Official Contest Chat

[Stickywulf]

I've spent so many late nights playing Fantastic Contraption in the last few weeks that I was falling asleep at my keyboard. Fantastic Contraption truly is the best value game I know of and I've had many hours of fun building, refining and tweaking my contraptions. I hope everyone else has enjoyed this competition as much as me. I submitted my entry yesterday and am waiting anxiously to see the results of the best entries. With some luck, my efforts will hopefully place me in the top 100 but judging from some of the posts in these forums I am not winning an ipod. Thanks for the fun game, and thanks for the email informing me of the competition.

[nathanwitte]

I hadn't realized that the effect of the draw order on the physics engine. There always seemed to be some mysterious randomness. I wondered if different computers would have different results or tick counts running the same level, but between my work and home computers, the results don't change. The use of "ticks" for measuring time, rather than seconds becomes obvious, as the number of ticks (animation frames) is not effected by processor speed.

Thankfully the randomness isn't generated every time the design is run, only when edited. Many of the highly tuned designs would not work consistently if it were not so. I wonder if previously deleted elements have any residual effects on a design, like ghosts in the machine.

Tweaking Tip: I found that I could make adjustments of less than one pixel if I used Firefox's zoom feature as well as FC's zooming. Not that having the possibility of tweaking another million variables really helps, except for a few times when a one pixel adjustment is an over adjustment.

Anxiously awaiting the results... And hoping for another contest, but not too soon.


Some of my Non-contest designs that I think are pretty cool, take a look if you've submitted and are sitting around waiting for midnight like me:
Bowstaff Skills http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=1788568
Clockwork http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=640629
Juggler http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=1021698
Tripple Tap http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=1000514
Snake Charmer http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=970555
Green Tipper http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=1682786
Greenswitch http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=3469895
Suspended Bridge http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=3469220
4 Parts http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=1666896
GreenMonster http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=1638324
GreenRescue http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=1583939
Brute Force http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=1331326
Funky Monkey http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=1330289

[jofjltn4]

I believe the important factor in the order of the pieces is in the joints. Joints don't have the pieces share the same plane, but instead stack.

J

[chewie007]

I know I have no chance of winning this contest, even though I had a blast trying... what I want to know is whether there will be some form of communication (like the invite to the contest) when the final winners are selected, and if we can get some sort of top 20 lists, with the top 20 overall solutions, and the top 20 solutions for each level. I want to see what crazy crap people can come up with, cause I know I ain't got the skills.

[weasel]

I'm not sure how far we'll go for announcing winners and stats and things, because of privacy concerns and such. I'll let people post their own levels and hit "publish" on their wonky designs so you can browse it in the FCR though!

I'm planning on posting the 10 winners and the 10 runners up.

[pillageTHENburn]

HOLY COW! I just posted (finally) and was trying to get a final design working right up to the last second (I realize I still have some time but this is last minute enough for me!!). Man, now I'm really nervous! That was the first time I really actually added up all my levels together and I was pleasantly surprised! I did much better than I had thought I would! On at least two or three of my solutions I am relatively sure there is no leeway whatsoever on any of the elements, I would think that this phenomena should lead to lots of similar designs that are practically indistinguishable. For instance I solved one level and was semi-pleased but could NOT squeeze a single tick or point out of it. So after a day or two I started the level again from scratch with the same idea but hoping that I would somehow make it more efficient if I wasn't tied to the "old solution". I spent some time on it and got it working and it had the same exact time! I was impressed so I opened the old solution and the new one in two windows and I swear I could not tell them apart in any way. I know this isn't saying much because I obviously made them both, but it was several days apart and I was not referencing the first one when I made the second... That little experience has prepared me to see several different approaches to each level but I would bet that the solutions will fall into groups and within each group they will all be really really close. I feel for you weasel !

I hope that doesn't make the top 10 uniform and un-interesting! I saw somewhere on this thread where someone suggested listing the highest scoring, or the fantastic-est contraption. I think that's a great idea!!! That's the kind of competition I need! ha!

Tweaking Tip: I found that I could make adjustments of less than one pixel if I used Firefox's zoom feature as well as FC's zooming. Not that having the possibility of tweaking another million variables really helps, except for a few times when a one pixel adjustment is an over adjustment.

Nice find nathanwitte! I figured this one out just this evening! I wasn't sure if it really was moving them fractions of a pixel or unit or if it just appeared that way... When you say "firefox's zoom" do you mean when you right-click on a flash movie and it gives you the option to zoom in? I think that is an option of Flash not Firefox, though I wouldn't put it past firefox to have such an add-on am I missing out on a bit of firefox awesomeness?

I believe the important factor in the order of the pieces is in the joints. Joints don't have the pieces share the same plane, but instead stack.

I agree but I found something else odd as well and I don't know if it has to do with joints or not. When I was attempting to solve a level with only 's I had this ridiculous cascade of balls that did all sorts of things (and did none of them well). Anyway, I suppose just to see what would happen I connected a water rod to the center of one of the wheels, deleted the wheel, replaced the wheel with it's center snapped on the end of the rod again, then deleted the rod and played the contraption. I got completely different results. That surprised me. could have something to do with the joint being made then deleted? I have no clue.

Anyway I took so long writing so much it is nearly midnight! Hooray!

[Jung1e]

ITS MIDNIGHT!!!!

[Tushar_N]

EDIT:nvm

[SatyricTim]

So, the contest is closed? Can I share my noobish designs now?

[Coopzila]

Good question, dying to see the top 10!

[Goober Guy]

Anyone feel like they wasted their time? I probably haven't won, but to quote myself from many many posts ago

"About the contest. I don't even care that I may win an ipod touch, I'm just glad for the challenge of five more levels to beat."

This contest has showed me how much I love fantastic contraption. If/when I don't win the touch I'll give some serious thought to buying the full version. Ten bucks for hours of stressful 1 pixel movement fun. It would be one five ten dollar games that have given me days(total time played) of satisfaction.

If anyone cares the other games from best to worst in my opinion are
1. Age of Wonders (one, not two or shadow magic those were twenty when I got them)
2.Treadmarks
3.Stronghold Crusader
4.Trackmania

Ps: When I say worst don't mean that they're bad games, they're awesome, just not as.

[NightBlood09]

yay its over

[luski09]

results!?!?!?!?

[rusty29]

Anybody get negative? My final score was 2.

[NightBlood09]

my score was -16

[apophys]

Contest over; here are my designs (I did not actually enter the contest).

Displacement http://fantasticcontraption.com/?designId=6698803
Gate Keeper http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=6711219
Stuck http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=6759842
(I have a version that never touches the ground. )
Be a Champ - did not solve
Canyon (I love this one)
http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=6726359
http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=6746843 - my fave
http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=6747642

[2phun]

results!?!?!?!?

Maybe you'll want to look in the Contest Results thread? Just a thought.

[2phun]

http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=6746843 - my fave

Very clever solution to the lower section!

[apophys]

Thank you.

[ItsBill]

http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=6864847 - not my final design, but it took forever so here it is.