[MOD 0.13] Cargo Rocket - the ultimate transportation mode

[binbinhfr]

The rocket has a sub-orbital ballistic trajectory and, before burning in the atmosphere at the re-entry, it ejects the cargo which is parachuted to the ground, collected and stored in the destination box by..er..Gremlins
RP enuff?

Yeeessss, that was clearly the part that was missing in the description of my mod !!! I will consider the possibility of having a gremlin face on the chests ! Or rename my mod "Cargo Gremlin Rocket"

[binbinhfr]

0.13 update !

[Vas]

I don't particularly like that the chests are tiny. Rockets should carry a lot more than that. Using the Warehouse mod by Anoyomouse, you could use a storehouse of supplies to transport between places, however I also don't wish to rebuild rockets all the time so I had some ideas on that.

A custom rocket silo that has its own internal storage, much like the satellite slot, only it has enough slots to match a storehouse. Configurable in control.lua or config.lua or whatever. Now you can load or unload this rocket via inserters. The UI of this rocket silo would be similar to the other one, where you build your first rocket out of different, semi cheap materials. You have fuel slots in it which would be something like 10 slots only allowing solid fuel, or perhaps requiring heavy fuel to be pumped into the silo somewhere. And then yo have the inventory your rocket will carry, that is only accessible once it is fully fueled and fully constructed. So you can't put items in until you've fueled the rocket.

In this UI, you can checkbox "auto launch when full" or "Auto launch when empty" and auto launch will only activate once a destination is set. Upon landing at the destination (no need for the landing animation if it seems to be impossible to do), the rocket silo has a new rocket put in it but it is empty of fuel and it is set back 20% on construction, so you must build another 20% of a rocket again to launch again, and then fuel it once more. You will be able to pull inventory out of it though while it is being built. You just can't put inventory back in until it is complete. Another useful UI button you'd have is a deconstruct rocket, which gives you back 50% of the construction materials required to make it which is then put in the rocket silo's inventory to be exported with the rest of your supplies.

As for what it takes to make a rocket, I haven't seen your version yet. I just know based on the preview, I didn't like how small the chest is or how it worked currently. I don't want to throw away a bunch of materials just to transport a tiny chest worth of materials so. I'm open to discussing balance and ideas and such if you want to add me on steam.

[Qon]

A custom rocket silo that has its own internal storage, much like the satellite slot, only it has enough slots to match a storehouse. Configurable in control.lua or config.lua or whatever. Now you can load or unload this rocket via inserters.

Internal storage was the first idea. What we have is simpler and gives access to other features such as having the chest as a logistics chest that can be connected to circuits. The mod API doesn't let you do anything either.

only it has enough slots to match a storehouse.

Or you can use a boxing mod to send loads of materials. Just a suggestion.

The UI of this rocket silo would be similar to the other one, where you build your first rocket out of different, semi cheap materials.

This mod includes a cheaper rocket already. Rocket launches should cost quite a bit I think. If you want cheaper logistics then trains are an alternative.
Maybe you could share your thoughts on the cheaper rocket? If you haven't tried the mod then do so and come back with your informed opinion. Balance discussions don't work if you don't knwo the current balance.

You have fuel slots in it which would be something like 10 slots only allowing solid fuel, or perhaps requiring heavy fuel to be pumped into the silo somewhere. And then yo have the inventory your rocket will carry, that is only accessible once it is fully fueled and fully constructed. So you can't put items in until you've fueled the rocket.

Why not rocket fuel for the rocket, which are already part of the recipe? Or do you want to send rockets in the mid-game? Why?
The thing is, trains are pretty good for 10k tiles distance. If you aren't building a megabase then you won't need to go that far either. And trains are cheap and cost very little in fuel. So rockets are an alternative for extreme distances and where laying tracks is not as simple. Or if you want to supply outposts with ammo and repairpacks and want to avoid complicated train stations but use the train for the mass transport. So that is the niche and the balance they are going for currently.

As for what it takes to make a rocket, I haven't seen your version yet. [...] I'm open to discussing balance

Then please check it out. Actually I don't know either what the cheaper version requires, but I'm fine with using the normal rocket so it doesn't really matter for me.

I don't want to throw away a bunch of materials just to transport a tiny chest worth of materials so.

Well, an even more advanced rocket could be used many times over if you just refuel it, but that's not the kind of rocket that we have.
The whole point of this mod is to waste material on your logistics. A megabase can launch so many rockets, but what for? Giving all those rockets some use is a fun way to motivate faster rocket launches.
It seems to me that you want the opposite of this mod.

[binbinhfr]

@vas: in addition to Qon precise answer, the cheap cargo rocket costs 10% of the vanilla rocket (10 rocket parts instead of 100). Note also that in real life, a rocket transport far less then a train (a few tons instead of hundredth of tons). But the advantage is the speed. And afterall, we have nothing to do with these rockets that for the moment are sent to space with a useless satelitte...

[Wildejackson]

There is a small incompatibility with another (more recent) rocket-based mod called Space Platform (https://mods.factorio.com/mods/daid/space-platform) in which it transports you to another surface in a more balanced fation. The Problem lies in that the mod adds a building with the same name as your Cargo Rocket Silo, and factorio thinks that the mod is trying to override your building, which is loaded first. How can I resolve this issue on my end?

