[1.6]Long Range Modems (Towers)

Long range rednet been suggested far off in the past however it was never really implemented and I feel a discussion is necessary with the implementation of LAN cables. In order for computers to establish wireless contact with a computer a long distance away, it must pass through other computers making things ever so complicated; however with the addition of long range modems, or to put it simply, towers, one can perform this task with minimal effort.

Imagine a new block, 2x3.5x2, in the shape of a tower. Connect this block to a computer, and you instantly have a modem capable of sending or receiving a string from about 750 blocks away (depending on the towers height). It would be incredibly simple to implement as you could reuse nearly all of the code from the modems.

Towers would inspire tons of new programs, bringing servers the ability to create datacenters, home computers, servers, and much more which would inevitably lead to the world wide web.

I'll get this out of the way for Cloudy real quick: Nah.

Just write a rednet repeater program and station computers at skylimit a good distance apart. A GPS cluster of four with a central computer for rednet repeating, set in groups on a grid with nodes 372 meters center to center provides both full GPS and full rednet repeating coverage. No need for a new block when rednet networking is pretty easy to set up.

Alternatively, bump up the rednet range in your configuration.

Lyqyd, on 01 April 2013 - 08:35 PM said:

I'll get this out of the way for Cloudy real quick: Nah.

Just write a rednet repeater program and station computers at skylimit a good distance apart. A GPS cluster of four with a central computer for rednet repeating, set in groups on a grid with nodes 372 meters center to center provides both full GPS and full rednet repeating coverage. No need for a new block when rednet networking is pretty easy to set up.

Alternatively, bump up the rednet range in your configuration.

If he's too busy that's fine but it's still a useful block and no reason it shouldn't be in the game.

The reason it shouldn't be in the game is because you can easily make a repeater right now.

Having said that, I think dan may have plans somewhere about this area, but unsure.