Suggestions

[Aerotactics]

As I mentioned in Discord, I didnt want to make an official suggestion if it wasn't innovative, and also if it skews too far from vanilla.

1. Sending a signal into a block with the "dot" segment should pass the signal to any other dot segments on the block (as long as its solid)
   I've had a situation where I wanted to pass signals through a block (like vanilla) but the dot segment it currently only outgoing into the attached block. I think it would be nice to carry over the power if there is another dot connected to the block, or maybe an alternate dot segment for incoming and outgoing signals

2. Copper Wire: has the same placement properties as redstone wire, except it cannot be branched. Signal level doesnt detiorate but remains constant.
   I've had a situation where I want to carry a signal level as a response to another signal, but vanilla signals deteriorate. This one would remain constant over a long distance, which I can see being very useful.

3) A button relay, and lever relay: signal passes through this relay only if the button pressed or the lever is switched
Similar to real electronics, a switch or button closes a circuit (the signal level would be maintained/degrade as normal), but in minecraft, they are merely an infinite input source. I'm not sure the exact use case for them, but maybe you want to manually control whether a line can recieve signal. This can be achieved with an RLC, but a compact version could be made.

4. Suggestion by whale on the Discord
   Hold right-click to draw continuously
   This makes the pen more of a paint tool, allowing the user to place redstone lines more quickly. This places redstone lines if they are not placed, but not the "dot"s. Right-clicking the segments would still work as normal for toggling individual segments, but holding right click will instead turn line segments on if they are off.

If I have more before you respond, I'll add an adendum

[stfwi]

Hey ho, just read through, have to admit I'm having trouble with some aspects.

• [1] The dot-connector behaviour was an early design decision (made some experiments with my friends initially where the wire actually connected through), and came to the idea that in various contraptions it is desirable to have a possibility to power a block from multiple sides without having feedback to the inputs again. A relay at the output side of the powered block (type depending if OR/NOR, etc is wanted) was the way to pass signals through. Not sure if that was the most intuitive decision ;) Trouble is now, changing it will/may break existing setups. People will not be amused.

• [2] Here I need to refer to @Commoble (More Red, https://github.com/Commoble/morered / https://www.curseforge.com/minecraft/mc-mods/more-red). He maintains the mod for a while, and it has among other really good features lossless wiring between connectors or gates (Immersive Engineering style). Another mod, currently not updated yet to 1.21 (but likely will) is Wired Redstone (kneelawk, https://github.com/Kneelawk/WiredRedstone, spin-off of RsWires). IIRC the cables used there have an internal signal of a byte instead of nybble - so 255 blocks reach without refreshing).

• [3] Redstone is often hidden behind walls, buttons and levers in front - so tracks or relays can pick up the input signals through the block. IIRC you already made a suggestion for a gated relay (like a normal electrical relay), this could be something missing in the mod.

• [4] Ya, the Pen usability has to be improved. I'm just not exactly sure how yet - from the game we only get an event (in form of a derived method call) when a block was clicked with the Pen item. It does not specify any mouse state change. This would have to be implemented independently (Client mouse tracking, sending request to server, server actions, feedback to client etc). Not trivial.

Oky, ty for the input so far, it helps having constructive feedback;

[Aerotactics]

Not a problem.

For (2), those mods are cool, but sway too far from vanilla IMO, and add stuff I won't use. I just want a lossless signal, which is possible by chaining RLC, but not cheap. Not a solid 15 signal, but a constant signal (If I send a signal of 4 at input, it is 4 at output, so that I can use that number for RLC logic in another controller)

For (4), I hear what you mean by event-based. What about a mode where you can click one position, then click another position, and the wire draws itself between those 2 positions? Would require pathfinding, which is also not trivial :p

[stfwi]

I invested some time today to improve (4). Mouse tracking was quickly experimented with, but mixins (used) are not really a maintainable thing. So, circumventing the initial issue by making the Pen more "vanillarish" was the approach:

• Right click: Place,
• Left-click: remove,
• Sneaking allows "extended" connections aka the centre bulk connectors.

Hope this makes the usability better - I personally had to adapt for 10min, but all in all it seems better now.

About the (2) lossless transmission: Let's give that some thoughts in the DC, I think this needs some further considerations about the how-to. I have currently no good solution in mind.

Shall we close this one and open another then (so that items to fix and fixed do not get mixed up)? Cheer's;;