Feature request: Belts get a new signal from player standing on them

[rocifier]

TL;DR

There is currently no direct way to include the player in the circuit network. But many new applications would arise simply from being able to read a "player" signal from a belt. For each player who stands on a 1x1 piece of belt it would emit a player signal.

Why ?

Opportunities for security mechanisms and afk detectors arise amongst many yet-to-be-designed mechanics. Examples off the top of my head:

- Proximity sensor or intruder alert (currently gates allow limited applications)
- Detect if a player may be trying to steal items directly off a balanced in/out flow sushi belt (particularly useful for multiplayer)
- Light displays and dance pads which interact with players walking on them.
- Virtualized circuit-driven games allow for improved player interaction
- Circuit to slow trains down when you are near tracks inside a base

If you have any other applications for this or potential downsides, please share!

[ssilk]

This would make many circuits break. And it is quite un-intuitive.

There are also mods, that work like buttons, if you stand on them.
Or mods that discover enemies/other players (radar-mods).
I don’t move this to non-implement, because I want such mods to be included into vanilla.

[DarkShadow44]

I don't see why it would be belts though. A separate entity seems better suited.

[mrvn]

That's what gates are for.

[ssilk]

Yes, because that’s currently the way to do this.
No, because you need to make an absolute mess to use it.
(Where did I saw this usage of cars on belts to enclose the player into one tile and gates to measure the direction in which the player runs? Was it on Reddit?Genius construction but - well - really a mess )

[mrvn]

Yeah, a gate is a proximity sensor. If you want to only measure a 1x1 tile region then I guess it gets messy because you have to use gates with overlapping regions to narrow it down to 1x1 tiles. Worse if you want to detect direction of movement.

But most of the mentioned use cases only need proximity and for the rest isn't that the fun in factorio? Puzzling out how to achieve something with the tools at hand?

[ssilk]

I would really like to have buttons in vanilla I can turn on/off or have a pulse by walking over. Maybe in form of a new kind of lamp with configurable color.

[mrvn]

I would really like to have buttons in vanilla I can turn on/off or have a pulse by walking over. Maybe in form of a new kind of lamp with configurable color.

Controllable from map view please.