Receive signals from moving trains

[akiraic]

TL;DR

A way get signal from moving trains if they pass a certain point

What ?

Explanation
I have a server with a couple and we play on "alien swarm" mode, having bitters all the way up in quantity and colony size.
We have dozens of rails going in and out of the main core factory with a heavy defense system.

Sometimes we are ridding our trains around and we attract too many bitters. Even if the trains are faster, after they enter, the swarm are at our doorstep.
The main problem here is the gates. Our walls hold, our turrets can keep up, but our trains get inside and the attack is focused on the gates.
As you can imagine, losing one train is better than having the swarm inside the base making a mess.

The Request
I wanted to send a signal from the moving train to the network, warning the gate not to open at all, leaving the train outside as a bait, giving defenses plenty of time to finish them off, and maybe even save it (i doubt it lol).

I can't find anywhere a way to get that kind of signal from a moving train when passing a random spot.

Why ?

That kind of mechanic give the game much more possibilities. If we could read the inventory of a moving train, we could automate his direction or block its path.
For example: the destination of the train is already full of iron ore, change rail to next base (in need of resources).
Or "train receiving damage, do not enter next station/change course".
You can play with crossroads signals to do that, but they are too slow. For me, at least. When bitters are literally everywhere no matter how much you kill them, you need a faster system.

If at all some kind of mechanic like that is already in the game, please forgive the extra topic and point me in the right direction. Me and my group started to play just 1-2 weeks ago, so we don't know everything yet.

[Factoruser]

Simply just use a train stop. But some buildings should be ignored resp. even almost indestructible like railways, big electric poles, signals and train stops of course for this case.

[akiraic]

That is the point.. is not fast enough. I just want to receive a signal regardless of ANY change in speed, destination. Just by "passing by" that point. I tested with train stations and lost quite few cars when i really needed it to work. Did you ever saw an "all out" bitter map? is just red... everywhere. Stops are simply not good enough.

[Tekky]

I have already made this suggestion several months ago in the following thread:

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=47541 Signals should send Train-ID to circuit network

In the first post of that thread, I suggested that the signal should be able to read the Train-ID of all passing trains. Later in that thread, I also suggested that it should be possible for the signal to also read all contents of the train instead of just the Train-ID.

[akiraic]

I have already made this suggestion several months ago in the following thread:

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=47541 Signals should send Train-ID to circuit network

In the first post of that thread, I suggested that the signal should be able to read the Train-ID of all passing trains. Later in that thread, I also suggested that it should be possible for the signal to also read all contents of the train instead of just the Train-ID.

Oops, i searched a long time before posting mine, sorry. How to proceed?

But the idea is the same. The only difference is the type of signal we wanted. Reading yours and mine now, I believe all that would be fixed if we could simply send a signal FROM the train cars to the sensors instead of adding more functionality to the sensors themselves. We should be able to simply install a circuit in the inventory slot of the train cars or something like that. That would solve your issue and mine at the same time, considering the signal readings we wanted (ID, inventory and hit points/damage) were implemented.

[Factoruser]

That is the point.. is not fast enough. I just want to receive a signal regardless of ANY change in speed, destination. Just by "passing by" that point. I tested with train stations and lost quite few cars when i really needed it to work. Did you ever saw an "all out" bitter map? is just red... everywhere. Stops are simply not good enough.

Maybe wait for the turret wagon, or... - I don't see any sense in this suggestion. Otherwise you need a better gate defence. Should the train decide whether it should sacrifice itself and stop ???

[akiraic]

That is the point.. is not fast enough. I just want to receive a signal regardless of ANY change in speed, destination. Just by "passing by" that point. I tested with train stations and lost quite few cars when i really needed it to work. Did you ever saw an "all out" bitter map? is just red... everywhere. Stops are simply not good enough.

Maybe wait for the turret wagon, or... - I don't see any sense in this suggestion. Otherwise you need a better gate defence. Should the train decide whether it should sacrifice itself and stop ???

