AR2_B_010_Bars (Till 3/11/09 @ 19.00 GMT)

[markmadras]

Welcome to the 10th AR2 B league contest: Bars.

AR2 Beta1 version is used. Cheapest solution wins. All solutions considered as light.
Jackhammers are banned.

Prices are changed.

I tried to make this reasonably tricky to test your skills a little further as B League should be, hope I have not over done it. I've allowed five days but if more or less is required I will be happy to change it. Have fun with it .

Submissions by PM

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

Example:
2500-peterstock-mysolution

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

[sendai45]

Wow. Long level! let's start at

100+

[Votart Silak]

Here solutions will be different, but good will not be! Will win the most patient and persistent!

200+

[ioncorpse]

Hope I have not over done it.

You are...your levels are very tricky.

Lets look at this level, what I need to create best solution and win?
Open passage at least twice + bridge or tricky swing + something to move a little bit upper + some elevator to the catcher? Ha-ha-ha. Not very easy (for tweaking)? To many elements, it's not fun (for me). But this is a B league.

Ok, it's a B league. It will be hard to tweak but.. even such solution isn't good enough to win. Why? Because cheapest solution is insane rocket mega-tweak. This level will win someone who can spend more hours than others, thats all.

Here solutions will be different, but good will not be! Will win the most patient and persistent!

Thats it.

[Votart Silak]

Because cheapest solution is insane rocket mega-tweak.

I agree with it absolutely

[markmadras]

This level will win someone who can spend more hours than others, thats all.

Here solutions will be different, but good will not be! Will win the most patient and persistent!

Maybe I am missing something here but isn't it usually the case that the player who puts in the most time and effort wins the contest.
The contests I have won have been down to patience, persistence and a lot of time experimenting and tweaking to make the cheapest solution. An inventive mind is obviously required, but most winning solutions have required time and patience to get them to work, even the best ideas usually take time to put into practice.

Do you want all contests to be quick and easy, even in the B League Maybe I need some help and guidance to get my level design more suited to each of the Leagues A League should be quick and reasonably easy with plenty of room for variation and B League should be more complex and better suited to the experienced player, or have I got this wrong

I am not being sarcastic here, I really want to know how to design my contests to please everyone

[Votart Silak]

Fairly to tell, I like this level already

[ioncorpse]

? In every level, try to put ONE big difficulty, or a couple of small ones to deal with, so players won't get annoyed by the map.

? The catcher is fundamental: if you have made a hard level, BUILD a catcher in the map, or put the portal on a metal plate, so people won't have to tweak unstable boring catchers.

? Try to avoid closing the dillo in boxes or small places to be broken, this is not good, it is very often BORING!

? Theme levels are good to watch, rarely to play?

This is from Crestas guideline, I agree with him on 90%
Here is the link: viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1515

[Votart Silak]

I repeat that I like this level, and, especially, the prices for rockets and timers.

[markmadras]

Thank you for that link Ioncorpse, Cresta's guide does make a lot of sense.

Votart is now enjoying this level .

I did structure the prices so rockets could be used and with only small gaps to go across a rocket will not be a bad thing and should not need hours of tedious tweaking . Cresta's guide was written before AR2 so could do with an update now that the pricing can be changed. Cheap rockets, rubber, elastic, tension and timers opens up much easier and cheaper ways of solving the most difficult and long levels. This now gives us the option to set the price just right during level creation so there is an option for a cheap method of propulsion, replacing the Dark force that we used to rely on as with the mi2 launcher. We have always avoided the expensive materials and creating levels that need those materials, we need not avoid those materials any longer. Cheap timers can make a huge difference to a long level making it much quicker to do, and when priced correctly, still competitive. Yup, timers are ugly, so you will be glad to hear that they will be a lot less obtrusive in Beta2.

[sendai45]

250+
I would like the bidding to rise quickly this time, however we have a new player in A League that I would love to have join us on the B contests, too. So lets keep things reasonable this time, eh?

[markmadras]

That is most appreciated Sendai45. Clwillingham has already submited a very inventive solution for this contest but it was only for fun so it is below the present bid. He may try something a bit more serious so a nice slow rise in the bids would be appreciated.

If we could just get 2 or 3 more new players we could open up the beginners League again so that new players don't get slaughtered in their first contest. I am doing everything I can to get all new members involved and have just completed a standard introductory PM to send to all new members as soon as their names are posted up at the bottom of the Board Index page. This gives them a rough outline of what is going on with AR2 Beta 1, how to enter the contests, how to regulate their bidding and offering all the help they can ask for. I hope it works

[JimCDubb]

Nice work, Mark.
I have no bid for this contest, yet.

[Votart Silak]

333+

[sendai45]

Seems sort of dead on this contest.

400+