Important Be careful with calling programmable blocks from your mods!

Some of you might have seen a problem where programmable blocks start firing instruction overflow exceptions. Investigations have shown that this is caused by mods calling the programmable block from other threads.

The programmable block is not, and cannot be, thread safe. Even just getting the programmable block's object builder from another thread will invoke PB code (Save, to be exact), which might mess up the instruction counter.

Programmable blocks should only be called from the main thread.

 

N2K

 

With that being said that gives Keen another reason to get rid of the block.

 

Not really, no - because the problem isn't the PB, it's the mod code.

 

Most likely Keen won't remove it because it's got so many uses in game, if Keen does remove it, I'm sure someone will recreate it.

 

Well they have moved it to experimental so just anxious that they will remove it.

 

The only way to recreate a PB would be as a plugin, it can't be modded in. It would reduce its use significantly as only a few people would be willing to take the risk of installing a plugin.

 

I agree with that last bit. Plugins are dangerous, and should be frowned upon. Keen needs to make Plugins not required for modding the game. Apparently every mod I want to make, will require a plugin. :/ I think.
I very much doubt Keen would remove the Programming Block though, mass riots would happen, the streets would be flooded with pitch forks and protest signs saying "Bring back Programming Blocks!".
I notice this is an old thread, but its also sticky so it doesn't hurt replying as it won't get bumped anywhere.

 

Plugins aren't required to make mods. There's hardly any plugins at all, out there, really. Doesn't change your point though; while some things should definitely stay prohibited, they've locked down a bit too much of their own game. Or; more correctly, haven't opened up.

 

Would you care to say what additional things in particular you think should be more accessible for modding?

 

@Roxette Pretty much the entire game save for things that can damage the player's computer... I don't see any reason for restricting anything in mods for other reasons than that. I see modders tearing their hair out all the time because some random element of the game is prohibited.

I do get why though. It's a whitelist so everything needs to be actively allowed. It's the safest way to do this. Better to err on the side of caution. This means that someone needs to go through the game and vet and whitelist every single aspect of it. That's a lot of work, and as the game changes, so does the whitelist.

But still.

 

Add to that the occasional notion that the game is almost finished, which leads to a flood of mods, followed by an update that kills most of them.

Or at least it seems that way.

Would be nice if they could get all this sorted out.