Hi,

I really love this mod. Setting up huge train based systems is very fun. Currently, when requesting multiple items on a single requester station, this will result in multiple requests/deliveries, one for each item. Would it be feasible to change this, such that a single train can collect multiple requested items and deliver them all at once? This would allow for a new dimension of customization. I like the idea of a train bus, where trains deliver all items needed by a production chain in one go.

There is a strict "one requester, one provider" structure (the train will not collect multiple items from one station, then drop some at the first, then some at the next and so on). That is because LTN has no control over what actually loaded / unloaded (this is what the station code does).

As long as you ship multiple items from one station to another and they all fit into a single train, the train will pick up multiple items and drop them off. E.g. if you have a four wagon train (160 stacks) and a requester that asks for 40 stacks of iron plates, 40 stacks of coal and 80 stacks of copper plates and have a station that can provide all three things, LTN will create a "mixed delivery" where all three items are requested for a single delivery. It is up to your station design to be able to deal with this (and load the requested amounts onto the train). There are some designs that Optera put together on the mod forum but I don't have a link handy.

I was more thinking of allowing a "one requester, multiple providers" scenario. In this case, the train would not need any control over what is loaded, that logic can remain in the station.

Example: A requester needs 2k iron ore and 1k copper ore and has the flag "mixed deliveries" (or similar) set. LTN sees 1 station for each required item, and thus sends a single train to fetch both. The train would drive to the first of the two providers. The provider's station would read the train's request, and load the requested items. Once the loading is done, the train can proceed to the next provider station to get the second part of the request.

The complexity of dealing with loading and unloading would remain in the station. If done properly, you could send trains on their way with a shopping list and the train would fetch everything that is needed in one go.

As long as the "one requester, one provider" rule is in place, this does not work at all, unless there is one station that provides all of the items required by a requester station.

If you do "one requester, multiple providers" and then move to the first provider and that fills up the train, then the second provider can not put the requested items into the train. The "provider station sees the request and and loads the requested items" assumes that the loader logic is smart enough to do so. Many setups simply "fill the train as it arrives".

LTN has no control over loading/unloading, which is why all of those scenarios are difficult unless there would also be "LTN blessed" controller entities for loading/unloading.

One could envision a logic where a train gets a list of "10 items, fetch as much as you can", so after every provider, one would inspect the train inventory and decide whether to go to the next provider or the requester. That is basically a full rewrite and out of scope for LTN.