Give one track edit two consequences
Put one replaceable trim module between a drop and a curve. It subtracts speed points before the curve, but the carriage needs some of those points for the rise that follows. Light Trim leaves too many points for the curve. Strong Trim gets through the curve and stalls at the rise. Balanced Trim reaches the station.
That is the first design problem in North Pier Test Loop, an original miniature coaster-building game. Frontier’s Planet Coaster lets players design coaster parks and customize rides with piece-by-piece construction. Apply that broad idea to a single editable segment whose effects the player can trace. See the official Planet Coaster PC listing.
Define the trim slot and segment rules
Use a fixed strip in this order. Launch, Drop, Trim Slot, Curve, Rise, Station. The player chooses one trim before pressing Test. Test places the carriage at Launch with two abstract speed points and an empty log. Each Step checks the next segment in order. Keep track edits locked during the test.
| Segment | What Step does |
|---|---|
| Drop | Add four speed points. |
| Trim Slot | Subtract one for Light, two for Balanced or four for Strong. Floor the result at zero. |
| Curve | At more than four points, stop with Curve Limit. At four or fewer, pass and keep the same points. |
| Rise | At fewer than three points, stop with Rise Stall and keep the points for diagnosis. At three or more, spend three and pass. |
| Station | Record Returned and stop. Preserve whatever points are left. |
These are rules for a fictional debug cart. Points are an abstract input to segment checks. Each Step records the segment, points before and after, and the result. Keep the first failure visible and mark the remaining segments untested.
Diagnose where each trim fails
Reset between tests and make the trim choice again. All three versions start with two points and reach six after Drop. Follow the results from the slot onward.
| Trim | Points after trim | Curve and rise | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light | 5 | Curve fails at five. Rise is untested. | Curve Limit |
| Balanced | 4 | Curve passes at four. Rise spends three. | Returned with one point |
| Strong | 2 | Curve passes at two. Rise stalls at two. | Rise Stall |
For this strip, the acceptable range after trim is three to four points. Three is the minimum the rise accepts, and four is the maximum the curve accepts. Light fails at the upper boundary. Strong fails at the lower boundary. When the first failure is Curve Limit, the log has no evidence about that run’s rise.
Give AI a test you can replay
Start from a written description in SEELE’s game maker. Ask for the strip, one editable slot and a visible test log in the first draft. Check the first failing segment and the point changes against the table before adding more track parts.
Make an original miniature coaster-building game called
North Pier Test Loop. Use Launch, Drop, Trim Slot, Curve,
Rise and Station in that order. Give the player a single
slot with Light, Balanced and Strong options.
Reject Test without a trim. Start an accepted Test at
Launch with 2 speed points and an empty log. Each Step
checks the next segment and logs its name, input points,
output points and result. During a run, reject trim edits
and a second Test without changing the state.
Drop adds 4. Trim subtracts 1, 2 or 4, flooring at zero.
Curve stops with Curve Limit above 4 and otherwise passes
without spending. Rise stops with Rise Stall below 3 and
otherwise spends 3. A failed check retains the points,
ends the test and leaves later segments untested.
Station records Returned and keeps the remaining points,
even at zero. Stop stepping after any terminal result.
Reset clears trim, progress and the log.
Check that Light stops at Curve with 5 points, Balanced
returns with 1, and Strong stalls at Rise with 2.Try Step after each terminal result and verify that no extra row appears. Try changing the trim during a run and confirm that the existing selection stays locked. Reset after each result and verify that Test needs a fresh selection. Use SEELE’s first-build guide to organize the next test.
Change only the drop gain
Reduce the Drop gain from four to three. Keep the track order, starting points, trim deductions and both downstream limits. Now every trim gets five points at Drop. Light subtracts one, enters the curve with four, spends three at Rise and returns with one point. The same Light choice failed at Curve before the change.
Balanced now leaves three after trim and spends all three at Rise. It returns with zero. Strong leaves one after trim, passes the curve and still stalls at the rise. Compare the first segment where each trace changes and the first segment where its outcome changes. Those are different checks.
Start your original coaster prototype with SEELE’s AI game maker.
Frequently asked questions
What should the segment log record?
Record the selected trim once, then add a row with the segment name, input points, output points and result for every Step. Keep the active or failed segment visible on the strip. The player can use the row and the track view together to decide what to change.
Should a failure test later segments?
Stop at the first failed check and leave later segments marked untested. A failed curve tells you where that particular test ended. After Reset, a different trim can get through the curve and reveal whether the rise is also reachable in the new run.
Why can the carriage return with zero points?
The Rise check requires three points before it subtracts three. The Station check records arrival and has no separate point cost. With three at Rise, the carriage passes that check and the next Step records Returned at zero in this fictional debug model.
When should I add smoother track motion?
Add animation after the segment log reproduces the baseline and revised results. Keep the same check order and make the display settle on the same failed or completed segment. Replay all three trims so smoother motion does not hide the check that stopped a run.
