Dupes picking more than needed

[lich46]

As you can see, the delivering task needs only 100kg copper, but the engineer picks 680kg and return 580kg back. 

I'm not so sure whether this is a bug. Maybe he just wants to exercise lifting?

No mod other than DGSM is activated, and I don't know how to reproduce this(sometimes they pick 100kg and sometimes 680kg)

[SackMaggie]

If you build many thing that use same resource(example tiles) picking more than needed will make it deliver to many chores(tiles) instead of running back and forth which significantly help time.

But in this scenario it waste a bit more time.

[arvenil]

Another thing I've noticed, which I don't remember in old base game, often they don't deliver to the nearest storage. When they sweep, e.g. 5 dupes, they each will pick different storage and run across  entire map, even passing by some other storage where they could leave resources. I often build several storage containers across map so when they sweep they don't  need  to walk too much... but reality is different. All containers have settings copied so no issue with priority or type of resource. Path finding seems broken, or maybe some lazy optimization.

[Big Hat Logan]

I think only 2 or 3 can access the storage at once. Yesterday when all my 8 dupes were idle I ordered a large sweep issue. However, I had a single automatic dispenser only and just 2 or 3 delivered to it. The others stayed idle.

[Sasza22]

4 hours ago, arvenil said:

Another thing I've noticed, which I don't remember in old base game, often they don't deliver to the nearest storage. When they sweep, e.g. 5 dupes, they each will pick different storage and run across  entire map, even passing by some other storage where they could leave resources. I often build several storage containers across map so when they sweep they don't  need  to walk too much... but reality is different. All containers have settings copied so no issue with priority or type of resource. Path finding seems broken, or maybe some lazy optimization.

It`s the consequence of how the game handles tasks. The dupe gets assigned the task based on his position so the closest. But the task orgin isn`t the debris but the container. If they start the task near a container but other containers are closer to the thing he is about to sweep he will still deliver to the one he started close to.

[WhiteWind36]

Could it be that delivery to container considered a single task, and when it is taken by one duplicant others should take other tasks - meaning delivering to other containers or wait until current delivery is completed? It's just a guess...

Usually I build multiple containers for sweeping or storing in one place, so everyone is running to same location, but it could be that they deliver for different containers. Because they never fully loading one first and delivers a little bit of everything in all available containers...

About dupes picking too much - I guess - it's about how dupes carry and lift resources. They pick up as much as they can if there is place where to put it. So if you have max full container it will get just as much as needed for the metal refinery, but if you have some space available in container dupe will take as much as they can lift, deliver to metal refinery and then deliver to container what's left (in your scenario back to same container).

Maybe some micromanaging with priorities can solve this issue. If not, then it could be just such a broken mechanic, which you must consider when planning something.

[Sasza22]

6 hours ago, WhiteWind36 said:

Could it be that delivery to container considered a single task, and when it is taken by one duplicant others should take other tasks - meaning delivering to other containers or wait until current delivery is completed? It's just a guess...

From what i`ve seen each container will create a task when there are things that can be put in it and it has enough room. Once one delivery task is assigned it creates another one. For sure multiple dupes can have assigned delivery tasks to a single container but i`m not sure if there`s a limit on how many there can be. But there are hidden priorities the devs mentioned some time ago that can modify which container gets filled. Possibly there`s also a delay before a next task gets generated so another container gets it`s task assigned first. The system is kinda complicated.

[Smife]

So dupes always take as much as they can carry?

[DolphinWing]

7 hours ago, Smife said:

So dupes always take as much as they can carry?

No. Usually they only take exact what errand needs.

[WhiteWind36]

7 hours ago, DolphinWing said:

No. Usually they only take exact what errand needs.

But if there is multiple errands to supply same material with same priority in different places?

Let's say I have 10 dupes, few containers for storing metal ore, metal refinery, lot's of buildings planned and all of this with same metal ore and has same priority, than dupes will take as much as they can lift and carry materials in multiple places at once.

