Allow Space Platform Signal Requests to Specify a Source or Priority (Factorio 2.1)

[xiutanke]

Hello. While playing Factorio 2.1, I ran into a problem while trying to build a space dock.

I built a huge space logistics center on Earth, with multiple transport ships traveling between the Earth logistics center and another planet. When a transport ship arrives at the planet or the logistics center, the planet (or logistics center) generates signal requests based on the cargo carried by the incoming ship, allowing the transport ship to unload at the logistics center. At the same time, the transport ship also generates signal requests based on the list of goods going from the logistics center to the planet, so that it can pick up the corresponding goods from the logistics center.

In theory, this is a very effective logistics setup. However, there is one problem I cannot solve: when the logistics center generates signal requests for the cargo on an incoming transport ship, those signal requests are sent to all space platforms and planets at the same time. This causes products that are also available on Earth to be launched into space and delivered to the logistics center.

For example, if I transport green transport belts from Mars to the logistics center on Earth, the logistics center starts requesting green transport belts. At that point, not only will the Mars transport ship provide green transport belts, but green transport belts on Earth will also be launched by rocket and sent up. Obviously, this confuses the space logistics system. I hope the developers can consider whether the space platform signal network could have request source or priority settings.

If it were possible to build a large dispatch center and spaceport on a planet, along with countless spaceships, that would be really cool.

I hope you will consider implementing this feature. Thank you very much.

— A newbie player with only a few hundred hours

[eugenekay]

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[Alfonse215]

For example, if I transport green transport belts from Mars to the logistics center on Earth, the logistics center starts requesting green transport belts. At that point, not only will the Mars transport ship provide green transport belts, but green transport belts on Earth will also be launched by rocket and sent up. Obviously, this confuses the space logistics system.

My understanding is that space platform->platform requests have a higher priority than ground->platform requests. Or at least, a faster response time.

So if your "logistics center" platform requests 1000 green belts, and a platform in orbit has 1000 green belts, the orbital platform will transfer them (assuming that it has enough cargo bays to fulfill the request quickly). As such, the key here is to request only how much other platforms in that orbit are providing. That way, "Earth" won't be involved. At least, this is how it seems to be happening in my testing.

As an aside, I've never heard of anyone referring to Vulcanus as "Mars" before.

[xiutanke]

Sorry, I'm a Chinese player. In Chinese, the word for Mars, 火星, is made up of “火” (fire) + “星” (star), so it inherently carries the meaning of fire. That's why the AI translated it that way.

The answer you gave me is very helpful. I couldn't find the platform/planet priority in any tutorial or text prompt. Moreover, supplying other platforms also seems to be a newly added feature. The priority may possibly change. It would be best if the official team could confirm this.

[tottoko]

Often, signal processing isn't necessary; a direct request suffices, and you can even restrict the source of the request.

Just remember that the platform cannot send goods to the "requesting source" at the same time.

Logistics does not require two-way transportation and basically does not rely on signals.

The issue you mentioned seems to lie in unloading at the logistics center.

Currently, without using a signal, the only option is to drop the cargo onto the planet and relaunch it.

For signal control, you can refer to 135381 and send only about 5~10 ticks of signal. This way, the rocket launch silos on the ground will not have enough time to complete the task, but the platform can be shipped out.