Gear Cluch

[Hyrum Behnke]

I just saw some of the new Devlogs on the discord, and I was wondering “why the rotation reverser was so bulky, I mean, all you need to reverse the rotation is by putting a gear in the transmission, oh wait!”

so that’s my suggestion, new gear cluches that reverse the rotation direction of the transmission when activated. You could even have both normal clutch and a gear clutch on the same transmission, but only one can be activated at the same time or the system will seize up.

Edited December 2, 2025 by Hyrum Behnke

[Teh Pizza Lady]

Not everyone is on the VS Discord. Can you share a screenshot of what you mean? Also have you shared your thoughts in the discord as well? 

[Facethief]

Down with Discord! Long live the forums!

[MKMoose]

15 hours ago, Hyrum Behnke said:

why the rotation reverser was so bulky

It would be possible to do it much more efficiently than in the devlog, since the large gear is completely unnecessary.

 

15 hours ago, Hyrum Behnke said:

new gear cluches that reverse the rotation direction of the transmission when activated

I would prefer a more distinct name to avoid confusion. Either way, a single-component reverser seems almost a bit too convenient and I wouldn't necessarily put my hopes up.

I've seen another suggestion which would allow to reverse directions a bit easier by allowing the clutch to alternate between two gear trains instead of only being an on/off switch.

 

36 minutes ago, Teh Pizza Lady said:

Can you share a screenshot of what you mean?

From this discord message:

 

Edited December 2, 2025 by MKMoose

[Hyrum Behnke]

2 minutes ago, MKMoose said:

Either way, a single-component reverser seems almost a bit too convenient and I wouldn't necessarily put my hopes up.

It’s not a single component, it still requires a transmission to work. But I get that.

[MKMoose]

20 minutes ago, Hyrum Behnke said:

26 minutes ago, MKMoose said:

Either way, a single-component reverser seems almost a bit too convenient and I wouldn't necessarily put my hopes up.

It’s not a single component, it still requires a transmission to work. But I get that.

To elaborate a bit on this, I'll mention that I would have nothing strictly against the idea, and implementing it in a way similar to the clutch and not as a completely standalone component is probably the best suggestion for a reverser that I've seen so far.

The reason why I'm saying it seems "a bit too convenient" is mainly that the devs seem to prefer to push players to create more complex machinery for more advanced functionality (as evidenced by small gears only ever connecting in pairs, though that might also be to simplify implementation), so simplifying a large contraption down to a single added component seems like a pretty drastic jump. Now that I think about it, though, reversing doesn't have much of a functional purpose, because most if not all machines can be powered in either direction.

Since reversing is already possible (albeit it requires a bit of space), and doesn't seem to serve an important gameplay function, it has much lower priority than new functional components. However, the fact that it wouldn't heavily impact balance while removing the need for a niche but unnecessarily large construction does work strongly in its favor.

[Facethief]

1 hour ago, MKMoose said:

It would be possible to do it much more efficiently than in the devlog, since the large gear is completely unnecessary.

 

I would prefer a more distinct name to avoid confusion. Either way, a single-component reverser seems almost a bit too convenient and I wouldn't necessarily put my hopes up.

I've seen another suggestion which would allow to reverse directions a bit easier by allowing the clutch to alternate between two gear trains instead of only being an on/off switch.

 

From this discord message:

 

This is what I thought they were talking about. I'd seen this on the Bluesky, so it's probably getting put out to all socials w/ some delay.

[Venusgate]

Just wanted to weigh in that the new reverser gears are ideal for returning the power train in the same direction, because it would take more moving parts if we only had this transmission idea.

[Professor Dragon]

Okay, but "Why?"

We currently don't have any machinery in VS that is direction dependent.

[Venusgate]

24 minutes ago, Professor Dragon said:

We currently don't have any machinery in VS that is direction dependent.

I think you mean currently there is only one direction the axles spin in. Toggles are clearly direction dependent.

As for input dependent:

1. Waterwheels were teased in the same post, so it would be choice of side of the river you set up on.

2. My last run I set up two adjacent windmills, and I really wished they spun opposite each other for cosmetic purposes.

[MKMoose]

10 minutes ago, Venusgate said:

37 minutes ago, Professor Dragon said:

We currently don't have any machinery in VS that is direction dependent.

I think you mean currently there is only one direction the axles spin in. Toggles are clearly direction dependent.

I don't want to put words into anyone's mouth, but the point seems to be that reversing the rotation doesn't actually change anything. The quern, the helve and the pulverizer work perfectly fine regardless of which way the input spins, even if one direction causes something to look wrong. This seems like a pretty good reason not to bother with a reverser until it gets a functional purpose.

Restricting machines to one specific direction is probably a bad idea, as there would inevitably be a whole lot of questions asking why a setup doesn't work. A reverser is a perfect fit for something that actually changes function when spinning the other way, and I can't really think of anything that fits the bill. Maybe something that can move in two directions, like an elevator? Would be pretty cool thematically, though might lack significant use cases for how complex it would be.

[Venusgate]

1 hour ago, MKMoose said:

. The quern, the helve and the pulverizer work perfectly fine regardless of which way the input spins

Well, maybe that will be an option to enforce direction dependence, where previously it was too impractical to implement. 

I, for one, would appreciate that (and more directional output specificity).

[Facethief]

1 hour ago, MKMoose said:

Restricting machines to one specific direction is probably a bad idea, as there would inevitably be a whole lot of questions asking why a setup doesn't work. A reverser is a perfect fit for something that actually changes function when spinning the other way, and I can't really think of anything that fits the bill. Maybe something that can move in two directions, like an elevator? Would be pretty cool thematically, though might lack significant use cases for how complex it would be.

I could see an elevator or maybe a cart pulley requiring a specific turning direction. Maybe a windlass??

[Venusgate]

21 minutes ago, Facethief said:

I could see an elevator or maybe a cart pulley requiring a specific turning direction. Maybe a windlass??

I don't know how I feel about windmills on boats to windlass up anchors, but that's definitely a thought that crossed my mind.

Another thought: Archimedes Screw for transporting water uphill if they ever make farmland consume adjacent water blocks.

Edited December 3, 2025 by Venusgate

[Professor Dragon]

8 hours ago, Venusgate said:

I don't know how I feel about windmills on boats to windlass up anchors, but that's definitely a thought that crossed my mind.

Another thought: Archimedes Screw for transporting water uphill if they ever make farmland consume adjacent water blocks.

If we're going down that path of changing standing water elevation, maybe we could have ways to create locks, to raise and lower sail boats across terrain level changes.