Factorio Forums

Assembling machines shut down when their output stack reaches 2x the recipe. For single-item recipes, this means output inserters don't get to take advantage of their stack size bonus.

I propose increasing the size of the assembling machine output slot, equal to the level of inserter stack size bonus.
This is not as big a problem for recipes like copper wire that produce 2x the input. But if you want to prevent those stacks from getting too big, you can do something like max(2 * recipe, 2 + stack size bonus).

This means, you shrink the production control to the insert-side. You need to place the smart inserter on the input side, instead of output or input.

Example: alien science pack. Results currently into 20 items in output stack, or better: 4 eggs (2 for the input stack and 2 as assembled to 20 eggs in the output stack). can be stored inside the assembly. That's a good buffer, it doesn't hurt much if you have 2 eggs more or less. But with your suggestion we come to 8 eggs and that is a number, which in my opinion really hard at the corner where it begins to hurt, or where you could move you into a dead end. Especially for beginners.

Coming back: For me this means, That for "expensive" items, like alien potion, or tier 3 modules etc., that I've to built the smart inserter not longer on the output side. That shrinks my possibilities in a way, that I don't like.

I think, that your suggestion hits an important point, but I think just multiplying with something is not the right way, cause it influences the whole gameplay.

Wouldn't that not be a good candidate for a "space module"?

I really like this idea. There are times I'm having difficulty feeding machines from a belt, not because I can't cram enough inserters around it, but because it runs empty before even a fast inserter can put something in. If you have something that only takes 0.5 seconds and its in an AM3 with a speed module or two. The machine can be stocked and the inverters get turned off. Then when the am3 starts requesting stuff again it can run empty before a fast inserter can restock it.

IMO if you're worried about waste you should be handling your worries through ways other than handicapping an AM from running at full speed.

The situation where this really shines is with an assembler-to-assembler or an assembler-to-chest-to-assembler production chains. (The stack bonus doesn't matter for belt-fed factories.) That way, an assembler can blaze ahead of the inserter(s), where their increased stack size can be put to full use to maximize throughput. However, the assembler-to-chest-to-assembler design has severe limitations in terms of space and not being able to cross over with itself.

Frankly, I would like to see inserters being able to take upgrade modules. Like, say, having a fast inserter fast enough to fill its side of an express belt.