diff --git a/src/main/java/li/cil/oc/api/machine/Architecture.java b/src/main/java/li/cil/oc/api/machine/Architecture.java
index d60461c3b..a07b19067 100644
--- a/src/main/java/li/cil/oc/api/machine/Architecture.java
+++ b/src/main/java/li/cil/oc/api/machine/Architecture.java
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ public interface Architecture {
      *
      * @return whether the architecture was initialized successfully.
      */
-    boolean init();
+    boolean initialize();
 
     /**
      * Called when a machine stopped. Used to clean up any handles, memory and
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ public interface Architecture {
      * Called when the owning machine was connected to the component network.
      * <p/>
      * This can be useful for connecting custom file systems (read only memory)
-     * in case {@link #init()} was called from the machine's load logic (where
+     * in case {@link #initialize()} was called from the machine's load logic (where
      * it was not yet connected to the network).
      */
     void onConnect();
diff --git a/src/main/java/li/cil/oc/api/machine/Machine.java b/src/main/java/li/cil/oc/api/machine/Machine.java
index 23474b5dc..19c2cdc63 100644
--- a/src/main/java/li/cil/oc/api/machine/Machine.java
+++ b/src/main/java/li/cil/oc/api/machine/Machine.java
@@ -44,6 +44,19 @@ public interface Machine extends ManagedEnvironment, Context {
      */
     Map<String, String> components();
 
+    /**
+     * The number of connected components.
+     * <p/>
+     * This number can differ from <tt>components().size()</tt>, since this is
+     * the number of actually <em>connected</em> components, which is used to
+     * determine whether the component limit has been exceeded, for example. It
+     * takes into account components added but not processed, yet (see also
+     * {@link #components()}).
+     *
+     * @return the number of connected components.
+     */
+    int componentCount();
+
     /**
      * The address of the file system that holds the machine's file system for
      * temporary files (tmpfs). This may return <tt>null</tt> if either the
@@ -57,6 +70,19 @@ public interface Machine extends ManagedEnvironment, Context {
      */
     String tmpAddress();
 
+    /**
+     * A string with the last error message.
+     * <p/>
+     * The error string is set either when the machine crashes (see the
+     * {@link #crash(String)} method), or when it fails to start (which,
+     * technically, is also a crash).
+     * <p/>
+     * When the machine started, this is reset to <tt>null</tt>.
+     *
+     * @return the last error message, or <tt>null</tt>.
+     */
+    String lastError();
+
     /**
      * The current world time. This is updated each tick and provides a thread
      * safe way to access the world time for architectures.
diff --git a/src/main/java/li/cil/oc/common/tileentity/Case.scala b/src/main/java/li/cil/oc/common/tileentity/Case.scala
index da462b0bd..b4aefc650 100644
--- a/src/main/java/li/cil/oc/common/tileentity/Case.scala
+++ b/src/main/java/li/cil/oc/common/tileentity/Case.scala
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import cpw.mods.fml.relauncher.{SideOnly, Side}
 import li.cil.oc.Settings
 import li.cil.oc.api.driver
 import li.cil.oc.api.driver.Slot
+import li.cil.oc.api.network.Connector
 import li.cil.oc.server.driver.Registry
 import net.minecraft.entity.player.EntityPlayer
 import net.minecraft.item.ItemStack
@@ -16,7 +17,7 @@ class Case(var tier: Int, isRemote: Boolean) extends Computer(isRemote) {
   @SideOnly(Side.CLIENT)
   override protected def hasConnector(side: ForgeDirection) = side != facing
 
-  override protected def connector(side: ForgeDirection) = Option(if (side != facing && computer != null) computer.node else null)
+  override protected def connector(side: ForgeDirection) = Option(if (side != facing && computer != null) computer.node.asInstanceOf[Connector] else null)
 
   var maxComponents = 0
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/li/cil/oc/common/tileentity/Charger.scala b/src/main/java/li/cil/oc/common/tileentity/Charger.scala
index 271742154..913d0862e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/li/cil/oc/common/tileentity/Charger.scala
+++ b/src/main/java/li/cil/oc/common/tileentity/Charger.scala
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 package li.cil.oc.common.tileentity
 
 import cpw.mods.fml.relauncher.{SideOnly, Side}
-import li.cil.oc.api.network.{Analyzable, Node, Visibility}
+import li.cil.oc.api.network.{Connector, Analyzable, Node, Visibility}
 import li.cil.oc.server.{PacketSender => ServerPacketSender}
 import li.cil.oc.{Settings, api}
 import net.minecraft.entity.player.EntityPlayer
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ class Charger extends Environment with RedstoneAware with Analyzable {
 
