Great Ball Contraption Standard-Breaking Behavior:
One last thing to consider is "standard-breaking behavior". While there are a whole lot of interesting things you can do, all modules should be built to conform to the Standard! This is the only way to insure that all modules can work together in a complete GBC. If you really want to experiment, make sure you follow the two "Laws" of the GBC:
¥ 1st Law: A GBC module must adhere to the Type I standard to insure inclusion in the GBC
¥ 2nd Law: A GBC module can exhibit "standard-breaking" behavior as long as it can always be used in a way that conforms to the 1st law.
Prime examples are again turns: while the standard was
constructed with a linear GBC in mind, as
long as a module doesn't extended in front of the input & outputs, it can be rotated & realigned to produce a 90 degree turn to the right. Similarly, a module that doesn't extend behind the input & output, or is only 10 studs deep, could be used to produce either a right turn (as before) or a left turn (by essentially redefining which is the "front" & "back" of the 10 stud deep module). These are examples of Standard-conforming modules that can also beused in non-Standard ways. Other possible examples are modules that split the stream: as long as the two sub-streams are handled and can be (if desired) recombined before the Standard output, it's fine. The module could even have an optional second output at a different location; as long as it does not require