180 degree turnaround now!

[mendel]

http://pontifex.mendelsohn.de/forum/turnramp.jpg" border="0">
No gods involved here; 9 cars on hard. Level is http://pontifex.mendelsohn.de/forum/turnramp.pxl" target="_blank">turnramp.pxl. A better picture of the ramp is in the 2nd post on this thread. As you can see, there's a steep ramp that guides the train around. Try it with any train length at any difficulty for different results - train turnback (it rolls off into the sunset until it falls of the edge of the world with a splash), train snaking endlessly, train getting caught on ramp, train making 90 degree turn and stopping (almost; 10 cars on easy).
As you will observe, there's a force in effect that guides the train back to the X-axis. Perhaps making the level deeper (increase Z size) makes that effect less severe - notice how the force just prevents the train from leaving the defined level? You will also note that the strength of the engine varies with the cars behind it - longer trains have stronger engines. Difficulty seems to play a part in this as well.

Possible Uses:
a) Pontifex Screensaver. Place two opposite ramps onlevel, green line in between, and the train goes back and forth, maybe with a bridge placed in between?

b) Train winds around a cliff face. A level designer could place a cliff that extends forward; the centering force will make the train hug the cliff, but the player's bridge might have to support it :-)

c) Be creative!

(Edited by mendel at 4:25 pm on Oct. 27, 2001)

[mendel]

http://pontifex.mendelsohn.de/forum/go90deg.jpg" border="0">
A slightly modified turnaround, http://pontifex.mendelsohn.de/forum/go90deg.pxl" target="_blank">go90deg.pxl has a downslope to the front, so that the 10 car easy train goes on until it is on the level ground again. Note: the pair of anchors is oriented the usual way - the train is not. The single anchor marks the corner of my 32x32 level.1) Another use for the turnaround ramp: the 10 car easy train will go on and on if you slope the terrain to the front - now wouldn't it be a challenge if there was a gap to cross? If you build your bridge wrong, a high arch might make the train lose momentum, and the force would pull it back...

2) As the level is now, the train will come to a stop in the position pictured, wait awhile, then suddenly, for no reason, the engine will keel over sideways - any suggestions why this might be?

3) It seems to me the centering force does not change with distance since the train stops nicely as it did in turnramp, just farther out, although the slope may have something to do with this.

(Edited by mendel at 4:22 pm on Oct. 27, 2001)