Today we want to explain some mechanics regarding microtubules.
In our initial (and current) design, microtubules have no direction, only items have it, this means that the same microtubule can be used to move items in any direction as long as an item is moving in any direction over it.
So once an item has momentum it will keep moving, but if you pick and drop it again in the middle of a tubule then it won't start moving again (unless there's a kicker beneath it).
This is quite different from the similar games you're used to and it seemed to have thrown many of our players off course. That's why we're experimenting a new algorithm which simplifies the management through an automatic polarization of microtubules according to how pickers are using them. Let's show this with an example picture which is definitely cleared:
As you can see, microtubules now have a direction which is dynamically inferred by how they're used by the pickers. As long as there's no ambiguity, then polarization occur and items will move in the specified direction over the tubule.
This system reduces the amount of kickers required and simplifies the management because it's more immediate and intuitive. We feel like it keeps the flexibility but in a simplified way. This new mode is already enabled on the nightly build. So feel free to experiment with it and let us know what you think!