ARFC A 010 Smile (Till 20/10/2009 17:00 GMT)

[Votart Silak]

Welcome to the 10th AR2 A league contest: Smile

AR2 Beta#1 version is used. Cheapest solution wins. All solutions considered as light.
300$ penalty for every juckhammer which will be used in solution.

Prices are not changed.

Submissions by PM

Naming convention is:
[DollarsRemaining]-[YourFourmName]-[SolutionName]

GMT Time link: http://wwp.greenwichmeantime.com/

Good luck!

[V4nKw15h]

Well I've been playing this one for about an hour and I'm yet to find a solution that can beat tensioned rubber.

I did create a really interesting launcher that was cheaper than tensioned rubber only to realise that it was in the way of the opposite dillos catcher. Arg.

This one is really tough unless I'm missing something obvious. Too hard for A league.

I've also just been accepted to the APB (All Points Bulletin) beta test which I'm downloading now. I'm expecting it to be a great game, so whenever I'm able to play that I'm sure I will be doing instead of playing AR. That will probably mean I won't be so active here for a little while.

[markmadras]

I never thought I would be saying this to you Vankwish but I think you are missing something, my solution isn't quite finished but it will have taken about an hour with no tension, that's hoping I don't have to eat my words

[markmadras]

Well, I tweaked away with only the left hand catcher built and managed to get both Dillo's to fly out towards there respective portals, built the right hand catcher and now it fails completely. This is clearly a bug which I have found before but not in such a severe form, the example has been sent to Peter. It seems that when certain materials are connected to steel plate which is supported on anchors it changes the collision response of the steel plate and everything that is linked to it. In this level it effects the Dillo's bounce as it runs down the curve and has the effect of slowing it down.

I hope I can save anybody having to suffer the same frustration. You should be OK if you connect any material to the anchors before trying to get the Dillo's to their portals. Basically, build everything first then adjust it.

EDIT. I just discovered, even adjusting the length of a bar connected to an anchor changes the movement of the Dillo's. Good luck

[ioncorpse]

Agree with V4nKw15h. Too hard for A league.
I have 400+ POC with rubber, but I don't want (at least now) to tweak anything. I can imagine how hard to tweak no-rubber solution, because even in rubber solution when I change one point of catcher - another dillo goes in different direction and fails. Problem is in AR engine, I hope it will be fixed.

[Votart Silak]

If to use tensioned rubber then level easy, but there is chance to look at good substitute to rubber
The problem described by markmadras to me was known, I and wished to pay your attention to it. Thus, it is necessary to build all simultaneously, instead of consistently or not to use close anchor points.

[markmadras]

Hard or easy this is still a contest and as there is only about half a dozen of us playing it, it does not realy matter if this is classed as A or B league, what matters is that we enjoy the game. This one is tough and it will challenge us all as we are not only trying to solve the level but have to compete with a major irritating bug in the physics engine, enjoy trying to beat it .

I have been tweaking a solution for some time and the bugs it is showing up are making it more than worthwhile and that is what this game is all about at the moment, trying to make a better one. This level would be fairly straightforward to make a solution for if the bugs did not exist. It will be very satisfying to see the "level complete" message appear on the screen. without having spent too much.

[markmadras]

Hehe, I got there but it took some doing, and no tensioned rubber. My score is not fantastic but much better than using tension & rubber.
I think I may have discovered another bug in the process, can't describe it as that may give a clue to how I have done my solution.


450+

[Votart Silak]

Well done, markmadras!

[ioncorpse]

BTW: Just one day before you posted this level - I posted level called "Smile" (in General -> Ar2 beta testing)

[Votart Silak]

There is coincidence!

[markmadras]

I've just sent in my second tweak and still nobody else has made a bid . The method I have used is nothing unusual and has been used many times before. Once you have the catchers built it remains fairly stable for tweaking. I have managed to adjust the ends of my catchers without it affecting the Dillo's course.

If you don't have a go at this you will all kick yourselves when you see my solution, it's quick and easy to do just takes a little patience to adjust it . Come on you can do it

[ioncorpse]

I spent all "AR time" playing B league. Maybe later, not sure...

[markmadras]

Come on guys, contest ends tomorrow

I heard back from Peter about this tweaking problem. It's all to do with the collision response between the Dillo and material that is fixed between two anchors. At present the program deals with this in the same way as a collision with material that is not fixed to anchors. In the next Beta version this will be corrected.

[Votart Silak]

I have received solutions from markmadras only. Where other players?
There are 25 hours yet!