Chat/Channel Block

[nightrune]

I have a very basic but powerful idea for a block after the introduction of the display modules mechanics.

Synopsis:
The idea is a single new block. I'm going to call it the Chat Block. I do make one assumption that doesn't necessarily need to be true. I assume that starmade uses IRC underneath for its chat mechanism.

The Chat block allows you to set a channel name. This could be done with an in game menu or with a slaved display module. This is user definable up to 255 characters.

Usage:
To read from the chat block, Place a button or activator next to the chat block and slave a display module to the button. Activate the button. The display module then contains the last message received from the channel. This operates just like a current display block.

To send to the chat block place a button next to a display module and slave the chat block to the button. Pressing the button copies the display block contents to the channel. This should be rate limited as well.

Anything loaded with the chat block would receive these messages.

Interaction with other features:
Permission modules would create secure channels in their own namespace as well.

Uses:
There are a ton of uses as well.

1. Remote Console
2. News board on ships
3. Sale announcements from shops
4. Maybe a way to talk to NPCS?
5. Remote opening of doors based on station or ship name

Thoughts?

 

[calani]

Potentially exploitable in sold ships, but absolutely useful in all other cases.
I would enjoy seeing (and using) this in-game.

 

[Lone_Puppy]

Potentially exploitable in sold ships, but absolutely useful in all other cases.
I would enjoy seeing (and using) this in-game.

True. Buyer beware.

This would great for renote control across the universe.

 

[FlyingDebris]

Having a ship you sold wired to automatically do something malicious when issued a chat command sounds amazing in an evil sort of way.

Deb want.

 

[Valck]

Potentially exploitable in sold ships, but absolutely useful in all other cases.
I would enjoy seeing (and using) this in-game.

This could also enable interesting gameplay of con and espionage... if you don't label it "exploit" that is - buyer beware.

A server config setting could determine whether chat block channels get reset eg. whenever a player enters a ship's core, or some other criteria apply, and have it default to a secure option. This way every server community could decide for themselves whether they call it an exploit or a feature.

 

[FlyingDebris]

Could also be interesting from an espionage standpoint, say if an enemy got a hold of your channels and began messing with ship functions during combat, almost like hacking.

 

[nightrune]

Could also be interesting from an espionage standpoint, say if an enemy got a hold of your channels and began messing with ship functions during combat, almost like hacking.

I thought about it a bit. I both like it and am not sure how much it would add to gameplay. I think any public one would be like that, and I think that chat blocks with a permission module should be "secure"

 

[Lone_Puppy]

I'm keen on the remote control aspect. This would allow remotely controlling probes, sentry stations, remote jump gates and more importantly put the jug on so I can make a cuppa when I get back to my base.

 

[alterintel]

I really like the "channel" aspect of it. This means that you wouldn't have to link them like you do wireless blocks

 

[nightrune]

I really like the "channel" aspect of it. This means that you wouldn't have to link them like you do wireless blocks

No and if you have the channel name on a display block thats slaved you can have dynamic channels!

 

[Dalmont]

I'm absolutely behind this. The potential added interactivity could be legendary from a gameplay and roleplay aspect alike.

 

[MacThule]

Potentially exploitable in sold ships, but absolutely useful in all other cases.
I would enjoy seeing (and using) this in-game.

Yeah, at this point we are entering the realm where remotely hacking ships via in-game devices (logic systems, displays, etc) could become a thing.

I believe that falls within the realm of sci-fi fiction though... Galactica comes to mind, and more than one Star Trek episode. Now I'm imagining slipping up next to someone in a cloaker, linking up to their chat and attempting to hack connected circuits... maybe open an airlock to expedite a boarding op.

Good one, nightrune I like it! Player configured chat channels that could also link logic would be great, especially if this included a variable range dynamic

 

[nightrune]

Yeah, at this point we are entering the realm where remotely hacking ships via in-game devices (logic systems, displays, etc) could become a thing.

I believe that falls within the realm of sci-fi fiction though... Galactica comes to mind, and more than one Star Trek episode. Now I'm imagining slipping up next to someone in a cloaker, linking up to their chat and attempting to hack connected circuits... maybe open an airlock to expedite a boarding op.

