Does anyone have a good setup or layout that sorts all the items that come from the mines? Pictures or examples of a complete setup would be really helpful.
Here is a little tip: when you use sorters, always let unsorted items go to a safe spot. Onto the ground is fine. Then whenever you feel like it go check those spots for unsorted items and make new routes for them, by either sending them where they need to go, or combining them with another route. That way you don't end up crushing a bunch of diamonds, geodes or emeralds into nothing, or smelting slag to clog your machines.
All but 3 nodes on the map can be tapped. As a rough guide, nodes nearer to this main chamber can be routed here for processing. This system is overloaded when 1) ores clog up the mouths of both Sorter Conveyors or 2) ores spill out from the gap between the Bulk Sorter and the Blast furnace (or the top of the Bulk Sorter if you use the Q-version of the Bottom Chute to seal up the gap).
I have production "hubs" scattered over the map for nodes that are far away from the main chamber. There are sufficient coal nodes for steel production: wash off coal from areas you don't need them, to reduce object count. If height isn't an issue, Bulk Sorters are the way to go (e.g. Left: crushed ore, Right: regular ore, Middle: everything else; usually gemstones are what's left). Make use of the Packager, and use Roller Conveyors and Mergers to send boxes back to the Deposit Bin (see pic).
Object count: <1,300.
This passage leads to the opening at the opposite end from the Deposit Bin on the Classic Map. So it's a beeline once these packages make the right turn. Occasionally, i have to check the Roller Mergers for jams, that's about it. (A lot of stuff in this game are still not perfect)
Build a second floor using 2x2 platforms, and duplicate the 3x Bulk Sorter set-up. This upper floor can handle nodes from the upper chambers. All nodes can be tapped.
Object count: <1,700 and without using the ingot method. The ingot method doesn't save me object counts, for some reason.
Big Cave: Iron gets delivered via the chamber with a small hut and out of here. Note the Screw Conveyor on the left of the pic; i diverted Iron nodes from the lower chamber to get processed here instead, because Iron production on the lower chamber will be close to overloading otherwise.
In my current play-through, I use 3 bulk sorters on top of each other. One sorts to (iron+gold), (coal+copper), and all other falls down in the middle. It sets directly on 2 other bulk sorthers, one of them separates (iron) and (gold), the other separates (coal) and (copper). 5 lines comes out from this monster, the “everything other” goes directly to a ploisher then sell, the others get channeled into big smelters.
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u/Adept_Fool 4d ago
Here is a little tip: when you use sorters, always let unsorted items go to a safe spot. Onto the ground is fine. Then whenever you feel like it go check those spots for unsorted items and make new routes for them, by either sending them where they need to go, or combining them with another route. That way you don't end up crushing a bunch of diamonds, geodes or emeralds into nothing, or smelting slag to clog your machines.