[0.15.5] Science Pack and Lab Research stutters

[hardingt]

Hello Hello!

Env: 15.5
OS: Windows and Mac

Summary: When chaining research stations, a currently researching lab can have its science pack removed completely, going down to 0 packs. Probably not a bug, but it feels also like an unintended consequence of allowing science packs to be removed.

Specifics:
I am trying a fairly goofy setup, chaining them along and introducing a new science pack at each level, thus requiring both forward and back inserters. This bug oddity doesn't break the game at all, just cuts down on efficiency. Take a look at the uploaded video and any time you see a lab with only one science pack type, it has stopped researching.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0ByDTte ... sp=sharing

Workaround: You can probably set an inserter condition to require > 1 science pack to be present before it can remove one and send it along the chain OR setting up long armed filter inserters.

Suggestion: EDIT: Make science packs like coal in a boiler, once it starts getting used, it is stuck in the lab and for all other purposes gone from the world OR make default handling NOT remove the _last_ science pack of any type.

[Rseding91]

Summary: When chaining research stations, a currently researching lab can have its science pack removed completely, going down to 0 packs. Probably not a bug, but it feels also like an unintended consequence of allowing science packs to be removed.

That is by design. It means that chaining labs is not the end-all best way to setup labs but is easier than doing it the most efficient way.

[Rhamphoryncus]

Please reconsider. It should not be an objectively bad way that we warn newbies against. The spacing is less convenient for late game beacons anyway.

[hardingt]

That is by design. It means that chaining labs is not the end-all best way to setup labs but is easier than doing it the most efficient way.

Ha! I realized I hadn't actually tried this with a boiler, but it looks to be the same case! So definitely by design. However like the above poster, I would ask you reconsider fixing adjusting this (or consider it a feature request), to have entities like labs and boilers not remove any "In process" work materials.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByDTt ... 3NtbG5uTG8

[Nemoricus]

That is by design. It means that chaining labs is not the end-all best way to setup labs but is easier than doing it the most efficient way.

Ha! I realized I hadn't actually tried this with a boiler, but it looks to be the same case! So definitely by design. However like the above poster, I would ask you reconsider fixing adjusting this (or consider it a feature request), to have entities like labs and boilers not remove any "In process" work materials.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByDTt ... 3NtbG5uTG8

Boilers, furnaces, and the like immediately consume a unit of fuel whenever their bar runs out. They have no "in-progress" items to remove.

Research labs don't work similarly because different technologies have different research pack requirements.

[hardingt]

That is by design. It means that chaining labs is not the end-all best way to setup labs but is easier than doing it the most efficient way.

Ha! I realized I hadn't actually tried this with a boiler, but it looks to be the same case! So definitely by design. However like the above poster, I would ask you reconsider fixing adjusting this (or consider it a feature request), to have entities like labs and boilers not remove any "In process" work materials.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByDTt ... 3NtbG5uTG8

Boilers, furnaces, and the like immediately consume a unit of fuel whenever their bar runs out. They have no "in-progress" items to remove.

Research labs don't work similarly because different technologies have different research pack requirements.

Hmm, the most recent video I had seemed to be showing a single piece of coal being traded and used between the two boilers, I'll go back and check though. As far as science packs, I'm not sure I follow your logic. Due to only being able to research one thing at a time, going down to less than 1 pack shuts down that science center (if it is a required type). So if two labs both need green science, and there is only one available, they will trade the one endlessly hardly getting any actual research done. I guess I see them more like assemblers, so the request is that once they hit 1 of each type required, lock em in until it's done creating that unit of research (rather than degrading each pack individually a la repair packs/ammo) or keep at least one in there.