Payload Router

The Payload Router is a transport block that directs payload-type units (such as drones, capsules, and other carried entities) along conveyors and through routing networks. It was added in version 6.0 and received significant updates in version 7.0 that changed its build cost, build time, capacity, and behavior. The block is intended to sort and route payloads without turning them into items, allowing players to control the flow of mobile payloads across factory layouts and defensive lines.

The router accepts payloads from every side except the side it faces. When no filter is set, the router cycles its outputs in a fixed sequence: front, then left, then right. When a filter is configured, the router directs payloads that match the selected filter straight out the front while sending all other payloads to the left and right outputs. This makes the Payload Router useful both for simple round-robin distribution and for priority routing when certain payload types must be separated from the general flow.

Practical mechanics and notable changes from updates:

• Introduced in v6.0; v7.0 changed several parameters: build time was increased to 0.33 seconds (from 0.28), build cost changed from 20 copper + 10 graphite to 10 copper + 15 graphite, and payload capacity increased to 3×3.
• Blocks that attach to or interact with payloads (for example, payload-bearing structures) now draw and update on payload routers and conveyors as of the v7.0 update.
• A sorting filter was added in v7.0, enabling direct-forward routing for the selected payload type while still allowing non-matching payloads to be routed to alternate outputs.
• Input behavior: any side other than the facing side can insert payloads into the router; the facing side is reserved for output.
• Default cycling order without a filter is front → left → right, ensuring predictable distribution when balancing payload traffic across multiple outputs.

Usage notes and strategy:

• Use the filter to prioritize high-value payloads (carried drones or capsules) to a dedicated processing or storage line while diverting routine payloads elsewhere.
• Place routers at junctions where you need deterministic distribution rather than random or physics-based routing; the fixed cycle order simplifies balancing across parallel lanes.
• Combine routers with conveyors and other routing blocks to create staged sorters, turnaround loops, or defensive launch funnels that direct specific payloads to turrets or repair bays.
• Because capacity was increased to a 3×3 buffer in v7.0, routers can momentarily hold more payloads, which smooths bursty arrival rates but still requires downstream throughput to be sufficient to avoid backups.

The Payload Router is a compact, configurable tool for controlling mobile payload traffic and is most effective when paired with deliberate conveyor layouts and filters to enforce routing priorities.