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Got really bored and started thinking up way too many ideas to remember. Needless to say this topic is likely to make the devs need an in post tag system. 
I'm also going to try and use what we already have as much as possible but there are a few things like Data Logic Blocks that will be here for some of the ideas.
AI Docking: Now this here is mighty simple and takes advantage of the blocks we already have and the Marker Gun. Left Fire on an AI module and than L Fire again but on a Rail or some other dockable rail will tell the AI to look for that specific Rail to dock to if it still exists when it is told to come and dock by the player or another AI. Also the AI can have a select-able list of conditions to return to docking points under as well ranging from heavy damage to the ship it is controlling to no longer being in combat for a named duration of time. Also this could be used on AI controlling salvager ships and drones to tell them they should come back to base once full.
AI Salvaging: This could be done by simply adding Salvageable to the List of Targets the AI can be set to look for. The only issue with this is yes people are going to make drone fleets of salvagers to send out and mine things and hope they come back in one piece to drop off their loads.
Logic Entity to Entity Storage Transfer: This can be done by modifying the wifi blocks to be able to send the new Data Signal and limiting this to only happen when the two entities are docked together. Link a Storage to a Wifi Block on both entities so they can send but also linking the wifi blocks to the storages so they can receive will allow this to happen. Keep in mine the Entities have to be docked in order to send items between their storages.
This creates it's own issue. All 3 of the above ideas are what we've been wanting but also at least one of them is being avoided. Having all 3 would let people send out miners to mine a whole system of anything of value and create other issues like claims of people botting. However since the ships and turrets have to be in salvager range without a few data blocks that will show up later this issue is countered since even if the salvagers return from the other end of the galaxy they won't go back out there if the things they were salvaging are out of range. They need very specific data logic blocks to do this and yes all manner of deadly things in the way could kill them long before they return to base, stars, blackholes, pirates, players, etc. This will give players an open invitation to raid the lone mining ship before it gets back to base.
Some More AI Target Types, Behaviors, and Priorities. These are mainly to give a bit more control over the AI mobs and the AI Modules to the player. Also it allows for other nice things to be setup. Why Target System Modules when you can target armor? Or why not have the drones target the weaker ships pestering that Titan of yours while you deal with the enemy's titan? Also why not have a vicious AI pattern, one that'll flee if it has no weapons, or decides that the warheads on the ship are a viable weapon to use as well? So many things that could be done.
Target Types:
Only ones that come to mind here for new targeting types.
Priorities are a little different this affects how a give AI decides on a group of targets, basically what is it going to go for first out of the group.
Now for Behaviors, this affects how the AI Reacts to something and also will have % based selections as well just like Priorities Does in a few cases.
Well now we're onto the more interesting things Data Sending and Receiving logic blocks. These are mostly logic blocks that'd need to be added for some ideas to work but also are handy for other things too. Not all of them send raw information though, some send signals like activation logic blocks or others do. Some will only display the info they are sending out if it is sent to a display block or the hotbar by an inner ship remote.
Data Logic Blocks:
Information Collector: This block hooks into things like Cameras, Weapons, Jump Drives, Scanners, and so on to send their useful information to the AI module or to the player if linked to a display block and than to an inner ship remote if they want to see it in their hotbar. In the case of cameras and their visual information it'd show up like a second smaller view that can be moved on the main HUD and also turned on and off if in the hotbar. Now this info can be displayed in a display block letting you see several directions at once. Also this block can be used for AIs to tell the AI when to not do something like shooting. Say a weapon is causing loss of power, you could tell the AI to not shoot when under X amount of power but the option is only there f this block is hooked into the AI module.
Vicinity (Area) Trigger: I'm sure we all hate the Area logic blocks that end up taking up spaces here and there but this one allows for setting of a range up to 3 times the size of the entity it is on and will send a simple On/Off signal like other triggers do. The bigger the range the more power that is required to keep it at that range if it runs out of power than it won't send a signal if something is in range.
Deep Space Navigation: This block puts the Vicinity Area Trigger to shame but it otherwise the same thing but sending more than just a simple on or off signal. This block is a bit more complicated and more like a splice together of a logic block and a system block. This is mainly meant to be hooked into the AI but again like all Data Blocks it can send the info to a Display Block or directly into the Hotbar by connecting to both a display block and an Inner Ship Remote. This mainly allows the AI to fully use the Jump Drive and hunt targets at long range but it also gathers information on everything within jump range as well or at least what has been scouted at least, unknown stations will remain such until they are scouted like normal. In general when in use with an AI additional options of what to do in various cases come up but it also allows for long range AI detection and interception of targets.
The Basic info it sends normally is and On/Off Signal if an enemy target is within Jump Range but also it send the last known coordinates of a target in jump range. The Scanning cycle requires both a scanner and a logic clock to fully function otherwise it'll only tell you when something come into the range and not update the coordinates as it moves.
