Seems good to me. I will add, is it necessary for the wording to specify where the machines are being added? If so, this proposal needs a rework, as theoretically at this point it time the machines could be added anywhere in the ruleset, if it does need to be more specific.

Ah, that was placeholder that I forgot to go back and write properly. Strong argument that “a Machine” can only exist in one place in the ruleset, though - “The list of available types of Machine (which any Worker can arrange in alphabetical order, if it is not already) is as follows:”

Simulator looks like the most potentially broken machine here, so running through the possible effects:

Axe, Chime, Clink, Compactor, Glue Gun, Greenhouse, Printer, Prototyper, Storage: cannot be chosen. (I assume there isn’t a wording exploit along the lines of “I didn’t choose the effect of the Chime machine, I chose the Chime machine itself and used its effect”. I know I’d vote down any DoV that tried to rely on that, and I hope other people would too.)
Baker, Harvester, Mill, Seeder, Sugarcuber: cost less than five Cogs naturally, so no obvious abuses possible here.
Crusher: this is interesting – it can legally be chosen, but it’s unclear what would happen if you did.
Dustsheet: effectively lets you buy a Clink for ten Cogs (rather than the usual one Box). This is something you couldn’t do otherwise, but doesn’t seem particularly overpowered.
Press, Spin: lets you pay five Cogs rather than one Energy to generate a Box. This is a little concerning to me, because it seems as though it might be a useful way to take advantage of a hypothetical infinite-Cog scam.
Wastebin: lets you pay five Cogs rather than one Energy to generate four Things (that don’t activate Chime). Doesn’t seem all that powerful.

So if there’s a scam in that machine, it’s either something to do with some argument about what happens if you choose Crusher, or else it’s a way to use it as part of the payoff of an infinite-Cog scam.

I do see one other potential exploit, but I’m going to save that one for myself.

This lets people get with a simulator and a bunch of cogs to easily get lots of prototypes. (Can get 1 prototype per 10 cogs, twice per slot). Feels a bit too strong in that regard.

Contra ais523, Simulator CAN choose Prototyper, since their effects do not refer to the boxes in their costs. Chime is specifically forbidden. This is strictly better than using an actual Prototyper once one has four or more Prototypes.

Good catch, Clucky/Bucky – Prototyper does indeed refer to boxes only in its cost, not in its effect, so it can be Simulated.

Simulator is therefore clearly too strong.

I need to get better at reading the potential of proposals.

Self-kill to keep the conveyor belt moving.