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[Beta] PocketBots. Construction bots for your pocket

Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2014 2:52 am
by JamesOFarrell
EDIT: New thread created. All updates will now be posted there.

Version 0.0.3 is available. This build is quite stable and mostly bug free. If I don't find anymore issues or get any reports I will release this mod.

Description
PocketBots will give you access to a new piece of armor, the PocketBots Power Armor. This armor is just a version of the Mk2 Power Armor but comes with some pre-installed extras, a fusion reactor, some batteries and a roboport. This roboport will use construction bots in your inventory to provide roboport coverage outside of your base, allowing the use of blue prints at all times. They will also use your main inventory (not your quickbar) as some portable storage.
Image
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Info/Notes
This is power armor when it should be a bit of equipment for your modular armor. It started out that way but once I realized you can't easily find out what equipment is loaded into your armor I moved it over to a piece of modded armor. It will be changed back if the API starts allowing us to access the inventory of items.

If you have too many items in your inventory then new items returned by the bots (and the bots themselves when they finally return home) will be placed on the ground. This uses the inbuilt collision detection for finding locations for the items and can cause your game to slow down if you take it to the extreme but under normal circumstances it works quite well. Thanks ficolas for helping out with that.

When running around your bots can spac out as I am moving their roboport and they get a little confused. If they get really stuck just stand still for a couple of seconds and life will return to normal.

Because of how it works, when you are outside the roboport range and you have item overlays on (as if you wouldn't) you may see an overlay for your inventory following you around, this means the roboport is deployed. I would like to get rid of this but I have absolutely no idea how. If anyone has any thoughts, let me know

Your construction bots will also use the repair packs you have on you to repair damaged buildings. This can be really useful but I have no idea what the robots do with the packs if they don't get used up. I suspect they put them in their inventory and if this is the case they will be lost.

Because of how the API works with items in an inventory I can not sync damage (unless I am missing something, any one help with this?) so items picked up off the ground by the bots will be repairs when stored into your inventory. The reverse is also true, items taken out of your inventory by bots will magically be in full health.

Change Log
  • v0.0.1 Initial release... expect lots of bugs...
    v0.0.2 fixed bugs and improved the code for deploying the roboport
    v0.0.3 A lot better at doing the things that matter. Now runs more often but takes up less cpu time... I hope

Re: [Alpha WIP] PocketBots. Robots for your pocket

Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2014 1:38 pm
by jorgenRe
Interesting ;)
Look:
Image

put:
http://giant.gfycat.com/GraveRewardingEchidna.gif

inside
(img)(/img)
whereas ( = [ and ) = ]

Re: [Alpha WIP] PocketBots. Robots for your pocket

Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2014 4:52 pm
by Rensiur
That is a pretty cool idea.

Re: [Alpha WIP] PocketBots. Robots for your pocket

Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2014 12:28 am
by JamesOFarrell
jorgenRe wrote:Interesting ;)
Interesting ;) Look
Yeah, I felt bad embedding an 8 meg gif like that. It is a nice gif though, it really sells the idea. I should make a few more as I've been laying down solar panels today with it and it is so satisfying to watch.
Rensiur wrote:That is a pretty cool idea.
Thanks, I had to run out and do real world things after I posted this so i didn't really get a chance to play with this mod. I have been using it today to extend my base and upgrade my outposts and I think it has potential as an idea, I am not sure how you would ever balance it though. It would be really nice if it was a piece of equipment, being able to swap it in and out of armor means I wouldn't need to carry 2 sets on me.

Re: [Alpha WIP] PocketBots. Robots for your pocket

Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2014 3:58 am
by JamesOFarrell
New version posted, see the first port. Fixed most of the issues in this build but I am sure there will be some bugs left.

Edit: Next version with mines: Massive gif warning

Re: [Beta] PocketBots. Construction bots for your pocket

Posted: Sun Jun 15, 2014 2:55 am
by JamesOFarrell
New release. 0.0.3. Fixed the code for checking the roboport again. This time it does a few things to speed up the check. Should be better at deciding when it is needed.