Ideas for what to do with wire tools.

So, we have the basic framework for wire tools in the game - we have switches and so far we have doors and we have a wire tool for linking them. But that's pretty much the sum total of what we have to work with at the moment. No doubt the devs plan to expand upon this, but I'm wondering what ideas people have for it in terms of gizmos and devices that could be attached to the system to make it engaging? I figure if there's a thread of robust ideas and long term visions for it, then it might be a useful reference for the devs to draw inspiration from.

Personally I'm hoping we see:

Detectors
Like laser tripwires and motion sensors that send a signal when something passes it. This'd be useful for automating a vast number of things; from doors, to lights, to traps

Logic gates
Right now doors can serve as NOT gates, but a comprehensive list of logic gates would be helpful and could serve as a sink for precious metals besides the refiner. EDIT: Already in game it seems, just not presently obtainable through legit means

Elevators
Combined with detectors for automating the lift doors, and switches for toggling the lift on and off, you could make some quite snazzy elevator designs; maybe even turn it into a trap if it crushes stuff above below the platform

Pumps
We have a fantastic water flow model, but once water has flowed downhill there's no way to get it back up again, or to get it precisely where it's needed. A system of pipes and pumps could provide everything from decorative fountains, to working airlocks (for inevitable water worlds and underwater bases) as well as more complex traps involving poison or lava.

Traps
We already have tesla coils and buzzsaws and stuff. Being able to switch these on and off via a switch would be useful (if they can't already?) as well as a larger selection

Conveyors and Hoppers (or vacuum tubes)
Some means of scooping up drops on the ground and transferring them to a container would enable automated farming, mob grinders and self-looting traps. Conveyors and hoppers would probably be most engaging but given this games highly vertical nature a system of vacuum tubes might be more practical, if a little easy-mode.

Trapdoors
There is a small number of horizontal doors. But a larger selection is needed (especially futuristic ones), this'd be useful for making elevators that can stop on multiple floors, as well as for creating drawbridges and pitfall traps.

Lights
Last but not least, lighting. I left this til last because I think this is already on the cards, most of the lights seem to have animations for "off" states in the game files. They're just not accessible yet.
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Anyone got any ore practical ideas to make the wiring system engaging, and allow the creation of complex, automated bases?

EDIT - Other people's good suggestions!

Teleporters
The wire format gives an excellent way of linking teleporters together and is a simpler and more robust (if less flashy) way of linking different parts of a base together than elevators.

Gun turrets
While I originally envisioned fixed position turrets as a trap, like minecraft's dispensers. Proper turrets that can aim themselves, and be switched on and off would make for an good, controlled base defence for protecting your NPC's from intruding mobs. Bonus points if they came with an animation to pop out of the walls and ceiling when activated

Temperature/Light/Pressure sensors
Would provide a variety of easily implementable, special purpose input sources, such as telling when the temperature has dropped/cold weather conditions are out, when something has fallen onto the sensor panel, or determining if it's night or day.

Memory
Admittedly I'm not too sure how this should be implemented, or it's uses but I do know the creation of memory buffers were critical in some incredible minecraft projects. Having an actual in-game component that served the role instead of banking up vast amounts of smaller components would no doubt spare a lot of headaches.​

 

Id like to see pretty much all of this, and the wire tool from what ive seen looks like its far more intuitive than terrarias.

 

How many horizontal doors are there? I can only think of one.

And you can make all the logic gates with doors, plus apparently you can mod premade gates in too.

http://community.playstarbound.com/index.php?threads/53013/

 

That's good to hear. I did suspect in theory that you should be able to jury rig most forms of logic gate using doors as NOT gates, in same way you can build them in minecraft using redstone torches. Honestly I only know of one trapdoor too (the glitch stone hidden door), I was just hedging my bets there may be others I've yet to see

 

I'm pretty sure we won't need to use the door methods for long for logic gates. They're already in the data but just not accessible to normal players.

The wiki shows which ones are in:

http://starbounder.org/Wiring

and this is the mod to use the ones in the data:

http://community.playstarbound.com/...e-crafting-of-logic-gates.42223/#post-1434831

EDIT: Linked too soon... this one is supposedly better:
http://community.playstarbound.com/...-wiring-and-logic-blocks-before-tier-3.44886/

 

Oh that's awesome - logic gates are already in, sort've

 

I made a couple of suggestions on how to expand on the wire tool in a previous thread I made, but I'll sum it up here:

Imagine if all mechanical devices required power. So instead of just having the master and slave outputs for the wiretool, you'd have a third output for power or energy.

Power generators (to provide power for lights, doors, etc) that consume its own fuel source (coal?)
Irrigation system for farming in environments that normally wouldn't allow it, including sprinklers and thermal generators (no such system exists atm as far as I know though)
Fridges/freezers for storing food would be nice if the game had perishable food supplies (modded or otherwise)

Oh and I just thought of a new one... how about some glitch castle gate bridges? That'd be pretty amazing, haha!

 

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id like those ... i want to fill up rooms with that poison water if i pull something

 

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I remember Bart once said that elevators might not become a thing in the near future, unless someone on the dev team finds a way to make an elevator system capable of running on a server without causing major lag or other similar issues.

Even so, I'd love to see them. We can hope!

 

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All of this +1.

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Perhaps having elevators serve more as teleporters. Pair them with wiring, or some other method so that you can go from A to B without needing an actual elevator animation. Bonus points for being able to link several together A-B-C-D even if you can only move one at a time.

 

don't know if it's possible but... what if we could craft an "input/output block" (basically the red and the purple circlets) that stick to objects?

That could give us the possibility to start working on complex electric schemes in the most sandboxish way possible.
If i want to lit a torch i just add the input mark and link it to the switch, and if want the torch to activate something else when lit i can add an output.

Assuming the possibility of multiple connection on the same input/output that will help tremendously in creating logic gates, complex traps, combination locks etc. provided the right amount of tools (lever, pistons, switches, actuators, thermometer, pressure plates, pumps, fans, and whatever else come to your mind) we will be able to craft almost everything and even something more

 

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Instead of elevators, why not teleporters??? Could not be too hard and would cause little lag. For practicality the wiring could be placed on the wall

 

Multiple connections are already in game, all the logic gates have been created with doors, and I've made a combination lock

I just wish we had more inputs and outputs. Inputs like laser trip wire and pressure pads. Outputs like lights, gun turrets, teleported, moving objects, etc.

 

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I thought the traps did not damage NPCs? I know Saw Blades, Barbed Wire and Airship Rotors don't. I have not tested Tesla Spikes, but I assume they don't harm NPCs as well.

 

They don't. But, that's a thing people have already raised and I expect we'll see addressed at some stage.

That is a very good way of linking areas together. Good thinking +1

 

Airlock doors opening alternatingly.

Like in this image here...
http://community.playstarbound.com/...-ship-sandbox-ship.41890/page-15#post-1542401

 

Can already be done in vanilla. Wire the output of one door to the input of another door and they will assume opposite states (one opens when the other closes)

At any rate, this is what logic gates are used for rather than being a feature in of itself

 

Airlock doors opening alternating is the definition of a not gate via doors.

 

I like this idea and I like everyone coming with new ideas but please keep it in the right forum section.
I support this though, playing around with the wiring tool is great!

http://community.playstarbound.com/index.php?forums/suggestions/

 

you forgot the most important thing memory with the ability to write and read. i really dont think anyone would want to make more than 3 or 4 memory circuits by hand just to store a few simple commands to 'automate' a base.