       val charge = Settings.get.chargeRate * chargeSpeed
       robots.collect {
-        case Some(proxy) => node.changeBuffer(proxy.robot.computer.node.changeBuffer(charge + node.changeBuffer(-charge)))
+        case Some(proxy) => node.changeBuffer(proxy.robot.node.changeBuffer(charge + node.changeBuffer(-charge)))
       }
     }
     else if (chargeSpeed > 0 && world.getWorldInfo.getWorldTotalTime % 10 == 0) {
diff --git a/src/main/java/li/cil/oc/common/tileentity/Computer.scala b/src/main/java/li/cil/oc/common/tileentity/Computer.scala
index 51c89c07c..36499ee43 100644
--- a/src/main/java/li/cil/oc/common/tileentity/Computer.scala
+++ b/src/main/java/li/cil/oc/common/tileentity/Computer.scala
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ abstract class Computer(isRemote: Boolean) extends Environment with ComponentInv
 
   override def onAnalyze(player: EntityPlayer, side: Int, hitX: Float, hitY: Float, hitZ: Float) = {
     computer.lastError match {
-      case Some(value) =>
+      case value if value != null =>
         player.sendChatToPlayer(ChatMessageComponent.createFromTranslationWithSubstitutions(
           Settings.namespace + "gui.Analyzer.LastError", ChatMessageComponent.createFromTranslationKey(value)))
       case _ =>
diff --git a/src/main/java/li/cil/oc/common/tileentity/Rack.scala b/src/main/java/li/cil/oc/common/tileentity/Rack.scala
index 0f29aa9b8..381d643cb 100644
--- a/src/main/java/li/cil/oc/common/tileentity/Rack.scala
+++ b/src/main/java/li/cil/oc/common/tileentity/Rack.scala
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ class Rack extends Hub with PowerBalancer with Inventory with Rotatable with Bun
       if (slot >= 0 && slot <= 3 && servers(slot).isDefined) {
         val computer = servers(slot).get.machine
         computer.lastError match {
-          case Some(value) =>
+          case value if value != null =>
             player.sendChatToPlayer(ChatMessageComponent.createFromTranslationWithSubstitutions(
               Settings.namespace + "gui.Analyzer.LastError", ChatMessageComponent.createFromTranslationKey(value)))
           case _ =>
diff --git a/src/main/java/li/cil/oc/common/tileentity/Robot.scala b/src/main/java/li/cil/oc/common/tileentity/Robot.scala
index 9d62a25b8..ffdca6ba8 100644
--- a/src/main/java/li/cil/oc/common/tileentity/Robot.scala
+++ b/src/main/java/li/cil/oc/common/tileentity/Robot.scala
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ class Robot(isRemote: Boolean) extends Computer(isRemote) with ISidedInventory w
 
   // ----------------------------------------------------------------------- //
 
-  override def node = if (isClient) null else computer.node
+  override def node: ComponentConnector = if (isClient) null else computer.node.asInstanceOf[ComponentConnector]
 
   override val _buffer = new common.component.Buffer(this) {
     override def maxResolution = (48, 14)
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ class Robot(isRemote: Boolean) extends Computer(isRemote) with ISidedInventory w
     // pow(xp(level) - base, 1/exp) / const = level
     level = math.min((Math.pow(xp - Settings.get.baseXpToLevel, 1 / Settings.get.exponentialXpGrowth) / Settings.get.constantXpGrowth).toInt, 30)
     if (isServer) {
-      computer.node.setLocalBufferSize(Settings.get.bufferRobot + Settings.get.bufferPerLevel * level)
+      node.setLocalBufferSize(Settings.get.bufferRobot + Settings.get.bufferPerLevel * level)
     }
   }
 
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ class Robot(isRemote: Boolean) extends Computer(isRemote) with ISidedInventory w
     if (stack.hasTagCompound) {
       xp = stack.getTagCompound.getDouble(Settings.namespace + "xp")
       updateXpInfo()
-      computer.node.changeBuffer(stack.getTagCompound.getInteger(Settings.namespace + "storedEnergy"))
+      node.changeBuffer(stack.getTagCompound.getInteger(Settings.namespace + "storedEnergy"))
     }
   }
 
