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[toythatkills]

I asked on another forum and found out what it was: the bonders work in a certain (invisible) order. Switching a couple of the bonders around made the bonds happen in a different order, it bonded the two hydrogens and broke the solution completely.

 

[DogWelder]

tried one of the researchnet assignmets,
super inefficient and complicated

but i am mighty proud of it

edit: it's assignment Volume 1 issue I Tunnels III

Look at your Elapsed Cycles score, lolz. Creative solution though.

 

[amdnv]

Hot damn this game is satisfying. Just beat Going Green. Took me five reactors though; one to break down the initial chemicals, two to sort all four chemicals, and two more to assemble the final molecule, first by building the cross shape and then shipping that off to have the hydrogen attached.

I did it the same way and was VERY glad when it finally worked. I think I spent over an hour on this level.

 

[mclem]

Gone through the thread adding a bunch of you for leaderboards. If anyone coming in now wants to add me, I'm mattclem.

edit: it's assignment Volume 1 issue I Tunnels III

My solution to the same:

http://www.youtube.com/user/matthewclemson#p/a/u/0/0FdF4DmBrEg

I really liked the way I synced the two WALDOs there.

Correction: The level is called "No Ordinary Headache"

I did this one way back when. The reactor is one hell of a behemoth.

Have they improved the youtube output, by the way? It's a bit annoying that it only shows an extremely zoomed-out view for multireactor levels, even if you only use the one ( http://www.youtube.com/user/matthewclemson#p/a/u/1/V2BMj7Mf1bI is my video for that one, but it won't spoil much because all you'll see is lots of blue and red lines!)

 

[S. L.]

Gone through the thread adding a bunch of you for leaderboards. If anyone coming in now wants to add me, I'm mattclem.

you guys can add me as captainfox@gmx.net on steam, if i understand this correctly

My solution to the same:

http://www.youtube.com/user/matthewclemson#p/a/u/0/0FdF4DmBrEg

I really liked the way I synced the two WALDOs there.

that's some sick stuff

Look at your Elapsed Cycles score, lolz. Creative solution though.

yeah, i had to reset the flipflops with an empty run every other round, ate the cycles lol

 

[amdnv]

http://www.youtube.com/user/matthewclemson#p/a/u/0/0FdF4DmBrEg

HA! I had no idea you could make a dead end and have the Waldo go back the way it came from. This potentially opens up some possibilities...

 

[mclem]

HA! I had no idea you could make a dead end and have the Waldo go back the way it came from. This potentially opens up some possibilities...

(Spoiler is just a brief discussion of where and how that ability can be used)

Spoiler

It's useful right at the beginning, and some of the most streamlined solutions to the very first puzzles use this.

However, it's of limited usefulness shortly after that, because *all* you can use it for at that stage is a shuttle going back and forth; due to how the arrows work, you can't go backwards around a corner. That heavily reduces its usage until branching abilities - the sensor readout, or the flipflops I used there - come into play.

Just looking through my other videos: It's not an official achievement, but I managed to do Challenge: In-Place Swap with a single reactor. I'd recommend that a side-goal; I've looked at a few others on youtube, and they're all beautiful to watch. Making one of them is incredibly fulfulling.

 

[toythatkills]

If you're on my friends list on Steam, I've beaten you (for cycles) on all the levels on the first planet.

Okay so they are mainly tutorials, but still, efficient solutions are fun and I'm pretty proud of some of them. One still needs work though.

 

[Toma]

If you're on my friends list on Steam, I've beaten you (for cycles) on all the levels on the first planet.

Okay so they are mainly tutorials, but still, efficient solutions are fun and I'm pretty proud of some of them. One still needs work though.

Yeah I loved doing that as well. Wouldnt have thought that this game would tickle my "highscore senses" this much.

 

[XiaNaphryz]

If you're on my friends list on Steam, I've beaten you (for cycles) on all the levels on the first planet.

Sounds like someone doesn't have yeoz on their friends list.

 

[S. L.]

yay, i defeated the level 4 pyramid boss. that guy was a bitch

 

[pix]

yay, i defeated the level 4 pyramid boss. that guy was a bitch

I am on this stage now, and good lord is it complicated. I don't even know where to begin, because of the 3 33% chance atoms you get. I can't even think of a way to sense which one is which to output it to a specific location.

 

[S. L.]

I am on this stage now, and good lord is it complicated. I don't even know where to begin, because of the 3 33% chance atoms you get. I can't even think of a way to sense which one is which to output it to a specific location.

yeah you can probably be extremely clever in this level, but i took the easy way out and decomposed every molecule entirely and then reassembled.

 

[amdnv]

Yeah I loved doing that as well. Wouldnt have thought that this game would tickle my "highscore senses" this much.

The game is so long that I'd rather just keep moving forward instead of going back to old levels and making them more efficient. Even though I have 8 Spacechem-playing friends in my Steam list, I have reached a point where I'm the only entry in the leaderboards.

Going back and tweaking endlessly will just make you grow tired of the game, and you'll stop after three or four planets.

 

[Toma]

The game is so long that I'd rather just keep moving forward instead of going back to old levels and making them more efficient. Even though I have 8 Spacechem-playing friends in my Steam list, I have reached a point where I'm the only entry in the leaderboards.

Going back and tweaking endlessly will just make you grow tired of the game, and you'll stop after three or four planets.

Its actually more of a feature you dont need to use if you dont want to. I almost had more fun refining old solutions than starting new levels.

Everyone can play as they want Thats what makes a great game out of a good one in this case.

