Converters

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Converters (V) are advanced Nodes in Machinations that convert one or more Resources into a specified output amount of Resources.

Converters are designed to model things like factories that turn raw materials into finished products. They need at least one input and one output Resource Connection to function and will use only 1 Step to execute the conversion.

You can adjust the properties of a selected Converter, such as Label, Trigger, Conversion, Resource color, Style, and Position, in the Properties panel on the right.

Like most other Nodes in a Machinations diagram, Converters can be passive (default setting), interactive, automatic, or enabling (once before a diagram starts), depending on the Trigger Mode chosen.

Example using a Converter

In League of Legends, you would use a Converter to forge a Hextech Key out of 3 Hextech key fragments.

Please hit the Play button in the example diagram below to see how it works.

The Converter will automatically pull 3 Resources every time step from the Key Fragments Pool and forge them into a Key. When there are not enough Key Fragments (3) to forge a Key, the Converter will continue to pull Resources (emphasized by the blinking Resource Connection) but will only succeed when the Pool contains at least 3 Key Fragments.

The rates at which Converters consume one type of Resource to produce another are determined by the Formulas on its input and output Resource Connections. In the example above, the Converter drains 3 Key Fragments and produces 1 Key.

Conversion

There are 2 types of conversions this Node can perform: Single or Multiple. You can set this in the Properties Panel > Conversion.

Single Conversion: Performs all possible conversions during separate Steps (one conversion per Step).

Multiple Conversion: Performs all possible conversions in a single Step.

Please perform a Step Play in the diagram above to see the difference between the two types of settings.

Disabled inputs on converters

Since converters allow multiple resource connections as their inputs, we needed to determine the converter’s behavior in the case one of the inputs is disabled. To set up the conversion rule when at least one input is disabled we can use the following checkbox found in the node’s proprieties panel: Ignore Disabled Inputs.

Checked (default): The converter takes into account only the active inputs and performs the conversion, ignoring any disabled input;
Unchecked: The converter takes into account all its inputs, active and inactive, and performs the conversion only when all branches become active;

In the attached example we can observe that the orange converter only performs its action when both inputs are enabled (change the bottom interactive register to any value >0). The green register that ignores disabled inputs, will perform the conversion using only the active branch (the top one)

How to model converters using basic nodes

Converters act exactly as a Drain that triggers a Source, consuming one Resource to produce another. However, the Converter Node executes the conversion during ONE Step, as opposed to the equivalent construct, which requires 1 Step for each Node to perform its job.

Please take a look at the example below.

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The Converter equivalent may be useful if you need to limit the conversion output.

By combining a Drain and a limited Source, you can get a limited Converter that can produce only a limited amount of Resources as its output.

Traders

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Traders (V) are Nodes that cause Resources to change ownership when fired. E.g., two players could use a Trader to exchange Resources.

Traders need at least two input and two output Resource Connections to function. They require that the two types of Resources being traded are differentiated through Filter (Colour Coding).

All input and output Resource Connections need to be colour coded, too, even if one of the colours is the default colour Black.

You can adjust the properties of a selected Trader, such as Label, Trigger, Conversion, Resource color, Style, and Position, in the Properties panel on the right.

Like most other Nodes in a Machinations diagram, Traders can be passive (default setting), interactive, automatic, or enabling (once before a diagram starts), depending on the Trigger Mode chosen.

Use Traders when a given number of Resources of one type is exchanged for (not converted into) a given number of another type. This is ideal for any situation that resembles shopping: the merchant receives money, and the customer receives goods in a stated proportion (the price).

If the merchant or the customer does not have the necessary Resources, the trade cannot occur.

Example using a Trader

In the example below we have two pairs of input-output Resource Connections, each of a certain colour (3 red coming in – 3 red going out; 2 blue coming in – 2 blue going out).

To filter Resources, tick “Filter” in the Properties of a selected Resource Connection. (The Filter box ticks automatically when choosing a different colour than the default from the drop-down beside it.)

You can learn more about this in the Filter (Colour Coding) article.

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Converters vs. Traders

From a player’s perspective, Converters and Traders have almost the same function: pass a number of Resources to it and get a number of other Resources in return.

From a game designer’s perspective, however, they are definitely not the same. When activating a Converter, Resources are consumed and produced; therefore, the total number of Resources in the game might change. In contrast, activating a Trader leads only to an exchange; the number of Resources in the game stays the same.

More on Converters and Traders:

Devin Becker

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