Since the last update something seems to get stuck.

I first noticed that only a small number of Constructrons were handling jobs. Not sure what was happening, I enabled debug logging and instantly all went to work. A while later I added 4 new Constructrons. I'm used to them being picked up next to instantly when they get their roboports. This time they just stood there for minutes. I then ran a "reset all" and one of them walked to the nearest Service Station. Running "rest all" again after waiting for a couple of minutes made the other 3 walk there, too. But one of the Constructrons that was on a job still stood there being white and doing nothing. I ran "reset all" again and finally it also walked home. However, now all of them are just standing at a Service station, doing nothing. I then enabled debug logging, with no effect. Even after another "reset all" there were no debug messages and the Constructrons are still on strike.

Savefile available if needed (reminder for myself: #63).

Update: I downgraded to .40. At first nothing happened, but when I picked up one Constructron and then placed it back down, all went back to normal. I have no idea if that would have kicked .41 into action, too, I didn't try because I just had added new Constructrons and so it didn't occur to me.

Hi
Could you please provide your save file?

I would hazard to guess that you have many Constructrons placed? The 1.0.40 update introduced staggering to the check that ran every 10 seconds across all Constructrons, so instead, it checks a maximum of 5 Constructrons every 10 seconds. There is a little bit more to it than that but that is the basis of it.

I wouldn't think 1.0.40 made any difference as 1.0.41 just introduced optimizations to chunking.

Happy to discuss over discord if you like https://discord.gg/m9TDSsH3u2

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1P1-bzmqPemNCQRewjZw7HMWvwVzglrV5?usp=sharing (The save file, 2 unpublished mods and a version of Recursive Blueprints+ I patched to eat less UPS.)

Only 18+4 Constructrons, so not that many. And yes, the changes from .40 to .41 may not have been the issue, but for something that happens randomly it's hard to pinpoint. Yesterday was the first time they all got stuck, before I only noticed the "only a handful are actually doing work" and the "one Constructron taking 5 jobs at 5 ends of the map and taking so long to complete them that the last one is in danger of timeouting" annoyances.

Hey,
I don't think that there is a technical issue but a perception issue as all of them eventually started a job.

I think I will change the setup from time based to on demand based at the start of a job. How does that sound?

P.s very interesting save! Recursive-bps is really clogging up the compute, is there a rogue signal some where constantly applying a blueprint?

I t hink it's just the mass of bp-chests. I added code so it only tries to apply a blueprint when the signals change or once every 60 ticks (tick+entity_id % 60 == 0), but it still adds up (comparing the signals for over 1k Deployers and Scanners with the previous tick each tick...). Originally it tries to apply the blueprint every tick as long as it has a signal, something I only noticed after I placed down a good amount (and as the Resource Scanner doesn't do that, I assumed the Deployer wouldn't either). I could have put the signal onto a clock, but I was too lazy to rebuild (putting in those blueprints is a pain, that's also why only so few are upgraded to Drill3-bps)---and patching the mod was more fun. ;)

"Eventually"? I gave them about 5 minutes, I think. Even factoring in my 25 ups that's as good as being stuck, I'd say. And that they instantly all started working when I picked up and then placed down one of the Constructrons makes me think something was waiting for a bad reason. Not all of them walking back to the Service station after the "reset all" (sorry, no save file before I did that) also makes me think something was bad with the internal state.

"time based to on demand based"---sorry, I do not understand the logic it operates on well enough to form an opinion on this. I've only used Constructrons on two worlds yet, and both on them were dangerOres-based so I needed something to do bot work on the edges where roboports wouldn't reach until the ore was cleared. But, btw, would a config setting "ignore work in range of roboports" be possible? I think the wait timeout for logistic requests makes it better now, but them clogging rare materials for a build job that already has been half-built by bots (or becoming stuck on stuff that's not in the bot network but only the drone network, i.e. practically all machines in the main base) has always been annoying. Making them just not compete with bots feels like an easy fix.

And tbh, atm I'm running this world in the background all day mostly waiting for all production buffers to fill up and fixing stuff that breaks. There's not really much growth possible with the limited mining dangerOres enforces. One would expect overabundant resources to be the issue with that mod, but quite the opposite.

with bob mods not work?

I just encountered another "seems stuck" situation. All Constructrons are just standing around at job sites and not moving. I saved and added the save file to the google drive folder I posted above. I then ran "reset all" and waited for more than 5 minutes for anything to happen. Other than the Constructrons turning white and putting their whole inventory into their trash slots, nothing has happened.

Still at .40, btw. They were working and I didn't want to touch anything. I'll upgrade to .42 next and update this post with the results.

Edit 1: Not sure how helpful that save file is, Transport Drones crashes when I load it. I managed to load my oldest autosave ... that reminds me there's a reason I always increase the amount of autosaves wherever it's possible...

Edit 2: I also uploaded save file #69. Basically the same situation as described for #67, just that I updated to .42 before loading the autosave that I then saved as #69.

Edit 3: After the "reset all" I enabled debug logging and after 17 minutes I get the first outputs ("stage") now. That'd be about 7-8 minutes at full ups.

Edit 4: One of the trons is doing something, it went to request_items quite quickly and is now go_to_position. Two issues: It was standing 3 of city blocks away from any Service Station while requesting items and it is not actually moving now it has been served. Seems it wants to be moving, as it logs go_to_position every couple of seconds. The other trons are still standing where they were before.

Edit 5: I tried the "pick up one tron and put it back down" trick (after another "reset all"). This time it only revived the one tron I picked up. It took a while, but then it walked back to a Service Station and requested items (while still walking there!). Now it's walking around building jobs (and will for a while, it picked up 98 mining drills...) while the others are standing around like statues.

Edit 6: After the second job it ran check_build_chunk, found 1 unbuilt ghost and now is just spamming go_to_position without actually moving. Insta-Update: While typing this and saving the game, it moved on. Savefile #71.

Edit 7: An hour later. In the meantime, a couple of trons staged and started doing work. Now they are all just standing around again. I enabled debug logging again and get go_to_position's without end in the chat. But I noticed something else that makes me suspect there may be some other issue: My AAI haulers are not moving either now. They just stand around and when I command them to move somewhere I get the path preview but nothing happens. I wouldn't have suspected Constructrons to use the path finding system (AAI Spidertrons don't, those are still working), but if they do then that my be stalled? Savefile #72.

Hi

Please update to 1.0.43 that has better staging handling.

Separately, it sounds like your path finder is very busy. Perhaps cut down on mining drones as that uses the path finder heavily.