Fully Programmable Computers Suggestion

it doesn\'t have to be lua it could just be a form of commands for the sake of simplicity

example of turret instructions

if enemy_detected {

message (\"enemy detected!\")

set x to (enemy) set y to (enemy)

fire(Anti)

fire(SD-BB)

if enemy_destroyed {

Message (\"Bye Bye!\")

}

}

For the less skilled programmers.

I recall from years ago i had this \"Lego mindstorms\" set - basically it incorporated a computer which you could interface with a PC, allowing programming via \"blocks\" (of a sort).



Programming in the \"Computer Core\" block could consist of an interface which allowed you to enter \"Programming Mode\", which would just be build mode under a different name, and allow you to position programming blocks that performed various functions in a 3D space.

Edit: All this would of course take place inside the \"Computer Core\" block, and if you wanted the internal space could be limited by the number of \"CC\" blocks connected to each other.

Further, you could make another interesting gathering bit by having to salvage computer core blocks from pirates and other sources carefully in order to retrieve useful programming blocks.

When he says fully programable we don\'t mean just having a few commands to mess around with turrets. These things would be pre-implemented in a built in API. By using LUA we would have access to the combat features and a programming language.

EDIT: Most other languages would not work for this as they are not created to be ready to just star tiping in commands and require libraries and APIs to be able to do annything. It oulwd be possible to implement something based on a language just like ComputerCraft is \"based\" of LUA in a way.

I absolutely love the idea of having the computers on a ship be ACTUAL computers!

Do away with \"AMC computer\" and BB missile computer\" and just have a computer running the program \"AMC\" Power users would then configure, or even EDIT the program, to alter the way the guns fire (or the way the engines work, or the way x happens)


Have a computer be able to handle a single processing \"thread\" like engine management. Link the computer to the engines, and the ship core. Then, you could either add a second computer, to run the guns, (and have another person use it if necessary... like a normal weapons computer..) or add a processor expansion to your primary computer, to run two programs at once.
Fighters and other small craft would run everything off of the same computer block, while Capital ships would have multiple redundant controll subsystems, all tied into the core. I would personally favor a redstone-wire style linking block, but it\'s not a big deal. AI emulation would be another program running on the computer, able to call other programs, and be edited if necessary. ((missile mode, here I come!))

Wireless signals, linking two ships would be AWESOME! that way, if you have escort ships, you can send them signals, to attack, to guard, to dock, or to execute programs designed on your own vessel. If the enemy hacks your command/controll password, they can turn your ships against you. If the enemy jams your signals (and his own, by consequence) you can not issue your escort ships orders. I would reccommend ALL player communication be done through a computer, with the proviso that there be an in-sector \"say\" style channel, un-blockable that would go through a player\'s suit.

DIsk drives = yes!

Perhaps all the other computer blocks could be scrapped and in their place is this system. And you could have \"touch panel\" blocks you can interact with like advanced monitors in computer craft. You would then have an array of basic pre-made programs for handling all basic systems, even one for thrusters, plus a pre-made progrqm to control all functions from one console for small craft. For large ships you could have a man for each station. And perhaps the chat system could be routed through the \"wireless redstone\" and you could have comm channels and naturally a comms panel. Then the fully programmable bit comes in. You can build your own programs to handle the ship functions. The basic programs will only do basic funcions like the base helm program would offer basic control with arrows and so forth. But you could program maneuvering patters to be executed at the push of a button in a custom program. Or instead of just arrow keys you could have a thrust level slider and the computer could keep you at a constant speed.
The weapons program will detect ships and stations and give you the option to fire on them with a button that fires a single shot from a single weapon. A custom program could allow you to fire multiple weapons and fire pre determined volleys.
You could also make a program that interacts with both the thrusters and the weapons and you could make entire attack patterns that maneuver you ship in a particular way and fire weapons in a particular pattern. The possibilities are endless. And an experienced programmer could use this to make highly advanved AI systems to control drones.

