An operation-control node for controlling operation of one or more external lighting devices (101, 103) via a local-area wireless communication network, the operation-control node comprising: - an input interface for reception of a current sequence of input signals from a user-input device, the input signals being indicative of respective current operation-control data that together represents a current sequence of settings of a control parameter value of a lighting control parameter for sequentially controlling operation of at least one lighting device of the one or more external lighting devices; - a network-traffic ascertainment unit configured to ascertain network-capacity information indicative of an expected network capacity available for transmitting messages within the local-area wireless communication network; and - an output-message generation unit, connected to the input interface and the network-traffic ascertainment unit, configured to: - store the received respective current operation-control data upon reception of a given input signal; - determine, using the ascertained network-capacity information, output-control information indicative of whether or not a control output message for updating the control parameter value of the lighting control parameter is to be generated; characterised in that the output-message generation unit is further configured to - on the condition that the output-control information indicates that a control output message comprising the setting update is not to be generated, not generate such control output message; or else - on the condition that the output-control information indicates that a control output message comprising the setting update is to be generated, generate and provide to the at least one lighting device such control output message via the local-area wireless communication network, wherein the control output message comprises a setting update of the control parameter value which the output-message generation unit is configured to determine using those settings received since a last preceding provision of the control output message during a current reception of the current sequence of input signals by: - using the setting received last, in response to detecting that the current sequence of settings is a sequence of absolute values of the control parameter value; or else - calculating a cumulative control parameter value change using the increments or decrements received since a last preceding provision of the control output message during the current reception of the current sequence of input signals, in response to detecting that the current sequence of settings is a sequence of pre-defined increments or decrements. - an input interface for reception of a current sequence of input signals from a user-input device, the input signals being indicative of respective current operation-control data that together represents a current sequence of settings of a control parameter value of a lighting control parameter for sequentially controlling operation of at least one lighting device of the one or more external lighting devices; - a network-traffic ascertainment unit configured to ascertain network-capacity information indicative of an expected network capacity available for transmitting messages within the local-area wireless communication network; and - an output-message generation unit, connected to the input interface and the network-traffic ascertainment unit, configured to: - store the received respective current operation-control data upon reception of a given input signal; - determine, using the ascertained network-capacity information, output-control information indicative of whether or not a control output message for updating the control parameter value of the lighting control parameter is to be generated; - on the condition that the output-control information indicates that a control output message comprising the setting update is not to be generated, not generate such control output message; or else - on the condition that the output-control information indicates that a control output message comprising the setting update is to be generated, generate and provide to the at least one lighting device such control output message via the local-area wireless communication network, wherein the control output message comprises a setting update of the control parameter value which the output-message generation unit is configured to determine using those settings received since a last preceding provision of the control output message during a current reception of the current sequence of input signals by: - using the setting received last, in response to detecting that the current sequence of settings is a sequence of absolute values of the control parameter value; or else - calculating a cumulative control parameter value change using the increments or decrements received since a last preceding provision of the control output message during the current reception of the current sequence of input signals, in response to detecting that the current sequence of settings is a sequence of pre-defined increments or decrements. - using the setting received last, in response to detecting that the current sequence of settings is a sequence of absolute values of the control parameter value; or else - calculating a cumulative control parameter value change using the increments or decrements received since a last preceding provision of the control output message during the current reception of the current sequence of input signals, in response to detecting that the current sequence of settings is a sequence of pre-defined increments or decrements.