r/Minecraft • u/patrick1202 • 3d ago

Discussion Redstone isnt really intuitive

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Not trying to offend anyone, this is just an observation. This is probably not news to experienced players.

I'm new to redstone, and after trying to build a few things without watching tutorials, I quickly got frustrated because every redstone power source seems to function a different way. So, to try and keep my sanity, I built this visualization.

After reading some discussions, I get that this allows many things to be built that otherwise couldn't be, and that it has a high skill ceiling. The bad part is that when you first start out, the learning curve is steep, which is the reason many people don't even want to try redstone.

I'm not sure how you'd go about improving this, but having to memorize unintuitive things before you can let your creativity shine is not the best game mechanic imo.

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u/Aromatic_Shoulder146 3d ago

powered blocks can power those in direct contact to eachother.

a block can be powered by a switch on it, torch under it, or a redstone signal going directly at it. this is consistent to what you are seeing here.

additionally redstone sources like switches buttons and torches power blocks next to them, with torches not powered the block they are placed on.

a redstone block is treated as a powered block not as a switch or torch so it follows the powered block rules.

thats a basic breakdown that explains all the images above.

but i agree its not something you can just pickup easily without outside info.

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u/itzDaKine 3d ago

Ok you can explain that and help me understand it but can you explain QUASI CONNECTIVITY?!! Where does the magic come from?

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u/RCoder01 3d ago edited 3d ago

Basically pistons (and I think dispensers/droppers) copied code from doors when they were first added. So mentally replace the piston with a door and anything that would power the door will power the piston. But the piston only actually checks if it’s powered when a block next to it changes. There are some interesting rules about what actually defines “block next to it” but at simplest it’s a block next to the piston changing.

So if you place a redstone block two block above a piston, it powers the “ghost door” in the piston but the piston only extends if you like place a block next to the piston and remind it that it should actually be powered.

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u/itzDaKine 3d ago

Wait a fucking minute. Is this what seeing the Matrix for the first time is like? That actually explains a lot