Cube Ideas

[kevansevans]

Edge-less weighted safety cube:



Panels 1 and 2: Newton's first law.
Panel 3: With the introduction of an Edge-less safety cube, special button holders can be implemented. Top ones are in air cube receptacles, bottom ones are ground receptacles.
Panel 4: idk

A concept on how to execute laser cubes. I know this dead horse keeps getting beat, but this idea can work well:


Panel 1: With the introduction of a mid air receptacle, the following can take place.
Panel 2: Mario will place cube within receptacle, laser will redirect.
Panel 3: To change direction, Mario can bump the receptacle, stand on a button to toggle direction, and press a button to cycle direction.
Panel 4: Extra panel, reiterating linkage capabilities.

[Firaga]

I think the edge-less safety cube has been suggested before.
I sorta liked it. I don't know if it got in or not (I think it didn't).

The Laser Direction Cube has definately been suggested before.
I think the answer was 'no'
Thread for the Laser Direction Cube.

[Camewel]

Edgeless safety cube was only fun in 3D because it rolled around on slopes and there are no slopes in this game.
Also, the problem with the laser redirection cube that everyone consistently overlooks is that Maurice's collision detection can't do things at angles.

[kevansevans]

The Laser Direction Cube has definately been suggested before.
I think the answer was 'no'

The explanation I received in the chat ages ago was that it would of been difficult to manipulate the cube the way the player wanted. It would involve having to place platforms where the cube could rest making it harder to make a puzzle that isn't breakable. Having those receptacles mid air, it can lock a cube into a position. They can be non-colliding even when a cube is placed, eliminating how hard it would be on the player to work around.

Edgeless safety cube was only fun in 3D because it rolled around on slopes and there are no slopes in this game.
Also, the problem with the laser redirection cube that everyone consistently overlooks is that Maurice's collision detection can't do things at angles.

Well, that explains why slopes aren't being done. But just because there are no slopes, that does not mean the puzzle aspect is gone. In 3d, rarely have I ever seen the sphere required to be rolled, not implying it hasn't been done, but mostly when I encounter it, it's to make sure the player only uses certain buttons. Also, the ball never stops moving. Ever. (unless in receptacle). So a puzzle can be built where you can push the sphere in a direction you want it to go.

[Camewel]

It's fake challenge by forcing the player to watch over the sphere, and it was pretty random movement which adds a lot of luck into it. It's just not a good idea.

[Superjustinbros]

The closest to the Laser Direction Cube being implemented in my perspective would be if it was a tile attached to a switch. pressing the switch it would redirect the laser 90 degrees clockwise or counter-clockwise, or just keep the laser going in a straight line.

Since there aren't any slopes and due to the faults that were mentioned, the ball doesn't really serve a purpose. All I can think of that'd work as an alternative is having numbered cubes and buttons; each button can only be activated with a cube that has the same number as displayed next to the button. Non-numbered cubes or other objects cannot activate numbered buttons.

For example, here's a ground button with a "1" on it.

[BobTheLawyer]

Also, the problem with the laser redirection cube that everyone consistently overlooks is that Maurice's collision detection can't do things at angles.

How can it not handle angles?
The portal gun can shoot at an angle.
You can move while jumping which puts your direction at an angle.
The only thing it can't handle related to this is portals placed at an angle. (reason why we won't have slopes, though I'd be fine with non-portable slopes)

[TheJonyMyster]

It can't handle collisions at an angle.

[Camewel]

Also, the problem with the laser redirection cube that everyone consistently overlooks is that Maurice's collision detection can't do things at angles.

How can it not handle angles?
The portal gun can shoot at an angle.
You can move while jumping which puts your direction at an angle.
The only thing it can't handle related to this is portals placed at an angle. (reason why we won't have slopes, though I'd be fine with non-portable slopes)

The portal gun isn't actually at an angle, it's just a sprite. The shot it fires is also not at an angle, it's actually not colliding at all (I think).
When you move while jumping, you're not at an angle, you're still a box. Your direction isn't even an angle, it's made of a vertical and horizontal part. No angles involved.
Portals placed at an angle would only have trouble colliding (and not too much as they're nicely defined objects), passing through them would be rather easy.

[kevansevans]

The portal gun isn't actually at an angle, it's just a sprite. The shot it fires is also not at an angle, it's actually not colliding at all (I think).
When you move while jumping, you're not at an angle, you're still a box. Your direction isn't even an angle, it's made of a vertical and horizontal part. No angles involved.
Portals placed at an angle would only have trouble colliding (and not too much as they're nicely defined objects), passing through them would be rather easy.

I did do a little digging around the source and stuff and it's kind of what you've described.

When the player shoots a portal, it's technically already placed. What happens is a math function that calculates the distance between Mario and where the gun is pointed (Y2 - Y1)/(X2 - X1). It then runs a timer influenced by that distance, tells the portal shot to go from point A to point B, and when the timer reaches it's point, deletes the portal shot, and draws and enables the portal hole. (I found this out when I was trying to make portals act similar to Portal 2, portal bumping and stuff, works really nice... trying to tweak it and make a map pack)

Mario's position when leaving a portal is just a parabola formula influenced by which keys are being pressed.

And angled portals would be a bitch to figure out (now that i think about it), even simple 45 degree portals. Not just code wise, but it would throw off the "even-ness" that a tile grid provides.

TBH I'll try to make a mod that tried to attempt these things I've suggested and see how that goes.

[Camewel]

Mari0 doesn't actually have a grid, you could place a tile offset by a few pixels and the game would know how to make it collide.

[BobTheLawyer]

Camewel,colliding with triangles is easy. Triangle trig. It isn't that hard.

[Camewel]

Also, the problem with the laser redirection cube that everyone consistently overlooks is that Maurice's collision detection can't do things at angles.

like really how hard is it to actually read a sentence