294 posts
Posted 11 November 2012 - 06:58 AM
First, I know I have posted this in another thread, but i thought it deserves its own.
Anyway, currently only way to transfer rednet through large distance is with a bunch of computers serving as a repeaters. But problem is that those computers need chunks to be loaded for them to work. Solution is simple, just put down some chunk loaders. But while this is fine on singleplayer or small servers, but it can be heavy burden for big servers.
Imagine server with 100 players, all spread around the map. Then everybody wants to have rednet link to their distant bases, other player etc. You would need huge network with a lot of chunkloaders that would put heavy burden on server's RAM and CPU usage. And its pointless. Why would you need to keep whole chunk loaded just to let one signal through?
That's why it would be cool to have Rednet Repeaters.
They would function similarly to current Computer repeaters, except that they would also work when chunk is unloaded. I don't think this is very hard to implement. CC would just need to keep list of repeaters. Each time player places/breaks repeater, it would add/remove location from its list.
Rednet signal would work that way then:
1. When you send message, computer would check if message reached destination. If it didn't (or you broadcast), it would search if there are any repeaters nearby and send message to all of them.
2. For each repeater, it would perform same check. If message reached its destination, it would stop. Otherwise, it would just broadcast to other nearby repeaters.
I think this is good alternative to computer repeaters and it's not OP. You still need to create your network by yourself, just more server resource friendly.
Poor drawing of a concept:
(Green = loaded area, Red = unloaded area, Dark blue = modems (attached to a computer or turtle), Light blue = repeaters)
Anyway, currently only way to transfer rednet through large distance is with a bunch of computers serving as a repeaters. But problem is that those computers need chunks to be loaded for them to work. Solution is simple, just put down some chunk loaders. But while this is fine on singleplayer or small servers, but it can be heavy burden for big servers.
Imagine server with 100 players, all spread around the map. Then everybody wants to have rednet link to their distant bases, other player etc. You would need huge network with a lot of chunkloaders that would put heavy burden on server's RAM and CPU usage. And its pointless. Why would you need to keep whole chunk loaded just to let one signal through?
That's why it would be cool to have Rednet Repeaters.
They would function similarly to current Computer repeaters, except that they would also work when chunk is unloaded. I don't think this is very hard to implement. CC would just need to keep list of repeaters. Each time player places/breaks repeater, it would add/remove location from its list.
Rednet signal would work that way then:
1. When you send message, computer would check if message reached destination. If it didn't (or you broadcast), it would search if there are any repeaters nearby and send message to all of them.
2. For each repeater, it would perform same check. If message reached its destination, it would stop. Otherwise, it would just broadcast to other nearby repeaters.
I think this is good alternative to computer repeaters and it's not OP. You still need to create your network by yourself, just more server resource friendly.
Poor drawing of a concept:
(Green = loaded area, Red = unloaded area, Dark blue = modems (attached to a computer or turtle), Light blue = repeaters)
