I've seen "train only" bases, where carefully crafted Rail -> stack-inserter -> assembly machine mazes are built in such a way that still retains 8x Beacons per assesmbly machine.
But its very weird and obscure. With such a lacking in space, you have to run multiple train types and overlap them: either having mixed trains. And there's also the issue of "leftover" pieces staying on a stack inserter (ex: Stack inserter grabs 7 items, but then the assembly machine only accepts 3 of them, so now the inserter is "deadlocked" with 4 items. But the assembly machine needs another item, so everything deadlocks and shuts down).
There's ways to fix all these problems of course.
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But the easiest way is to instead use bots and/or belts to unload into the "last mile" going into the assembly machines. (Belt/bots can also reach 12 beacons per assembly machine if you're willing to have a faster, but more costly, design. Mainly for UPS wars rather than in-game benefits.)
But yeah, Trains are obviously the best bulk transfer item in the game. And while they aren't "unsuitable" for last-leg delivery per-assembly machine, its highly complex to do so. So its just easier to use belts/bots for that unless you're going crazy with UPS or something.
Yup agree completely. Train only with literally zero belts or bots is insanity. A small number (relatively) of belts or bots for feeding and internally within each node saves so much pain.
It would be like doing large data processing using exclusively map reduces with no non-MR orchestration at all. Yes you can technically do it, but, like, .... whyyyy.
But its very weird and obscure. With such a lacking in space, you have to run multiple train types and overlap them: either having mixed trains. And there's also the issue of "leftover" pieces staying on a stack inserter (ex: Stack inserter grabs 7 items, but then the assembly machine only accepts 3 of them, so now the inserter is "deadlocked" with 4 items. But the assembly machine needs another item, so everything deadlocks and shuts down).
There's ways to fix all these problems of course.
--------------
But the easiest way is to instead use bots and/or belts to unload into the "last mile" going into the assembly machines. (Belt/bots can also reach 12 beacons per assembly machine if you're willing to have a faster, but more costly, design. Mainly for UPS wars rather than in-game benefits.)
But yeah, Trains are obviously the best bulk transfer item in the game. And while they aren't "unsuitable" for last-leg delivery per-assembly machine, its highly complex to do so. So its just easier to use belts/bots for that unless you're going crazy with UPS or something.