[binbinhfr]

Hi,

I installed both mods, and I launched a new game without problem. But effectively I see my cargo-rocket-silo but not his.
The only way is to rename this cargo-rocket-silo in one the mods. You can choose one mod, edit all the .lua and .cfg files and replace all cargo-rocket-silo by cargo-rocket-silo2 for example. Same with cargo-rocket-part and cargo-arrival. I send you my mod modified in this way, but it won't work with an existing map that already contains the previous version of my mod. You have to uninstall it. Then load map, save it. Then install modified mod and reload.

And at the next upgrade of my mod, those changes will be lost...

[Qon]

A little question. If I launch a cargo with damaged items, will they keep their health value on arrival? And there's no problem sending cargo to another surface right? I'm considering putting a Factorissimo building inside itself q:

[binbinhfr]

A little question. If I launch a cargo with damaged items, will they keep their health value on arrival? And there's no problem sending cargo to another surface right? I'm considering putting a Factorissimo building inside itself q:

About health cargo transfer, I don't know, but I suppose that yes because I copy the whole content of the chest to the other.

For Factorissimo, I have problem with that mod (and my Drones mod).
Actually, there are general problems with surfaces in Factorio. This feature is not completely developped IMHO. I made a report here viewtopic.php?f=23&t=30563
But for the moment, you can teleport players between surfaces, but you cannot transfer other type of entities. So it is a very hard limitation. And I don't know if inventory content will accept the surface change. Try it and tell me

[Qon]

Can't test at the moment :/ viewtopic.php?f=7&t=30541
My saves keeps getting corrupted...

[binbinhfr]

you've got SOOOO many mods... devs will have problems finding the bug...

[vanatteveldt]

Cool mod, I'll try this out on my current map .

My plan would be to make entirely isolated outposts that will send raw material back to base, presumably ore or plates. As the outpost will need rocket parts to send the ores, I will need to start with a rocket from base to outpost with building supplies, fuel, and rocket parts, and then send back rockets filled with goods (and if need be send more rockets with parts, I guess I can create a sort of timer by sending e.g. artifacts as a counter, and sending new parts and fuel rockets as needed).

Question: Is there a way to force a launch with a (combinator) signal? And what happens when the launch is initiated before the destination chest is chosen? Because I want to avoid having to visit a new outpost twice, so ideally I would go there, place the receiver chest, await the delivery, set up the outpost, and have everything automated from there...

[binbinhfr]

Cool mod, I'll try this out on my current map .

My plan would be to make entirely isolated outposts that will send raw material back to base, presumably ore or plates. As the outpost will need rocket parts to send the ores, I will need to start with a rocket from base to outpost with building supplies, fuel, and rocket parts, and then send back rockets filled with goods (and if need be send more rockets with parts, I guess I can create a sort of timer by sending e.g. artifacts as a counter, and sending new parts and fuel rockets as needed).

Question: Is there a way to force a launch with a (combinator) signal? And what happens when the launch is initiated before the destination chest is chosen? Because I want to avoid having to visit a new outpost twice, so ideally I would go there, place the receiver chest, await the delivery, set up the outpost, and have everything automated from there...

Hi,

There is no combinator command for the moment.
if there is no linked arrival chest, the launch cannot be initiated.

the solution for your problem is :
- create a departure chest connected to a silo with a rocket. Put all you need to send into the chest. Activate "autolaunch".
- go to your outpost. Put an arrival chest where you need it. Connect it to the previous departure chest. The "autolaunch" option will automatically (and remotely) launch the rocket.

I tested it, it works.

[vanatteveldt]

Cool, I'll have a go. Is there any chance to get circuit-controlled launches in a future version? I don't think fully autonomous outpost operation will be possible without it, as you need to somehow control fuel etc being sent to the outpost, and stack sizes can only be set manually...

[binbinhfr]

Is there any chance to get circuit-controlled launches in a future version?

Yes. Do you have a suggestion ? Lauching the rocket when a special virtual signal changes its value for example ?

[vanatteveldt]

Is there any chance to get circuit-controlled launches in a future version?

Yes. Do you have a suggestion ? Lauching the rocket when a special virtual signal changes its value for example ?

I've only made a trivial mod, so I'm not sure how much you can do in the GUI (i.e. belts/chests/inserters have a cool gui when you connect them to the circuit network). Assuming that there is no way to implement a gui where the user can set a condition manually (like iron > 500), I would probably hardcode two values (red and green signal? new special-purpose signals?) to block and force launching respectively. So if a green signal is on the circuit connected to the chest (?) the same happens when the launch button is pressed, and while a red signal is on the chest it will never launch even if the chest is full. Does that make sense?

[Airat9000]

15 version?

[theorderofthings]

I don't know if this is possible, but what if for the receiving silo, you just played the rocket animation backwards?

[binbinhfr]

I don't know if this is possible, but what if for the receiving silo, you just played the rocket animation backwards?

no, i cannot do this. By the way, there is no receiving silo : goods are dropped by parachute .

anyway, updated to 0.15

[Qon]

I don't know if this is possible, but what if for the receiving silo, you just played the rocket animation backwards?

no, i cannot do this. By the way, there is no receiving silo : goods are dropped by parachute .

anyway, updated to 0.15

Wouldn't it be possible to make a "recieving silo" entity though by taking the silo graphics from the game, reorder the images to play them backwards etc?

Not that I think is is necessar though.

Thanks for keeping it updated!