Sorry didnt see the post above mine. :S

I like it. I would say, add a small number of base programs or an alternate block with more basic functions for those who don\'t want to bother with this. The idea of these computers is interesting to most of US, but many people are really gonna hate it, and shouldn\'t be forced to go through it.

I agree with Mr.No

Using other blocks will be completely sufficent

Programming things sure seems fun but thinking of all the limitations the game has to give you to keep it fair for non-programmers (and lone wolf-players) they can´t do a lot and would be rather annoying to set up.

What would you use a thruster programm for?It won´t let you go any faster or slower and adding a toggle button or constant speed wouldn´t be worth it since schema could implement it with ease..

Auto-Pilot Is an nice Idea but using the premade/ai one would be more than sufficient improving those would give you an unfair advantage because you could exploit the current mechanism.

The Weapon Programm seems usefull but if you wouldn´t love programming so much you would know that all weapons can get assigned to mutiple weapon computers and therefore already get used separately(assigning should be easier but thats something else)

Also I neither need nor want other people which steer an Spacecraft with me.Those guys should get in a weapon computer and a cockpit and don´t lead to an coordination disaster.

Here is how I think it should work. The cpu should be a single block capable of running a single program that can be edited by opening the gui with R. The programming should be a very simple code block building system like scratch (scratch.mit.edu) with string, math, conditional, I/O, ect.. blocks that can be put together to create a script. These cpus can be keybound so the pilot can start and halt program execution.

I/O: this can be a chat scanning system that scans the latest chat message and the source player and stores it(for chat commanding unmanned ships), and sensory values for receiving information from weapons computers, salvage computers, ect.
Output can include chat messaging to players from the cpu and commands from the cpu to ship modules.

do some of you guys recall Expression 2 & wire mod? from Garry\'s Mod

that\'s where it\'s at, nothing more nothing less

Just a though to the computer idea, that it isn\'t necessarily laggy. Computer handles operations, and it could be restricted to certain amount of operations per second, for example 100 or 1000, and customizable in server.cfg. 100 actions per second, per computer is bit less than 2 actions per frame each, and that wouldn\'t lag at all. It would still be well enough for simple operations. And people with good computers can set their limits higher to try some rocket science :p

Ok, as far as I got it, we all agree that programmale computers in general are a good idea. But there are two opinios on how these computers should be programmed. The one side would like to have a Lua based system, that would make the computers very powerfull, but very complex to use. The other side wants block based programmable computers, wich would be much easier to use, but by far not as powerfull as the lua based computers.

Just implementing both would work for the first group, but not for the second, since it would give players with programming skills a huge benefit and would unbalance the game.

What I suggest to solve this is the following:

A lua based computer, and a block based programming gui. the programms made with the block based gui get translated into lua. The block based system is always activated, while the possiility to write lua programms directly is by default deactivated, but can be activated in the configs.

As always I excuse for my bad english. I hope you got the point anyway

Compromise. I like the idea.

bump

I love this as an idea. As Puck said (Somewhat forcefully) a model similar to WireMod in Garrysmod would be ideal. There are two opetions therein; Gates or Expression 2.

Gates are things such as Constant value outputes, buttons, addition, or gates, and gates, ect. In this case, I would say put those things together into a drag and drop gui inside a \"Computer Block\"

Expression 2 is a programming language which combines all of the elements of the gates into one single piece which uses lua styled programming rather than linked gates. This would be an \"Advanced Computer Block\" which would contain a text editor, and a basic OS (Potential for the OS being programmed and editable by the user)

A system like this would be ideal for our situation. It would, unfortunately, be difficult to implement. Though I feel it would be best to implement it sooner rather than later because with every new update comes something else that would potentially have to be changed to make room for the new system. The weapons computers would already have to be all removed and replaced by disks comtaining a program to be placed in the computer. Getting a system like this in on the \"ground floor\" of a game would be quite a lot better and easier than trying to angle it in later in its life.