Good one, nightrune I like it! Player configured chat channels that could also link logic would be great, especially if this included a variable range dynamic

I've been thinking about the range bit. Range might make it a bit too CPU intensive. So at the basic it'll probably just be server wide, but I'd love it was range based as well.

 

[MacThule]

I've been thinking about the range bit. Range might make it a bit too CPU intensive. So at the basic it'll probably just be server wide, but I'd love it was range based as well.

I think range could happen so long as it wasn't by sector. Doing it by system should be viable... though not necessarily easy to implement. Would be nice though...

Thing is, I think a channel block could fill the growing need for an ansible to remotely access entities.

 

[calani]

Basing range on the size of a slaved antenna could be a clever way of limiting/controlling this: escorts and shuttles would have very limited communications range, while the range on capital ships and stations would be much much larger. This adds an interesting dynamic of being able to receive messages, but unable to reply.

Perhaps antenna_length^1.25 would grow at a decent rate? (1 block : 1 system range, 2:2, 3:3, 5:7, 10:17, 16:32, 1000:5623). Limiting the upper range may not be necessary, and would prevent building large, intergalactic communications relays.


If this ever gets implemented, and if [simple] navigation can be tied into logic, this would allow automated homing beacons. Very useful for drones, escape pods, and espionage. If not, the system is certainly useful enough as-is.

 

[Valck]

Basing range on the size of a slaved antenna could be a clever way of limiting/controlling this: escorts and shuttles would have very limited communications range, while the range on capital ships and stations would be much much larger. This adds an interesting dynamic of being able to receive messages, but unable to reply.

Perhaps antenna_length^1.25 would grow at a decent rate? (1 block : 1 system range, 2:2, 3:3, 5:7, 10:17, 16:32, 1000:5623). Limiting the upper range may not be necessary, and would prevent building large, intergalactic communications relays.


If this ever gets implemented, and if [simple] navigation can be tied into logic, this would allow automated homing beacons. Very useful for drones, escape pods, and espionage. If not, the system is certainly useful enough as-is.

Range should depend on both the sending and the receiving antenna - two small antennae would have a limited comm range, but a small antenna and a large array would be able to communicate over a much longer range, since the large antenna is both more powerful and more sensitive to weak emissions. Consider the Deep Space Network - the probes at the outer rim of the solar system do have extremely limited transceivers, but the ground stations are sensitive enough to receive even their faint signals, and at the same time so powerful that their emissions can be picked up even by the probes' comparatively small antennae.
Something like x*(A1*A2)^(1/2) , with x as a tuning factor, might be more appropriate.

 

[nightrune]

Range should depend on both the sending and the receiving antenna - two small antennae would have a limited comm range, but a small antenna and a large array would be able to communicate over a much longer range, since the large antenna is both more powerful and more sensitive to weak emissions. Consider the Deep Space Network - the probes at the outer rim of the solar system do have extremely limited transceivers, but the ground stations are sensitive enough to receive even their faint signals, and at the same time so powerful that their emissions can be picked up even by the probes' comparatively small antennae.
Something like x*(A1*A2)^(1/2) , with x as a tuning factor, might be more appropriate.

This is a game though. Its so much easier for the game to give it to everyone in a set of sectors/systems based on the transmitter then to do a union of every antennae on every entity everywhere to test for reception. While cool, I think trying to determine array size is too much for each mode (tx or rx) and does not add that much in terms of game-play.

 

[MacThule]

This is a game though. Its so much easier for the game to give it to everyone in a set of sectors/systems based on the transmitter then to do a union of every antennae on every entity everywhere to test for reception. While cool, I think trying to determine array size is too much for each mode (tx or rx) and does not add that much in terms of game-play.

Have to agree. Having spent time as a signals operative for a while back in the 90s I can fully appreciate wanting authenticity in the signal dynamics, but at a certain point we're either going to have to approximate with acceptance of compromise, or accept a pretty large server & coding load just for scanners and comms because simulating realism for those would involve simulating electromagnetism, materials conductivity and all the various forms of interference, shadows, wave harmonics, etc... where is the line drawn?

 

[Ithirahad]

True. Buyer beware.

This would great for renote control across the universe.

You mean remote troll across the universe? :P

 

[nightrune]

One of the other cool things would be to have a handheld version of this with a little menu. You change the channel and could chat on it? One sector range.