Automation and Logic System Suggestions

[esskay]

Hey all, I'm new to starmade, if I miss something obvious about the game feel free to tell me (more about me in signature).

Sorry if some of these are already suggested. A few things I want are already suggested elsewhere; anything else you see here that's a repeat is here because I feel that those suggestions are connected to other suggestions here.

Automation:

Spoiler: Area loader

A block which keeps the area it is in loaded even if there aren't any players.

This would need to be heavily restricted to keep the amount of them low. One way of doing that would be to make area loaders cost a recurring faction point cost that scales with amount of area loaders. First one costs x points, second one costs 2x etc. So at 4 loaders it would cost 10x faction points every interval.

Possible config settings:
Base faction point cost.
Faction point scaling amount.
Admin only or player allowed.
Station only or allowed on ships.

Spoiler: Sirens

Loud annoying alarms.

Not much to explain here. Activate them via logical input.

Spoiler: Improved repair

Allow the use of blueprints to repair ships with missing blocks.

Again, not much to explain. Title says it all. This might already be planned for the shipyard update. Depending on the way this is implemented it could also be used to refit ships if an update to the blueprint is made.

Possible config settings:
Allowed or disallowed.

Spoiler: Cross-entity connections

A way to connect blocks across different entities.

Some major uses for this would be automatically transferring storage from one entity to another. The best method I can think of for this would be to have blocks which you place next to the things you want to connect. If you have multiple different connections, then slave a colored light in order to identify how it all connects. Using this method you could have multiple slaves on one entity connected to a single master on the other entity.

EDIT: This should only work with docked entities!
Just an example for clarity:
A new block would be added which could be a master or a slave to a system. This block would slave a light in order to color code itself (take note that this block does not act like a wireless logic block). Another of the same block would be on the docked entity which is also either a slave or master to a system. If say on a ship docked on a station the new block has a slaved storage and the station has a factory set as master, the factory would draw from the storage on the ship. This could potentially work with multiple docked ships at once. This would also be useful for turrets so only the turret barrels have to be a part of turret which would allow more style choices when designing turrets.

TL: DR Automatic storage transfer between docked entities and more customizable turrets. Could also be used to have "Expansion slots" on your ship where you could have different ship upgrades.

Possible config settings:
Max amount of connections.
Allowed or disallowed.

Logic Systems:
Some of these aren't necessary but make it a bit more convenient to set up logic controlled systems.

Spoiler: New inner ship remote types

New logic blocks which can be activated while in flight mode.

The two types I'm thinking of would be one that acts like a button (turns on then off after a short period) (EDIT: Already possible) and one that acts like the standard weapon systems (only stays on while actively used by the player)

Spoiler: Ship core logic output

Make ship cores emit a signal when it is occupied.

This is huge. AIs which activate when there isn't a player. Internal defenses that activate when ship is occupied. Core access only opening when ship is unoccupied. Cruise control that automatically activates when the player leaves the core (more on this in a moment). Fighters which begin an undock process when a player enters it. There are a ton of possibilities and I love them all.

Spoiler: Entity movement activated block

A logic block which only activates when the entity it is in is moving.

This would be used to limit cruise control. Let's say in the previous example where if you leave your ship core, your ship starts cruise control using the push effect. You need a block which makes that not happen when the ship is stopped. An extra feature for this could be where if you put two of these next to each other it can detect which direction you're moving by activating the side of the pair that the ship is moving.

Spoiler: More toggle-able systems.

Allow more systems to be disabled using logic signals.

Title says it all. Systems I'm thinking of: BOBBY AI, Warp gates, shops. Anything else people can think of are probably cool ideas as well.

Spoiler: Credit activated logic blocks

Logic gates activated by the insertion of credits or items.

This would be useful along with the previous idea to make warp gates and other services purchasable.

Spoiler: Make warp gates emit a signal when used.

Warp gate computers emit a signal when entered or exited.

Title says it all.

If anything here is terrible post your ideas on how to make it better. Lots of the features here I'd love to have in some form or another and the exact implementation doesn't matter too much.

 

[Jaaskinal]

1) I don't agree with this just because of the strain it would put on servers.
2) By personal experience this would have to be limited in some way, and would not be very fun. I know I would use it myself to troll people.
3) I agree but it's more of a suggestion with repair beams and thus the game in general than with logic.
4) No just because of what issues this creates. There's no range limit on wireless logic currently, I doubt that's 100% intentional.
5) You can connect the inner ship remote to logic both ways. If you connect it to a button and then connect that back to the inner ship remote it will act like a button. To have one you have to hold may be interesting but I see no reason for it other than RP.
6) Totally agree.
7) This would be interesting, but it's also fairly limited in it's uses.
8) Agree.
9) Agree.
10) You could use area activators to do this, really.

 

[esskay]

1) I do agree with you that area loaders are server intensive and need to be restricted, but that's what config settings are for. Even if only admins are able to use it a loader block would be useful for a variety of things.

2) You have a point there. Maybe make it so sirens can only be heard inside stations or ships (cause sound can't travel through space).

3) Sorry if I was a little unclear with this post, it's not all logic stuff though. I was thinking more along the lines of shipyards (when they're implemented) being able to "rebuild" ships again based on a blueprint. So you could use it to refit ships that already exist to a new version of the blueprint, or it could be used to place back blocks that got destroyed in combat. I'm not sure what the plans are with repair beams but they seem more like an in-combat type thing for emergency repairs.

4) I forgot to mention in the OP that this is intended to only work with docked entities. Sorry!

5) This is one of the convenience things and not too important. This would just be an interesting tool to have when designing ships.

10) An extended use for this that I was imagining was for the warp gate destination to emit a signal *before* the ship has gone all the way through. You could use area sensors for simpler things but it would just be easier for the warp gate to emit the signal itself.

 

[GenericFleetCommander]

I think Jasskinal summed up the ones that wont work, and the ones that would. Although, one of these ideas really grabbed my attention, being having a toll for going into warp gates. I think that's a fantastic idea, as of currently, there are very few ways to make a profit in game besides combat and salvaging. There are player shops, but I can't really speak for their effectiveness. I think that expanding the economy to accommodate more player made services would be a great idea, it would create more "professions" you can pursue in game, and seeing as there aren't very many things to do end game besides dominating through combat, a new way to spend time/money could do the game a huge service. The only things is you would have to place a limit of one entrance and one exit per sector to prevent players for going shoulder to shoulder and starting a price war. Or a troll who puts a warp up for free just to spite you.