Long Conveyors VS Truck + Truck stations

[Limamufu]

My building design is basically composed by small clusters of factories around metal nodes rather than a big giant factory (don't even now how this is possible in the desert). It is working fine but right now I reach tier 5 and 6 and logistics are becoming a true nightmare requiring multiple items from copper, iron and oil. I built some trucks + truck stations to transport items but since this game lacks a item sorter (which is damn annoying), I have to build a station for each item. Is there any advantage to use long conveyors between these clusters rather than use truck stations? (Consider a distance of 300-500 meters between a cluster and other)

[PersonIDK]

There are item sorters, they're in the MAM under the Caterium research tree. Smart Splitters + Programmable Splitters. I've completely avoided using trucks in my game, so I use longish conveyor belts and trains to get items around.

[Willow Rivers]

There are splitters that will sort multiple items on a belt, you have to research them in the Mam under the Catrium Ore.

I have a truck delivering rubber and plastic from my refinery and sorting it into seperate containers.

[zoiks]

Personally I wouldn't even consider a truck/train for anything under 1km. Too many resources and too complex to setup compared to just running some conveyors/pipes. Especially if you are running power poles all over the place already anyway, why not just put down some stackable conveyors/pipes along the same path?

It feels like currently we aren't incentivized to use trucks/trains currently over conveyors except aesthetically, if you prefer them that is.

[xNaquada]

...this game lacks a item sorter

False. Do your research options in the MAM building.

[phillip_lynx]

Originally posted by xNaquada:

...this game lacks a item sorter

False. Do your research options in the MAM building.

This!

My main storage is fed with convoyers clutterered with all different things.
And the last output only sends out exess items, when the corresponding container ist full (into the sink) :)

[Limamufu]

I dropped 3/4 of my truck stations and started to use Long Conveyors. It ♥♥♥♥♥♥ up the layout but is now more efficient

[Mentize]

Conveyors Vs Trucks depends on the production rate at the pickup stations.

A base Tractor can carry 24 stacks of items, if your pickup facility is producing more than 24 stacks of an item in the time it takes the tractor to do a full trip (Causing its production to stop) then you're losing productivity. In this situation a belt would be better as belts don't have to wait for a vehicle to come pick up the item to start moving it towards your base.

This is assuming your receiving factory can take any amount of resources thrown at it.

This limit is pretty awkward to calculate.
Tractor 24 slots, ore is 100 per stack. Let's say your tractor takes 5minutes to perform a round trip. If your pickup facility is pumping more than 2400 ore in the 5minutes it takes the Tractor to perform a pickup, then it's not efficient for the tractor & a belt would be better in this scenario.


Item sorters can be made using smart-splitters:
Run a single conveyor line that passes through 10 smart splitters
Set their left out to "none" + Centre output to "Any unrecognised" + right output to "Overflow"
Link each smart splitter to a container, and merge all their right outputs to the awesome sink
Change each "None" output on each splitter to an item.

Boom, you have a sorting machine that will also dump any excess items into the awesome sink.

[BlackDev]

My last truck with a ton of goodies disappeared into the ground yesterday, so I'm sticking with conveyors for now I think..