Puzzle Proposal - Music Box

[collectivenectar]

Alright so I know I'm a musician so naturally I come up with this...but still, I thought it might fit alright since there's already cards, and the only thing you'd have to create from scratch would be the music box and the card reading box. Puzzle idea is this:

1. The box on the right (when activated) plays a recorded sound pattern.
2. Box on the left has a slot that can read the cards laying on the floor, table, whatever, in the level. ----The cards function as sound producing (or modifying) elements. PC puts cards in the slot(in a particular order) and then presses a "play" button to have the box read the commands on the cards, and then produce the corresponding sound pattern.

Once the PC puts the right cards in the right order in the box on the left and pushes the "play" button, it will produce a sound pattern matching what the box on the right plays. If it matches, the portal activates, or maybe you just advance to the next part of the puzzle. I don't know how far this type of puzzle could go in complexity, but for simplicity sake, I drew a few cards that came to mind that would make the necessary work for this puzzle as easy as possible to put together, while still providing a decent challenge.

It would require only a few simple variants be recorded, and each puzzle could require the PC to match one of whatever possible combinations exist. Note that some cards only perform modifying functions, and there is only one sound producing card, so it doesn't get too crazy.

Card explanations

Card 1: Arrow pointing diagonally up to the right. Causes whatever sound being produced to pitch upward to a certain note, and then stops.

Card 2: Arrow pointing diagonally down to the right. Causes whatever sound being produced to pitch downward to a certain note, and then stops.

Card 3: A circle with arrows going counterclockwise with the number 4 in the middle. This causes whatever sound being produced to repeat 4 times. (This could be changed to 2 or something)

Card 4: A musical note. This card causes a single musical tone/note to be produced. Lasts a few seconds and then stops.

Card 5: A dotted line. This card causes whatever sound being produced to break into a pulse pattern(beep beep beep beep)

To explain an EXAMPLE problem. To produce a pattern like this: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1UyUaDmRLLUZvCdT2Jm0dFTG424VjkV92

PC would have to put in card 4, then card 5, card 1, card 2, card 3. Some cards wouldn't change the pattern if put in in a different order, I guess, but card 4 definitely goes first, and card 3 definitely goes last. Maybe someone can suggest more clear visuals, or maybe even additional card functions, provided it doesn't make my job too hard producing bizarre combinations. I thought this type of puzzle would be fun for the sake of playing, since sometimes fun combinations are discovered. Maybe a super advanced puzzle would involve a second box for a beat, or a card that produces (simple) melodies, etc?

[strutcode]

I like the idea a lot. I feel like the method is kind of confusing and would be frustrating for the player though. What about if the cards had simple meanings like "up note", "down note" and "pause"? Or maybe a series of buttons/switches the player can activate in order? Or even a piano in the floor.

[beef331]

I think instead of using the interaction system, using small pressure pads that cause a logic change would be more interesting to play.

[Xahell]

I'm completely up for @strutcode proposition to have "up note", "down note", "hold/pause".

For the interaction part, I think a good method would be to let the player press button/walk on plates in a specific order, playing the melody at whatever pace, depending of the player speed.

As long as there is no error, the player can keep going, and upon the last note, after a pause, the whole melody repeats with the pressure plates activating themselves, and the portal opens.

edit: Piano or up/down, in both case I'm mostly proposing the input system.

[collectivenectar]

Edit: changed my mind, realized I had a better idea than what I started with.

I think you're right about the pressure plates. I guess I'm more worried that an 'up note' & 'down note' button would complicate things if the system is playing the sequence live? There would have to be a stop button or something so the PC can check the prerecorded version of what they're shooting for. At that point it could just be a keyboard. Provided the notes required for the puzzle answer aren't too close together, though, it should be an easy visual set up and wouldn't require much audio recording, so maybe a keyboard really is a possible solution. Instead of a keyboard though, I'd suggest just a strip of 5-7 pressure plates, and a box that plays the required melody?

I think a visual feedback system could also be helpful.

I think introducing a visual indicator could help, like say a certain number of colored panels, or lights on a wall or something, or one panel/lightl for each note required in the sequence, and the panels light up according to a feedback system. This would require that the feedback system always provides feedback after a certain number of notes have been selected by the PC. This provides visual feedback to keep it from getting frustrating.

possible feedback system using colored light bulbs? or colored panels? :

green indicates the right note in the right order red indicates a completely wrong note also, an additional feedback color of yellow could indicate that it is one of the notes used in the sequence but is in the wrong spot? Or maybe this makes it too easy.

Maybe it could be how the first puzzles of this type work, and then a difficult puzzle version doesn't give you yellow feedback. You could differentiate the more difficult puzzle room version by changing the color scheme of the pressure plates + feedback system.