"Devices"

[SimonL]

I enjoy building what I call "devices": Things that Chip never really interact with—or perhaps don't even see—that make some machinery going. A common very simple device is "the one-click button", which is a button that clones a block onto a second button (which you can't access otherwise), so that you can only click it once.

For example, I was very proud of myself when I was younger and invented the "toggle wall reset" device:



Clicking the red button (connected to the pink ball cloner of course) will reset all toggle walls to their initial state, no matter what state they're currently in. Sure, it is quite trivial, but nevertheless I find it interesting.

"Fireball, glider or both?"—a level I've made—is full of devices.

Now I wonder: What "devices" have you constucted or found in levels you've played?

[Hash1]

I get exactly what you mean, not only are devices usefull, sometimes, level-making is impossible without them! I know I make devices constantly, but right now I don't have any particular one in mind. I find that toggle one very clever.

[M11k4]

I enjoy devices, as long as they do something that the level does for it to work properly. Also, I enjoy them more when they are made efficiently, like just pushing a block onto a toggle button instead of cloning a block that then changes the toggles off-screen, or using single-use cloners instead of just a trap. One of my own levels have also used a toggle resetting device (kidsfair #43).

The most common devices are probably:

-Cloning devices where one monster clones a stream of others.


Example: CC1 #11 (Fortune Favours The), which is not quite the same as a simple stream like CC1 #91 (Jumping Swarm).


-Toggle and tank switching devices.


Example: CC1 #26 (Chchchips) and #27 (Go with the Flow).


-A combination of the above two, having a cloning stream that can be affected using toggles.


Example: CC1 #5 (Lesson 5); CCLP2 #33 (The Big Button Quest) ; etc.


-Timing delay devices.


Example: CC1 #49 (Problems) ; CC1 #111 (Time Lapse).


-Setting of an alarm of sorts once a button is pressed a certain amount of times.


Example: CC1 #123 (The Prisoner).


-Obstacles in front of the exit that need to be cleared out.


Example: CC1 #45 (Monster Lab) ; CCLP2 #34 (Cypher II).




Other interesting devices from CC1 and CCLP2 include:

-CC1 #52 (The Last Laugh), where teeth control the direction of a stream of monsters.


-CC1 #121 (Perfect Match), where monsters keep pressing a toggle button and a stream of monsters is either on or off.


-CC1 #122 & #131 (Totally (Un)Fair), where a teeth monster controls a trap button.


-CC1 #128 (All Full), where cloning enough monsters in an area stops a button from being pressed.


-CCLP2 #21 (Block Away), where pressing a button kills Chip somewhere else.


-CCLP2 #142 (Chomper Romp), teeth herding by design.


-CCLP2 #53 (Security Breach), where a trap button needs to be pressed to allow a ball to turn a tank so it doesn't press a toggle which would deny access to the exit. Wonderful.


I didn't look at the devices in CCLP3 because there are just so many of them. I'd bet most of them fall under the above categories though, but not all.

-Miika

[random 8]

I think these are known as "mechanisms" elsewhere.

Anyway, i have several in my custom set. Here are a couple:



Given there are no other teleports in the level, this guarantees a minimum period of time before the button (currently underneath the blob) can be pressed again.



I'll let you guys figure this one out. (numbers indicate button connections)

[Chipwoodstock]

I dunno if you count this, but it's a puzzle I use kind of as a running gag in my WIP levelsets, so I classify it as a "device".



Simply put, it's a manipulation of walker direction. Sometimes you can clone the walker, others you cannot.

[Flareon350]

I'll let you guys figure this one out. (numbers indicate button connections)

This is brilliant.

[mobius]

I'll let you guys figure this one out. (numbers indicate button connections)

excuse my ignorance, but I don't get it. What should connect to 25, 26 and 27? is that for something outside of this device?

It's pretty cool none-the-less.

[random 8]

excuse my ignorance, but I don't get it. What should connect to 25, 26 and 27? is that for something outside of this device?

It's pretty cool none-the-less.

25 and 26 are completely unrelated to the device. The button to 27 (which can only be accessed after the tanks are flipped) is also outside the image, but the clone machine does serve a purpose.

[IceyLava108]

Using a bug to clog up a force floor path (using a fire tile) designated for fireballs to pass through the fire to stop the flow of fireballs (i.e. so they stop hitting tank buttons after the entire path clogs up with fireballs)

Example - ZK2 level 65

There's also a mechanic that, however, Chip is involved in, requiring that a water tile is made dirt by a block to stop the flow of monsters on that force floor path -- therefore it operates the same way as above, but using Chip to push a block instead of opening a door or removing a tile etc. to allow a monster to clog the path

(the second method is in my upcoming set)

[random 8]

I managed to simplify my mechanism.



(Going left through the teleport leads to water elsewhere in the level.)