Networks

🇩🇪 Deutsche Version

Networks

One name per station

Every station has one network name (field “Network” at the top of the station window). Empty means default. Two stations only work together when the name is exactly the same – there are no numbers and no bitmask, just names. The number of networks is not limited.

This applies to all roles:

Role	Effect of the network
Provider	is only offered to requesters with the same name
Requester	is only served by providers with the same name
Depot	hands its trains only to that network
Fuel station	a train only refuels in its own network
Cleanup	a train is only emptied in its own network

If you just want one big network, leave the field empty everywhere.

Picking a network: the drop-down lists every network that already exists on the map. The pencil button renames the home network or lets you type a new name (Enter applies).

Example: two separate systems

Station	Network
Iron mine, iron smelter, depot “Ore depot”	Ore
Plate storage, plate consumers, depot “Plate depot”	Plates

Ore trains never take a plate job and vice versa. Each system then needs its own depot, fuel station and cleanup – unless you link the networks.

Linking networks

Note

Needs research: “UTL: Network links I”, II and III allow 1, 2 and 3 partners per network. With the map setting “UTL features need research” = off, 3 partners are possible right away.

Linked networks help each other: trains, depots, fuel stations and cleanups of one also serve the other. A link is a star:

• One network is the center, the networks linked to it are its partners.
• Center and partner help each other in both directions.
• Partners do not help each other. They only share the center.
• A network belongs to at most one star: a partner cannot get partners of its own and cannot also be linked to a second center. This avoids chains where half the map ends up as one network by accident.
• Links count per surface and per team. Networks on Nauvis and on Vulcanus are linked separately, even if they have the same name.

Example: a center with three partners

(needs “Network links III”)

Network	Role	helps / gets help from
Iron	center	Copper, Coal, Stone
Copper	partner	Iron only
Coal	partner	Iron only
Stone	partner	Iron only

A free train from the iron depot takes copper, coal and stone jobs. A copper train may take an iron job – but a copper train never takes a coal job.

Example: reserve depot

Put a depot into its own network Reserve and link Ore and Plates to it (Reserve is the center). The reserve trains serve both systems, while ore and plate stations still ignore each other.

Example: a network without trains of its own

A small network Copper gets no depot of its own but becomes a partner of Iron. The iron trains then run all copper jobs as well. The fuel station and cleanup of Iron apply to these trains too.

Where to set it up

Both ways do the same. A link always applies to the whole network on that surface, not just to the one station.

• Station window: the box “Linked with” below the home network.
  • Pick a network from the list (it only shows networks that are still free) or create a new one with “New” and link it right away.
  • Every partner appears as a button below; a click removes the link.
  • If your own network is a partner itself, the button shows its center (“… (centre) ×”), and a click leaves the star.
• UTL Manager, “Networks” tab: pick a network on the left; above the station list you add and remove partners the same way.

The counter shows how many partners are used and allowed, for example Linked with (2 / 3). When the limit is reached, the tooltip names the research that allows more.

The UTL Manager shows the network in brackets behind the station name when it is not default; links appear as [Iron ↔ Copper, Coal] for a center and [Copper → Iron] for a partner.

Why a link is refused

Message	Meaning
“This network is a partner of “…” – partners cannot have partners of their own.”	Leave the star first, then the network can become a center.
“This network is already a partner of another network and cannot have partners of its own.”	As above.
““…” is already linked with another network.”	The network you want already belongs to a star.
““…” already has partners of its own and cannot become a partner.”	A center cannot become a partner itself.
“Research does not allow more partners yet.”	Research the next “UTL: Network links” tier.
“A network cannot be linked with itself.”	–
“No free network – create one with “New”.”	All other networks already belong to stars.

Typical mistakes

Warning

A typo or a different capital letter is a different network. The safest way is to pick the network from the list instead of typing it.

• Depot in the wrong network → alert “network “…”: … requests have been waiting for a free train for over … minutes”, although trains are waiting.
• Fuel station in the wrong network → low trains are not sent (see Fuel, cleanup and depots).
• Typo or capital letter → a different network: Ore and ore do not work together.
• Trying to link two stars → not possible; a network belongs to at most one star.