Blocks & Decoration WiFi Blocks (Wiring mechanic)

[CosmiKazie]

Block: WiFi Block (comes in red, green, blue, yellow)
Used for: Long distance wiring, when wiring far away would cost too much
Method of obtaining: Bought from the Mechanic for 12 gold
How it works:

The WiFi Block provides a wireless signal for up to 750 ft. You can switch between various channels (1-10 on all colors, that’s 40 channels in total) to prevent signal scrambling, and it works best with teleporters, statue farms, and traps.

Once you place one, you can place another at 750 ft to amplify the signal again, and again, and again until you have reached your goal. Can be connected to more wire for more signal output. Colors not limited to specific types of wire.

 

[Teh Manticore]

A programmatically simpler alternative might be toggling the wifi block to "shoot" the signal in any of four directions in a straight line like an invisible dart. The shot is coloured with the wire or wifi shot that triggered it, and if it hits another wifi block along that x or y axis, it triggers to shoot and activate any attached wires of the same colour. The wifi projectiles pierce through all surfaces but maybe some kinds of blocks can be set that can block signals so as to set up new kinds of wire circuitry.
Obviously it's different to a dart and plate trigger in that it won't hurt anyone in the line of flight, won't be blocked by creatures, passes through buildings, and is nearly instantaneous.
The only thing not so simple about it is toggling the block to shoot in any combination of four directions or none at all (a receiver-only block). The easiest way might be:
- Using a wifi block on an empty space places a wifi block with 0 transmitting antennas (a receiver antenna only).
- Click with another wifi block on it adds 1 transmitting antenna to the nearest side (transmitting antennas are the signal shooters from the block along their axis).
- Click again and adds another antenna neighbouring the first (a right-angle transmitter).
- Click again and it moves that second antenna to the opposite side of the first (a left-right transmitter, or up-down transmitter) without using up a wifi block.
- Click again and it adds a third antenna for a three-way transmitter, and again makes it a four-way transmitter.
- Click again to remove all antennas (back to a receiver and refund 4 wifi blocks) or pick axe it to remove them all (1 wifi block plus 1 for each antenna).
- Hammer the block to rotate the one-, two- and three-way antennas as needed.

There's a processor saving in that it doesn't require wifi blocks to search and find wifi blocks within their radius (750ft!). The signal is directed in a straight line which is as good as a wire. It's also extra sweet in that you could run two wifi networks of the same colour adjacent to each other by having the wifi blocks positioned one block diagonal away from each other so that their wires don't touch but their signals can shoot in the same direction adjacent to each other. That's not really better than a radius wifi system but it would still be loved by many Terrarian mechanics
It's also tempting to suggest that a multi-colour wifi block would trigger all colours when receiving any wired or wifi signal, but that's probably better allowed for a separately purchasable signal-joining wifi block type.