New block plans

[P-Star7]

Here is the thread where we can discuss ideas for new kinds of blocks, since block scripting won't be added

My ideas:

I dunno if some of these should be added as toggleable block attributes or just stay as unique blocks.

Note blocks/bounce blocks:

-Better note block (bouncing 1.5x as block-55 does now)
-Better note block that bounces NPCs as well as the player
-Note-Cloud
-Giantland note block (Bounces the player 2x as block-55 does now)
-Giantland Note-Cloud
-Versions of these 5 note blocks that disappear or break after usage (releases all its coins if it contains them)
Some people might want the ones from SMB3 that could bump you left and right, but I didn't find those very fun in practice.

Item blocks:

-Dependable item block (always creates the powerup in it, even when you are small)
-Infinite item block (Will always produce its item when hit, so you don't need to respawn all hit blocks via an event, and also aren't forced to. Also spawns powerups without a mushroom required.) A more elegant alternative to SMBX2's powerup blocks that takes Char1/Char2's item boxes into consideration
-Party block (Drops an item from all 3 sides that weren't the one it got hit from. This is great for 1up rewards and giving powerups to multiplayer. Giant would also be nice.)
-Breaking item block (An item block that generates an item, but breaks like a brick when hit, instead of turning into an empty block. Releases all its coins if it contains them)

Sizeables and clouds:
-Directional sizeables and clouds for the other three directions

Harmful:
-Non-solid hurt block (so we can have moving hazardous blocks without squishing the player)
-Sloped spikes
Return to Dinosaur Land suffered from a lack of both of these for the spike crushers.
-New freezeable muncher (A nonviolent use for the ice form)

Ice:
-New ice block (can be melted by not just player fireballs, but also enemy fireballs and flamethrower fireballs)
-New ice coin
-New ice muncher
-Invisible freezeable and meltable block (place it upon a water BGO, and it's like you can freeze the top of the water, also a nonviolent use for the ice form)

Color switch-determined blocks
-Cloud switch blocks
-Hazardous switch blocks
-Switch ice blocks (possible with the current blocks, but not at the same time)
-Rainbow switch ? block (toggles all 4 colors at once)

Switch-dependent blocks
-A block that turns solid only when a blue switch is hit, and the inverse
-A block that turns solid only when time is stopped, and the inverse
-A block that changes states when all the tokens are collected in the level, and the inverse
-Inverse character blocks (solid when you are that character)

Phenomenon-causing blocks
-A block that stops time when hit
-A block that causes an earthquake when hit, like npc-241
-A block that freezes all enemies on screen when hit, like the iceage cheat
-A block that turns all enemies into coins when hit, like the wariotime cheat
-A block like the Haunted Hole from Super Mario World's ghost house, where it disables all block collision while the player is touching it, meaning the player will fall through any blocks that this block moves over. Useful when put on a layer or attached to an NPC

Possible Modern Mode blocks
-Blue Coin/Gem and Red Gem blocks (because it seems wasteful to turn them into a brick with a p-switch, and is inconsistent with the red coin)

[Superbloxen]

Could the custom block settings from 38a also be considered here?

[P-Star7]

Could the custom block settings from 38a also be considered here?
Please define them.

[Superbloxen]

From what I remember, there were some settings such as the ability to toggle collisions from directions, make blocks destroyable, create fake walls, adjust frames, etc. When I get the VM running for 38a I will make a proper list.

[P-Star7]

Block.txt customization is a good idea, but I am only talking about

1. Hardcoded block IDs and properties
2. Properties that can apply to any given individual block in the level (container, slippery, events and layers...), instead of modifying all blocks of a certain ID with a .txt

[Alucard648]

Directional instant-killers.

[P-Star7]

Inverse Character Block added.

[ds-sloth]

Just noticing this now. A lot of these are great ideas though I don't know which ones are strong enough and unlock enough possibilities to merit inclusion in the engine.

I'm a strong believer in orthogonality, which means that I want there to be a single way to do each thing. As much as possible, I also want to try to add only 'quadratic' features, meaning features that interact with the game's existing systems in interesting ways, thereby multiplying the gameplay possibilities instead of just adding a single new gimmick.

• Directional semi-solids are an interesting idea that's been thrown around a few times. I think I like them but community feedback will be helpful to help me decide whether to prioritize it.

• Semi-solid and sloped hurt blocks are good ideas. I'll try to make sure those are supported by blocks.txt configs eventually, though that isn't planned in v1.8.

• The invisible freeze/melt block seems exciting and like it could be implemented in a way that covers many other use cases (including your other "freezable block" ideas and maybe even things like freezing lava that you didn't mention). But implementing it well would be challenging. I'd be interested to gauge commmunity interest in that.

• Most of the switch dependent blocks you listed can be implemented using events. (I'm not certain about timeswitch blocks but I also don't think that introduces a massive amount of gameplay value.) The inverse character blocks can't, and those are an interesting idea for sure.

• I think that all of the phenomenon-causing blocks you mentioned would be best implemented in other ways. Most of them should be handled by event scripts -- eventually, each of the phenomena you referred to will be possible to trigger via scripting. And the last one, the no-collide block, is an interesting idea but not one I'm certain I'd want to include. If it gets included it would be as a physical environment zone (like maze zones) that prevents all block collision but has no other effects.

[Alucard648]

Speaking of elements with high so-called "fuzzy rating", here are ideas for these blocks:
Redstone block pack: https://www.smbxgame.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=25443

[Superbloxen]

I dunno if this'd be in scope to add but it's really neat and unique!

[ds-sloth]

This should be made with NPCs and not blocks, but it seems very promising! I'd love for either the engine or the asset packs to support it. Once we have scripting, we should figure out how easy it would be to make this with scripting vs to make as a builtin. But I'd prefer to save the idea until scripting is fully implemented.

[LoveBodhi]

Even Block Script is not planned for original XTech Engine, But I was planned this for Nostalgic Paradise. I don't know is this nonsense...

EDIT: No script support to be planned for Nostalgic Paradise blocks!!

[LoveBodhi]

Add-on:

• Solid Bottom/Left/Right (1-way Blocks)

[ds-sloth]

Based on a comment by Bloxen on Discord, we could also consider custom slopes (eg curved slopes) and conveyor slopes