Shortcuts

Chinese version / 中文版:	捷径

Shortcuts refer to a route that is different from the conventional/intended route. (In original levels, this is reflected in the normal level road layout; in custom levels, this is reflected in the route determined by the author). It can be divided into broad and narrow definitions.

Definitions

In a broad sense

This refers to routes that differ from conventional/intended routes. However, they do not necessarily save time. For example, climbing a steep slope in the middle of a 3-1 wooden ball wastes a lot of time.

In a narrow sense

This refers to a route that passes through a certain area faster than the conventional/intended route. Such shortcuts pursue speed, so they are more used in records. According to rough statistics, there are about 300 such shortcuts in the original Ballance levels.

Shortcuts vs Routing

Shortcuts are usually only applicable to a specific area, or a specific type of area, while ordinary non-shortcut routes are universal. For example, cutting a corner of the road can save time, but this is applicable to any corner, which is generally considered a "routing" rather than a shortcut. That is to say, shortcuts are usually more "specific".

List of Shortcuts

Main article: Category:Shortcuts

For the original levels, there will be some fixed shortcut points in each level. Browsing these shortcuts by level will help you better understand where to use the shortcuts and their specific effects in each level.