Feedback on Recent Changes to MechComp

[MarkNstein]

At first I thought this broke my button panel teleport system.

Button panel -> Teleporter: Set-ID
Button panel -> Relay: send
Relay -> Teleporter: activate 
Relay -> Delay: delay (set to 10 deciseconds)
Delay -> Change ID of teleporter back to original ID

But it turns out I don't even know if this change does because I can not get a button panel or a delay to change the ID of a teleporter.

I changed your notation slightly. Note that the button panel doesn't care which button you pressed, the signal is fired to every outgoing device regardless. Devices (with the exception of the DispatchComponent) only have a single output channel. However, they can have multiple input channels, much like the Telecomp Set_ID & Activate channels, which I've labeled after colons.

So with the setup as written, pressing any button *COULD* quickly set the ID and cause a teleport. However this all relies on race conditions of how Byond handles the "Spawn queue". That is to say, it could try sending before the ID is set, despite the relay in between. Also pressing the Activate button would set the teleporter ID to Activate.

Your options are many, but what I'd recommend:
Leverage the Wifisplit device, and have each button output a "packet-formatted" message. Any ID button sends "ID=Custom_ID_Here" and activate can be "Act=1"
Then, set Wifisplit1 to trigger on "ID", and wifisplit2 to trigger on "Act"
Make sure the delay component is set to REPLACE (Toggle Signal Changing) any signals with the teleporter's receive-ID.

Button panel -> Wifisplit1: split
Button panel -> wifisplit2: split
Wifisplit1-> Teleporter: set_id
wifisplit2 -> Teleporter: send
wifisplit2 -> Delay: delay
Delay -> Teleporter: set_id

Devices must now be within a range of 14 of each other to be connected. Fixes an exploit of connecting devices far far away.

Does this mean no more inescapable listening post teletraps? Fuck yes.

No, I don't think this applies to teleport components. Those just connect via having the same ID.
This applies to mechcomp connections you make via dragging with a multitool in hand.

Correct. Teleporters still have infinite range within their Z-level, and cannot teleport outside of their Z level...
Notably, in underwater maps, telecomps can connect the trench and station level. (I did not add or change this functionality, it was already there)