@@ -287,8 +287,8 @@ class Robot(isRemote: Boolean) extends Computer(isRemote) with ISidedInventory w
     super.updateEntity()
     if (isServer) {
       gpu.update()
-      globalBuffer = computer.node.globalBuffer
-      globalBufferSize = computer.node.globalBufferSize
+      globalBuffer = node.globalBuffer
+      globalBufferSize = node.globalBufferSize
       updatePowerInformation()
       if (xpChanged && world.getWorldInfo.getWorldTotalTime % 200 == 0) {
         xpChanged = false
@@ -418,8 +418,8 @@ class Robot(isRemote: Boolean) extends Computer(isRemote) with ISidedInventory w
   override def onMachineConnect(node: Node) {
     super.onConnect(node)
     if (node == this.node) {
-      computer.node.connect(buffer.node)
-      computer.node.connect(gpu.node)
+      node.connect(buffer.node)
+      node.connect(gpu.node)
       buffer.node.connect(keyboard.node)
       // There's a chance the server sends a robot tile entity to its clients
       // before the tile entity's first update was called, in which case the
@@ -438,7 +438,7 @@ class Robot(isRemote: Boolean) extends Computer(isRemote) with ISidedInventory w
     super.onDisconnect(node)
     if (node == this.node) {
       buffer.node.remove()
-      computer.node.remove()
+      node.remove()
       gpu.node.remove()
       keyboard.node.remove()
     }
diff --git a/src/main/java/li/cil/oc/server/PacketHandler.scala b/src/main/java/li/cil/oc/server/PacketHandler.scala
index 682a41889..88970e672 100644
--- a/src/main/java/li/cil/oc/server/PacketHandler.scala
+++ b/src/main/java/li/cil/oc/server/PacketHandler.scala
@@ -2,14 +2,14 @@ package li.cil.oc.server
 
 import cpw.mods.fml.common.network.Player
 import li.cil.oc.Settings
+import li.cil.oc.api.machine.Machine
 import li.cil.oc.common.PacketType
+import li.cil.oc.common.multipart.EventHandler
 import li.cil.oc.common.tileentity._
 import li.cil.oc.common.{PacketHandler => CommonPacketHandler}
-import li.cil.oc.server.component.machine.Machine
 import net.minecraft.entity.player.EntityPlayerMP
 import net.minecraft.util.ChatMessageComponent
 import net.minecraftforge.common.{ForgeDirection, DimensionManager}
-import li.cil.oc.common.multipart.{EventHandler, MultiPart}
 
 class PacketHandler extends CommonPacketHandler {
   override protected def world(player: Player, dimension: Int) =
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ class PacketHandler extends CommonPacketHandler {
         if (!computer.isPaused) {
           computer.start()
           computer.lastError match {
-            case Some(message) => player.sendChatToPlayer(ChatMessageComponent.createFromTranslationKey(message))
+            case message => player.sendChatToPlayer(ChatMessageComponent.createFromTranslationKey(message))
             case _ =>
           }
         }
diff --git a/src/main/java/li/cil/oc/server/component/machine/LuaArchitecture.scala b/src/main/java/li/cil/oc/server/component/machine/LuaArchitecture.scala
index 0fc676a24..2ad597b93 100644
--- a/src/main/java/li/cil/oc/server/component/machine/LuaArchitecture.scala
+++ b/src/main/java/li/cil/oc/server/component/machine/LuaArchitecture.scala
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ abstract class LuaArchitecture(val machine: api.machine.Machine) extends Archite
   val rom = Option(FileSystem.asManagedEnvironment(FileSystem.
     fromClass(OpenComputers.getClass, Settings.resourceDomain, "lua/rom"), "rom"))
 
-  override def init() = {
+  override def initialize() = {
     if (machine.node.network != null) {
       rom.foreach(fs => machine.node.connect(fs.node))
     }
diff --git a/src/main/java/li/cil/oc/server/component/machine/LuaJLuaArchitecture.scala b/src/main/java/li/cil/oc/server/component/machine/LuaJLuaArchitecture.scala
index 310476340..9d3e00678 100644
--- a/src/main/java/li/cil/oc/server/component/machine/LuaJLuaArchitecture.scala
+++ b/src/main/java/li/cil/oc/server/component/machine/LuaJLuaArchitecture.scala
@@ -135,8 +135,8 @@ class LuaJLuaArchitecture(machine: api.machine.Machine) extends LuaArchitecture(
 
   // ----------------------------------------------------------------------- //
 
-  override def init() = {
-    super.init()
+  override def initialize() = {
+    super.initialize()
 
     lua = JsePlatform.debugGlobals()
     lua.set("package", LuaValue.NIL)
diff --git a/src/main/java/li/cil/oc/server/component/machine/Machine.scala b/src/main/java/li/cil/oc/server/component/machine/Machine.scala
index 6df9e845a..75b823ea1 100644
--- a/src/main/java/li/cil/oc/server/component/machine/Machine.scala
+++ b/src/main/java/li/cil/oc/server/component/machine/Machine.scala
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ class Machine(val owner: Owner, constructor: Constructor[_ <: Architecture]) ext
 
