PC Wires and overhead reduction maybe

4sheetzngeegles

4sheetzngeegles

Surviver
This is a thought on wiring, it comes from one of my first conversational posts with Roland. I posted regarding,

eating and drinking but not going to the toilet in game. Roland replied and I am paraphrasing, "That it is an implied

existential activity". When I was away from the forum and just played the game. I started thinking of other things

that can be used in the game that may help lower performance overhead.

Presently the wiring for any of the electrical devices we have seems to be taxing on performance at certain times.

Instead of physical extended wires everywhere why not make a set of wiring representation blocks. Example a block with

a wire that goes into the base block of the energy device and one that does the same for the load device.

Animation can be represented by sprite sheets, similar to torch flicker, and smoke plume representation now. It

would not remove the necessity for using the wiring tool or any of the intermittent connection devices. It would

remove the encumbrance of figuring how to place wires and remove devices. Sprite sheet, device on = Green animation,

failing intermittent green/red, dead or off red.

For electrical fences, a sprite sheet showing electrical transmission between to transmitter blocks. Visually if

you built a chin link fence, a metal barrier the animation would show on the face, on air blocks it could show the

same call it electriAir or Lightningblock. For the block tag it so it can receive physical damage necessitating

repairs. If this mode is used, it may open later builds to the extended use of electricity.

Example, Quest to repair stations and fuel them to provide, water, light, heat, refrigeration. Then they must be

protected from attack because they would draw heat. This also makes new temporary havens, a bit more interesting,

the zombies would be more active in the light. More would be drawn, so turning off local lighting via a switch

may become necessary to reduce undead activity.

 
Madmole keeps mentioning that he hasn’t played much with electricity yet and my prediction is that once he does we will see more traction on these issues. When he has wires going everywhere and if it bothers him or causes performance loss he’ll oversee it getting fixed himself. If he wants more than one power source to be able to connect there will be a ticket made for it. If he wants pistons or logic gates because that's the only way to do what he wants with electricity then guess what will get juiced with some higher priority?

Why are we getting power doors in A18?

Because Madmole got to the point of being able to make them and he wanted them.

Encourage Madmole to play and then roll the dice that his preferences match yours. :)

Now excuse me while I take care of some abstract existential off-camera business...

 
Coolio

I couldn't remember the exact quote you gave me but it was something similar, and doing more longer play throughs, that was one of the thoughts that came to me. It's not a complaint. It was from one of the past discussions about hiding wires. Then reading MM posts about lean and the pushed desire with the team for getting closer to perfection it made me think of this.

Personally, I love the game as is, and as is being developed. MM, You, and the Team have given me the ability to sculpt and play many Genres. Not to many games can boast that. :encouragement:

PS: 7.11 Is my fav legacy version.

 
Now excuse me while I take care of some abstract existential off-camera business...
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...this stall is occupied.

Joking aside, doesn't it seem silly that game design decisions are made after they actually play the game, years after a feature is introduced?

Wouldn't it have made more sense to play it BEFORE the feature was introduced?

I dunno, it's late, and I'm sleepy, but there's something weird about this.

 
Well I remember when they were first working on it, they talked about having to lay the wire along the walls ect. Basically the same as the redstone in Minecraft. Then there was an issue because the overlay took up a full block space, and made it a real PITA to run wire anywhere. They had considered wireless as well, and a couple of other options. What we have was the method that came out on top. They wanted the rough dangling wire look. I mean really, this is something you're throwing together in a post-apocalyptic world with limited resources. I was almost shocked when they allowed the wire to extend through solid blocks based on the earlier discussions regarding it.

Also remember that madmole doesn't design the entire game himself, they have a team with different people working on different things. Someone else would have been the brainchild behind that feature.

 
Madmole keeps mentioning that he hasn’t played much with electricity yet and my prediction is that once he does we will see more traction on these issues. When he has wires going everywhere and if it bothers him or causes performance loss he’ll oversee it getting fixed himself. If he wants more than one power source to be able to connect there will be a ticket made for it. If he wants pistons or logic gates because that's the only way to do what he wants with electricity then guess what will get juiced with some higher priority?
Why are we getting power doors in A18?

Because Madmole got to the point of being able to make them and he wanted them.

