Storage Container Reserve

[BFBlazer]

I have a suggestion for the storage containers. It would be nice to have a reserve in them. A way to keep a number of stacks in them and the output conveyor only removes items when the stacks are above that number.

Edit:

It would also be nice if you could choose a ratio of product to each exit on the splitter. Say 1:4:1 being 1 left, 4 straight, 1 right out of the next 6 to enter. Obviously this would only work on regular splitters and not when you are choosing different products to each exit.

[RebelMC]

Just put a container on top, move everything into that and use the bottom one as the feed. when you run out just reconnect the top one until full again.

[Kall]

That would be a nice feature. To get around this for now I place a 2nd storage container next to the first one and put a spliter into both. it will split the items going in 50 50 until the storage one is full then 100 will go into the one that can handle more.

[diet a&w]

Yes, having a reserve would be nice. Also being able to block out slots (without filling a container with junk) ala factorio would be nice.

Using containers as buffers is nice, but would be a heck of a lot better if you could manage max capacity and reserve a few items for manual use.

[BFBlazer]

Originally posted by Kall:

That would be a nice feature. To get around this for now I place a 2nd storage container next to the first one and put a spliter into both. it will split the items going in 50 50 until the storage one is full then 100 will go into the one that can handle more.

Good idea, I hate having to take up more space just for that but I'll try it out.

[Grandaddypurple]

Originally posted by BFBlazer:

Originally posted by Kall:

That would be a nice feature. To get around this for now I place a 2nd storage container next to the first one and put a spliter into both. it will split the items going in 50 50 until the storage one is full then 100 will go into the one that can handle more.

Good idea, I hate having to take up more space just for that but I'll try it out.

Storage containers stack perfectly on top of each other ;)

[𝓕𝔁]

Use a smart splitter before the container, set it to send overflow as the usual output to production and any to the container (or a specific item).

This will fill the container first or refill it if you take stuff out, then everything else goes onwards as required for production.

[jamesc70]

While you can work out the issue like mentioned above, I agree with the OP that this should be a feature of all containers with multiple slots. Simply let us highlight slots we want to keep filled and output items in non-reserved slots... problem solved without using splitters and multiple containers.

For a futuristic game, you'd think the programming/AI of things could easily handle that. And, if you make a mega-base with all surplus feeding the Sink... you could be talking about hundreds of extra splitters and containers - that could be removed by allowing reserving slots.

[diet a&w]

I don't like any of the solutions proposed by people here. I don't want to use extra storage containers. I don't want to use entire containers - for some of the later game parts, even a small container full represents a ton of resources.

You can't efficiently and simply do in the game what I, and I believe the OP, are asking.

[BFBlazer]

Yes, while workarounds are fine short term, long term it would be nice to see something like this implemented.

[Grandaddypurple]

Originally posted by diet a&w:

I don't want to use entire containers - for some of the later game parts, even a small container full represents a ton of resources.

You can't efficiently and simply do in the game what I, and I believe the OP, are asking.

You'll want to reevaluate this statement when you'll start making optimized setups for oil production and nuclear power using alt recipes. You'll literally need thousands of motors, plastics and the likes

[Bobucles]

There are three options for buffering items with the factory:
- full sized containers, using all the storage slots.
- Machine output, holding one stack of items
- Belts, holding one item per length of belt.

There is one more type of buffer storage, which is to dump things into a vehicle depot and a vehicle. But making anything more than a dead end storage system with it is trouble at best.

It's not really possible to have "too much" of an item. Let the factory stockpile goodies, most of them have vital use in the end.

[diet a&w]

Originally posted by Grandaddypurple:

Originally posted by diet a&w:

I don't want to use entire containers - for some of the later game parts, even a small container full represents a ton of resources.

You can't efficiently and simply do in the game what I, and I believe the OP, are asking.

You'll want to reevaluate this statement when you'll start making optimized setups for oil production and nuclear power using alt recipes. You'll literally need thousands of motors, plastics and the likes

I've unlocked everything, done all the elevator deliveries. The only thing I haven't done is nuclear power. I don't need more power, not even close. Someday I'll set it up just for something to do.
But having nothing left to unlock in the game has kind of killed my motivation.

I have entire storage containers full of everything from iron ingots to turbo motors.

Sure, as your infrastructure grows, having a container full of stuff starts to seem pretty insignificant. But as you're growing, control over how containers behave would make it easier to be more efficient.

We're talking nice to have here, I'm not claiming it's the end of the world.

[Owl]

just attach a splitter to the exit and pipe half to the stacked container above.

[stealthXG]

I see no use for this as it's basically just a storage container with a smart splitter function.

[diet a&w]

Originally posted by stealthXG:

I see no use for this as it's basically just a storage container with a smart splitter function.

No, this isn't a storage container with a smart splitter function.

Why do some of you seem so opposed to the idea of managing reserve and overall capacity within a container, rather than building extra infrastructure?