Indexing Showdown: Vertical vs. Horizontal

You have an Intake (the mouth) and a Shooter (the gun). The Indexer is the stomach. It holds the food. Which stomach should you build?

The Metrics

1. Space Claim

• Horizontal: Uses massive Floor Area. Low Height.
• Vertical: Uses almost no Floor Area. High Height.
• Winner: Vertical. Floor space is precious for electronics and drivetrain.

2. Capacity

• Horizontal: Can hold 5-6 objects easily.
• Vertical: Usually limited to 3-4 objects before it gets too tall/tippy.
• Winner: Horizontal.

3. Reliability (Jam-Proof)

• Horizontal: Very reliable. The spinning plate “agitates” game pieces to unjam them.
• Vertical: Prone to gravity jams.
• Winner: Horizontal.

The DECODE Verdict

In DECODE, you can only hold 1 Artifact at a time (unless in the Loading Zone). This changes everything. You DO NOT need a massive storage system. Result: Neither. Use a simple “Passthrough” or “linear hopper.”

• Intake -> Tunnel -> Shooter.
• Don’t over-engineer a storage system for a 1-piece game.

(Exceptions: If you are playing the Loading Zone strategy where you can control multiple, then Horizontal wins).