Smart Assemblers

[dawaltco]

hey, so this got a brief mention in the FFF about circuit network expansion, but I just wanted to voice my enthusiastic support for controlling assembler recipes through the circuit network. I'm calling this "smart assemblers" although I don't think it requires a new item, just integration of the old assemblers into the circuit network.

I realize this isn't such a simple matter: should the assemblers decide between outputting two things, based on an if/then/else kind of structure? should they output whatever signal the network sends them (which would make the specific signal icons matter for the first time)? should they communicate the recipe to the network in some way, so it can know what the assembler needs?

despite all these complications though, the creative potential behind smart assemblers is huge. they would enable players to put a lot of time and resources into building more compact and efficient factories, without punishing players for just building bigger. they would greatly increase the options for problem-solving available to organic / unplanned factory builds: players would be much more able to make finagle their old, short-sighted factory into doing the next thing it needs to do, rather than scrapping the whole thing and starting from scratch.

sorry if this has been suggested before (i haven't seen it), but this was the very first thing that occured to me when I discovered the circuit network, and the possibilities for ever-more-elaborate rube-goldbegian contraptions are really exciting.

[DaveMcW]

While this is a cool idea, I think it competes with the core goal of the game. Instead of building a physical factory supply chain, you are building a virtual supply chain using combinators and one assembling machine. It might be equally challenging and fun for some people, but it would not be better in any way. And it looks horrible.

[ske]

This has been discussed quite a few times. And the conclusion was kind of:

Somebody needs to make a mod that demonstrates a good way to implement smart assemblers (the programming should be possible in 0.13 i think). If it works well and is useful and is not overly complex and does not change the core principles of the gameplay, maybe then, they will think about integrating it in the base game.

[Gertibrumm]

Joined into this thread -- ßilk

FF 142

Once we decided that everything will be circuit connectable

Item production of assembly machines should be possible to set via circuit network.

90_factorio_avatar Kopie.png (21.73 KiB) Viewed 4923 times

[Gertibrumm]

Its just sad that furnaces are actually smarter than assemblers right now and can be used for smart-smelting.
Though furnace's ignoring of the circuit network is due to its lack of recipe complexness obviously.
Still as dawaltco meantioned the potential is enormous and shouldn't be let down, though it might change the mid to end game tremendously, it certainly won't effect the first hours of early game. (I think it will effect broader enthusiasm on circuit network due to endless expandability with limited effort in contrast to dull and time consuming and resource wasting and maybe even boring giga-factory style gameplay. Its like computers, people were afraid of them too until they realized they can do their work for them )

[Muchaszewski]

Joined into this thread -- ßilk

FF 142

Once we decided that everything will be circuit connectable

Item production of assembly machines should be possible to set via circuit network.

90_factorio_avatar Kopie.png

I think you wont be able to change recepie inside assembly machinse, and circuit connection will be for getting content of its inventory, and mayby possible items that can fit into this current assembly machine

[malecord]

people were afraid of them too until they realized they can do their work for them

Actually that's precisely the reason why people started to fear them.

[Slayn25]

I had an idea for a smart assembler but didn't think it was post worthy and it was kind of complicated. However since you have a similar idea I'll share it.

Perhaps a logistics assembler would be a more fitting name for what I was thinking.

Logistics priority
1. Active Provider
2. Storage
3. Passive Provider
4. Smart Assembler

So pretty much if steps 1-3 don't have the item you're trying to order your smart assemblers would be tasked with producing it provided they have access to the necessary components.
This would require the smart assembler to either have a variety of ingredients at its disposal at all times or for it to have the ability to dynamically update a requester chest.
I liked the idea of having something like this to free up inventory space and help keep my factory as compact as possible as there are several items in the game where dedicating an assembler entirely to it just seems like overkill.
However, I had/have a feeling that something like this may be against the spirit of the game and wouldn't go over well. Fun to imagine though.

[Gertibrumm]

That is true! This type of assembler would be absolutely overkill, I think it would be capable of too many things that would destroy many different running and important parts of the game like dealing with "requests" with the circuit network or using belts and splitters to funnel your resources through complex networks.

And I think it is this growing complexity as you wander through the game which is intriguing to a lot of people.

Also some of the staff have mentioned they like to have simple and alone relativly weak parts to build complex things, and that is why they dont like introducing new items (FFF#138 I think)to keep things simple for beginners and complex enough for us automation freaks.

Personaly I dont like the part of the game that uses robots because at that stage the game kind of looses the need to plan and think ahead.

Your logistic assembler concept kind of destroys complexity which might be good but maybe unwanted.
It might work if it was just a little less "do-everything-for-me-and-build-my-rocket-NOW"

I wish the staff would just remove the need to manually set the recipe each time you want your factory to produce something else.
(All I do is run around a change recipes )

[Harkonnen604]

Such assembler would require logistic network to be operational, but by that time you have most of recipes automated anyway. It could be used to produce different types of rails though. It may also be used to produce module tiers, but that would require bidirectional inserter.

[TheSkiGeek]

"Have the logistics network automatically assemble requested stuff on demand" feels a little too automatic to me to be part of the base game.

You can already make output-limited assemblers fed by logistics and have them only kick in when the amount in storage gets low, but you pay for it by needing dedicated assemblers per item. With this you could have many fewer assemblers and get the same effect.

[Gertibrumm]

The circuit connectable assembler would just create some (pretty deep) depth to the circuit network.

It certainly wont be a game changer as the usual player doesnt want to worry about complex networks.
It would be a lovely implementation for us who do nothing else than circuit networks.
(for me, this is the most fun at the game )

But I am not sure if the devs actually want this much of circuit-overpoweredness, they havent implemented alot of proposed and hyped functions in the .13 update.
But all my hopes are on them

[js1]

I would suggest this way:

Level 1 Assembler can have one recipe.
Level 2 Assembler can have two different recipes, switchable with combinator network.
Level 3 Assembler can have 3 or 4 different recipes, again switchable with combinator network.

Alternatively, there could be a "flexibility" module that would add the capability of holding additional recipe. I don't think this would break the game, just made some more compact layouts possible.

[Gertibrumm]

Yes this is a interesting concept, I would love to hear how the dev think about this!
Maybe the added constraint which adds limits and complexity might do the trick to convince them.

I just don't think an assembler or chemical plant with ALL recipes switchable would be a game breaker as it is just not accessible to the usual non-circuit-network-player but it is a lovely feature for some of us. It won't kill belts like the robots do but will enable us to fully automate our factorys completely which is just good for making non-circuit-network-players getting into the circuit network which I think is just a good thing.