Exciting, exciting.
Another idea #1a: Gaps below (where a terrain-adder would move) don't cancel the terrain-adder. Instead, the terrain-adder will not move over that pixel, but refuse to move. The pixel will probably be filled by the next cycle of terrain-adding anyway.
Another idea #1b: Like #1a, but stall movement only after being blocked/cloned.
Another idea #2: Currently, you add the terrain once, and then later move onto it. Instead, continually add the same terrain again and again each frame, until the worker has finished the movement or subsequent brick, whatever is appropriate.
Idea #1b is equivalent to current proposal for
fixing Lix blocker-basher interaction.
Both #1a and #2 don't mention the cloner at all. I like how the cloner does exactly what it does. The cloner is a very simple skill with vast emergent game depth.
Idea #1a affects builder-(terrain-remover) interaction, and will feel slightly different than L1 for those. I may be possible to design levels around this, where you have to shorten a bridge by mining into the working builder.
Idea #1a/#1b work nicely for terrain-removers, too. Idea #2 would be a little weird, were it for terrain-removers instead of terrain-adders. It would make terrain-removers even more powerful in multiplayer.
However on the other hand, the platformer is standing midair and performing a task, which is seen nowhere else in the game. And it is precisely this walking in midair without falling that is the unexpected behaviour - not that some brick is placed midair.
This is seen At least the variant for builders is seen somewhere in the game: Builder loses ground by terrain-remover. The builder will continue to remain in mid-air, and move onto other air pixels.
I'm seeing more of a problem in the possible separation of crowd and worker.
-- Simon