[0.12.8] "has_backer_name = true" doesn't work.

[vzybilly]

I was testing out Backer Name for use of holding strings, like train stops, and I got the error "entity does not support a backer name." even though the oil refinery has "has_backer_name = true" and can have it set. I do have that value set in my custom lamp entity but, as stated, it doesn't work.

[Rseding91]

has_backer_name doesn't work that way. It's a prototype property on the crafting machine prototype.

You can't just set it on arbitrary entities - they have to be coded to support backer names.

[vzybilly]

OK... alittle saddening... is there a reason why backer names can't be applied to all entities and have a flag to auto spawn a name when placed?

[Rseding91]

OK... alittle saddening... is there a reason why backer names can't be applied to all entities and have a flag to auto spawn a name when placed?

Because the behavior would have to be programmed into every entity. The same reason that every entity doesn't support a logistic network connection: most entities would never use it and it adds bloat to the code and time that the game would have to spend processing it for each entity each tick - slowing the game down.

Things such as trees would 99.99%+ of the time never need something like a logistic network connection so they don't have it programed in. The same goes for the backer name on an entity - most would never use them and as such most don't have the property programmed into the entity.

[SHiRKiT]

Maybe there could be an entity that's exactly like that, that only modders would use. That would allow REALLY COOL mods