Understanding Tiers¶

Logistics organizes pipes and features into three tiers that represent progression from simple mechanical operations to advanced network logistics.

The Three-Tier System¶

Tier 1: Mechanical Pipes¶

"Physical movement without thinking"

Tier 1 pipes perform mechanical operations - they move, merge, accelerate, or delete items without looking at what's flowing through them.

Characteristics: - No item awareness - Simple recipes (material + glass) - Early progression - Fundamental operations

Examples: - Stone Transport Pipe - Very slow transport - Copper Transport Pipe - Standard transport - Item Extractor Pipe - Pull from inventories - Item Merger Pipe - Converge to single direction - Golden Transport Pipe - Speed boost

When to use: - Starting out - Building simple transport networks - Situations where random routing is acceptable - Early automation (extractors)

Tier 2: Smart Pipes¶

"Making decisions based on what you see"

Tier 2 pipes inspect items and make decisions - they filter, sort, and route based on item type or inventory availability.

Characteristics: - Item-aware or inventory-aware - More expensive recipes (diamonds, quartz) - Mid-game progression - Conditional behavior

Examples: - Item Filter Pipe - Route by item type - Item Insertion Pipe - Prefer inventories with space

When to use: - Sorting systems - Ore processing automation - Overflow management - Complex routing logic - Multi-destination networks

Tier 3: Network Logistics¶

"Abstract resources and requests" (Future - Not Yet Implemented)

Tier 3 will treat inventories as abstract resources. Instead of building physical routes, you'll request items and the network figures out how to deliver them.

Planned features: - Request Tables (ask for items) - Provider modules (advertise inventory contents) - Global pathfinding - Autocrafting via vanilla Crafter - Abstract logistics services

When available: - End-game automation - Request-based item retrieval - Automated crafting systems - Large-scale base logistics

Progression Path¶

Early Game: Tier 1 Only¶

Start with mechanical pipes:

[Chest] → [Extractor] → [Copper Pipes] → [Destination]

Simple, functional, gets items moving. Random routing is fine when you have single destinations.

Mid Game: Tier 1 + Tier 2¶

Add smart pipes for control:

[Mining outputs] → [Filter Pipe] → [Ores] → [Smelting]
                        ↓
                   [Cobblestone] → [Void Pipe]

Now you can sort, filter, and make intelligent routing decisions.

Late Game: All Tiers Together¶

Use Tier 1 for backbone, Tier 2 for control, Tier 3 for abstraction:

Physical pipes → Smart routing → Abstract requests

All tiers work together - you'll use pipes from every tier in complex systems.

Design Philosophy¶

Layers, not eras: - Tiers aren't replacements for each other - Higher tiers build on lower tiers - You'll use all tiers simultaneously in mature networks

Progressive complexity: - Start simple (Tier 1) - Add intelligence when needed (Tier 2) - Abstract complexity when ready (Tier 3, future)

Material-based progression: - Tier 1: Common materials (stone, copper, iron, wood) - Tier 2: Valuable materials (diamond, quartz) - Tier 3: End-game materials (planned)

Common Questions¶

Do I need to use all tiers? No. Use what you need. Simple networks work fine with just Tier 1.

Can different tiers connect? Yes! All tiers connect to each other. Mix and match freely.

Should I upgrade from Tier 1 to Tier 2? Not necessarily. Upgrade specific pipes where you need the functionality. Keep using Copper Transport Pipes for backbone even when you add Item Filter Pipes for sorting.

When do I need Tier 2? When you need: - Item sorting - Overflow management - Inventory-preference routing - Multi-output distribution

What about Tier 3? Not implemented yet. Focus on mastering Tier 1 and Tier 2 for now.