0.17: Some thoughts surrounding modular Roboports

[Gandamir]

Having finished vanilla, I am getting into mods. Bobs is first on the list of major changes, and to wrap my head around it I am working on my blueprints for how things work. I'm currently working on my robot manufacturing facility, and have come across some items surrounding roboports that I hope to get some clarity around.

For my current settings, I have disabled the default roboports. This may change based upon responses here.

In vanilla, there is an option to read network contents. This can return the total number of robots (construction and logistics), and how many are free. With Bobs, I am unable to attach a circuit network wire to either the "Robochest" or the "Logistic Zone Expander". Is there another item that offers this feature? Or do I need to enable vanilla roboports just to have this access available?

While I am here, I would also like to make a suggestion for an additional robot item for Bob:
It would be nice to have a robot launcher platform. Think of it as a push only Robochest that does not allow robots to land in it. I use an inserter to add robots to a robochest, one for logistics, one for construction. However, these invariably fill up with the other kind of robots at some point, preventing further release of robots into the wild. Alternativly the ability to filter what kind of robots can land at a given robochest.

[bobingabout]

In vanilla, there is an option to read network contents. This can return the total number of robots (construction and logistics), and how many are free. With Bobs, I am unable to attach a circuit network wire to either the "Robochest" or the "Logistic Zone Expander". Is there another item that offers this feature? Or do I need to enable vanilla roboports just to have this access available?

Logistic zone interface. it's a 1x1 entity with an antenna on top, and literally the only thing is does is let you connect wires to it to read the network, IE, how many robots there are, and how many are free.

While I am here, I would also like to make a suggestion for an additional robot item for Bob:
It would be nice to have a robot launcher platform. Think of it as a push only Robochest that does not allow robots to land in it.

Given that everything (Robochest, Logistic zone expander, Charging port and Logistic zone interface) is just a modded roboport... the only control you have over what features the roboport has is simply if they're specified or not. (or in the case of logistic zone, just set to the size of the footprint of the entity itself, so if it overlaps with another zone, it becomes part of it)
if it has storage, robots will dock with it, there's no real way to have something that launches them but not let them dock.

it could be possible to have some sort of ammo that does this (Capsules and grenades are basically an item that when used fires a projectile, just like any other weapon, the ones that make combat robots are just firing a projectile that spawns a robot. I use this in a couple of places to make a weapon fire distractor robots), you'd just need some sort of turret that just shoots logistic or construction robots, however... what triggers the turret to fire the weapon?

Alternatively, scripting magic... you simply have a chest that if it contains a robot, the script removes an item from the box and creates the robot that item would spawn. the problem with that is... you need a monitoring script to monitor every single one of these boxes you ever place... and that's a laggy script.
It's annoying enough trying to keep track of characters added by my classes (and multiple bodies) mod, and that actually makes use of special hooks for the game itself to keep track of them for you, not just some script. (a feature I requested that was implemented)
So... something I'd personally be unlikely to make, however, it's possible other modders might do it.


I know how to mod a lot more things than I actually release, the main reason why I don't is because I try to avoid anything laggy.
To note, I actually wrote out about a dozen different versions of my clock mod, before choosing the one that induced the least lag... then changed to a different method when I tried to expand things.

[Gandamir]

In vanilla, there is an option to read network contents. This can return the total number of robots (construction and logistics), and how many are free. With Bobs, I am unable to attach a circuit network wire to either the "Robochest" or the "Logistic Zone Expander". Is there another item that offers this feature? Or do I need to enable vanilla roboports just to have this access available?

Logistic zone interface. it's a 1x1 entity with an antenna on top, and literally the only thing is does is let you connect wires to it to read the network, IE, how many robots there are, and how many are free.

I must have missed that one. Thank you for the explanation.

I know how to mod a lot more things than I actually release, the main reason why I don't is because I try to avoid anything laggy.
To note, I actually wrote out about a dozen different versions of my clock mod, before choosing the one that induced the least lag... then changed to a different method when I tried to expand things.

I fully understand the complexity based upon your lengthy explanation of how you have implemented things. I'll throw the idea to the devs on the ideas forum to see what they say.

Thanks for a fun set of mods!