Extremely busy

[pat]

I'm relatively late in my current game. There are no dire emergencies and I'm working on streamlining some production and getting things more organized. A problem that is plaguing me is that my trucks are all too often extremely busy. It's not always, and I really don't understand why it happens, but I'd like to know if there's anything I can do to improve things.

I don't know if I've simply got things poorly set up. But as I'm getting deeper into the game, I've got to spread out, and that means that I'm going to need the trucks to make longer deliveries.

Is the only option to just keep building more and more trucks? And if so, is there one specific truck I should be amassing?

[juanxlink]

More belts/pipes to keep storages full. Stackers to remove the need to dump resources...remember your trucks usually are busy emptying / filling storages and dumping stuff.

[pat]

The usefulness of stackers is eluding me. I've seen a few explanations on how to use them, but I still don't see how they help. Loose stuff comes in on a belt, goes to stacker, where it dumps it in a pile. I see two ways of doing the same thing.

Truck picks up rocks/dirt from an excavator, then:

A) Brings it to nearby dump site and dump it.

B) Brings it to nearby storage, unloads it, stuff gets belted to nearby stacker where it's dumped.

[juanxlink]

Originally posted by pat:

The usefulness of stackers is eluding me. I've seen a few explanations on how to use them, but I still don't see how they help. Loose stuff comes in on a belt, goes to stacker, where it dumps it in a pile. I see two ways of doing the same thing.

Truck picks up rocks/dirt from an excavator, then:

A) Brings it to nearby dump site and dump it.

B) Brings it to nearby storage, unloads it, stuff gets belted to nearby stacker where it's dumped.

Well, your options require trucks...plant the stacker on the edge of a cliff, or deep sea, and watch your bulk overflow dissappear without more than a few W of input...you can keep using trucks yes but...why did you make the post then?

[pat]

Originally posted by juanxlink:

you can keep using trucks yes but...why did you make the post then?

You're using trucks either way. The excavators aren't going to unload into a stacker. They unload into a truck. Now that truck has to take the rock/dirt someplace. It can take it to a nearby dump site or it can take it to a nearby storage facility that puts it on a belt that delivers it to a stacker.

[juanxlink]

Originally posted by pat:

You're using trucks either way. The excavators aren't going to unload into a stacker. They unload into a truck. Now that truck has to take the rock/dirt someplace. It can take it to a nearby dump site or it can take it to a nearby storage facility that puts it on a belt that delivers it to a stacker.

If you are not using the sorting facility in your games, then you have too many trucks assigned to mining, for late-r game you need to use offshore facilities. Advantage of "adding the extra step", the trucks unless single load and thus not needing sorting are converging at 2-3 points on my system, from where sorters and splitters can rearrange unwanted materials via trucks or stackers.

[Lucky_Star_Fan]

You can check what your trucks are carrying most by clicking the transport tab. Probably a lot of rock dumping orders. You can always belt the rock from where it's being mined to closer to where you want it dumped to cut down on trips.

[pat]

Originally posted by Lucky_Star_Fan:

You can check what your trucks are carrying most by clicking the transport tab. Probably a lot of rock dumping orders. You can always belt the rock from where it's being mined to closer to where you want it dumped to cut down on trips.

Thanks, that sounds like a good plan.

[juanxlink]

Originally posted by pat:

Originally posted by Lucky_Star_Fan:

You can check what your trucks are carrying most by clicking the transport tab. Probably a lot of rock dumping orders. You can always belt the rock from where it's being mined to closer to where you want it dumped to cut down on trips.

Thanks, that sounds like a good plan.

Yep, he just repeated the same as I did, your trucks are wasted dumping rocks...

[[UniR] SillyShibby]

Nono, more specific: the trucks are wasted traveling to the dumping site.

[Devils Blood Wraith]

Still awaiting freight trains. Not playing until these arrive in game. Sick of all the conveyors, pipes, and thousand mile road trips for resources. Freight trains. Game on hold till then.

[juanxlink]

Originally posted by Captain Red:

Still awaiting freight trains. Not playing until these arrive in game. Sick of all the conveyors, pipes, and thousand mile road trips for resources. Freight trains. Game on hold till then.

New maps are a party!!! Lets hope the handling times are fast enough.

[ralfaltmann]

Originally posted by Captain Red:

Still awaiting freight trains. Not playing until these arrive in game. Sick of all the conveyors, pipes, and thousand mile road trips for resources. Freight trains. Game on hold till then.

Is there an ETA for the upcoming update?

Regards

[pat]

When trains come, I just hope that turns aren't terribly wide. It's not Train Fever. I want to be able to fit a rail line into a relatively small location and not have to tear up several manufacturing areas to get it in.

[jamiechi]

Originally posted by pat:

When trains come, I just hope that turns aren't terribly wide. It's not Train Fever. I want to be able to fit a rail line into a relatively small location and not have to tear up several manufacturing areas to get it in.

Yes. I would prefer small turns and small trains that would mostly be used to move ore.

And I quit using the stackers. I don't find them useful.