Remote Controller

[Philuminati]

I'm playing Factorio for a while now and I thought, it was time, to suggest something I frequently thougt about to this forum.

The idea is to add some kind of remote controllable instance which is connectable to the circuit network. I came to this while building mining outposts. Everyone knows that moment when you are coming back to your main base after building a new outpost far away, and then you realise, that you've missed something and you want to add it. You could add it as blueprint remotly by using a radar in each outpost, but most of the time, you will not have the required item in a storage chest in the outpost. It would be nice, if you just could put that item into a supply train going to that outpost instead of bringing it there by yourself. The supply trains I normally build use filter inserters to unload, so I would need to control something that sets the filter of the inserter to the item I want to deliver.

I noticed, that it is possible to turn on and off power switches remotly by clicking on it on the map. The most simpel way to add my suggestion to the game would be to make constant combinators work the same way power switches currently do, i.e make them editable by using the map.

With this in the game, you could also build setups that cannot only be activated or deactivated remotly, but also be controlled more precisly. You could even add a research for this, to make it something one has to work for.

Thanks in advance for thinking about it,

Philuminati

[Philip017]

you know you can make a blueprint of the combinator with it's settings and then paste them remotely right? so set up the same thing you have at the remote location near you, make the changes to the one next to you, make a new blueprint, and then paste it over the one at the remote location and the combinator will have the new settings.

[Philuminati]

Well i have to say that that's a good idea... but it isn't really satisfying as solution because it would take way more time and it is more complicated than a simple remote controller. Especially if you want to control something that needs more than one input signal on diffrent cable colours. I think I will use this way but I am not convinced yet that it solves all problems.

[Tekky]

Most of this has already been discussed in the following thread:

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=57028 Allow adjustment of constant combinators from the map screen