Early game storage issue's

[mrDoxie]

Hi all,

I started playing Factorio this weekend and really love it! After the first 10 hours as "get to known" the game I started a second game on which I used enough space to group my "production units".

Al is working great, supplies are finding there way. To give an idea, I'm at the point I can research blue science. But I find myself running around to all my chest to pickup materials I need. Is there no a solution to have them go to central location and be made available in my character inventory automaticlly?

For example I have lot's of 1 level transport(s) which I feed to create Science bottles. So they are waiting in a chest or on other transport. Now when I'm building a new production Unit I constanly need to run to the other side of my map or I have them created in the inventory both cost time.

Is there a Factorio way to solve this?

Thanks

Dox

[Klonan]

You can use transport belts to automatically transport the items you need to their destination

You cna also use logistic robots for this, using storage chests and active providers to make a central area

[mrDoxie]

OK... i'm still in the pre-robot phase so that is not an option....I'll read up on the robots and active providers!

[MobRules]

OK... i'm still in the pre-robot phase so that is not an option....I'll read up on the robots and active providers!

For early game (before you have the logistics chests and robots), you'll want to use belts (to move items) and inserters (to take them out of the assembler/off of the belt or into the assembler/onto the belt)

[Shokubai]

The Main Bus idea changed my Factorio life.

A simple bus
Bring 2 lanes of Iron Plate and 2 lanes of copper plate down a strait path through what will be your base. This "bus" of materials is the artery or lifeblood of your base. You will split off a lane wherever you need to make something. (The 2 and 2 number is important because 4 is the distance underground belt can jump across).

Here is a good simple bus design.

Take special note where one of the two lanes of items are split off that there is a splitter across both lanes immediately after. This helps keep both lanes balanced.

A complex bus
Bring all your primary resources and intermediate products down the bus. Use the same 4 wide lanes with a gap of 2 between each group of 4.

Here is the start of one.
This image is a 4 iron 4 copper bus. Note the 2 space gap between them to allow for underground belts.

Also note in the image that the author is splitting off iron plate and is making gears. He is adding the gears to the bus allthough some people like to make them localy rather than bus them. This will become a more complex bus.

Here is another that isnt too complex yet but still moves most primary and intermediate products.

[Shokubai]

. Is there no a solution to have them go to central location and be made available in my character inventory automaticlly?

Logistics Bots but those come a bit into the game. You will research Character Logistic Slots to add what amounts to a Requester Chest to your character.

[brunzenstein]

That shows clever builds with nice small tricks in managing belts and splitters indeed. Thanks for sharing.

[mrDoxie]

Thanks all of you for your answers! @Shokubai briljiant short tutorial, tryin some stuff out right now!