New component suggestions for circuits

[Lyude75]

I have already published posts on coding and coding feedback, yet suggestion improvements seems to belong here, so I do.
I have done a great deal of tests with circuits and I foresee certain components that could add real possibilities, more than currently available.

Why are they needed : in order to give an edge to people investing time in that and for making rounds more interesting, either as regular crew or antag

Suggestions :
- scanner component : component that allows a shell to scan ts environment (presence of items/people within a few tiles away). That would add more interactivity and more automation possibilities, according to other components linked

- proper discriminating component : component that would allow to design circuits reacting according to identity of people/race/items in hand/type of item (the race component and voice activator seem fairly limited and there seems to be a bug or I just don't know how to make sure a certain speaker activates circuit ; plus it does not allow activation according to things like objects, which could be linked with scanner component)

- camera component : component that would allow to take picture, record or give live feed through the eyes of the bot shell for a better control of it. There should be a way to get back the picture/video/live feed on a separate device, a tablet for example, via a component to insert in it

- interface with machines/consoles component : component that would allow the shell to interact with a machine/console as a human would do, via USB cable. It should be a generic component, allowing interaction with any console and not a component designed for a specific console (like it seems to be envisaged for security records). It would be bothering to have a specific component for each kind of console and having specialised components would definitely push people to target those specific consoles, which is less original

- overriding component : component that would allow to override access level, for antag or to fight back AI (the override would prevent AI to change back the setting on which the overriding component has applied its force. To avoid making it OP it could be limited by either more energy consumption or loading time long enough to avoid making it possible to do it many many times

- remote control should have 4 buttons instead of just 3 and the extra signal should be corrected, there is a bug apparently, I can't use it

- pre-recorded path for drone shell component

- keyboard for server shell : allowing text interactions deeper than currently possible (equivalent of voice activator)

- authorisation to open doors for drone shell

That's quite a lot but in my opinion that would add real opportunities. I like circuits a lot by the way!



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[Mothblocks]

- scanner component : component that allows a shell to scan ts environment (presence of items/people within a few tiles away). That would add more interactivity and more automation possibilities, according to other components linked

We want it, but scanning around you is surprisingly inoptimal in BYOND.

- interface with machines/consoles component : component that would allow the shell to interact with a machine/console as a human would do, via USB cable. It should be a generic component, allowing interaction with any console and not a component designed for a specific console (like it seems to be envisaged for security records). It would be bothering to have a specific component for each kind of console and having specialised components would definitely push people to target those specific consoles, which is less original

I don't know what you think USB cables are, but it's impossible+undesirable for us to create a one-size-fits-all "generic machine interaction" component. That is what USB cables exist for--it is the only feasible way to make this work. The idea is to roll it out to as many non-abusable machine/computers/whatevers as possible.

- overriding component : component that would allow to override access level, for antag or to fight back AI (the override would prevent AI to change back the setting on which the overriding component has applied its force. To avoid making it OP it could be limited by either more energy consumption or loading time long enough to avoid making it possible to do it many many times

Definitely no, this is explicitly against the design rules in the design doc--circuits should make interesting use of their environment, not bespoke components for this kind of thing.

- remote control should have 4 buttons instead of just 3 and the extra signal should be corrected, there is a bug apparently, I can't use it

Which one? They've all worked for me--you should file a bug report.

- keyboard for server shell : allowing text interactions deeper than currently possible (equivalent of voice activator)

I believe this was on the doc somewhere, though I might be thinking of wall mounted shells.


Everything else I don't have immediate comments on, but most of it is fine.

[Lyude75]

Yesterday I tried to make a drone move by more than 2 tiles at a time, in orderto check if it is possible to pre-programme a path for drone to follow. I did not find out how to reach that.

The drone has a specific component that allows it to move but it's only on trigger mode, it does not seem to allow a number as input (to allow a voice command like "2 up" ; I had a mind a design with 2 branches coming out of voice activator, one with direction and one with number of tiles for the move, then mixing that in order to get a move in a certain direction with a certain number of tiles). It should be made possible to have input and not just trigger on this drone component. Otherwise I think of using the regular ticking of the clock to allow the component to be triggered several times, but even for that it seems the current set of components lacks one or 2.

I think there should be a kind of gate thet could filter/block input (either text or number), depending on some other component, in order to allow clock to trigger the move or to be blocked doing so. I am not sure there is already a component allowing what I have in mind, because of the current design of colour dots in input or output in current set of components.

Is it possible to design in game a custom design component in further stages? Like having a blank component and you could pick up which kind of dots/data you put either as input or output, in order to create infinite possibilities.

Again, I find the concept fantastic and current realisation is great. Thanks coders!