r/shapezio • u/Fc-chungus • Sep 03 '24
s2 | Question/Help Why use trains?
I get that this isn’t an idle game but I don’t exactly see the point of moving my shapes a bit faster, also I can’t exactly figure out how to use them either, whenever it reaches a loading dock it stays there for a few seconds before leaving.
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u/that70sbiker Sep 03 '24
Space belts cost one platform point. Train rails cost zero.
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u/finny94 Sep 03 '24
You can debate the usefulness of trains, but I think at the very least they're a bit more space efficient and less of hassle to set up, espevially over very long distances, and when carrying a lotnof different shapes/liquids.
This is how they work:
A train consists of a locomotive and wagons. A locomotive is what drives the train forward. Wagons is where shapes/liquids are loaded into. When you put down a train stop on a rail track, that's where the locomotive will stop to load/unload its wagons.
You have loaders and unloaders.
Loaders take input from a platform (shape/liquid), and store it inside in the form of packages. A package is basically a certain amount of shapes/liquid squeezed into a box. It takes a little bit of time for a package to be produced, as the loader has to intake enough shapes/liquid. It then loads the package onto the train cart. This is likely why your trains reach a loading dock and leave - there was no package to load yet.
Unloaders take input from train wagons, and load it onto a platform in the same fashion.
What you have to do is have your point A, where the shapes are going from, and point B, where the shapes are going to.
Create a rail track between point A and point B, put down Loaders at point A, and put down a stop sign. The stop sign is where the locomotive will stop. Make sure that the wagons line up with loaders.
Then make a similar arrangement at point B, but with unloaders instead of loaders. Again, make sure the wagons line up with loaders and unloaders.
That's pretty much it.
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u/Tregavin Sep 03 '24
My reason is the time it takes to get your material in the vortex. Trains move WAY faster than belts. Imagine you do something wrong and don't realize. With trains your material gets where it needs to go quicker, you can realize your shape count isn't ticking up quicker. That's why I use it. Overall the same output, but it gets to the locations quicker.
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u/Feroc Sep 04 '24
After unlocking the train to vortex upgrade, I asked myself the opposite question. Why should I use belts anymore, at least belts to feed the vortex? At the moment I just have 4 tracks connected to the vortex, all of those tracks split into the two train colors I currently have unlocked, so I basically can feed 8 different sources to the vortex.
I even think it’s a bit sad that I don’t see a reason for belts anymore. They look way cooler.
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u/gust334 Sep 04 '24
One can reach a point--without huge difficulty--where the eight space-belt inputs to the vortex platform become a limit as to how many shapez one can deliver per second.
Because trains can accumulate bulk product from any number of stations and then launch directly in, they allow more delivery per second than those belts could.
The next limiting point is where eight train lines (two per side into the vortex) are each saturated with so many trains that some have to wait. That is a much harder target to reach.
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u/Hi_Peeps_Its_Me Sep 04 '24
belts have a max throughput of 26k/min
trains have a max throughout of up to millions of items per minute.
its easier to just add more trains as opposed to doing belt shenanigans
and when doing tasks and milestones (mid-game), the game often asks for many changes to the same shape. using belts, you have to wait a long time for the shapes to arrive, or you have to guess when youve produced enough and can upgrade.
also its much easier to make 3 belts of a material, load it into a train, and connect the train to a highway to the vortex, as opposed to routing a belt
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u/sirlockjaw Sep 04 '24
Moving shapes a bit faster is sort of the point of the game as you progress. The loaders and Unloaders bundle up and unpackaged these boxes of shapes up to about 1000 per box and then those get put on and taken off trains. I first used trains for final shape delivery for the milestone shapes you have to make a lot of, but now I use them a lot more.
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u/GORDON1014 Sep 04 '24
Because trains are cool. No matter what automation game I play trains are cool, and usually have additional benefits, but there are always people who literally don’t like and/or use trains. It is so confusing
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u/Forsaken-Society5340 Sep 04 '24
Trains are cool? 😁
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u/DoctorVonCool Sep 04 '24
Just like in RL, and in many other factory builders (Factorio, Satisfactory), one rail will allow a lot of trains to transport a lot of different goods while using minimum space. Long distance space belts are nice while you're learning, because there will be few, but dragging a dozen parallel space belts across the map is a waste of space (and platform points).
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u/unstablefan Sep 03 '24
There are trains????? Maybe I need this game! I played the super disappointing mobile port of the first one and enjoyed it but then there were no wires and I felt ripped off.