Train entering conditions
Posted: Fri Mar 05, 2021 11:02 am
Deleted poll, see reasons below — ssilk
I have figured out a way to make trains a whole lot more useful by adding features to their priorities. Especially when constructing huge bases and in modded games.
The idea is simple:
When adding a new stop to a train you can add under what conditions does it go to said station. It should have two states, which should be adjustable with a switch.
1st: possibility: When it would depart from the previous station and the entering conditions are met, it simply goes to said station. In the same case, if the entering conditions are not met, it waits at that station instead of departing.
2nd possibility, this is the much more important one: When it would depart from the previous station and the entering conditions are met, it simply goes to said station. In the same case, if the entering conditions are not met it SKIPS that station and plans to go to the next one(which could also be skipped). (Just like disabling the station, but it could be decided on a train to train basis)
Some needed entering conditions:
- Full cargo inventory
- Empty cargo inventory
- Item count
- Fluid count
- That station's circuit condition
- The number of trains either waiting or going to that station. (This could be used instead of train limits on stations.)
- Whether this train has any other station that it could potentially head to.
More on this last condition:
This is why this whole idea came to my mind, this would allow us (if handled carefully) to create trainyards. Where the trains are waiting for a sudden spike in material inputs and they could deploy automatically. Why do I need it, and how could this actually function?
Let us suppose we have a base where depending on usage could need between 1 to 10 wagons of iron plates per minute. In the current system, we would have to calculate/guess what percentage of it do specific stations require and create custom routines for individual stations.
With this new feature, we could set all trains to go to each station, and set the entering condition to "less than 1 train is at the station" and "it has full cargo". And for the smelter station, we set the entering condition to "if it has empty cargo". We also set up a 'trainyard' station, where we set the entering condition to "If the train has no other possible stations to go to".
Explaining how it would work: If there is no need for iron, the trains would fill up at the smelteries, fill up the possible stations, and then the later trains would head for the trainyard. Instead of holding the line at smelteries. The moment a station is in need a train would start up from the yard.
This does mean somethings to how the game feels: It removes the need for creating train stackers at every single station, and the need to carefully plan and calculate how we should distribute our trains to our stations. But, it would fit the game overall theme: automation.
I am aware that this "Frankenstein" may be too complicated for the base game, in this case, it should be a mod.
I have figured out a way to make trains a whole lot more useful by adding features to their priorities. Especially when constructing huge bases and in modded games.
The idea is simple:
When adding a new stop to a train you can add under what conditions does it go to said station. It should have two states, which should be adjustable with a switch.
1st: possibility: When it would depart from the previous station and the entering conditions are met, it simply goes to said station. In the same case, if the entering conditions are not met, it waits at that station instead of departing.
2nd possibility, this is the much more important one: When it would depart from the previous station and the entering conditions are met, it simply goes to said station. In the same case, if the entering conditions are not met it SKIPS that station and plans to go to the next one(which could also be skipped). (Just like disabling the station, but it could be decided on a train to train basis)
Some needed entering conditions:
- Full cargo inventory
- Empty cargo inventory
- Item count
- Fluid count
- That station's circuit condition
- The number of trains either waiting or going to that station. (This could be used instead of train limits on stations.)
- Whether this train has any other station that it could potentially head to.
More on this last condition:
This is why this whole idea came to my mind, this would allow us (if handled carefully) to create trainyards. Where the trains are waiting for a sudden spike in material inputs and they could deploy automatically. Why do I need it, and how could this actually function?
Let us suppose we have a base where depending on usage could need between 1 to 10 wagons of iron plates per minute. In the current system, we would have to calculate/guess what percentage of it do specific stations require and create custom routines for individual stations.
With this new feature, we could set all trains to go to each station, and set the entering condition to "less than 1 train is at the station" and "it has full cargo". And for the smelter station, we set the entering condition to "if it has empty cargo". We also set up a 'trainyard' station, where we set the entering condition to "If the train has no other possible stations to go to".
Explaining how it would work: If there is no need for iron, the trains would fill up at the smelteries, fill up the possible stations, and then the later trains would head for the trainyard. Instead of holding the line at smelteries. The moment a station is in need a train would start up from the yard.
This does mean somethings to how the game feels: It removes the need for creating train stackers at every single station, and the need to carefully plan and calculate how we should distribute our trains to our stations. But, it would fit the game overall theme: automation.
I am aware that this "Frankenstein" may be too complicated for the base game, in this case, it should be a mod.