[Addon v1.110/112] Beam Me Up! v0.2.1 (early alpha!)

All right, folks, I'm in need of some assistance in testing this thing, so I'm calling out to all of you. Before I start, though, this very very important note:

Keep backups (of your world)!

While writing the mod, I've had several chunks reset because the teleport mechanic wasn't working properly yet, and I make no guarantees it won't happen again, or even leave your world impossible to get into. If it happens to you, I'll want the error report, but there won't likely be anything I can do to help, and MCEdit doesn't speak 4096 block IDs. With that said, we've had several people trying to make it crash for about a week now, and haven't had any problems, so it might be safe.

What is this thing?

Star Trek-like teleporters: give them target coordinates, and they can theoretically retrieve or transmit to that destination. There are more details, and so if you feel like a bunch of reading (and learning what's supposed to be in the mod at the time of the proper release), head over to the feedback request thread I made for it earlier.

What's new in this build, Narc?

• Still no recipes, you still need to be in creative mode (Decorations tab) and/or have NEI to get the blocks (they are called Transporter, Interdictor and Beacon).
• Still no GUIs, so you must use ComputerCraft to do anything. Still.
• Interdictors affect a transporter's signal, as do beacons (though beacons are permanently locked on frequency 1337)! Interdictors also consume the appropriate energy, though beacons don't.
• Transporters do not consume energy yet, though they have storage for up to 10,000,000 EUs.
• A config default has changed: signal { lock.variance } now defaults to 0.05 instead of 0.2 -- the higher value was far too noisy in early testing. Delete your config to have it regenerate with the new defaults.
• Transporters require you to have a lock before they will transmit or retrieve! Once the process has started, though, the lock can drop without ill effects.
• Speaking of ill effects, there are none for having a low-quality lock (not yet, anyway). Be aware that this will likely be the next thing on the menu, along with the other missing bit: transporter interference.

The ComputerCraft API for the transporter now looks like this:

• getEnergyLevel() -- returns the number of EUs stored in the block (you can also right-click the block to get the same information).
• getTargetCoordinates() and setTargetCoordinates(x, y, z) -- guess what these do?
• getFrequency() and setFrequency(freq) -- again, guess what? The frequency a transporter operates on determines what interdictors it can bypass, and what beacons it can use. Remember beacons are currently locked on frequency 1337!
• hasLock() and getLockStrength() -- pretty self-explanatory
• acquireLock() and releaseLock() -- note that there is a cooldown after releasing a lock before a new lock can be acquired. Also note that if you lose a lock to having it under the "terrible" threshold for too long, the cooldown is greatly increased! Release your locks when you don't need them!
• retrieve() -- teleports blocks from the target coordinates to itself. Probably crashes if you forgot to setTargetCoordinates first.
• transmit() -- teleports blocks from itself to the target coordinates. Same note on crashing as above.

You will also want to know the interdictor CC API:

• getEnergyLevel() -- same as on the transporter, gives you an energy reading.
• getFrequency() and setFrequency(freq) -- just like on the transporter, only more so: the frequency set here will be exempt from being affected by the interdictor. Make sure your transporters and interdictors match frequencies!
• enable(), disable() and isEnabled() -- 'dictors don't respond to redstone yet, so you'll have to use this method if you want to disable them.
• rangesOn(x, y, z) -- purely a debugging helper, this allows you to ask the attached 'dictor if it can dampen at the given coordinates.

What needs testing

Signals! And interdicting signals! And boosting signals with beacons! Most importantly, tell me if you're happy with the range you're getting out of your teleporters now -- and remember, just because your < 50% strength teleports don't randomly shift the target coordinates now, it doesn't mean they won't do so in the future.

Does the teleport range need a boost? Remember that we plan for two transporters on the same frequency to boost each other and allow you to teleport to and from one another over something like double the range of your furthest current teleport.

Feedback?

I put up a feedback request thread a couple of days ago -- so far, the only real "complaint" has been the teleporter distance calculation (using Manhattan distance), and that's not one I'm going to budge on. If you have thoughts or inspiration while playing around with this, please let me know here or there.

Speaking of feedback, feel free to look at config/BeamMeUp.cfg and tell me if there's a tweak in there that isn't explained well enough or if there isn't a tweak in there that should be. I considered putting machine EU storage and max current allowed in there, but I'm not sure it's necessary -- you guys let me know if you think it should be.

