Unit Cargo Loader

The Unit Cargo Loader is an Erekir-exclusive transport block that spawns and manages a single Manifold to move items to Unit Cargo Unload Points. When constructed, the loader must be supplied with Nitrogen and power to build its associated Manifold; once the Manifold exists, the loader requires no further construction inputs and functions by providing items for the Manifold to carry. Each Unit Cargo Loader is directly linked to the specific Manifold it created; if the loader is deconstructed or destroyed the Manifold immediately despawns, and if the Manifold itself is destroyed the loader must be resupplied with Nitrogen and power to rebuild it.

The loader orders its Manifold to deliver items only when it senses items in its internal inventory. The Manifold seeks Unit Cargo Unload Points that accept the sensed item type; if multiple unload points for the same item exist on the map, the drone will cycle through them. When a Manifold empties its carried items it returns to its assigned loader to refill. If an unload point is full the Manifold will skip that destination. Throughput is influenced by travel time: Manifolds are fast but spend time moving between loader and unload points, so effective throughput drops with greater distance. Collisions between Manifolds can cause them to become temporarily obstructed mid-flight, so traffic intersections and flight paths matter when multiple loaders are used.

The Unit Cargo Loader contributes to the global Manifold unit cap. Once the unit cap for Manifolds is reached, no additional Unit Cargo Loaders can complete Manifold construction; loaders placed before the cap was reached will also fail to finish building their Manifolds if the cap is reached before construction completes. Attempting to place a new loader at the cap will display a pre-build message stating that the cargo unit cap has been reached.

Practical usage and considerations:

• Construction cost and requirements: the loader requires Nitrogen and power to construct its Manifold (after construction the loader only needs items to hand off). The loader consumes power while building; in practice plan a steady Nitrogen supply and sufficient power during construction.
• Power draw: the loader consumes continuous power during Manifold construction (typical build consumption values include 8 power/s and 1018 px/s listed for construction). Provide adequate power storage or generation nearby to avoid interrupted builds.
• Placement and routing: place Unit Cargo Loaders close to the resources or production lines that will fill them and keep associated unload points clustered to minimize Manifold travel time and maximize throughput.
• Managing multiple loaders: avoid placing Manifold flight paths through shared chokepoints or intersections to reduce mid-air collisions and deadlocks; spacing and staggered unload-point arrangements improve effective delivery rates.
• Capacity interactions: each loader uses one Manifold slot against the unit cap; monitor your current unit cap before placing additional loaders to ensure intended drones can be constructed.
• Failure and recovery: if a Manifold is destroyed, resupply Nitrogen and power to the originating loader to rebuild it. If a loader is removed, its Manifold immediately despawns and must be rebuilt if the loader is replaced.