Springcord!

[Violet CLM]

I have found what may be the springcord, but it's sure not a boxing glove...
<img src="http://www.tachyonlabs.com/sam/Bombcord.png">
That's a screenshot from 1.00g. It doesn't work in 1.10 or higher, probably works in 1.00h, though I don't have that version for testing. To view it yourself, place byte 224/E0 at address 520148/7EFD4 in TRAINER.LEV and it'll be a bit to the right of the starting position. Or you could place it elsewhere in some oher level, of course, that's just arbitrary. The next three bytes represent its parameters if you want to try to fool with those. Enjoy!

(Pyro suggests as an alternate location 934a0 in CASTLE1.LEV)

EDIT: Just as some initial information:
* The springcord is not solid and does not affect Jazz in any way.
* If only one springcord is present, the cord stretches from the event to the midpoint between the event and Player 1.
* If more than one springcord is present, the last bomb is in the midpoint position, but all cords share the same bend.
* Weapons can hit the springcord event, though not the cord itself.
* Ice causes the springcord to permanently disappear.
* TNT has no effect.
* Fireballs (Gun8) pass right through the event with no effect.
* Apparently springcord is a word in Dutch... it means bungee cord or jumprope or something.

[ThunderPX]

I have never heard the word 'springcord' used, but I think it would be 'springkoord' at any rate.

[Xobim]

Springcord is not a Dutch word, but it should come close to "jumprope".

Anyway, the event looks really cool. Do the bombs explode and regenerate infinitely?

[ThunderPX]

Probably, Arjan or Michiel couldn't remember the Dutch word at the time and just used 'springcord.'

[Violet CLM]

Oh, no, forgot to mention that. It uses the bomb sprites, but probably unintentionally... they don't animate or do anything.

[n0]

...reminds me of the vines in Sonic3 that latched on to you and held you back...

[Strato]

So...it uses the bomb sprite. But what does it actually do?

[EvilMike]

Could someone maybe get a video of this?

[n00b]

If someone does get a video, I request that the recorder goes through the entire level.

[Violet CLM]

...why? (@n00b) It's only visible when you're nearby, considering that it ends at the midpoint.

[EvilMike]

Also, while this is a neat discovery, what exactly makes this the "springcord" aside from the translation of the event name providing a sort of hint?

[Violet CLM]

It's event 224, which was Springcord as recently as 1.10, the oldest available list of event names. It could be something else, but Springcord is my best guess, and the only <i>name</i> around...

[ThunderPX]

It seems to act somewhat like a cord, at least, from what I gather. (I don't have 1.00g anymore, so I can't see it in action.)

[n00b]

...why? (@n00b) It's only visible when you're nearby, considering that it ends at the midpoint.
Because if there is something else going on in some part of the level, you may not have found the Spring cord.

[Violet CLM]

Ummm, okay, if you don't think the cord that comes out of the tile where the event is placed is what is actually created by the event, I guess it's certainly possible to go through the rest of the level... I'll try to record a video sometime, though if anyone else (who actually knows how to make them) would like to instead, I would have no objection.

[Murderbeam]

WHOOHOO!!

The springcord has been unleashed!

Probably like a bridge, but bouncy!

[Violet CLM]

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuROrHNJMB0">Ok, clearly I have no idea how to properly use Youtube.</a>

[Radium]

That's not a springcord. That's just a regular <i>cord</i> cord.

I wonder what it was meant to be attached to.

[n00b]

I have to agree with Radium here. It doesn't even fit the dutch definitions of a jump rope or bungee cord.

Perhaps what we found was a test on stretching out objects for the bridges.

[Murderbeam]

Hmm... Perhaps.
But still, Why "spring"cord?
*starts thinking*

[Violet CLM]

Pyromanus' first guess was that it was something like the cord connecting players in Knuckles' Chaotix/Sonic Crackers, though that certainly doesn't happen in multiplayer. As it is, I can only presume there is some reason the cord heads towards the spot halfway between you and the event, though I don't know what it could be.

