Just downloaded this mod because it seems like a very good idea to rebalance the miniloaders with IR2. However on closer inspection i find it to be a bit inconsistent, so i would like to propose a few changes.
Currently yellow miniloader are produced with the same materials a burning inserters, fast miniloader are electric inserters and express miniloader are stack inserter. The big problem i see here is that yellow miniloader are gated behind Inserters 2 (meaning fast inserters) and they require electricity, but needed materials are from the burner/copper/tin age and when they are unlocked you're setting up production for oil, adv. motors and steel. So i think it would be appropriate to rearrange the costs, change the research requirements and maybe a buff chutes a little. Also loader are normally somewhat expansive and your current changes make them a bit cheap imho, so i also would like them to be somewhat more expansive (but not as expansive as in unchanged miniloaders since thats seems to be a bit over the top for me).
Chutes are the only loader until the iron/electric milestone therefor i think a small buff would be appropriate (in vanilla chutes a only for a short time the only loader available but in IR2 the preelectric age is of cause much longer):
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Chutes would be equivalent to burner inserters
-increase the small copper frame to 2 (since you get 2 chutes) and add 4 clockwork motors, 6 tin rods, 2 tin plates and 4 copper gear
-buff the speed to 5 item/s (1/3 of a belt instead of 1/4) but to compensate change them them to require fuel, lets say 3-4 times of a burner inserter (the main reason for this change is that with IR2 work without any fuel feels like cheating to me, but if only a fuel requirement is added, i feel like they could be a bit underpowered)
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Yellow loaders are electric inserters meaning iron/electric
-most importantly change the research prerequisite from "Inserters 2" to "Inserters 1"
-Cost: 4 basic circuit, 6 electric motors, 4 iron gears, 2 small iron frames, 6 iron rods, 1 reinforced iron plate and 2 belt
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fast miniloaders would be level with fast inserters
-so add "Inserters 2" as a research prerequisite
-Cost: 2 small carbon steel frames, 4 carbon steel gears,1 reinforced carbon steel plate, 6 carbon steel rods, 2 fast belts, 4 advanced motors and 4 basic circuits (or 2 advanced circuits, not sure here basic feels to cheap, but advanced could to expansive i think. If advanced are added the research prerequisites should of cause reflect that)
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express miniloaders would be stack inserter
-so add "Inserters 3" and "electronics 3" as a research prerequisite
-Cost: 2 small stainless steel frames, 4 stainless steel gears,1 reinforced stainless steel plate, 6 carbon stainless rods, 2 express belts, 8 advanced motors and 6 advanced circuits (again 2-3 revolutionary (blue) circuits would be an option here, even more since the "electronics 3" research is required for the frames anyway)
I think these change would streamline then progression and put the cost for all miniloader a line with there respective inserters.
I'm interested to hear what you think about my proposed change.
