Basically, when powered, it will pick up nearby items the same way the player character does. These items are stored in a chest-like interface that can be accessed by right-clicking the block. It'd have the storage space of a two-block chest despite being only one block in size. This is balanced by the fact that it requires power, which will mean it needs at least one other space, occupied by a redstone torch.
This just seems like a totally natural addition to me. It'd allow completely automated monster / item farming, so you don't have to sit around and babysit them. The only issue is that when you get outside of a certain radius the physics engine stops doing its thing for those chunks.. and obviously mobs only spawn within a certain range from the player. But at the very least it'd let farms be automated when you're sorta in their general area.
Well if you really don't want to put any effort into anything you can just invedit anyway, so I don't see why somebody who goes to the trouble of constructing a monster farm shouldn't be rewarded with not having to stand there at a collection point all day. (Just encourages AFK'ing, anyway.)
By the way, anybody who wants this, something very similar has already been done as a mod. I feel kinda derp for missing this, I searched the forums for a bit before posting, too!
Basically, when powered, it will pick up nearby items the same way the player character does. These items are stored in a chest-like interface that can be accessed by right-clicking the block. It'd have the storage space of a two-block chest despite being only one block in size. This is balanced by the fact that it requires power, which will mean it needs at least one other space, occupied by a redstone torch.
This just seems like a totally natural addition to me. It'd allow completely automated monster / item farming, so you don't have to sit around and babysit them. The only issue is that when you get outside of a certain radius the physics engine stops doing its thing for those chunks.. and obviously mobs only spawn within a certain range from the player. But at the very least it'd let farms be automated when you're sorta in their general area.
What do you guys think?
By the way, anybody who wants this, something very similar has already been done as a mod. I feel kinda derp for missing this, I searched the forums for a bit before posting, too!
It's called "The Allocator".
viewtopic.php?f=1032&t=216890
Edit: On that note, I am changing my proposal from "please make a Collector" to "please officially include the Allocator mod".