Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
level for every four items placed. The iron plate made from two iron ingots jumps the sig-
nal output every 42 items. The plates can count dropped items, but the items must be loose
and risk despawning unless they're sucked back up into a hopper. They also can work for
creating a lock where placing a particular weight of items unlocks a door, or even for cre-
ating a payment system in an adventure map. A sign placed nearby might say, “Place eight
gold bars on the plate to move to the next stage.”
Caution:
Don't Run Off the Rails
Pressure plates disrupt a contiguous minecart rail, so they are most reli-
ablyusedattheendoftheline.Detectorrailsandtripwireprovidebetter
alternatives.
Tripwire Hook
—Use string and two tripwire hooks to create a devious detection system
withtwotripwirehooksplacedupto40blocksapartinastraightline.Jointhembyplacing
string between. The string creates a tiny, difficult-to-see texture between both hooks, mak-
ing it a favorite trap creator. It's also an efficient way to “string up” a perimeter alarm. The
hooks generate power while any mob is standing on or in the same block occupied by the
string. Elevate a tripwire to one block above a minecart track, and it can detect a minecart
carrying a mob, including yourself, making it an easy way to separate minecarts by load
and switch tracks, shunting items in one direction and players in another.