Now while it can keep track of several targets at once the AI will only react to the closest of the targets for jumping if it is set to even react to things in jump range.
Existing Blocks that need data sending and receiving added to them are the Storage Boxes, Wifi Blocks, Display Blocks, Inner Ship Remotes, and the Bobby's AI Module. This is to allow for the information to be sent around without the need for new blocks, they'll send an activation signal when information is being sent through them and an inactive signal when nothing is. In the case of the storage boxes the only information signals they send are the items being moved from one entity to another and this can only happen by use of wifi blocks and the two entities being docked together. Display Blocks can be used to show what is moving from one to the next as well and how much of it.
The Bobby's AI Module would also be able to send out a signal that it is engaging something or not engaging something, but also takes an activation signal so it can be turned on and off by logic. The AI Module would also send out other data information such as Targeting Data on what entity it is engaging or fleeing from, Command Data like a selected target of a player for an AI in selected target mode, Commands for when to jump and where to jump, returning to dock or undock from dock commands, also the AI's general settings from the menu. All of this info could be shown by a display block as well and make it very handy for either debugging usage or if someone needs to see that info for other reasons like RP or just wants to see it.
Now for a few changes to display blocks to make it so they don't run out of space.
For display blocks they'd be able to receive any data signal but also send the one they received to another data block. Also slaving several display blocks together will allow for taking advantage of their combine text limits and line limits for displaying information received or sent. This will allow for other things too like say you wanted to type a huge wall of text but just don't have enough room and don't want to go into the configs to change things.
In any event Anymore ideas to add or changes to ones here?
I'm also going to try and use what we already have as much as possible but there are a few things like Data Logic Blocks that will be here for some of the ideas.AI Docking: Now this here is mighty simple and takes advantage of the blocks we already have and the Marker Gun. Left Fire on an AI module and than L Fire again but on a Rail or some other dockable rail will tell the AI to look for that specific Rail to dock to if it still exists when it is told to come and dock by the player or another AI. Also the AI can have a select-able list of conditions to return to docking points under as well ranging from heavy damage to the ship it is controlling to no longer being in combat for a named duration of time. Also this could be used on AI controlling salvager ships and drones to tell them they should come back to base once full.
AI Salvaging: This could be done by simply adding Salvageable to the List of Targets the AI can be set to look for. The only issue with this is yes people are going to make drone fleets of salvagers to send out and mine things and hope they come back in one piece to drop off their loads.
Logic Entity to Entity Storage Transfer: This can be done by modifying the wifi blocks to be able to send the new Data Signal and limiting this to only happen when the two entities are docked together. Link a Storage to a Wifi Block on both entities so they can send but also linking the wifi blocks to the storages so they can receive will allow this to happen. Keep in mine the Entities have to be docked in order to send items between their storages.
This creates it's own issue. All 3 of the above ideas are what we've been wanting but also at least one of them is being avoided. Having all 3 would let people send out miners to mine a whole system of anything of value and create other issues like claims of people botting. However since the ships and turrets have to be in salvager range without a few data blocks that will show up later this issue is countered since even if the salvagers return from the other end of the galaxy they won't go back out there if the things they were salvaging are out of range. They need very specific data logic blocks to do this and yes all manner of deadly things in the way could kill them long before they return to base, stars, blackholes, pirates, players, etc. This will give players an open invitation to raid the lone mining ship before it gets back to base.
Some More AI Target Types, Behaviors, and Priorities. These are mainly to give a bit more control over the AI mobs and the AI Modules to the player. Also it allows for other nice things to be setup. Why Target System Modules when you can target armor? Or why not have the drones target the weaker ships pestering that Titan of yours while you deal with the enemy's titan? Also why not have a vicious AI pattern, one that'll flee if it has no weapons, or decides that the warheads on the ship are a viable weapon to use as well? So many things that could be done.
Target Types:
- Salvageable: Goes after anything that can be salvaged be it asteroids, planets, decaying stations, overheating entities, etc. And yes this use Salvagers
- Firer Of Shots: Targets the attacker(s) ignoring other entities unless the attacker is docked to another entity than it'll attack that one as well.
- Giver: Targets allies with supply beams for shield and power as needed.
- Taker: targets enemies with Drain Beams
- Repairable: Targets allies that need repairs.
Only ones that come to mind here for new targeting types.
Priorities are a little different this affects how a give AI decides on a group of targets, basically what is it going to go for first out of the group.
- Closest Target
- Furthest Target
- Most Structure Points
- Least Structure Points
- Most Armor
- Least Armor
- Most Shielding
- Least Shielding
- Highest DPS
- Lowest DPS
Now for Behaviors, this affects how the AI Reacts to something and also will have % based selections as well just like Priorities Does in a few cases.
- Ignore Enemies until X % [Shields, Armor, Structure]? You can pick a % for more than one
- Salvaging: Ignores enemies while salvaging unless attacked and will wander the known area to find resources to salvage.