"Better gate defence" haha, ppl really didn't try playing with OP bitters.. but ok.
And there is a lot of requests about the need for signals comming from train cars, is not a useless sugestion.The idea in my case is being able to get that same information from a moving train, instead of a stopped one. YOU don't see any sense cuz you never needed it. Actually, you have a post asking for fuel level readings, why hitpoint readings suddenly is nonsensical?
But hey, thx for the pump

[Engimage]

While letting a normal signal output TrainID makes sense, reading data off the train on the go is imo over the top.
You can make a train stop before the gates and prevent a train from going in for some time or until some circuit signal.
You can make this "buffer" area heavily defended with wall maze and surrounding flamethrower turrets. I have seen super heavy defenses vs hundreds of behemoths in such way. Surely this is impossible to do with laser or gun turrets.

[akiraic]

While letting a normal signal output TrainID makes sense, reading data off the train on the go is imo over the top.
You can make a train stop before the gates and prevent a train from going in for some time or until some circuit signal.
You can make this "buffer" area heavily defended with wall maze and surrounding flamethrower turrets. I have seen super heavy defenses vs hundreds of behemoths in such way. Surely this is impossible to do with laser or gun turrets.

After hearing about gunned train cars, i got quite excited. Will it be as strong as turrets?
About the flamethrowers, I can't supply all my bases with it.. I got very few spots of black gold available :/ unfortunately, my defenses are heavily dependent on drones and basic artillery.

Another idea is the train to be able to read their own signals, by just being possible to install a circuit there. That way the present sensors wouldn't need any change, and a train could change the route by itself when getting attacked. For example, "if hitpoints <= 50% then next station safehouse". Or in the case of the upcoming gunned car: "if turret ammo <= 50% & hitpoints <= 50% then next station safehouse".
Less "over the top" than sending/reading signals from/to a moving train, right?

[mrvn]

How is that a problem of train signals?

Isn't the problem detecting the biters? The gates should stay shut (and a signal should stay red) when there are biters near the gate. Weather there is a train coming or going should be irrelevant. As long as there are biters near the gates stay shut. If a train happens to come it will act as sacrifice. If not then not.

[Factoruser]

Stops are simply not good enough.

Maybe wait for the turret wagon, or... - I don't see any sense in this suggestion. Otherwise you need a better gate defence. Should the train decide whether it should sacrifice itself and stop ???

"Better gate defence" haha, ppl really didn't try playing with OP biters...

It was ment ironical. You complained that the train should not enter your base, but also it should not slow down. And the solution should be somehow to receive informations from moving trains. I don't need

And there is a lot of requests about the need for signals comming from train cars, is not a useless sugestion.

A stopped train might should not be "served" until the train stop gets its informations. A passing train, especially at high speed, cannot be recognized. Maybe in a long block perhaps. Because it's currently only checked every second or several ticks it seems.

This might be even done by turning train stops to a full rail signal replacement, i.e. they're getting/creating an own rail signal block. A train inside the block might be read by the train stop, so your circuit might have the cargo information before the train stops. But it would require a very long block to work safely. And imagine the train stop's interface if you combine train stop AND rail signal in one...

Actually, you have a post asking for fuel level readings, why hitpoint readings suddenly is nonsensical?

I also don't need fuel reading, but I see it can be used. And I don't have anything against hitpoint reading. But I didn't understand what you wanted or what sense it should make. - The train pulls the zerg rush inside your base, afar of the defense perimeter ? Maybe you should brake the train then. Train stop "car wash" with flamethrower fun and laser polishing. In this case a new hitpoints condition would be enough. Wait until the robots repaired the train.

Isn't the problem detecting the biters? The gates should stay shut (and a signal should stay red) when there are biters near the gate. Whether there is a train coming or going should be irrelevant. As long as there are biters near the gates stay shut. If a train happens to come it will act as sacrifice. If not then not.

You might make a circuit setting the signal to red if the gate is under attack resp. to force the gate to open if the signal is green even if the gate is under attack.

[mrvn]

Isn't the problem detecting the biters? The gates should stay shut (and a signal should stay red) when there are biters near the gate. Whether there is a train coming or going should be irrelevant. As long as there are biters near the gates stay shut. If a train happens to come it will act as sacrifice. If not then not.

You might make a circuit setting the signal to red if the gate is under attack resp. to force the gate to open if the signal is green even if the gate is under attack.

Sure. But how do you detect "under attack"?