Coyote1023
03-06-2009, 04:52 PM
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o93/coyoteboy1023/Cognition.jpg (http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o93/coyoteboy1023/Cognition.jpg)
Issue Two: Basics of Triggers
In this issue of Coyote's Cognition, we will cover the basics of switches. To recap, switches have in 3 parts: trigger, mechanism, and purpose. The trigger is the part of the switch that players interact with to activate it, the mechanism is how the switch connects to the purpose, and the purpose is why you made the switch and what it does. Now lets examine triggers further. They have a few parts: Aesthetics, functionality, and connection.
Aesthetics is the look and feel of the switch. Different purposes or map styles may require a different look or feel. You may want a custom powerup so that is stands out and players will activate it, or maybe an RB flip so that you can make your own aesthetics for it.
Functionality is the most important part of the trigger. Form Follows Function. If your trigger looks amazing but only works 1/5 of the time, everyone using it will get annoyed and just give up. Different triggers function different ways, the turret trigger can be used to aid someone in large battles, or the equipment trigger for tactical reasons.
Connection describes how the trigger connects to the mechanism. Different triggers activate the switch different ways. The most common connection is an explosion by a fusion coil. A few other examples include gravity and pressure.
Trigger Examples
Powerup Trigger- One of the most basic triggers.
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o93/coyoteboy1023/68436596-Full.jpg
It works because the fusion coil is help back by the custom powerup. When it is picked up, the fusion coil is released resulting in an explosion.
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o93/coyoteboy1023/68436669-Full.jpg
Pros: Great eye catcher, can't miss it
Cons: Unless build through a wall of foundry, the fusion coil can explode by a loose explosion
To Build: Interlock a powerup into a wall (even map geometry) far enough that you can still pick it up. Then, make sure that the fusion coil is held by the interlocked wall and another object, the powerup should either hold the fusion coil from falling from a terminal heigth or from a mancannons push.
RB Flip Trigger- Used to create your own scenery for the activation.
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o93/coyoteboy1023/68436942-Full.jpg
When a player flips the ghost, it pushes the fusion coil into the mancannon and is sent back to its original position by the shield door.
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o93/coyoteboy1023/68437005-Full.jpg
Pros: You can make your own scenery, can be hidden, is more tactical, feels more like Bungie made switches
Cons: May not catch players' attention, takes more resources to draw attention.
To Build: Place 2 window panels behind a wall so that the ghost is held in. place a fusion coil at a distance where flipping the ghost knocks it over. Place the shield door at a distance where is hits the ghost back to resting position after hitting the fusion coil. Place a mancannon so that the fusion coil falls into it, or place the trigger at a terminal heigth.
Turret Trigger- Mainly used for convenience to a turretman, it is activatable without getting off of the turret.
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o93/coyoteboy1023/68437150-Full.jpg
The fusion coil is held back from the turret stand, when it is detactched, the fusion coil is affected by the mancannon's gravity and explodes.
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o93/coyoteboy1023/68437150-Full.jpg
Pros: Can be used to save time for an intrumental turretman
Cons:Unless used to aid a tactical position, everyone will run around with turrets
To Build: Interlock a turret with a wall (or map geometry) so that a fusion coil can be held back by it. Place a mancannon that will fire the fusion coil when the turret is detached. Make sure that the turret stand doesn't block the path of the fusion coil and that when the player gets off of the turret, they don't go through the floor.
Equiptment Trigger- Used to remotly activate switches.
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o93/coyoteboy1023/68437265-Full.jpg
This trigger is powered by min/max technology. The second radar jammer doesn't spawn when a player picks up the first, but when they throw it. The second one spawns inside the fusion coil and pushes it off of a terminal heigth.
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o93/coyoteboy1023/68437285-Full.jpg
Pros: Can be activated anywhere on the map at any time
Cons: Can only be used once every minute
To Build: Place a fusion coil on a small platform at terminal heigth with 2 sides of it blocked off (I used a wall corner). Place a radar jammer where the fusion coil is (so that when it spawns it pushed it off). Place this radar jammer first. Also make sure that the second (player controlled) radar jammer is placed in the same round. The player controlled radar jammer's respawn should be 1 minute YES. The one inside the switch should be 3 minutes NO.
Wire Trigger- Used mainly for traps.