(As far as I can tell, there isn't really any similarity between this and the bridge event.. bridges tend to snap to new configurations rather instantly, while this is a much smoother process.)

[EvilMike]

As it is, I can only presume there is some reason the cord heads towards the spot halfway between you and the event, though I don't know what it could be.

Here's the most boring answer and probably the most probable: the reason this behaves strangely is the event was never properly or fully coded into the game. Same reason it's not in the final version of the game.

[Xobim]

In the vid the springcord seems to connect on layer 3 and 4...

[Jerrythabest]

Or layer 4 with layer 1 or 2 ;p

[Doubble Dutch]

Probably, Arjan or Michiel couldn't remember the Dutch word at the time and just used 'springcord.'

A dutch guy didn't know the dutch word for something? I know springcord is german for jumprope though. Considering it's elastic, maybe they were aiming for a name like bungee cord.

[ThunderPX]

A dutch guy didn't know the dutch word for something?

I forget Dutch words all the time, but remember the English word. I'd imagine Arjan would be likely to have the same problem, working with English people all the time.

[Jerrythabest]

Yeah, I have the same problem. It's actually rather common.

[Doubble Dutch]

Wow, you learn something every day.

[Valco]

What a wierd event!

Maybe it was intended to be a spikeball of sorts?

[Slaz]

Nah, it was supposed to be a sort of jumping rope, but it always remained unfinished and was removed in versions higher than 1.10, Epic just forgot to remove it from the JCS event list.

[Jerrythabest]

Or... they left it there on purpose, so that we would find out about this and there may be something more interesting behind all this ;p

BTW I'm pretty sure it isn't supposed to show bomb sprites. Maybe an ambient sound event can make it load different sprites (probably only if it's possible to get this event out of an MCE)?? If there is a way to view the correct sprite it may give us a clue on what the Springcord was meant to do.

[Violet CLM]

It is very probable that yes, the event is displaying the wrong sprite because it has not loaded the correct one. It shows the same signs as any MCE event. Except, instead of using Jazz or menu sprites like most events, it goes with the bomb. I'm not really sure why, but so far as I can tell, the bomb IS one of those sprites that is loaded in every level, rather than having its loading triggered by a specific event being included. (For the record, the bomb dropped by the float lizard appears to be a separate sprite.)
I don't know if either MCE's or the Ambient Sound effect work in 1.00g, though I am almost positive that the former does, given that MCE's and the Generator event are pretty much completely identical processes, and there ARE generating enemies in 1.00g. Unfortunately, I'm not sure enough about how to edit the parameters of events in 1.00g to try placing ambient sounds into a level in hopes that something will get the springcord to look different. I may try to figure it out later, but someone else is welcome to look into it first.

(On an unrelated note, I continue not to believe that the boxing-glove-on-a-spring is the springcord. Its internal sprite name, so far as I can tell, is Glove. Or Glove-something, anyway.)

[sonicnathan 1]

It is very probable that yes, the event is displaying the wrong sprite because it has not loaded the correct one. It shows the same signs as any MCE event. Except, instead of using Jazz or menu sprites like most events, it goes with the bomb. I'm not really sure why, but so far as I can tell, the bomb IS one of those sprites that is loaded in every level, rather than having its loading triggered by a specific event being included. (For the record, the bomb dropped by the float lizard appears to be a separate sprite.)
I don't know if either MCE's or the Ambient Sound effect work in 1.00g, though I am almost positive that the former does, given that MCE's and the Generator event are pretty much completely identical processes, and there ARE generating enemies in 1.00g. Unfortunately, I'm not sure enough about how to edit the parameters of events in 1.00g to try placing ambient sounds into a level in hopes that something will get the springcord to look different. I may try to figure it out later, but someone else is welcome to look into it first.

(On an unrelated note, I continue not to believe that the boxing-glove-on-a-spring is the springcord. Its internal sprite name, so far as I can tell, is Glove. Or Glove-something, anyway.)

MCE? I think that would work. Or we could just open up the betas j2a and look fot the sprite that would fit the springcord the best. (Besides the boxing glove.) If you look at the animations the glove doesn't stretch far enough.)