Please make the new Event Controllers a 50cm³ block

It's locked in a won't let me edit it now...oh well

Speaking of PLCs, maybe we should just ask for an actual PLC block. 😄 Then we could use antennas for wireless communication between stations and build proper automation systems. Even the thought of it is exciting.

Or make use of datapads. Automation rules created with the Event Controller (EC) could be stored on a datapad as text (code) and later loaded back into another EC. This alone would already provide a great way to save, copy, and share automations.

You could also go much further with code than with a purely graphical interface. Advanced players might find it easier to edit the code directly, while regular players could continue using the EC's UI to create automations and simply use datapads to transfer rules between controllers. In other words, the EC could become the new Programmable Block: you either use a friendly UI for simple tasks or edit the datapad's code for more advanced automation. You could even start with the UI to automatically generate all the required block references and then continue editing the code manually.

It would also be nice to have a simple built-in code editor with syntax highlighting and error checking. Instead of using a real programming language like C#, it could use a game-specific automation scripting language. Yes, it would be more limited, but intentionally so. That way it could safely be allowed on vanilla servers, since players wouldn't be able to execute anything harmful.

At the same time, it would fit perfectly with the nature of the game, where complex automation often involves dedicated control rooms filled with multiple Event Controllers. In my opinion, this would offer the best of both worlds: the flexibility and convenience of coding, while remaining limited enough to become a gameplay mechanic rather than a programming exercise. Players would be challenged to invent clever automation systems instead of simply writing a few lines of general-purpose code.

Personally, I'd rather play a game than do regular programming. Such a system would also be far more accessible to non-programmers while still teaching many of the fundamental concepts of software engineering.

One additional component that would make this automation system truly powerful would be a simple data storage block capable of holding a single value. One automation rule could write a value into the storage block, while another could read it and use it anywhere in its logic. This would allow multiple automation rules to share a common state, making complex systems much easier to design while also enabling entirely new automation possibilities.

Oooo, like a Datapad = USB thumb drive

I like the idea with the datapad. But please with a "save to local drive" and a "load from local drive" function. That way I could store my codes offline and re-import them in a different game.