Sideloadable splitters

[way]

Hi!

I would like to suggest a slight modification to splitters: one should be able to sideload them. One lane would join the input side of the splitter and the other would join the output side. This would allow for some creative and not-totally-obvious lane operations.

sideload.png (86.15 KiB) Viewed 2945 times

I think this modification would not increase game complexity by much. It's non-intrusive, requires no GUI, and is already somewhat intuitive. I actually was surprised that I cannot do it right now. The graphics already suggest that it might be possible and fits the other sideloading stuff. This is also something people would be able to discover during gameplay, similar to the underground entrance/exit blocking behaviour. It enables creative play and invention instead of giving a "cheap" solution to one or more common problems.

way

[bobingabout]

Splitters are a bit "Hard wired", so it's not easy to change the input and output locations. but it would be good even if they just added the mod support to do it.

[Tekky]

I agree that there should be a better way for splitting a belt into its individual lanes, since the underground belt trick is an ugly hack and not intuitive. However, I don't like the idea of sideloading into a splitter. I am also against inserters being able to interact directly with a splitter from the side, for the reasons stated in the following threads:

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=60592 Remove ability to take/drop from/to splitters
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=45466 Disallow inserters from interacting with underground belts

I think the best solution would be a programmable/configurable splitter which would also allow you to set what should be done with individual belt lanes, instead of entire belts.

[tobsimon]

A splitter already can split lanes (provided that there are different materials on the lanes) by setting it's filter.
https://wiki.factorio.com/Belt_transpor ... ging_belts

[bobingabout]

A splitter already can split lanes (provided that there are different materials on the lanes) by setting it's filter.
https://wiki.factorio.com/Belt_transpor ... ging_belts

that's what he's saying, it should split lanes even if items are a total mess.

[way]

Actually I was coming from the other direction, not as an idea for the lane split problem. I just observed that this would be a natural, intuitive and lightweight extension of the belt sideloading mechanism to the splitters. It would open up interesting, quirky and playful uses instead of a "solution to a problem" use.

You can see that is a good lane splitter only if two different homogenous item steams are on the two lanes, and you use the splitter filter function. In this regard it's not different from the "standard" solution. This sideloading does not reliably and symmetrically split two lanes of the same items (all kinds of balancing questions arise). Things would get weird fast if you have mixed lanes or sideload from both sides of the splitter at the same time, and consider all the the splitter priority options.

way