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o93/coyoteboy1023/68437336-Full.jpg
This works because of Halo physics. The mancannon spawns after the movable objects, so the game doesn't realize that these objects should move until they are touched. In Halo, movement is channeled through movable objects like a wire, and the fusion coil will be launched.
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o93/coyoteboy1023/68437372-Full.jpg
Pros: Can be virtually undetected traps
Cons: One time use only
To Build: Place a mancannon at 10 seconds NO. Place a fusion coil in the mancannons gravity and make a line of movable objects to your point of activation.
Keyed On/Off Trigger- Used for a single access switch that remains activated until the powerup is picked up.
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o93/coyoteboy1023/68437503-Full.jpg
This trigger uses the wire concept mixed with regenerator properties. The fusion coil is interlocked with the powerup and cannot be accessed by players. When a regenerator (or trip mine) is thrown, it seperates and is pushed into the mancannon.
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o93/coyoteboy1023/68437531-Full.jpg
Every 10 seconds, the fusion coil will respawn, seperate, and explode. This will keep the trigger activating every 10 seconds until the powerup is picked up. That will allow the powerup to spawn after the fusion coil and the fusion coil won't realize that it is interlocked.
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o93/coyoteboy1023/68437568-Full.jpg
Pros: A player can activate a switch and it will remain on until deactivated
Cons: It is pretty complicated and many players will think that they just need to pick up the powerup
To Build: Interlock a powerup (10 seconds NO) with a wall (or map geometry) so that you can still pick it up. Interlock a fusion coil (10 seconds YES) with it so that it either falls terminal heigth or is pushed into a mancannon. Place a regenerator that you can activate it with.
Melee Button- The most basic trigger, imitates a button that you hit.
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o93/coyoteboy1023/68437762-Full.jpg
When a player melees it, the fusion coil explodes, but the shield door protects the player from damage.
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o93/coyoteboy1023/68437788-Full.jpg
Pros: Uses hardly any marterials and always works
Cons: Very bland and plain and players see a large explosion
To Build: Two walls must be placed a fusion coil distance apart. spawn a fusion coil at player height and place a shield door so that a player can melee it but isn't dealt any damage.
Thank you for your time. I hope you learned the basics of switches and can better use and create them. See you next time with Issue 3, "Basics of Mechanisms!"
Issue Two: Basics of Triggers
In this issue of Coyote's Cognition, we will cover the basics of switches. To recap, switches have in 3 parts: trigger, mechanism, and purpose. The trigger is the part of the switch that players interact with to activate it, the mechanism is how the switch connects to the purpose, and the purpose is why you made the switch and what it does. Now lets examine triggers further. They have a few parts: Aesthetics, functionality, and connection.
Aesthetics is the look and feel of the switch. Different purposes or map styles may require a different look or feel. You may want a custom powerup so that is stands out and players will activate it, or maybe an RB flip so that you can make your own aesthetics for it.
Functionality is the most important part of the trigger. Form Follows Function. If your trigger looks amazing but only works 1/5 of the time, everyone using it will get annoyed and just give up. Different triggers function different ways, the turret trigger can be used to aid someone in large battles, or the equipment trigger for tactical reasons.
Connection describes how the trigger connects to the mechanism. Different triggers activate the switch different ways. The most common connection is an explosion by a fusion coil. A few other examples include gravity and pressure.
Trigger Examples
Powerup Trigger- One of the most basic triggers.
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o93/coyoteboy1023/68436596-Full.jpg
It works because the fusion coil is help back by the custom powerup. When it is picked up, the fusion coil is released resulting in an explosion.
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o93/coyoteboy1023/68436669-Full.jpg
Pros: Great eye catcher, can't miss it
Cons: Unless build through a wall of foundry, the fusion coil can explode by a loose explosion
To Build: Interlock a powerup into a wall (even map geometry) far enough that you can still pick it up. Then, make sure that the fusion coil is held by the interlocked wall and another object, the powerup should either hold the fusion coil from falling from a terminal heigth or from a mancannons push.
RB Flip Trigger- Used to create your own scenery for the activation.
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o93/coyoteboy1023/68436942-Full.jpg
When a player flips the ghost, it pushes the fusion coil into the mancannon and is sent back to its original position by the shield door.
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o93/coyoteboy1023/68437005-Full.jpg
Pros: You can make your own scenery, can be hidden, is more tactical, feels more like Bungie made switches
Cons: May not catch players' attention, takes more resources to draw attention.
