I want to build a game where players assemble various components into engines or systems. Building the required system is itself a bit of a puzzle, but then players must also demonstrate that they can control the system using sensors and switches, etc, despite failures of various components. Can you build a reactor? If something breaks, can you figure out what broke using the sensors you placed? Can you fix the system with the switches you placed?
My favorite thing about flight simulators was always the simulated avionics. I get to click simulated buttons and watch simulated gauges, I love it.
When I studied "computer engineering" (a very long time ago) one of our classes involved hardware debugging on PDP-8 minicomputers (which were old even at the time).
The lecturer would use a craft knife to make a tiny cut in a PCB trace somewhere in the machine. Then we would write debugging code, use oscilloscope and multimeter etc. to isolate the failure. A blob of solder repaired it.
That was such great fun and some powerful learning. It would be great if there was an online game/logic simulator that could do something similar.
Injured Engine is a similar game where you have to maintain a car engine and repair any part that breaks due to wear (but don't need to put it together): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Injured_Engine
I mean that's kind of what some security CTFs are built this way. They build a working system/application with some flaws, and you find them and break them. Sometimes in the more advanced CTFs like NetWars, you have to also fix the flaws and defend against your competitors.
I want to build a game where players assemble various components into engines or systems. Building the required system is itself a bit of a puzzle, but then players must also demonstrate that they can control the system using sensors and switches, etc, despite failures of various components. Can you build a reactor? If something breaks, can you figure out what broke using the sensors you placed? Can you fix the system with the switches you placed?
My favorite thing about flight simulators was always the simulated avionics. I get to click simulated buttons and watch simulated gauges, I love it.