Make filters multi-select

[Misca]

I would love to be able to filter multiple elements using the same filter.  Any chance of making the element list multi-select?

 

Thanks,

Misca

[SharraShimada]

In theory this is possible. The storage bins can do that from beginning. But i think it would be a heavy impact on performance if they do so.

If there is a filter for 1 item, the system checks if this one is present and triggers. If not, move along. If you deine 20 filters  its going through that list every time over and over and over. This could cause all kinds of problems when it comes to timing. For example there is conveyor rail, and a packet comes along, hitting the filter. As long as there is enough computing power, the filter would go through the giving filter list, and everything is fine. But when the game is already struggling with computing-time, the filter may miss, block or filter wrong elements out, because the list is too big and the engine cant keep up.

[yoakenashi]

1 hour ago, SharraShimada said:

This could cause all kinds of problems when it comes to timing.

I do not disagree, but what if this was built in as a trade off? With one element the filter flows at normal 1 packet/1 second, but with each additional element the filter requires an addition 0.2 second. For example, select 5 elements and your throughput is now halved (1 packet / 2 seconds). Or even more severe, each additional element increase the time by 1 second.

If you set up multiple filters in series and only applied power to one at a time, you’d have this decrease in throughput as a trade off for not using more than 120 W. It’s all about trade offs, which can hide the added computational power required.

[SharraShimada]

I know what you mean, but imagine they do what asked. Then players would just make the monster-spaghetti, one filter does everything layouts, and then they complain about poor performance. That result in "Oni is a bad game, and the Devs are morons". Thats not a trade off, because people wont understand whats going on, and just blame the game for it. 

[yoakenashi]

40 minutes ago, SharraShimada said:

monster-spaghetti

You mean like this?

I'm what they call a chaotic good

[Misca]

I don't buy the performance hit argument.  As a programmer myself, I cannot believe there is a measurable difference in modern compute resources between a multi select list and a single select list.  To further the argument, how can anyone believe that 2 filters each filtering 1 element could be less CPU intensive that 1 filter filtering 2 elements?  I don't even care about the power consumed (as in wattage in game), increase it for multiple elements if you want.  My concern is the amount of space consumed by stacking a bunch of filters and the logistics of pipe/conveyor routing.

And even if there were a performance impact, is that the deciding factor behind developing a game?   I am running ONI on a Gen 3 i7 computer I build almost 8 years ago and am not experiencing any performance issues whatsoever.  I can't believe that any modern computer has any problems.

If Klei had concerns about performance, I am sure they would have performance altering options in the settings.  Like reduced animations, or decreased refresh rate, etc...  

[SharraShimada]

We dont talk about a filter with 2 settings, we are talking about a filter with multi settings. And you know, when you give players something, they most certainly will use them to the excess. So they will build filters with 10, 20, even more settings at once and wonder why its bad for performance. 

While they cant do this, they will think about what they do, and because it would clutter too much space to make a multi-filter setup, they come up with other ways to do things. 

Sure, its still possible, KLEI has just forgotten to add this. But i dont think so. They are reading the forums, they know about the wishes. And if possible, they deliver. There must be a reason, they did not on this. 

As for your thinking about performance in general: They do have an option for low res graphics. The rest you mentioned is just graphics. It does not concern the CPU in a way, that would matter for performance in this game.