Factorio Forums

When setting a space platform's requests via circuits, the request source will be both platforms and planets, with no way to set them otherwise. This is incredibly limiting. There should be a way to limit circuit based requests to either platforms or planets, or either.

One concrete example for why this is necessary is that if it were possible to configure circuit based requests to only be fulfilled by other platforms, it would become possible to send an item from a freighter to an orbital station, then send that item from the orbital station to a different platform, by controlling the orbital station's requests via latches. This would enable hub-and-spoke logistics, which would be useful both for intra-system shipping of items like green belts and for promethium logistics at the solar system edge.

I feel like there are many forms this could take in terms of UX, whether a radio button selector for planet/platform/all, or a Set Request Source checkbox which allows passing signals for the planets or for platforms into the hub, or some other method.

Couldn't agree more. The 2.1 changes are great but it makes space buffer stations very difficult to achieve.

For example if I want to keep a supply of uranium fuel cells at a space station over Gleba then the station will request all the cells I keep on Gleba before a resupply ship can make it there. Then Gleba will run out of cells and request them back from the station. They'll keep sending these back and fourth, wasting rockets, until I'm lucky and a passing ship fills the request.

I can't just keep the requests there all the time because then the platform will never share it with the planet or other platforms. If I could instead only request from platforms then I can turn off the request once I've reached my buffer and only request again when I'm running low.

I think a circuit option like what we see on splitters would be the best option. So space stations would have these options on input

• Set requests

• Send to platform

• Request from planet [Signal]

• Request from platform [Signal]

Then I could maintain different circuits for requests I'll take from the planet and requests I'll take from other platforms.

It feels like the only way to achieve this at the moment is to have radars on resupply ships inform planets of what they have available so that the planets/stations can make more informed decisions. I think this is more circuitry than 99% of people are willing to do though

+1