Here's an idea for a new kind of redstone powered stair. By powered I don't mean an escalator, I mean a stair that only has steps when it receives a redstone charge.
Iron Stairs
When iron stairs are unpowered they would look like a smooth diagonal slope of metal. Players and mobs cannot climb up them and would slide right off.
You could use multiple unpowered iron stairs to create a long slide or chute to carry players and mobs downward.
When iron stairs receive a redstone charge they would change appearance and gain steps. As long as they have steps players and mobs can climb up iron stairs just as if they were stone steps. But as soon as the redstone charge turns off the iron stair transforms back into a smooth frictionless slope, and anyone on them slides down.
Loose items as well as mobs would also be affected by the smooth surface and slide to the bottom, providing an alternative to water in transporting items.
A shapeshifting step like this would have many handy uses. Left unpowered iron stairs could be the slippery slide that many people have asked for, useful in mob traps and rides. Left permanently unpowered they would still be very useful.
Combined with redstone circuits iron stairs would be useful for security systems, to prevent people from climbing where they don't belong or to flip a switch to plunge enemies into a trap.
Or you could leave them permanently powered to just have attractive metal stairs.
I love the idea but I don't think notch will add this D:
Maybe a mod?
A mod would also be nice.
But I figure it makes sense in the vanilla minecraft universe, where redstone can animate iron devices like the piston. I don't imagine it as magically shapeshifting solid metal, but more like a mechanical device with moving parts.
I was thinking that this could be a good recipe for 4 stairs ( = redstone = iron):
I like these stairs but I'm not too sure about the diagonal angles.
Maybe it collapses into a single block, and activating the stairs would have each step rise from it?
IDK about 45 degree slopes, but the concept of "secret stairs" has a lot of potential.
If you can't climb them it makes sense to have a slightly different visual style to show they're different. Although it's still just a geometric shape, so it isn't that big a difference.
But I figure it makes sense in the vanilla minecraft universe, where redstone can animate iron devices like the piston. I don't imagine it as magically shapeshifting solid metal, but more like a mechanical device with moving parts.
I was thinking that this could be a good recipe for 4 stairs ( = redstone = iron):
I agree, a mod would be nice. I also think this crafting recipe is great!
Would the 45 degree angle affect gravity blocks as well, like gravel or sand? If it did i could see a lot of people coming up with some interesting contraptions with it.
Would the 45 degree angle affect gravity blocks as well, like gravel or sand? If it did i could see a lot of people coming up with some interesting contraptions with it.
Hm, yeah. They should. A sand or gravel block would be displaced to the side like this:
Starting position
When the block lands on the steps it's teleported diagonally downward next to the steps if that space is empty. If that puts it on another iron step it could slide again.
If that space is occupied it remains on the iron step:
Naturally that's only when the stairs are in slide form. In step form sand would not slide down it at all.
This is all assuming it's not too technically challenging to program. Otherwise sand might simply pop back into item form when it lands on a step, like when it lands on a torch. Then that loose item would slide down.
If you can't climb them it makes sense to have a slightly different visual style to show they're different. Although it's still just a geometric shape, so it isn't that big a difference.
I know, but still, the 45 degree slope isn't used anywhere else in Minecraft; it might seem too out of place, though it would be effective.
Iron Stairs
When iron stairs are unpowered they would look like a smooth diagonal slope of metal. Players and mobs cannot climb up them and would slide right off.
You could use multiple unpowered iron stairs to create a long slide or chute to carry players and mobs downward.
When iron stairs receive a redstone charge they would change appearance and gain steps. As long as they have steps players and mobs can climb up iron stairs just as if they were stone steps. But as soon as the redstone charge turns off the iron stair transforms back into a smooth frictionless slope, and anyone on them slides down.
Loose items as well as mobs would also be affected by the smooth surface and slide to the bottom, providing an alternative to water in transporting items.
A shapeshifting step like this would have many handy uses. Left unpowered iron stairs could be the slippery slide that many people have asked for, useful in mob traps and rides. Left permanently unpowered they would still be very useful.
Combined with redstone circuits iron stairs would be useful for security systems, to prevent people from climbing where they don't belong or to flip a switch to plunge enemies into a trap.
Or you could leave them permanently powered to just have attractive metal stairs.
Maybe a mod?
Impossible!
The Sun rises in the North!Now these points of data make a beautiful line...
Well, it still has a 90 degree angle since it'd form a right-triangle half block :tongue.gif:
A mod would also be nice.
But I figure it makes sense in the vanilla minecraft universe, where redstone can animate iron devices like the piston. I don't imagine it as magically shapeshifting solid metal, but more like a mechanical device with moving parts.
I was thinking that this could be a good recipe for 4 stairs (
Maybe it collapses into a single block, and activating the stairs would have each step rise from it?
That way you could make an escalator type thing!
If you can't climb them it makes sense to have a slightly different visual style to show they're different. Although it's still just a geometric shape, so it isn't that big a difference.
I agree, a mod would be nice. I also think this crafting recipe is great!
Hm, yeah. They should. A sand or gravel block would be displaced to the side like this:
Starting position
When the block lands on the steps it's teleported diagonally downward next to the steps if that space is empty. If that puts it on another iron step it could slide again.
If that space is occupied it remains on the iron step:
Naturally that's only when the stairs are in slide form. In step form sand would not slide down it at all.
This is all assuming it's not too technically challenging to program. Otherwise sand might simply pop back into item form when it lands on a step, like when it lands on a torch. Then that loose item would slide down.
I know, but still, the 45 degree slope isn't used anywhere else in Minecraft; it might seem too out of place, though it would be effective.
True, but there's always room for firsts.
I still think a 45 degree slope would fit the visual style, at least as much as half blocks do, since it's still blocky.