- Attacker: Will Hound an enemy until either party dies, very fast to respond to attacks and has no mercy for accidental shooting of it. Often times an Attacker AI will try to dodge a shot before it hits to avoid damage and fire warning shots at the attacking party until damaged.
- Defender: Like the Attacker it is fast to respond but it tends to hang out around a marked area or sector to guard it against attacks. This behavior requires a marked target or sector to guard to fully function and can be used to guard ships and stations. If the AI has a jump drive and what it is guarding is no longer nearby enough to guard it'll use it to either get to the location or thing it is guarding.
- Scout: Scouts wander around patrolling factioned systems mostly and can be set to temporarily turn into attackers or defenders depending on what they are meant for. If you want it to patrol a specific route you need to make targets like stations, ships, or whole sectors for it to know what things to patrol between. Otherwise scouts just wander about and send report signal data back to a base or ship that wants the info. In this case you'll only get to reports if the AI module has a wifi block hooked into it so it can send the information it has picked up.
- Supporter: Mainly uses support type weapons to help out ally ships and stations and also uses other armaments to help out in the area if needed. So these will use the Shield and Power supply beams to fuel up allies or use the Draining beams to steal from enemies.
Well now we're onto the more interesting things Data Sending and Receiving logic blocks. These are mostly logic blocks that'd need to be added for some ideas to work but also are handy for other things too. Not all of them send raw information though, some send signals like activation logic blocks or others do. Some will only display the info they are sending out if it is sent to a display block or the hotbar by an inner ship remote.
Data Logic Blocks:
Information Collector: This block hooks into things like Cameras, Weapons, Jump Drives, Scanners, and so on to send their useful information to the AI module or to the player if linked to a display block and than to an inner ship remote if they want to see it in their hotbar. In the case of cameras and their visual information it'd show up like a second smaller view that can be moved on the main HUD and also turned on and off if in the hotbar. Now this info can be displayed in a display block letting you see several directions at once. Also this block can be used for AIs to tell the AI when to not do something like shooting. Say a weapon is causing loss of power, you could tell the AI to not shoot when under X amount of power but the option is only there f this block is hooked into the AI module.
Vicinity (Area) Trigger: I'm sure we all hate the Area logic blocks that end up taking up spaces here and there but this one allows for setting of a range up to 3 times the size of the entity it is on and will send a simple On/Off signal like other triggers do. The bigger the range the more power that is required to keep it at that range if it runs out of power than it won't send a signal if something is in range.
Deep Space Navigation: This block puts the Vicinity Area Trigger to shame but it otherwise the same thing but sending more than just a simple on or off signal. This block is a bit more complicated and more like a splice together of a logic block and a system block. This is mainly meant to be hooked into the AI but again like all Data Blocks it can send the info to a Display Block or directly into the Hotbar by connecting to both a display block and an Inner Ship Remote. This mainly allows the AI to fully use the Jump Drive and hunt targets at long range but it also gathers information on everything within jump range as well or at least what has been scouted at least, unknown stations will remain such until they are scouted like normal. In general when in use with an AI additional options of what to do in various cases come up but it also allows for long range AI detection and interception of targets.
The Basic info it sends normally is and On/Off Signal if an enemy target is within Jump Range but also it send the last known coordinates of a target in jump range. The Scanning cycle requires both a scanner and a logic clock to fully function otherwise it'll only tell you when something come into the range and not update the coordinates as it moves.
Now while it can keep track of several targets at once the AI will only react to the closest of the targets for jumping if it is set to even react to things in jump range.
Existing Blocks that need data sending and receiving added to them are the Storage Boxes, Wifi Blocks, Display Blocks, Inner Ship Remotes, and the Bobby's AI Module. This is to allow for the information to be sent around without the need for new blocks, they'll send an activation signal when information is being sent through them and an inactive signal when nothing is. In the case of the storage boxes the only information signals they send are the items being moved from one entity to another and this can only happen by use of wifi blocks and the two entities being docked together. Display Blocks can be used to show what is moving from one to the next as well and how much of it.
The Bobby's AI Module would also be able to send out a signal that it is engaging something or not engaging something, but also takes an activation signal so it can be turned on and off by logic. The AI Module would also send out other data information such as Targeting Data on what entity it is engaging or fleeing from, Command Data like a selected target of a player for an AI in selected target mode, Commands for when to jump and where to jump, returning to dock or undock from dock commands, also the AI's general settings from the menu. All of this info could be shown by a display block as well and make it very handy for either debugging usage or if someone needs to see that info for other reasons like RP or just wants to see it.
Now for a few changes to display blocks to make it so they don't run out of space.
For display blocks they'd be able to receive any data signal but also send the one they received to another data block. Also slaving several display blocks together will allow for taking advantage of their combine text limits and line limits for displaying information received or sent. This will allow for other things too like say you wanted to type a huge wall of text but just don't have enough room and don't want to go into the configs to change things.
In any event Anymore ideas to add or changes to ones here?