Great Map Idea to Challenge Physics

[PrimalGod]

here's an idea for you mappers out there. I'm going to try this myself, but don't have much experience mapping. Make Rube Goldburg devices! A whole map where the player sets something off and it triggers a series of reponses. What do you all think?

Here's an example
http://www***be-goldberg.com/images/alarmclock.jpg

or

 

[jasonh1234]

Or better yet. try and recreate that Honda Accord commercial.

 

[azmodan]

nothing like the picture ut we now what u mean =)

 

[NeoGlyphix]

Good luck! :cheers: Seems like an awsome idea.

 

[simmo]

I was thinking about recreating that honda ad ages ago, it should be pretty easy in source, shouldnt it ?!

 

[MoJo|Night]

simmo, if you can create working wiper blades, water sprayers and moisture sensors then it will be fine.

The accord advert is not physically possible since a wheel accelerate uphill on it anyway ;-)

 

[Kuros]

It is physically possible if you add some nuts and bolts inside the tire in just the right way. Search for the right terms on Google and you'll find a few articles about the ad that mention this. The only thing "false" about the commercial is that it is actually two parts merged into one with the help of some CGI, because the studio they filmed it in was too short.

 

[Plopfish]

wtf ad are you talking about, link plz, shit its 511AM here .... sleep....no!

 

[jayte]

The honda accord ad, search "honda accord the cog" (movies name is "the cog") truly awsome footage. Filmed.
Also im trying to find "the way of things" its a similar movie anyone go it?

 

[Plopfish]

oh i never saw that, i dont think it played here in AMerica (notice the diff sided steering wheel)

linky:

http://home.comcast.net/~bernhard36/honda-ad.html

cool, since its in flash and provides links to articles on how it was mad, appearntly, no CG envolved

 

[Wesisapie]

bs, those wheels rolled up the hill, without slowing down, or rolling back.

 

[jayte]

Wesisapie,
if you read how it was made you ll see that
the tires were filled with bolts and other heavy stuff, thus
changing its center of gravity. Its possible.

 

[Sherrill]

Originally posted by Plopfish
http://home.comcast.net/~bernhard36/honda-ad.html

Wow...

 

[torso boy]

Originally posted by jayte
Also im trying to find "the way of things" its a similar movie anyone go it?

Its "The way things go" ....30 min chain reaction!!!

 

[Axyon]

Originally posted by jayte
Wesisapie,
if you read how it was made you ll see that
the tires were filled with bolts and other heavy stuff, thus
changing its center of gravity. Its possible.

It was actually a lead weight, but still, it wasn't animated or anything.

 

[Submerge]

i had to do one of these in a school project. unfortunelly it didn't work when it was suppose too.

just like them, i heard it took like 600+ tries

 

[Murray_H]

Recreating the Incredible Machine would be cool (also from Sierra) would be cool......i'm staring at the demo floppy right now!

 

[derby]

Let's hope that the physics engine is deterministic (they don't use any randomised variables). If it isn't then this sort of thing owuld be almost impossible.

 

[PrimalGod]

I emailed Valve about this, and here is what Jay had to say:

Me:
Some of us were tossing around some ideas about maps ideas and I wanted to make a Rube Goldberg map, where the player would start a simple reaction, like rolling a barrel or something, which would set off a chain reaction into a whole bunch of stuff (check out this link for a very cool short vid of a car commercial that did it http://home.comcast.net/~bernhard36/honda-ad.html) Someone brought up the possibility that if your physics engine wasn't deterministic, it would use random numbers in some instances, essentually making this idea hard to pull off (if the ball is catapulted at a different angle everytime even if the scenraio is the exact same, it would be much harder). So I guess my question is: is your engine determinisic and would a Rube Goldberg-type chain reaction thing be possible? Here's the link to the forum we are discussing in if you are interested http://www.halflife2.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1873&perpage=15&pagenumber=1 Thanks for your time!

Jay:

The physics engine is fairly deterministic - and can be made (with code) to be nearly 100% deterministic. There is one random number used to distribute the cost of an expensive periodic check. But that generator can be seeded if necessary.

So given exactly the same initial conditions the results should be 100% the same.

The other issue is timing. By "exactly the same initial conditions" I'm including the clock. If you start the sequence at a different time or create/delete objects at slightly different times during a sequence, then the results will be a little different. You may have to write code in a mod to guarantee this level of synchronization, but it can definitely be done. It may not be necessary depending on the system of objects & constraints you're simulating. The interaction of AI controlled entities (i.e. game logic, not forward dynamics) with such a system is not guaranteed to be deterministic because the timing of the interactions between AI and physics varies continuously based on the framerate of the server running the simulation. A mod author writing code could synchronize these effects as well, but it would be non-trivial.

Jay

 

[Dave]

Originally posted by jasonh1234
Or better yet. try and recreate that Honda Accord commercial.

That would be really awesome.

 

[loofy]

Guys the second I saw the Demo video only one thought was in my mind - a GIGANTIC Domino-effect level. I was just about to send gabe an email when you guys beat me to it. I am simply drooling at the thought of making my own domino effects without having to redo the whole thing because I hit one. I am a Domino-Effect maniac. Oh and boys... imagine a domino effect with cars... and they explode after each successive hit... Oooooh anyone remembers Barrels o' Fun from Doom II ??? Old Skool fun. :bounce: