Fantastic Contraption!!!

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jim Prower
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TheCracker
Finally got back and forth working!!!

http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=432748
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Me too! Unfortunately, it's hung during the Save process. I hope it does save the design. It's easy enough to recreate, but I'd rather not have to.

[edit]

"Back-n-Forth". After trying a bunch of grappling-hook-n-tractor, flail-n-conveyor, etc. schemes that never worked, I finally split the task into separate parts and made a simple machine for each part.
 
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Duke
"Back-n-Forth". After trying a bunch of grappling-hook-n-tractor, flail-n-conveyor, etc. schemes that never worked, I finally split the task into separate parts and made a simple machine for each part.
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Except for being in multiple pieces, that's similar to mine.

Edit: It's not mine and it doesn't do what it's supposed to, but this one is hilarious to me.

It's called Boxer Engine and the description is "Why Subaru does not make engines out of wood". Also, oddly enough, the one right below it is "Walk the Duck."

Duck?

Wood?

WITCH!!! BURN HER!!!
 
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That happens when their server melts down. Later they'll be back.
 
TB
No, genius here put in the same link. :dunce: It's fixed now. This is the Boxer Engine.

It kind of loses it's effect after my linking faux pas.
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Very cool! I can't believe some of the designs people come up with. I struggle just to finish some of the levels much less do cool stuff like that. 👍
 
The V is cool, but irrelevant to the completion of the level, since the only purpose it serves is an anchor.
 
Duke
The V is cool, but irrelevant to the completion of the level, since the only purpose it serves is an anchor.
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Shhh. It looks nice too. Plus I saw the Rotary and thought, "gee why dont I use up the space on the level and create a V engine AND make it complete the level.
Loon
:lol:Nice work, nice work.👍
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Why thank you. It didn't take as long as I thought it would take to build it. I'm glad you liked it.

Also. I'm trying to make a Deltic type engine right now. This just happens to be the most complicated.
EDIT: http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=481531
I made it, but as the level title says its crude. Very crude.
 
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In an attempt to see just how long a level could take and still be successful (much like the labor of love some members here have done to get a Model T around The 'Ring), I chose Junkyard and gave myself a goal time of 10 minutes. My first design right out of the gate took 8:30, thus meaning 10 minutes should be a snap.

My second design (currently chugging along as I type) looses a wheel. Edit: I have also needed to make some slight changes as it apparently now has a penchant for flipping. My latest design did so at 19:12. :ouch:

After rectifying the Tumble Buggy issue, I posted a clean time of 40:02. Wow. Now I have a new goal - One hour.

I removed all but one of the water treads and hit Start. She's currently making slow progress across the screen, but at only 2 minutes in, it's gonna be a while... or not. Consistently less than 4 minutes in, the water tread twists and the rig moves backwards and falls off the ledge. Regroup.

A second tread is added back in as is a wheel going backwards. Currently running... 30 minutes... 40... had a potentially nasty falter at 45 but only lasted a few seconds and fixed itself... same thing at 48... and 51 (has this been going on the whole time?)... finished in 55:20. Close.

My latest is one right-hand wheel with 4 treads to the goal-ball (?) and two left hand wheels with 2 treads. I clicked start and start the stopwatch and I went to mow the lawn. Fingers crossed nothing bad happens... It did. I came in to check on it and sometime between 20-40 minutes in, it went all wonky. I'll see if I can get it to work later tonight after the boys are in bed.

I'd appreciate it if no one modified my last one and posted it. It's a work in progress that I will finish, just give me some time. :)

And yes, I realize that "currently" is in there a few times, but keep in mind that this post is 4+ hours in the making, with lunch, kids nap time, mowing...
 
It took me a while, and it's a very dirty design, but I've got the Handling done using a very complicated method. :D

Some of the problems can be solved by the same generic answer - a four-wheeled design with a some sophisticated suspension or a crawler/tank, usually - or using blindingly-obvious solutions (in Mind the Gap, just a very long solid vehicle. In mission to Mars, just a platform used by a vehicle). The later levels get tougher... I don't like the "lucky shot" strategies that so many use (though they obviously work) - I prefer to build more complicated machines that don't need to be launched and timed perfectly.


Famine
The hell?

I just managed - while trying to explore more time-efficient methods of doing "Up the Stairs" - to make a machine which tears itself apart. Literally - it rips itself in two and goes bouncing off in different directions.
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Here's mine, based on the idea of two "stages" launching the "bullet" far over the blocking balls. Simplest solution I had - if the vehicle can't pass the blocks, just launch it above them. :p

EDIT: This design appears to work for other situations: Namely Big Ball.

EDIT 2: Also, an Epic Fail.

EDIT 3: To all ye one-uppers, here's Around the Bend in 1 piece, by myself.

And also, On A Roll without a single ball.

EDIT 4: And actually, why not On A Roll, no balls, three pieces? Took a fine bit of tweaking...

EDIT 5: Some tweaking, and there you have it: On A Roll, no balls, two pieces!

And to counter the minimalism, here's some overkill. Even though the launcher already completed the requirement, the bulldozer-tank-hammer bit continues to demolish the wall and everything around it. Harr!

EDIT 6: Here's what happens before this design worked: It completely twisted itself. Famine will be happy.

EDIT 7: TB, I'm running your machine (unmodified) to see for myself when it messes up. 10 minutes past, it only moved them about a millimeter... :p

Also, my first shot at upstaging you with my own design failed. Caused me to wonder what happened at first.

EDIT 8: TB, 15 minutes gone and the first brick is about 5mm into the target. My second shot at your record made a nice visual display, but was too efficient: 2 minutes tops.

EDIT 9: I relaunched both designs at the same time, with a stopwatch. Lets see who wins... or at least complete the task. I'm not sure mine can.. It's leading yours by a bit (yours barely moved), but then again, it didn't activate the big trap yet. 13 minutes into the race, yours is "leading" (as in, mine moved the most) - apparently the huge mass I added just moved along. :grumpy:
Restarted with an improved design on my end. I'll have to crack it! Five minutes into the race, mine barely moved. I'm not sure if it'll even complete the distance, if it keeps on like that. 15 minutes in, mine is leading by a very slight margin - yours pushed some of the upper rocks a little more. Nice and tight, a battle between two different approaches to blocking. :D
22 minutes in, yours is puttering along at a steady (and slow) pace, and I'm not sure again if mine will complete the distance... :ouch:
30 minutes in, it appears both can finish, but won't in the next couple of hours. Mine is furthest behind at the moment... but then again, mine's a huge fat tower, and yours is more sophisticated - though I could see some points to improve on it.
38 minutes in, both appear to be stuck. Yours had something fall on it, while mine just doesn't seem to make any progress.
Actually not - 40 minutes in, a small change in both can be noticed. Still works! Using a pixelmeter shows: Mine is 340px left of target (center of circle to closest target area), yours ~245px. The race is on! :D
45 minutes in, yours already pushed off two of the smaller squares long ago, mine are just nearing the edge. My counterweight is just starting to leave the construction zone...
55 minutes in: whoops, your design backflipped. Mine's still going... slowly as ever.
90 minutes in, closing in on the finishline...
95 minutes in, just two small blocks - and reaching the target area.
120 minutes in, I've missed the exact point, but it's FAIL. Epic, grand, historic fail. It worked for two straight hours, and then started crawling backwards. After literally pushing off a mountain, it stopped just short of the last two rocks and started crawling backwards, pushed off the bits on the left, and fell down. IT FAILED! :(
 
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