Suggestion - Station content assignment and filter

[SkiCarver]

Create the means to assign items to train stations (e.g. this is an Iron Ore station) and allow for the filtering of the station list in the Locomotive GUI according to item type. This will allow a user, when creating a train route, to filter the list of stations to those of the required item type.

Suggestion for how to achieve;
In the station GUI AND via a constant combinator, allow for the assignment of item types to stations.
Within the "Locomotive" GUI, add filter buttons (the user can select the items within each filter button), so that the list of stations offered when creating a route for a train can be filtered to the required type.

How it will be used;
When I build a station to collect ore from an iron mine, I can assign "Iron Ore" to the station.
At my base, I can assign "Iron Ore" to the station where the ore will be deposited.
When I then come to create my route for an Iron Ore train, I can assign "Iron Ore" to one of the filter buttons, and then filter the list of stations to show only "Iron Ore" stations.
I suggest that all items and circuit network signals should be available to assign to stations, that way, if I choose to, I can add "N" to iron ore stations in the north to show only northern Iron stations and minimise the train journey.
It would also be greatly beneficial to add to the station list, the number of assigned trains (in the same way that the accessible stations are currently shown). If I have say, 4 iron mines, I can then easily see that 3 have 4 assigned trains and 1 has two trains assigned, making it easy for me to balance the load on the mines.

[SkiCarver]

More detail on the idea ...

TL;DR

Create a means of filtering the list of available stations when adding a station to a locomotive route,

Detail

When creating a station, allow for the station to hold signals, much like a constant combinator. This signals should be accessible either by circuit connection, or simply as an option to filter when selecting stations for a locomotive.

cm2.png (3.86 MiB) Viewed 1331 times

As you can see below, I have a lot of stations (the list has a long scroll on it!) ....

list2.png (420.69 KiB) Viewed 1331 times

I believe it would be beneficial to all if we could apply filters to reduce the size of the list.

So,
Copper ore, - Show me only stations with the copper ore signal, - these could be mines or drop-off stations.
M (that I can choose to use for "mine" as opposed to station where items are dropped off)
N & W signals - I could choose to use the cardinal directions as a means of identifying areas of the map.

We could have something like;

f2.png (510.45 KiB) Viewed 1331 times

This would cause the list (and the map) to only show those stations with those signals.)

I suggest that a 'hotbar' arrangement for filters would be the most convenient, as we could then create sets of filters that are saved for later use - each filter hotbar button working much like a constant combinator.

hb2.png (293.5 KiB) Viewed 1331 times

[Deadlock989]

I believe it would be beneficial to all if we could apply filters to reduce the size of the list.

There is a search button for the station list. If you name your stations systematically, it's effectively a filter.

Some version of the other things you mention can be done with the circuit network.

I'm not in favour of circuit network functions being bundled into core game mechanics. It would make the interface more confusing for beginners and it takes creative options away from more advanced players. It's a net loss.

[SkiCarver]

I believe it would be beneficial to all if we could apply filters to reduce the size of the list.

There is a search button for the station list. If you name your stations systematically, it's effectively a filter.

Some version of the other things you mention can be done with the circuit network.

I'm not in favour of circuit network functions being bundled into core game mechanics. It would make the interface more confusing for beginners and it takes creative options away from more advanced players. It's a net loss.

I can't say I understand your last comment .... adding circuit network conditions to stations would enhance what expert players are able to do with stations ... or am I wrong? .... i suspect it would also be a gentle introduction to circuit network conditions for beginner players.

Regards filtering .... there is a quote from (I believe) Bill Gates ... "If you have a difficult job, give it to someone lazy as they will find the easiest way to do it." .... swap difficult for tedious, as that defines the process of finding stations or typing in station names ....

I guess what I am saying is, if I can define the content of a station by the conditions I apply to the station, it would no longer matter what the station is called. Four clicks would enable me to set the station as, for example, Iron Ore mine, north .... and the requirement to build and correctly use a consistent station naming convention goes away - no more typing in station names. .... I am the lazy guy Bill was talking about!