail is required, but the general idea is to mentally separate all passages into lanes (like real roads) with some special cases for too narrow passages.