To Build: Place 2 window panels behind a wall so that the ghost is held in. place a fusion coil at a distance where flipping the ghost knocks it over. Place the shield door at a distance where is hits the ghost back to resting position after hitting the fusion coil. Place a mancannon so that the fusion coil falls into it, or place the trigger at a terminal heigth.
Turret Trigger- Mainly used for convenience to a turretman, it is activatable without getting off of the turret.
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o93/coyoteboy1023/68437150-Full.jpg
The fusion coil is held back from the turret stand, when it is detactched, the fusion coil is affected by the mancannon's gravity and explodes.
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o93/coyoteboy1023/68437150-Full.jpg
Pros: Can be used to save time for an intrumental turretman
Cons:Unless used to aid a tactical position, everyone will run around with turrets
To Build: Interlock a turret with a wall (or map geometry) so that a fusion coil can be held back by it. Place a mancannon that will fire the fusion coil when the turret is detached. Make sure that the turret stand doesn't block the path of the fusion coil and that when the player gets off of the turret, they don't go through the floor.
Equiptment Trigger- Used to remotly activate switches.
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o93/coyoteboy1023/68437265-Full.jpg
This trigger is powered by min/max technology. The second radar jammer doesn't spawn when a player picks up the first, but when they throw it. The second one spawns inside the fusion coil and pushes it off of a terminal heigth.
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o93/coyoteboy1023/68437285-Full.jpg
Pros: Can be activated anywhere on the map at any time
Cons: Can only be used once every minute
To Build: Place a fusion coil on a small platform at terminal heigth with 2 sides of it blocked off (I used a wall corner). Place a radar jammer where the fusion coil is (so that when it spawns it pushed it off). Place this radar jammer first. Also make sure that the second (player controlled) radar jammer is placed in the same round. The player controlled radar jammer's respawn should be 1 minute YES. The one inside the switch should be 3 minutes NO.
Wire Trigger- Used mainly for traps.
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o93/coyoteboy1023/68437336-Full.jpg
This works because of Halo physics. The mancannon spawns after the movable objects, so the game doesn't realize that these objects should move until they are touched. In Halo, movement is channeled through movable objects like a wire, and the fusion coil will be launched.
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o93/coyoteboy1023/68437372-Full.jpg
Pros: Can be virtually undetected traps
Cons: One time use only
To Build: Place a mancannon at 10 seconds NO. Place a fusion coil in the mancannons gravity and make a line of movable objects to your point of activation.
Keyed On/Off Trigger- Used for a single access switch that remains activated until the powerup is picked up.
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o93/coyoteboy1023/68437503-Full.jpg
This trigger uses the wire concept mixed with regenerator properties. The fusion coil is interlocked with the powerup and cannot be accessed by players. When a regenerator (or trip mine) is thrown, it seperates and is pushed into the mancannon.
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o93/coyoteboy1023/68437531-Full.jpg
Every 10 seconds, the fusion coil will respawn, seperate, and explode. This will keep the trigger activating every 10 seconds until the powerup is picked up. That will allow the powerup to spawn after the fusion coil and the fusion coil won't realize that it is interlocked.
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o93/coyoteboy1023/68437568-Full.jpg
Pros: A player can activate a switch and it will remain on until deactivated
Cons: It is pretty complicated and many players will think that they just need to pick up the powerup
To Build: Interlock a powerup (10 seconds NO) with a wall (or map geometry) so that you can still pick it up. Interlock a fusion coil (10 seconds YES) with it so that it either falls terminal heigth or is pushed into a mancannon. Place a regenerator that you can activate it with.
Melee Button- The most basic trigger, imitates a button that you hit.
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o93/coyoteboy1023/68437762-Full.jpg
When a player melees it, the fusion coil explodes, but the shield door protects the player from damage.
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o93/coyoteboy1023/68437788-Full.jpg
Pros: Uses hardly any marterials and always works
Cons: Very bland and plain and players see a large explosion
To Build: Two walls must be placed a fusion coil distance apart. spawn a fusion coil at player height and place a shield door so that a player can melee it but isn't dealt any damage.
Thank you for your time. I hope you learned the basics of switches and can better use and create them. See you next time with Issue 3, "Basics of Mechanisms!"