limit chests to one stack by default

[LazyLoneLion]

TL;DR
it would be good to have an option for all new-built chests to be limited by one stack.

What
I, personally, would like to have default space in chests limited by one stack, having a possibility to remove or change that limit, instead of having no limit having a possibility to put one.

Why
chests are buffers. They could be big buffers, like in train-stations, or small buffers, like in almost all other places. Most of my chests are limited to several stacks, usually one or two, sometimes something like 10 stacks (for railways, for example), but that's rare. And having a limit where it's not needed is less dangerous than having no limit where it should be. Like producing a million of miners, or efficiency modules, or tank shells, or big poles, etc., which are not cheap and will be of no use.

[Tekky]

I am against the game having, by default, a limit that must be cleared manually if you don't want it.

However, I have nothing against an option to set such a default limit on all newly built chests, as long as that option is not on by default.

[vanatteveldt]

You could also use wood chests, or mod in a 'small iron chest' or something like that.

[LazyLoneLion]

You could also use wood chests, or mod in a 'small iron chest' or something like that.

Sure, "there is a mod for that" too (tm).
I just like to play vanilla, and it's just an option not changing gameplay at all.
I understand, that the devs have a lot of other problems to work anyway, but it's a really small change that I'd like to have in the game. If that's a "no" -- I'll take it, but that is my "idea and suggestion".

And yes, maybe it would be better to have another type of the chest (for 1-2 stacks). I really doubt I'd use a lot of "old" chests then. Anyway, I need a limit on 99% of my provider chests too - it's just simpler to change the default limit. It's just statistics. And different consequences, different risks.

It's one click to remove the limit. And you can use copy/paste if you need to remove it on some train-station, for example. Much harder on some complex production blueprints, where you risk having millions (!) of some "efficiency modules level 1", for example.

[Lubricus]

I agree. I limit most chests to 1 stack and only leave a few uncapped.

[ikarikeiji]

+1

But with a few changes:

* Have this as an option (not default) as suggested by Tekky
* If turned on with the above option, limit to zero stacks by default, not one (so that you have to explicitly set the limit)
* When changing the limit, the existing limit should not be removed until the new limit is confirmed. (Currently when you want to, say, reduce the limit from 3 to 2 in a chest with 3 full stacks in it, you have to click the X, then click on space 3. In between those clicks, your inserters start putting things into space 4, and you have to take out more than just the stack in space 3 afterwards...)

[steinio]

Zero stacks makes no sense as you also need to change the limit. Intention of this suggestion is to not need to change it.

+1 for 1 slot limit.

[ikarikeiji]

Hmm, my intention behind zero stacks was so that you can place chests next to live inserters and not have them automatically start placing things into the chest until you set the limit.

Perhaps the option could be disabled, one stack, or zero stacks.

[steinio]

Hmm, my intention behind zero stacks was so that you can place chests next to live inserters and not have them automatically start placing things into the chest until you set the limit.

Perhaps the option could be disabled, one stack, or zero stacks.

Yes, sounds not that hard to implement all 3 options at once with a drop down or the fancy new smart splitter three-state selector (left, off, right)

[Engimage]

I am strongly against 1 stack limit by default as it will force player discover true potential of containers (red X) to actually use them as intended.

However I would vote for limiting wood chest to 2 stacks only which will definitely create a unique use for it.

[bobingabout]

Isn't that what the red X in the corner is for? click it, then click the second position, and oh look, you've just limited the chest to 1 slot.

You should still be able to place items in there manually, but an inserter only fills it to the one slot.

[LazyLoneLion]

Isn't that what the red X in the corner is for? click it, then click the second position, and oh look, you've just limited the chest to 1 slot.

You should still be able to place items in there manually, but an inserter only fills it to the one slot.

Yes, but _removing_ the limit is even easier, isn't it? (one click shorter)
And the chest with a limit that is not needed is less risky than a chest without a limit where it really should be. And that's the whole point.

[LazyLoneLion]

Hmm, my intention behind zero stacks was so that you can place chests next to live inserters and not have them automatically start placing things into the chest until you set the limit.

Perhaps the option could be disabled, one stack, or zero stacks.

It will make the player busy -- do we need that? There are other ways to turn off the inserter (rotate it, for example, or connect to the logical network).
And you cant make the limit less than one stack anyway, so, what's the point?

