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Puzzle Design 2:
Using Command Blocks
By: Posada The Great
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INTRODUCTION
Welcome back to another blog about Puzzle Design!
If you didn't read the first blog, it showcases a small design that does not use command blocks - it is a fairly hard puzzle, and only those with a keen eye will figure it out. You can find the other blog on my Planet Minecraft profile.
Alright, Command Blocks! They are wonderful, and without them, Minecraft would no longer be one of my favorite games. Command Blocks are great for many things, and using them, you can control almost every aspect of Minecraft. I’ve found them to be particularly useful for puzzles.
Before I get into the commands, and their uses for puzzles, I want to say that this is not a tutorial on Command Blocks - you are expected to know the commands listed in this article. If you do not, feel free to keep on reading, but I would definitely recommend experimenting with them on your own, and watching tutorial videos online.
Lastly, I may not go into detail on every command, just because there is so much content to cover. But without further ado, let’s get down to the commands!
COMMANDS
Set Block and Test For Block - /setblock x y z TileName /testforblock x y z TileName
Set Block is one of the most basic commands in Minecraft, and it’s one of the most useful. You can change hundreds of blocks with the push of a button - now that's pretty cool. What are some other ways we use this command in a puzzle? Below are a couple of examples:
Unlock Pathways and Activate Devices
The player will place down certain blocks to activate doors, pistons, or other devices. This can be color coded using wool blocks, or even diamond, gold, and emerald blocks.
Mimicking A Reflection
The player is instructed (or not instructed) to place blocks down in such a manner that it reflects whats on the opposite side, almost like looking into a mirror.
Disappearing Blocks
The player will be faced with a maze-style dungeon, in which the walls and pathways change using the SetBlock command. This can be set on a Hopper Timer, and used to create a very interesting experience.
Structure Building
The player will have to build a simple (or elaborate) structure. Instructing the player how to do so, is up to you. For example, the player might have to create a square out of Gold blocks, and place one Diamond block in the middle.
Scoreboard - /scoreboard [players,objectives,teams]
Scoreboards are the best, hands down. Giving you the ability to track what your player does is wonderful, and better yet, the dummy tag let’s you take the Scoreboard command even further. Let’s look at a couple of uses Scoreboards have in puzzles:
The Kill-Lock
This is a mob challenge - the player will have to achieve a certain
number of kills in order for the door to open to the next level - the puzzle is not what mob they fight, but how and where they fight them
Problem Solving
Essentially, this is math. I couldn’t help but include it in this article.
When most people think of math, they don’t think of a puzzle. But that’s exactly what it is. The equation is the obstacle, and your formulas are the tool.
Timed Challenges
Using scoreboards, you can give a player 60 “seconds”. Using a hopper clock, you can remove 1 point from the “seconds” objective at certain intervals (more than likely, every second). Have a command block checking when it’s zero, and bam. You have a timed challenge.
Locating Hidden Items
Every time a specific item is found, increase the players score by 1. When that score reaches “x” (meaning they found the required amount of items), the door will open. Very simple, but I felt it should be included in The list.
Teleport - /tp [player] x y z
Teleporting? You might be thinking that the /tp command isn’t very useful for puzzles. Well, just take a look at these suggestions:
The Lost Woods
Everyone has played The Ocarina of Time and even if you didn’t get very far, you probably remember the Lost Woods. Using the /tp command, the same thing can be done in Minecraft! Simply have 4 different areas, with multiple paths. One path in each room will take you to the next stage, while every other path will teleport you back to the beginning. To make this even more like the Legend of Zelda, you can have Jukeboxes playing music at the end of one path (make sure to have this jukebox outside of the room, and away from any other areas). This essentially recreates the music getting louder when you walk down the correct path.
Sabrina’s Gym
Remember that gym in Pokemon Red & Blue in which you stepped on teleportation pads that took you around the gym? Only a certain path will lead you to your destination. How you arrange these teleportation pads, and what challenges await your players, is up to you.
Looping Room
I got this idea from The Code adventure maps, and it’s a relatively simple idea. The player is in a room that looks like a zero. When the walk around the corner, they are teleported to another room that looks like a zero. This essentially can be repeated forever, so as the player goes around the room, expected to see the same thing, it changes on them every time. Make sure to set up the teleport command when their going back too!
I hope you all enjoyed this article, and feel free to diamond, like, and subscribe for more great articles, puzzle maps, and a whole lot more!
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1 Update Logs
Update #1 : by PosadaTheGreat 02/12/2014 9:48:57 pmFeb 12th, 2014
-Transferred all text from Google Drive directly to Planet Minecraft.
-Formatted text, and fixed various spelling errors.
-Formatted text, and fixed various spelling errors.
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