placid stag
I've seen several requests for gadgets that would require some kind of custom electronics component (e.g., a tripwire alarm to alert you when someone/something enters your base). I think a better way to implement this with basically endless room for experimentation and customizability would be to make a single "universal" component that can have one of several programmable options applied to it. Once you apply any of these options, that component is fixed to that utility. You can't change an item after its function has been assigned, and you would need to destroy and rebuild it (like redoing a fence placement). That would keep things balanced.
The way I could see this working is imagine if you were able to craft a single item (let's call them "Switches" for short) but you could choose to assign one of several functions. Basic functions could include things like:
- Open/Close (for automated doors, windows, gates, etc.)
- Raise/Lower (for lifts, cranes, and so on)
- Sensor (for pressure plates or motion sensors)
And so on. What you really have is a two-part system. On the one hand, you have the sensor you could place on a static object like the ground (for a pressure plate) or a fence post (for a motion sensor) and then you also have functions that cause an object to move along either the X or Y axis.
Doing it this way would open up nearly limitless options and allow for some very in-depth engineering, especially when combined with other in-game systems and items in creative ways. Sure, it might be simpler in the short run to simply add a catch-all item like "door alarm," but it's not nearly as scalable and doesn't give players the kind of freedom something like this would.