With the "one-stack limit by default" the game will become easier. Without any changes in gameplay.

[mp0011]

We have option to limit default request to 1 item instead of stack, so.. why not?
OFC, disabled as default...

[bobucles]

One stack limit causes more problems than it solves. If you don't want to use storage, then dunk directly onto a belt. Belts have very limited storage and a handful of extra belts will give you one stack's worth of materials on the line. Pretty simple.

Players use chests because they WANT the high storage capacity. Typically the storage is used as a buffer, where excess early production can be stockpiled until a larger base later on needs it. More often the full storage is useful than not. Typically the only reason to lock out storage slots is because your base is resource starved and a full chest of XYZ is simply too expensive.

You can stop inserters from overloading your chests by removing the inserter until the settings are done. You can manually copy chest settings using shift+ right/left click to lock out the storage slots. You can place chests that are automatically installed with preset options using blueprints. Bots will do this properly but I'm not entirely sure if this works with hand placement. If hand placing a blueprinted chest doesn't automatically do settings then it's pretty much a bug.

Isn't that what the red X in the corner is for? click it, then click the second position, and oh look, you've just limited the chest to 1 slot.

You should still be able to place items in there manually, but an inserter only fills it to the one slot.

My only gripe with this is that you can't ctrl-click items beyond the red blockout. I think everyone has tried to do this at least once. It's perfectly fine that inserters obey this lockdown but when I want to dunk items in a chest, I want to dunk them in the chest! Moving them one by one is tiring and increasing the chest limit lets the factory fill them up. IMO you should be able to over ride this player lock by basically double ctrl-clicking.

[steinio]

One stack limit causes more problems than it solves. If you don't want to use storage, then dunk directly onto a belt. Belts have very limited storage and a handful of extra belts will give you one stack's worth of materials on the line. Pretty simple.

Players use chests because they WANT the high storage capacity. Typically the storage is used as a buffer, where excess early production can be stockpiled until a larger base later on needs it. More often the full storage is useful than not. Typically the only reason to lock out storage slots is because your base is resource starved and a full chest of XYZ is simply too expensive.

You can stop inserters from overloading your chests by removing the inserter until the settings are done. You can manually copy chest settings using shift+ right/left click to lock out the storage slots. You can place chests that are automatically installed with preset options using blueprints. Bots will do this properly but I'm not entirely sure if this works with hand placement. If hand placing a blueprinted chest doesn't automatically do settings then it's pretty much a bug.

You say this until you find a full passsive provider with personal laser turrets accidently not limited to one stack.

[bobucles]

You say this until you find a full passsive provider with personal laser turrets accidently not limited to one stack.

I find it difficult to understand the kind of situation where you're both placing a chest and NOT immediately setting the storage lock to the size you want. Is it a blueprint issue? Then fix the blueprint. Is it perhaps a strange edge case where a chest got destroyed and replaced, but the settings weren't reset? I can totally get that. Was a chest quick replaced and the inventory lock didn't hold? That's a bug. Everything else sounds like player error to me. It's a silly mistake, but you quickly learn not to do it again.

Don't get me wrong, I have certain stockpiles of nuclear reactor parts that got a little bit overboard. It can also be tricky to hand place a chest and lock it down before a fast factory goes overboard. My personal nemesis is having an inventory full of stuff (like gears) that I can't overload into a size locked chest. Everything else is easily solved by bots and blueprints. It's just one more reason to pick them up.

[steinio]

So what, i'm fine if this not get implemented. It's more an experienced player convenient setting to change the game to the play style.
The optional part even don't hurt anyone.

[mp0011]

Forcing all players to have 1 stack by default means, that other players would fall into opposite situation:
They may want to produce eg. lot of tracks, set up everything, just to find after quite long time, there is just a 1 stack of tracks instead of full chest...

[bobucles]

It's more an experienced player convenient setting

Hold on. What kind of "experienced player" gets out of bed and thinks "You know what I really need in Factorio. Less stuff."?

There are very handy in game tools to make sure your chests always end up with the ideal storage size. Wouldn't an experienced player master those options? I've had plenty of experience and I learned that the best chest default is max size. If I don't want chest storage then I simply don't use a chest. Everything else is a special case with no obvious default.