Especially strange things starts to happen when you have lot's of sources with less material than nedeed for single errand to complete. Then dupes will start to carry grams of material and others carrying some more to fullfil errand and all errands become even more complicated with multiple dupes and locations from where and where to materials should be moved. To all of this add dupes ending work day or going to catch some air, while carrying materials and dropping them in middle of their task.

Given all this in living colony you rarely see dupes carrying exact amount of material for one errand in most cases it's more or less.

[gabberworld]

8 hours ago, DolphinWing said:

No. Usually they only take exact what errand needs.

yes but they have also carry limit depends for they skill level

[DolphinWing]

On 12/18/2021 at 5:53 PM, WhiteWind36 said:

But if there is multiple errands to supply same material with same priority in different places?

Let's say I have 10 dupes, few containers for storing metal ore, metal refinery, lot's of buildings planned and all of this with same metal ore and has same priority, than dupes will take as much as they can lift and carry materials in multiple places at once.

Especially strange things starts to happen when you have lot's of sources with less material than nedeed for single errand to complete. Then dupes will start to carry grams of material and others carrying some more to fullfil errand and all errands become even more complicated with multiple dupes and locations from where and where to materials should be moved. To all of this add dupes ending work day or going to catch some air, while carrying materials and dropping them in middle of their task.

Given all this in living colony you rarely see dupes carrying exact amount of material for one errand in most cases it's more or less.

The dupes will only deliver same resources of near-by tiles in one errand. If they are in different places (no close by), it will be separated to multiple errands. As gabberworld said, it also being constrained by dupes carry limit. Every errand is created by dupe skill and resource location. So if you have resources around your colony and each has different temperature. They may result many errands by many dupes. It's a complicated issue.

My previous answer is only based on a dupe can carry all at one time. For example, build a sandstone tile. Meep will deliver 200kg sandstone and build it. But if only 100kg sandstone near Meep, then another errand will be created and Marie may take another 100kg there. Here is a very simple example but in real game play, it's more complicated.

When my colony come to stable, I will try clean the floor and put all resources to some places by Automatic Dispenser. So most of the time I will see dupes carry exact number to if they take resources from there. But if they take random resources outside, that might be some other numbers and multiple errands.

On 12/18/2021 at 6:27 PM, gabberworld said:

yes but they have also carry limit depends for they skill level

Yes, I forget to mention that. Thank you!

[WhiteWind36]

4 hours ago, DolphinWing said:

My previous answer is only based on a dupe can carry all at one time. For example, build a sandstone tile. Meep will deliver 200kg sandstone and build it. But if only 100kg sandstone near Meep, then another errand will be created and Marie may take another 100kg there. Here is a very simple example but in real game play, it's more complicated.

Okay, but if there is 3 sandstone tiles and rock crusher with errand to crush sandstone, there could be one dupe carrying 800 kg to supply tile building and crusher, or you can have lot's of dupes carrying small amounts if they are picking up debris with not enough mass... Sometimes they can take resources from few locations before carrying to destination. And also splitting materials to tiny amounts if you have storage bin with mixed materials, for example you can have box for raw mineral and have 15t of igneous, 3t of mafic, 2995 kg of granite, 4 kg of obsidian and 1 kg of sandstone. And after dupes start to use materials from this box and replenish it with others, eventually you will have lots of mixed materials with various amounts. Of course it can be solved with dispenser and certain automation, but in early game like 100-200 cycles, who builds that?

I'm not a good example, but in 700 hours of play I build automatic dispenser only once.

[DolphinWing]

38 minutes ago, WhiteWind36 said:

I'm not a good example, but in 700 hours of play I build automatic dispenser only once.

I learned that from a youtuber. Automatic dispenser will drop things if no power. So it doesn't have a 20 ton limit and stack everything in one tile. It is not quite beautiful so not everyone uses it.

[WhiteWind36]

1 hour ago, DolphinWing said:

I learned that from a youtuber. Automatic dispenser will drop things if no power. So it doesn't have a 20 ton limit and stack everything in one tile. It is not quite beautiful so not everyone uses it.

With information given, I think I will review usage of automatic dispenser and will try to implement them in my base more often. At least somewhere where it could be important.