[Suggestion] Revamping the water mill

What about remaking the water mill, so it both feels more like a real water mill and so it's a little more effective? Right now it's really weak, even for it's price - and it doesn't encourage building it into a water mill-like building nor a water power plant.

Right now, they're decently effective when getting water buckets inserted into them, encouraging builds like this (with tekkit): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2gijrRxKkw&feature=fvwrel
This isn't really the issue, I think that use is fine, it's the unmanned mechanics I don't really like.

They're very ineffective, but can work, when sunk completely into water, encouraging simply putting them in a lake - which doesn't feel like a water mill at all. If someone doesn't know, they work by counting all blocks of running water and water sources in a 3x3x3 square centered on the mill - meaning you want to have just the mill and a cable and the rest being water. It gives .01 EU per water block, maxing out at .25 EU with cable (or .26 if using a battery). Even with the two-for-one price of them that's really, really weak when they have to be spaced so far from each other.

Picture for reference below. Right now, the right side is a water mill in full effect (producing a total of 1 EU/t) while the left side is a very inefficient water mill (total of 0.44 EU/t).

So, current mechanic is:
1. Count all blocks in a 3x3x3 square.
2. For each of those that are running water or a water source, X is +1.
3. X * 0.01 = EU created.

I propose the following change:
1. Count all blocks in a 3x3x3 square.
2. For each of those that are running water (NO water source), X is +1.
3. The least of X * 0.03 or .3 = EU created.

Basically, this means only running water counts, and it only matters up to 10 blocks.

With that calculation, the left power plant works at full strength and give 1.2 EU/t, while the right one is pretty ineffective (actually non-functioning as the water is still, but could be made to work decently if you really want that look by removing the bottom layers of water sources).

What do people think? Is it something for the official mod, something for an addon, or something that's just up the walls crazy?

What do you people think?

Quote from GregoriusT

So it just counts every Waterblock with a Metadatavalue of 1 or more (Making downwardsflowing/still Water ineffective), to ensure that you just use flowing water, and then triple the amount of EU from it.

This means that the most efficient one can use 18 Waterblocks max (9 flowing over it and 9 flowing under it), making a row of Tinwireconnected Watermills possible without losing efficiency.

Generally a good Idea.

My idea included a maximum efficiency of 0.3 EU/t for each mill, so your top efficiency comes at 10 running waterblocks - providing some flexibility in building style. I think either that or diminishing returns should be applied - I generally like when it's not terrible to build with style in mind too, not only efficiency, and would like a little flexibility with only minor (or no) efficiency penalty. A single "correct way" is boring in my mind. Windmills allow for this since the difference between 100 and 110 height, or between no obstruction and 5 blocks of obstruction is fairly minor, but water mills pick from such a small area that any suboptimal build will be VERY underperforming compared to the optimal.

I've _personally_ never felt any relevant liquid lag, but you might be right it would affect those with older computers (or is it network lag that is caused by liquids?).

Is it a major increase in lag? Otherwise it could simply be a chosen setting if you want it or not - from what I've understood the coding of it would be simple, it's just that I don't know java (though I could learn) and that I can't seem to install JDK without my computer frakkin up.

Quote from Alec White

Then if I want a tidal generator?

Well that would be hard, wouldn't it, seeing as how there's no tide in Minecraft? xD