Encourage Madmole to play and then roll the dice that his preferences match yours. :)

Now excuse me while I take care of some abstract existential off-camera business...
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That is indeed an interesting observation and statement (and I don't mean the abstract existential business ;)

If this is true, it would mean even pushing a version another month for Madmole to actually have a chance to play it would maybe make sense. There are so many things with Electricity, which has now been in since Alpha 16, that would benefit from updates. If those are much more likely to come once Madmole has a chance to play with it, then we definitely need him to play the game more!

Or alternatively, run a semi-regular focus group with a group of established players (with track records of providing positive constructive feedback) and gather it to help re-focus on some missed out areas, that the devs (and Madmole) can then try out and gauge whether they agree.

If it's taken since A16 to A18 and only now we get powered doors (how about hatches?) since Madmole wants it by noticing it would be helpful, I really do worry that we might be missing out on tonnes of great content.

Still, I'm psyched to get it! I'd love to get more, wht about the old flamethrower turret he showcased? Or the piston-crusher? :p How about more extensive AND OR IF blocks for advanced redsto... I mean electricity wiring? Hoppers, item sorters, conveyer belts and auto-chests? ;)

Ved :)

 
Madmole keeps mentioning that he hasn’t played much with electricity yet and my prediction is that once he does we will see more traction on these issues. When he has wires going everywhere and if it bothers him or causes performance loss he’ll oversee it getting fixed himself. If he wants more than one power source to be able to connect there will be a ticket made for it. If he wants pistons or logic gates because that's the only way to do what he wants with electricity then guess what will get juiced with some higher priority?
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tl;dr:

Player feedback is irrelevant unless MM experiences it himself Kappa.

 
tl;dr:Player feedback is irrelevant unless MM experiences it himself Kappa.
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I wouldn't say irrelevant, but after some sleep and thought I'm able to more coherently make my point, but yeh that's essentially it...

...he'll defend something tooth and nail when the decision is made, despite player feedback saying "no, that's not how it actually plays out", until he actually plays it... and there's just something inherently wrong with that system, and could be a huge factor in the lengthy development time. I dunno Roland, you may have unwittingly (or wittingly) stumbled onto the secret sauce here.

 
Fiber, Probiotics and if your gal balder is shot, lower you fat intake. That will be 5000 Dukes please. :)
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Will be sending some Z cops over to investigate practicing without a license, even if the advice was good. :D

 
Will be sending some Z cops over to investigate practicing without a license, even if the advice was good. :D
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and I would tell them to take 2 donuts 4 times a day and call me in the morning. :)

 
Is it the wiring that is even the source of performance impacts? From what I have experienced this is not the case. The control methods and something with solar panels are the source of performance problems and electricity.

I like the post apocalyptic look that comes with the current way wires hang as well as the control you have over the look with connecting points. We just need the 1 electrical cost to go away considering that it is currently better to use switches rather than connectors. That is just silly.

 
electricty thoughts

Is it the wiring that is even the source of performance impacts? From what I have experienced this is not the case. The control methods and something with solar panels are the source of performance problems and electricity.
I like the post apocalyptic look that comes with the current way wires hang as well as the control you have over the look with connecting points. We just need the 1 electrical cost to go away considering that it is currently better to use switches rather than connectors. That is just silly.
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a couple of thoughts come to mine with electricity as it stands in 17.4, you cant have two light switches for one light, IE basic electrical where you have say a hall light and a switch on each end of the hallway. This same issue applies to alternate power sources, example. you should be able to have a small input device that decides if you need solar or generator power based on power usage,. My preferred way would be using real world electrical concepts. it would readily work with whats currently available with minimal changes. The relays and timers, would be used for 'high' voltage. you could then have junction boxes and a fuse box. engines are electrical or fuel related (gas or diesel) where diesel generators are different and more powerful. And trying to put gas in a diesel engine is bad.

I look forward to seeing what can be done with electricity as well as future vehicles.

 
One of the devs- i do believe its been gazz sayin it somewhere when this has been a discussion- stated, it is hardcoded for the electricity blocks to have one Single Input and 1+X outputs.

It has somethin to do with the electricitysystem being a Monorailsystem which disables X-OR Blocksystems.... Or smthin..... Dont know how to describe it correctly but i know the circuumstances

 
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