   // ----------------------------------------------------------------------- //
 
-  def lastError = message
+  def lastError = message.orNull
 
   override def components = scala.collection.convert.WrapAsJava.mapAsJavaMap(_components)
 
@@ -643,7 +643,7 @@ class Machine(val owner: Owner, constructor: Constructor[_ <: Architecture]) ext
     }
 
     try {
-      return architecture.init()
+      return architecture.initialize()
     }
     catch {
       case ex: Throwable =>
diff --git a/src/main/java/li/cil/oc/server/component/machine/NativeLuaArchitecture.scala b/src/main/java/li/cil/oc/server/component/machine/NativeLuaArchitecture.scala
index e45a2d9e7..1d85ea283 100644
--- a/src/main/java/li/cil/oc/server/component/machine/NativeLuaArchitecture.scala
+++ b/src/main/java/li/cil/oc/server/component/machine/NativeLuaArchitecture.scala
@@ -179,8 +179,8 @@ class NativeLuaArchitecture(machine: api.machine.Machine) extends LuaArchitectur
 
   // ----------------------------------------------------------------------- //
 
-  override def init(): Boolean = {
-    super.init()
+  override def initialize(): Boolean = {
+    super.initialize()
 
     // Creates a new state with all base libraries and the persistence library
     // loaded into it. This means the state has much more power than it
diff --git a/src/main/java/li/cil/oc/server/component/robot/Player.scala b/src/main/java/li/cil/oc/server/component/robot/Player.scala
index 8cac76659..28befe072 100644
--- a/src/main/java/li/cil/oc/server/component/robot/Player.scala
+++ b/src/main/java/li/cil/oc/server/component/robot/Player.scala
@@ -368,7 +368,7 @@ class Player(val robot: tileentity.Robot) extends EntityPlayer(robot.world, Sett
 
   override def addExhaustion(amount: Float) {
     if (Settings.get.robotExhaustionCost > 0) {
-      robot.computer.node.changeBuffer(-Settings.get.robotExhaustionCost * amount)
+      robot.node.changeBuffer(-Settings.get.robotExhaustionCost * amount)
     }
     robot.addXp(Settings.get.robotExhaustionXpRate * amount)
   }
diff --git a/src/main/java/li/cil/oc/server/component/robot/Robot.scala b/src/main/java/li/cil/oc/server/component/robot/Robot.scala
index 8172ed585..ba4df297b 100644
--- a/src/main/java/li/cil/oc/server/component/robot/Robot.scala
+++ b/src/main/java/li/cil/oc/server/component/robot/Robot.scala
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package li.cil.oc.server.component.robot
 
 import li.cil.oc.api
-import li.cil.oc.api.machine.Owner
 import li.cil.oc.api.network._
 import li.cil.oc.common.tileentity
 import li.cil.oc.server.component.machine.Machine
@@ -502,7 +501,7 @@ class Robot(val robot: tileentity.Robot) extends Machine(robot, api.Machine.LuaA
         result(Unit, what)
       }
       else {
-        if (!robot.computer.node.tryChangeBuffer(-Settings.get.robotMoveCost)) {
+        if (!robot.node.tryChangeBuffer(-Settings.get.robotMoveCost)) {
           result(Unit, "not enough energy")
         }
         else if (robot.move(direction)) {
@@ -511,7 +510,7 @@ class Robot(val robot: tileentity.Robot) extends Machine(robot, api.Machine.LuaA
           result(true)
         }
         else {
-          robot.computer.node.changeBuffer(Settings.get.robotMoveCost)
+          robot.node.changeBuffer(Settings.get.robotMoveCost)
           result(Unit, "impossible move")
         }
       }
@@ -521,7 +520,7 @@ class Robot(val robot: tileentity.Robot) extends Machine(robot, api.Machine.LuaA
   @Callback
   def turn(context: Context, args: Arguments): Array[AnyRef] = {
     val clockwise = args.checkBoolean(0)
-    if (robot.computer.node.tryChangeBuffer(-Settings.get.robotTurnCost)) {
+    if (robot.node.tryChangeBuffer(-Settings.get.robotTurnCost)) {
       if (clockwise) robot.rotate(ForgeDirection.UP)
       else robot.rotate(ForgeDirection.DOWN)
       robot.animateTurn(clockwise, Settings.get.turnDelay)