Fluid Routing
Fluids can't be counted item by item; pressure and flow are the signals you read.
- Prototype complexity
- Who plays
- Solo decisions
- Design focus
- Spatial · Optimization · Information
No.005Factorio01The core loop
Action → feedback → next choice- 01Connect a fluid source
- 02Pipe it to machines
- 03Check flow and levels
- 04Add pumps or split networks
↻Feedback changes the situation — the next round starts from there.
Walk through one round
A simplified design example. Situations and numbers illustrate the mechanic, not exact rules from a reference game.
- T1
Turn 1 · The situation
A refinery needs 300 water/min; the pump sits 30m below and the pipe caps at 300.
- T2
Turn 2 · The player chooses
The player adds a booster pump midway and upgrades to high-capacity pipe.
- T3
Turn 3 · The feedback
Fill readouts go from half to steady full and the refinery stops stuttering.
- T4
Turn 4 · The next decision
The next machine needs crude, so the two fluid networks must stay separate.
How it plays
Fluids move continuously through pipes, with flow capped by length, height and pumps. Mixing fluids in one network causes trouble, so players read flow and fill indicators to decide where to add pumps, tanks or separate networks.
What the player weighs
- Long pipes vs flow loss: the longer the run, the weaker the supply.
- Buffer tanks vs direct feed: tanks absorb swings but cost space and lag.
02Start small
Scope is an editorial estimate for the minimum prototype, not the reference game or a production schedule.
03One mechanic, different implementations
Factorio
Pipes link fluid machines with pumps and underground pipes; a network carries one fluid, so mixing is blocked or must be isolated.
Satisfactory
Pipes come in Mk1 and Mk2 flow caps, and pumping uphill requires pipeline pumps to provide head lift.
The difference worth noticing
Factorio stresses fluid isolation and flat layout; Satisfactory emphasizes height and head lift.
Case notes are Yoroll editorial summaries; rules may change between versions.
04What could you combine?
Route factory cooling water into irrigation whose coverage depends on pipe pressure, balancing industry against crops.
Prototype this combo in Yoroll→Follow the next idea
Drone Logistics Network
No belts needed: flying units deliver where needed, but you have to keep them supplied.
- Prototype complexity
- Who plays
- Solo decisions
- 01Build ports and storage
- 02Set requests and supplies
- 03Drones deliver automatically
- 04Expand or refuel the network
Conveyor Routing
Moving items from A to B is easy; keeping every line from tangling is the game.
- Prototype complexity
- Who plays
- Solo decisions
- 01Plan source and destination
- 02Lay belts around obstacles
- 03Watch flow and jams
- 04Reroute or add layers
Sensor-Driven Control
When machines switch themselves by conditions, building a factory becomes programming.
- Prototype complexity
- Who plays
- Solo decisions
- 01Identify what needs control
- 02Wire in a sensor
- 03Set a trigger condition
- 04Test and tune thresholds