FortressCraft Evolved – Freight Carts
Freight System Guide
Fortress Craft Evolved’s freight cart organization tin greatly simplify the logistics of a large as well as modularized base.
This guide is written inward 4 major sections. I encourage newcomers to avoid department 4 until they’ve experimented amongst the freight system.
1-Comparison to other systems
2-Key concepts as well as blocks
3-Example implementations
4-Advanced details as well as other minutia
Comparison of Logistic Mediums
This department could hold upwards it’s ain spreadsheet or fifty-fifty developed into a whole guide. I exercise non intend to educate this department whatever further.
- Conveyor Belts: Low to medium throughput, no power, inexpensive to make, real flexible layout. Only medium inward this listing that slows inward Cold Caverns, as well as is too susceptible to Mynocks.
- Transport Tubes: Medium to high throughput, no power, moderately expensive, real flexible layout.
- Cargo lifts: Upgradable high throughput, depression to medium power, initially inexpensive to brand amongst real expensive upgrades, extremely stiff layouts (vertical 3×3 shaft only).
- Matter eMitters (MM): High throughput, real high ability (scales amongst throughput), MM are themselves inexpensive to brand but the ability network may hold upwards expensive, flexible layout (must hold upwards set out like to Laser Power Transmitters (LPT)
- Logistic Falcors: Low throughput, no power, inexpensive to make, semi flexible layout, beacons require heaven clearance.
- Mine carts system: Upgradable high throughput, no power, moderately expensive, elementary layouts recommended. (see next section)
- Freight system: Upgradable high throughput, no power, moderately expensive, flexible layouts. Very complex settings. Can conduct describe as well as force from Mass Storage (MS) without the postulate for MS ports.
Minecarts vs. Freight System
This guide does non focus on the minecart system. Minecarts are implemented similarly to Minecraft’s minecarts, if non simpler. Minecarts receive got no complex news as well as tin solely brand routing decisions based on “Do I receive got whatever materials?” or “Do I non receive got whatever materials?”.
The freight cart organization is materially built upon the minecart system. It uses the same runway pieces as well as carts, but dissimilar stations.
Research that is minecart organization solely (not used past times freight):
Requirements (W.I.P.)
- The freight cart organization is a role of The Adventure Pack DLC.
- Scrap-tier minecarts require X interrogation as well as access to X ore
- Regular runway as well as minecarts require X interrogation as well as access to X ore
- Fast as well as Large minecarts require X research
- Bulk minecarts require X research
Key Components as well as Concepts
The department is meant to give y'all a quick agreement of the fundamentals of the system. Nuances as well as existent implementations are discussed inward afterwards sections.
The Freight Network Monitor
The freight network monitor is key to agreement the wellness of the freight system, as well as for troubleshooting issues. Many problems tin hold upwards solved past times thoroughly analyzing the data that the monitor provides.
Physical Track Grids
Track is what the carts motility on. You tin receive got every bit many grids of runway every bit necessary, it is non required to receive got everything on i uber-grid.
Physical runway grids should non hold upwards confused amongst freight-networks. Multiple networks tin be on a unmarried grid. However, y'all should never receive got a network that spans multiple grids.
Below y'all tin come across screenshots of 2 carve upwards grids. The game helpfully colors grids hence y'all tin enjoin when y'all receive got a disconnect. Dead-ends of runway volition non hold upwards lit.
Two disconnected tracks:
One connected grid:
Depots
Depots are where your carts spawn as well as de-spawn. H5N1 depot exactly makes carts inward whatever hoppers connected to it available to the grid. Any networks on the grid may asking a cart to hold upwards spawned.
Carts
Carts are couriers, bringing goods to where they postulate to be. They volition ever attempt to accept the shortest road betwixt destinations, piece trying to avoid passing through non-destination stations.
There are diverse tiers as well as types of carts. Tiers affects max speed, acceleration as well as capacity of carts. Ore-type carts tin solely carry ores ( crystal deposits) as well as fluid-type carts tin solely carry gas-canisters. Ore as well as Fluid carts receive got a capacity as well as transfer bonus over all-purpose carts.
Stations
Stations are the interface betwixt a track-grid, carts, as well as storages. They are too how y'all command nearly of the settings inward the freight system.
A station must hold upwards associated amongst a network. Naming stations (and storages) are optional.
A station monitors the storage that it is attached to, as well as reports to the network.
Freight stations must transact amongst either hoppers or Mass Storage (MS) grids. Stations cannot transact amongst whatever other machine or block, nor the player.
Storage
The freight organization is solely compatible amongst 2 methods of storage: hoppers, as well as Mass Storage grids (MS). The item transfer charge per unit of measurement is the same for either storage method.
A storage has it’s ain ideal stocking limits per network that it is associated with. To connect a storage to multiple networks, exactly connect to a greater extent than stations to the storage.
Stocking Limits
Through stations, y'all tin prepare a storage’s stocking limits for a network (referred to in-game, every bit “Set Freight”). The stocking bound is the storage’s “ideal amount for X item” inside that network. If i of a storage’s network-limits is prepare to 100 nickle bars, but has 140, as well as hence it has s surplus of xl bars, as well as volition offering them to that network. Similarly, if it dropped downward to lxx bars, as well as hence it would need xxx bars.
There does non postulate to hold upwards a bound for every item inward a storage, but if an item doesn’t receive got a limit, as well as hence the storage won’t need of offering it. Setting a stocking bound to “0” is common: it way y'all don’t desire whatever of an item inward that storage: offering it to hold upwards transported elsewhere.
It’s useful to remember: a storage hold upwards connected to many networks, as well as receive got dissimilar stocking limits for each network.
Networks
A network is a conceptual grouping of storages (and attached stations) that should part items.
A network volition endeavour to check stocking demands amongst offers, as well as enjoin depots to spawn carts for related stations when matches are found.
A network should never bridge multiple track-grids, because carts won’t hold upwards able to accomplish every storage inward the network.
Details as well as Other Minutia (W.I.P.)
- Wait for Full / Any.
- A Network mustn’t bridge multiple track-grids.
- Tiers as well as types of carts.
- One-way, junction, booster, corner, slope.
- 4-lane system.
- Stations tin access storage in-front or behind, at the same meridian of the base of operations or i infinite higher. Scroll upwards to the “Physical Track Grids” department for examples.
- Cart settings solely acquit on what carts the station volition asking (spawn). Any form of cart may catch a station.
- Stations must connect to a unmarried storage origin (hopper or MS-grid)
- Carts collide, but aren’t aware of eachother (They don’t road amongst consideration of eachother)
- Auto upgrader
- Rooms. Straight runway ignores air-clearance. Slopes require air-clearance else derail.
- World re-load minutia
- Stuck carts volition periodically attempt to contrary course of study / re-route inward club to intermission traffic jams.
- Stations volition search at meridian as well as meridian +1, forepart as well as dorsum for a storage. (if 2 storages are inward range, a station powerfulness pick something else on Blue Planet reload)
- Advice on when stations should receive got 0 carts assigned (requestable)
- Depot placement as well as airlocking, asking steveman0 to add together resistance to depots.
- Avoid slopes straightaway earlier or after a station. One-ways, corners, as well as straights are fine.
Troubleshooting Tips (W.I.P.)
- Check freight monitor:
- How many grids are there?
- Does the storage names as well as contents check your expectation
- Does the network-inventory check expectation
- Do the stations receive got proper cart tier, type, as well as count settings? Wait for full/any?
- Ensure the path from the station to the grid is complete.
- When inward doubt, re-make the stations connected to a storage.
