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retrograde

Descent Demo v2

This is a collection of structures and techniques which can be used to lower the elevation of B-Bot. Version 2 includes three more methods.

Descent Demo v2
retrograde, Oct 8, 2016
Mike_CN, Jomer, Rohan Kumar and 2 others like this.
    • retrograde
      NOTE: This level is now depreciated and has been replaced by Descent Demo v3.

      -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      This is a collection of structures and techniques which can be used to lower the elevation of B-Bot.

      Note: Most of the methods are one-way in that they can only be used to drop down. A few however can be used to go in both directions.

      In order of occurrence with citations:

      1. Free Jump. Tap on the far end of the platform, as the bot is traveling over the motor raise the slider to make him fly through the air. The first free jumping mechanism was discovered by@vince and used in his Jumpy level. The jumper mechanism is an even smaller version than the one used in my Tiny Jump Demo. It uses only 4 blocks.
      2. Autopilot Slider Jump. Put the bot on the red brick block. Tap on the grass block, then very quickly raise the slider. The bot will climb over the raised block and leap off the end. I first saw this used in Richard Fu's Build Up level.
      3. Motor Paddle Drop. When the motor paddle is horizontal step onto it.
      4. Motor Elevator. Stop on the motor paddle when it's at highest point, then step off when it's at it's lowest. If first saw this in Richard Fu's Limbo level.
      5. Ball Elevator Drop. Gently launch the ball up and make the bot step onto it when it nears his height. First used in my Wharf Escape level.
      6. Floor Drop Out. With the bot on the metal block, move the slider to make him fall.
      7. Autopilot Slider Drop. Put the bot on the red brick block. Tap on the cylinder, then very quickly lower the slider. The bot will lose his balance and tumble off the cylinder. First used in my Witch's Cave level.
      7a. Alternative: Slider Launch. Use the Floor Drop slider to launch the bot over the cylinder.
      8. Moving Slider Push. Put the bot in front of the moving slider.
      9. Static Slider Drop. Top on top of fixed slider, then tap on the floor that the slider is resting on. You may need to change the viewing angle to actually tap on the slider. This is the smallest drop mechanism that I'm aware of (uses only a single block). I used this in my Seven Pearls level
      10. Ball-on-Eye Leap. Tap the cylinder by the drop and the bot will leap over the ball and over the edge. You may need to walk over ball a few time for this to work. This mechanism works best with a cylinder on each side. First used in my Eleven Pearls level.
      11. Squeeze-Jump. Tap on the stair block. When the bot get stuck under the cube block tap on the red brick block. First used in my Wizard's Spire level.
      12. Spinning Motor Drop. Simply place the bot next to the motor and it will nudge him over the edge. A very small drop mechanism. I first saw this in Richard Fu's Limbo level.
      13. Focus Drop (Autopilot variant). Tap on the draggable block, but move it before the bot reaches it.
      14. Eye Drop. Tap on the cylinder. The bot will duck as passes under the eye. When the bot reaches the cylinder he'll put his foot down on the floor momentarily. At that moment, tap the floor. Note: The eye is the only block that reaches into the space of another block. First used on this level!

      If you know that any of these were used in earlier levels than I've cited please let me know and I'll update the above accordingly.
      trids and meko like this.
    • Rating:
      5/5,
      cpw
      Best compilation of falling techniques yet :D
    • Rating:
      5/5,
      richardfu_
      I just featured your first version on facebook an hour ago:oops:
      retrograde and cpw like this.
    • Rating:
      5/5,
      trids
      Brilliant tutorial - Thanks for going to so much trouble! It's wonderful to have all these techniques documented in one place (or two, thank you very much for them both ;)). And the descriptions are very useful for anyone new to any technique. I'll post some links in tutorials thread.
      :)

      Edit: @retrograde - I can't find your first one, Descent Demo. Did you delete it? o_O ... All is not lost if you did - i can include a thumbnail with QR code in the tutorials thread. But the step by step descriptions will be missing :eek:
    • Frenzies
      @retrograde I think that the jumping mechanism in Castle Jump was first used in Jumpy by @vince (or maybe just the first stable jumping mechanism. They don't seem to have the exact same mechanism)
    • Rating:
      5/5,
      Frenzies
      Excellent! I didn't even know of some of these tricks (the ones in Wizard's Spire and Eleven Pearls, except for the ball on eye. I saw those before, but I was a newbie back then and couldn't complete them).

      There are a lot of tricks here; the only ones you didn't put were the inertia (which is too annoying to put), @vince's falling trick (which is also annoying :D but I've heard that the version in Square One III is great), the other squeeze jump (the one by @FREED0M, but that might take too much space), and the un-named one used in @meko's Mini Pagoda (the first trick there). The new trick was great, although I failed (I thought you were supposed to tap again on the cylinder) there and had to restart the whole level (seriously??!!), and the autopilot slider jump often fails.

      Overall, it was a great compilation. Great work!
    • cpw
      @Frenzies I agree, the first reliable jump mechanism should be from @vince and it used a draggable slider to push an auto slider -- Two sliders were necessary to overcome the sticky legs of B, which was programmed by @Martin Magni to make sure his legs would not detach easily from the block he is standing on (especially when on a draggable platform). I think Martin mentioned his programming efforts somewhere but I couldn't find it.

      The first compact jump button was posted by @retrograde though. Vince's is great and stable but has a bigger footprint, which might take away some precious space especially if you want to make a compact level. The key element is the use of a motor attached onto a draggable slider, which effectively removes the "stickiness" of B's legs. In fact the use of motor is also how I made my Wall Huggers 1.1's catapult non-sticky for launching the R bots (without the motors they would stick onto the draggable instead). I didn't even realize it could be used as a jump button :D
    • trids
      @retrograde - A small request: is it possible to add 2 or 3 shortcuts in your model please, to help folks like me who sometimes fall off and currently have no other option but to start again?

      For example : I personally struggle with the bouncing ball drop; so if i manage to get past it only to fall off somewhere afterwards, it's very stressful to realise that I'll have to face it again if i want to master the step where i fell off. But a few shortcut elevators ("dire escapes"?) would help me to focus on the new technique without having to restart the whole challenge.
      :rolleyes:
    • Jose Luis Galiano
      Great Tutorial. Thanks.
    • Rating:
      5/5,
      chemi
      Great tutorial, thanks! Although I think this is not the kind of levels to be featured on official FB page, it is more like a nice tutorial. Just an opinion...
    • Rating:
      5/5,
      Jose Luis Galiano
      Funy and very entertaining level.
    There are no comments to display.
  • Album:
    Depreciated
    Uploaded By:
    retrograde
    Date:
    Oct 8, 2016
    View Count:
    3,146
    Comment Count:
    12

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