Specify destination inventory for inserters

[ikarikeiji]

What:

If an inserter is pointing to a rocket silo, you should be able to click on the inserter and then configure it to either:

1. Insert into recipe ingredients
or
2. Insert into cargo.


Why:

Currently this is a Bad New Player* Experience.
*of Space Age at least

As described here, and also here, currently it is only possible for inserters to put rocket fuel, low density structure or processing units into the rocket part ingredients and not into the rocket cargo.

Now... bear in mind... that I generally play without logistic bots!

So this has bitten me in the backside, because off I went to Gleba, happily using remote view to set constant combinators to request things... only to find I now cannot request processing units and I can't do it manually because I'm not physically back on Nauvis. I shouldn't have to resort to using logistic bots for this.

Fortunately in my case, it doesn't ruin my entire game, since I did set up the ability to load green circuits, red circuits and sulfur (among many other things), so I can make the processing units on Gleba... but this is an arbitrary restriction, that you cannot load 3 specific item types into rocket cargo using an inserter - it should not exist. It's so frustrating when you discover this that I'd almost consider this a bug report rather than a feature request, but I know it'd only be moved if I posted it over in the bug reports forum, so here you go.

[AileTheAlien]

This seems like it'd be a weird interaction to try and handle from the inserters. Like, the UI would have an extra checkmark only for inserters, and the inserter needs to detect if it's pointed at a rocket silo. Maybe have a separate building that's for loading cargo into spaceships instead? I think that'd actually be better for new players, since the two buildings could visually connect, similar to the space platform hub and cargo pods, and only one of those can interact with inserters for cargo. Although, the silo's UI is where the cargo and launch button are located... This is a tricky UX problem. Maybe a third building, "launch control"!

[ikarikeiji]

I did actually originally want to suggest adding a "Rocket part assembler" entity, which'd be a standard 3x3 assembler with a different look that would only allow placement directly adjacent to a rocket silo - then, rocket part ingredients would have to be inserted into the assembler, while anything inserted into the rocket silo itself would go into the cargo. And that's actually what I'd prefer!

I only suggested an extra configuration on the inserters since I figured that'd be simpler and less controversial for Wube to implement.

[EustaceCS]

Technically, rocket cargo is going into a capsule on top of the rocket. You'll need Very Long Handled Inserter to stick things there...
Whole space logistics affair is kinda rough towards completely new players, true.
It, however, is not a thing to be fixed with inserter destination filter.

The suggestion itself, however, do have some common sense.

I as player want to designate explicitly if this specific inserter should pick/stick things from/into:
- fuel slots (trains, tanks, cars)
- cargo slots (wagons, tanks, cars)
- ammo slots (tanks, cars)
- pure ground

Since cars and tanks just got some love in experimental updates recently, this another long-term vehicle related inconvenience might finally live to see its final days as well.

[Tinyboss]

This seems like it'd be a weird interaction to try and handle from the inserters. Like, the UI would have an extra checkmark only for inserters, and the inserter needs to detect if it's pointed at a rocket silo. Maybe have a separate building that's for loading cargo into spaceships instead? I think that'd actually be better for new players, since the two buildings could visually connect, similar to the space platform hub and cargo pods, and only one of those can interact with inserters for cargo. Although, the silo's UI is where the cargo and launch button are located... This is a tricky UX problem. Maybe a third building, "launch control"!

I like this idea. In fact, would it be possible to have a certain part of the silo, visually distinct, where you need to insert the rocket part ingredients (and which accepts nothing else), and when you insert anywhere else on the silo, it goes into cargo? I'm not sure if the engine supports that, but it would be a pretty nice solution. It would handle the UI issue pretty neatly I think.

[AileTheAlien]

Would it be possible to have a certain part of the silo, visually distinct, where you need to insert the rocket part ingredients (and which accepts nothing else), and when you insert anywhere else on the silo, it goes into cargo?

I don't think any other buildings in the game have different insertion areas or directions, which is why I suggested a different building. The closest thing is the pipes in different locations on buildings, but that's fluids not items. Splitters, inserters and miners are all directional, but not for inserting things into them, so I don't think it's a mechanic that could just be re-used to make rocket silos easier to work with.

[yngndrw]

This seems like it'd be a weird interaction to try and handle from the inserters. Like, the UI would have an extra checkmark only for inserters, and the inserter needs to detect if it's pointed at a rocket silo. Maybe have a separate building that's for loading cargo into spaceships instead? I think that'd actually be better for new players, since the two buildings could visually connect, similar to the space platform hub and cargo pods, and only one of those can interact with inserters for cargo. Although, the silo's UI is where the cargo and launch button are located... This is a tricky UX problem. Maybe a third building, "launch control"!

For the UX, I don't think it's an inserter concern; rather, it's a concern for the receiver.

For the Rocket Silo example, there's already a related control: The "Automatic requests from space platforms" checkbox.

If "Automatic requests from space platforms" was changed to a dropdown, I could see the following options being made available:

• Manual
• Manual (Processing units)
• Manual (Low-density structures)
• Manual (Rocket fuel)
• Automatic requests from space platforms

[phooenix]

I totally agree as i have this dilema now that i use alot of processing units, too much. To be able to ramp up production i need stuff from another place, and i can't get that stuff because i cant send processing units to space to that planet and send rockets home.

So to fix this i was thinking to split the belt from the processing unit production so half go to the base/bot network and half to supply other planets by manually insert it into rockets but i can't do that, and rockets are only sent once it can fit everything in one go with bots, which is in this case 400 for processing units, but it never reaches that so it is never sent. (i produce 3k per minute but still a single rocket isn't sent because of this....bug). My only option now is to shut down everything else that uses processing units and just wait or turn it on/off automatically with circuits because i have zero control over how the bots distribute items. (okey not entirely true, but in this case it feels like one of my hands are tied behind my back)

My take would be to not allow inserters to insert things into cargo in the rocket at all, and it works normally as it is now with bots, but to add items manually into the cargo with inserters you would need a small addon building like a cargo loader, it works like a chest but is connected to the rocket silo. It would be supercool if it would automatically make an arm or something to connect to the rocket once it comes from the ground (together with the other 3 yellow hydraulic arms), and releases as it flies away (kind of like how fluid pumps connect to fluid trains). And this building could be unlocked together with the silo, so you will always have options to not use bots, and this solution also follows how the game in other aspects lets you handle similar problems.