Downloads

• BeamMeUp 0.2.1 (universal) for Minecraft 1.4.6, IC² 1.112.170, and ComputerCraft 1.48.
• BeamMeUp 0.1.3836e29 (universal) for Minecraft 1.4.5, IC² 1.110, and ComputerCraft 1.47.

Version History (reverse chronological order)

• v0.2.1 -- makes BeamMeUp not crash if it tries to start up on a server.
• v0.2 -- straight update to Minecraft 1.4.6.
• v0.1.3836e29 -- makes interdictors capable of interdicting, beacons capable of beaconing, and transporters care about signal strength.
• v0.1.a7f0de98 -- makes transporters that can move blocks. Any blocks, including chests, energy storage blocks, whatever. And they keep their inventory.

License notes
The mod itself is under the Minecraft Mod Public License, source is available at its Github project page or in the zip file.
The sounds are released under Creative Commons-Attribution by Keith W. Blackwell.
The textures are also under Creative Commons-Attribution, and are made by The_Paragon.

Quote from Epic Lulz

Wow! Sounds pretty neat. I'll dl it later and try it out.

Great, let me know if you manage to make it crash!

Quote from Sami06041991

one problem there more people that do not use computer craft like my so i would like to test it but waiting for a updated when you will have gui and energy storage up and running

It'll be a while until I have those, but yeah, that's the plan. Right now the most important thing is to get the parts that Minecraft doesn't do for me working.

Quote from CrafterOfMines57

I'm totally using this in a world I care about!

Woo, carelessness! I hope you have backups.

Quote from CrafterOfMines57

Narc, I'm pretty certain you crash if you don't have ComputerCraft installed with this mod, or at least I did 3 separate times until I installed it.

I wouldn't be surprised. This alpha version is useless without it, so I didn't do anything to relax the restrictions. Some time before the final version it'll work independently.

Quote from CrafterOfMines57

I think your transport beacons may have been slightly messed up

No... that's pretty much how they look at the moment. They have no implemented behaviour yet and I didn't take the time to size them, either.

Quote from Mike2321

so this mod sorta acts like [Asgard] beaming technology from the stargate tv show? being it can teleport items from set cords to another set of cords.

Sure, if that's your exposure to the trope in question. My immediate inspiration is actually Star Trek, but that's more because it's somewhat more fleshed out (Asgard teleporters are just "sufficiently advanced technology", in terms of how much we know about them).

Quote from Mike2321

might i recommend in a future update that you include a remote that can be used to target your self.[...]

That's in the plan, yes. Not exactly as you mention it here (the signal mechanics are going to do most of the heavy lifting), but there will be a remote.

Quote from DZCreeper

I personally think that remote functions should require 10000 EU in adjacent storage devices, per block away that you need teleporting from. So 1 batbox allows range of 4 blocks, MFE would be 60, and MFSU would be 1000 blocks. and with up to 4 adjacent MFSU's, you could have a max range of 4k blocks, assuming your power generation could keep up.[...]

It's easier if the transporter doesn't particularly care if it's teleporting to or from remote coordinates, and by my calculations its 10,000,000 EU internal storage should be good for several long-range transports. The signal mechanic is going to do more to limit range than energy consumption.

Quote from Mike2321

now why limit how many energy storage units that can be connected to it? the current ic2 teleporter will draw power from all linked mfsu's for a teleport if they have it.

You know, I didn't think of that. That would be a good reason to make the transporters work like IC2 teleporters (draining adjacent MFSUs) rather than as a storage block in and of itself. Either way, I agree -- power is not the limitation, signal is.

Keep up the brainstorming, guys -- if I see a mechanic change that sounds better than what I've got planned at the moment, I'll take it.

Quote from Mike2321

i was thinking about the signal for a way to increase the range would to have some sort of craft-able booster block that would link with any teleporter.[...]

A signal booster is planned, and I encourage you to look at the feedback request thread (also linked in the OP) for how it's intended to work -- it's not an antenna, and it's more limited than your suggestion, but it balances quite well, in my opinion.

In other news, The_Paragon has been kind enough to donate some beautiful textures to the project, so as soon as the locking/signal mechanics are in, expect a new alpha test version to play with (likely still requiring ComputerCraft, for now).