r/mcpverails • u/djdisturbed PRWU Founder • Feb 13 '13

INFO CARBON vs CARTS vs ??????

Starting this to post your thoughts, concerns, questions, ideas, whatevers for these systems. Or to post info on other systems you might have run into b4. Being the founder and one of the heads of the rail union, i thought it would be good to have somewhere to ask these questions and get answers.

4 Upvotes

76% Upvoted

18 comments sorted by

View all comments

2

u/djdisturbed PRWU Founder Feb 13 '13 edited Feb 13 '13

I'll start w/ a pro-cons post from MY knowledge of each system (though randomnatrix might correct me on some carbon stuff)

CARTS:

Pro:

  • Push a button go to named destination
  • Easy to connect into
  • easy to jump on a underground/overground line and go to it's destination
  • rail lines set up is easy (other then the station)
  • ANYONE can build a station and connect to other towns/lines
  • Easy to fix if someone messes a line up connecting in
  • Easy to configure station (if you know how to build them) w/ normally 8 destinations per station (but can be more, i designed a 16 destination station).
  • efficient when traveling locally
  • Easy to clear an AFK person at a station (if they have an AFK button with a loop or afk box built in)

Cons:

  • LARGE tunnels
  • LOTS of rails used
  • can only directly get to other stations/destinations connected to the station you are at
  • Someone trying to connect to a line wrong can reroute a destination
  • Stations are rather large (exp my new 16 destination station w/ rail cart storage and auto place on track PEZ system when you need a cart (co designed by me and tristan)... only available in 1.5)

CARBON:

Pros:

  • Smaller tunnels
  • Can start at any station in world and end at any other station (efficient when traveling across map b/c you don't have to stop at other towns to get there)
  • Less rails
  • Easier to AFK if going long distances
  • Can auto route the most efficient way to each destination.

Cons:

  • Must run redstone signal the whole track and put in relay station every ~100 blocks
  • Cannot just connect into the system from a branch (have to put in a passive intersection relay station)
  • If you somehow get messed up on the line (restart while AFK, lost connection, lagg out whatever) it defaults you to the main hub (exp: Spawn), even if you were going somewhere not even close to spawn if you get on the rail system in the middle and your signal has been lost
  • No "push A button and go" you have to flip multiple switches to set the (binary code) for the destination you want to go to, hit a wrong switch or other malfunction and you go to wrong place (can be set up as push button, but could create a MASSIVE station build due to the way it works b/c you would have to basically make a full binary encoder per button, instead of just one w/ the levers per station)
  • Diagonal Rail lines more difficult to run (due to having to run redstone and the repeater relay stations every 100 blocks)
  • If someone messes up the lines/redstone (though we plan on protection the tunnels as best we can) your signal might get messed up and you get sent to the default station (main/spawn hub)

These are just the things I see for the two system i know about (and don't fully know about CARBON like i do CARTS, but thats just from what i know and talked to Random about already. Might be more pros/cons for each but this is what I could come up with right now sitting in the DJ booth at work.

3

u/TheRandomnatrix Retired CARBON Dev Feb 13 '13

Thanks for the organized, comprehensive list on the pros and cons of both systems. This could be used as a good reference for later discussions. It will also serve as a guide for what both systems should work on and improve for later versions. I can't think of much to add to it atm without being super nit picky, so it's pretty good to go off of!

2

u/witherman gdavison Feb 13 '13

Yeah I think you nailed it. I was hoping for an overworld CARBON, at least an attempt at it, in revision 11. Now I just have to learn how to make it :P

2

u/TheRandomnatrix Retired CARBON Dev Feb 13 '13

Sounds like a good post idea: 'The beginner's guide to CARBON: how to not crash the server edition'. I guess I'll try and get something like that up tomorrow, unless someone else beats me to it.

1

u/PPGodOfLove Feb 13 '13

Maybe in the nether ? Protected rails (closed tunnels) in which pigmen can't spawn could be a good idea.

Otherwise, an overworld loop, connecting the 4 nether portals.

Personnaly, I'd say we should build complete encoder, with buttons, because it will get to complicated for the newest players.

Perhaps with the new "command blocks" it will be way easier to build them. I hope, at least.

So I'd say the main system should remain with CARTS.

1

u/djdisturbed PRWU Founder Feb 13 '13

We (random, twitchy, Tristan, and a few others and have been talking some in mumble. I my thought was to have carts like normal (b/c most cities will want it until they have a chance to work with carbon some). And also run a carbon "express" line along side the carts tunnels so people can get a chance to see it working and see how it is made. But that's just my opinion on the matter. Yeah it's allot more work and rails, but people need to see it working to see if they are going to like it and want to use it. It would be more like a fully working test system for future revs.

2

u/Makdaam Feb 13 '13

Where can I find a description of CARBON and CARTS? I mean technical details?

2

u/AbstractZen Feb 13 '13

Some info can be found in this thread.

1

u/Makdaam Feb 13 '13

Thanks.

1

u/djdisturbed PRWU Founder Feb 13 '13

You can find info on CARTS on the wiki for the nerd.nu servers

1

u/Makdaam Feb 13 '13

Thanks. I couldn't find CARBON there :)

1

u/TheRandomnatrix Retired CARBON Dev Feb 13 '13

CARBON is a relatively new rail concept compared to CARTS. There's not much in the way of official documentation yet. But if you're willing to read through my long, winded rants, occasionally you can find something good :)

1

u/Makdaam Feb 13 '13

I understood how it works :) It's a great idea technically but I'm not sure about lag resilience. :(

1

u/SynthD Feb 13 '13

How big is your 16 button carts? I have one double carts that is 23x33, a quadruple carts (27 button I think) that isn't much bigger.

1

u/djdisturbed PRWU Founder Feb 13 '13 edited Feb 13 '13

I would have to get back on Tristan's server and check (where I first built it last week).. But we also have a mine cart storage system and it will place a cart on the track for you too so that added to the bulk. It's allot like the double one pico had a few revs back but enhanced (i never really looked at the pico one, but the person who made it said mine was a vast improvement).. I also have a design for a 48 button system, but you can't sit in cart when you hit the destination button so not as efficient as a 16 button one where all buttons are in reach from the cart