 

[XiaNaphryz]

I am on this stage now, and good lord is it complicated. I don't even know where to begin, because of the 3 33% chance atoms you get. I can't even think of a way to sense which one is which to output it to a specific location.

Here's what I ended up doing, probably similar to yours as it is easier to sort after sending things out.

http://i.imgur.com/xoF2g.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/feV9N.png

http://i.imgur.com/BQhDb.png

http://i.imgur.com/Cr9bn.png

 

[S. L.]

the level 5 planet boss was a lot easier

 

[TheExodu5]

I just want to go home so I can play this!

 

[toythatkills]

Sounds like someone doesn't have yeoz on their friends list.

Who's that? Well, if they add me I'll see how I compare =P

Going back and tweaking endlessly will just make you grow tired of the game, and you'll stop after three or four planets.

It's actually about keeping it fresh. The newer levels get more and more complex and my solutions get more and more convoluted and I get worn out thinking about them. It's fun to go back and play easier levels, or levels that I found hard before, and refine them. It's like a different game entirely.

 

[n8]

Just beat the first chapter (if that's what you would call that). I know I'm just scratching the surface here, but this is amazing.

I'm really glad I bought this.

 

[Blast Processing]

I'm on the third moustachium puzzle and have no f'n idea where to start.

I've made it to 3-1 in the main game. It's very good, but mind bending. I've had puzzles take 45 minutes or more!

 

[Mr_Elysia]

TTK what's your SteamID?

 

[toythatkills]

It will probably surprise no one to learn that it's toythatkills :lol

 

[kingschiebi]

Great game, but that last set of levels really makes me wish for a third waldo.
Then again, it certainly says something when a puzzle game makes you pick up that book about logic gates from the shelf.

The only thing that I am missing is the option to add a custom note just to remind me what I was trying to do at a certain point the day before and the possibility to copy/save waldo instruction groups instead of complete reactor layouts.

 

[Sportbilly]

Probably a dumb question- is there any way to make the input atom/ molecule start in a different square to the default?

Edit- this is in a single reactor problem. I know with multiple reactors the input square is dependent on where you output the molecule in the previous reactor.

 

[Firebrand]

Anyone got the issue where SpaceChem wants to do the installation procedure everytime you launch it? Removing the .Net installer from the game directory helps a little but there's still a UAC popup.

 

[Toma]

Probably a dumb question- is there any way to make the input atom/ molecule start in a different square to the default?

Edit- this is in a single reactor problem. I know with multiple reactors the input square is dependent on where you output the molecule in the previous reactor.

Nope.

 

[Sportbilly]

Nope.

Ta, didn't think so. I've sorted out the problem anyway by re-routing part of it so there was a bit more room.

 

[Mimir]

My solution to the same:

http://www.youtube.com/user/matthewclemson#p/a/u/0/0FdF4DmBrEg

I really liked the way I synced the two WALDOs there.

My solution: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7VFgjXrFQA

I really should go back and optimize that a bit more.

 

[mike23]

Bought the game last night. Fun so far, I'm a bit into the 4th planet.

The one thing this game really needs is multiple saved solutions for each level. It sucks that I have to destroy my low cycle solution when I want to try for a low symbol solution.

 

[Toma]

Bought the game last night. Fun so far, I'm a bit into the 4th planet.

The one thing this game really needs is multiple saved solutions for each level. It sucks that I have to destroy my low cycle solution when I want to try for a low symbol solution.

Yeah, thats the only thing bugging me as well.

However I am already glad that it saves the solutions at all

 

[Vinci]

Bought the game last night. Fun so far, I'm a bit into the 4th planet.

The one thing this game really needs is multiple saved solutions for each level. It sucks that I have to destroy my low cycle solution when I want to try for a low symbol solution.

Yup. Since my wife and I play on the same game and try to outdo one another, sometimes I hate that she's bested one of my designs but I cannot always remember how my design originally worked or how I might have later improved it. We've started taking screenshots of each reactor design and dating the pics so we can go back and review past ones, but it would be great if the game offered that functionality itself.

I can understand why it doesn't, but t'would be grand.

 

[Of All Trades]

I spent my tickets on the DLC but... where is it?

 

[Nabs]

I spent my tickets on the DLC but... where is it?

It's the planet on the main menu.

 

[toythatkills]

Bought the game last night. Fun so far, I'm a bit into the 4th planet.

The one thing this game really needs is multiple saved solutions for each level. It sucks that I have to destroy my low cycle solution when I want to try for a low symbol solution.

Between screenshots and Youtube uploads, there's less compulsion to return to older solutions for me. And if I want them, they're there, I just have to remake them! (Also, the undo in this game is amazing, you can just play your low symbol solution and then undo back to your low cycle one when you're done.)

I spent my tickets on the DLC but... where is it?

I did this exact thing :lol

I swear it didn't download anything, and yet there it was.

 

[Sportbilly]

OMG. No Ordinary Headache. I've done 3 cracking solutions, but just can't get rid of the excess Oxygen in time to stop a blockage. Fecking thing. Every time I get stuck, I switch the damn thing off, then have another idea and spend another half hour trying to implement it....

 

[mike23]

4-3 was the first one to give me trouble. I'm going to blame it on the fact that I'm dead tired. I got stuck in one mindset and had trouble thinking outside the box. Ended up with a somewhat interesting, but still terrible, solution for all my hard work.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVk0jWBs5YQ

The whole right area determines where to drop the finished compounds. Took me a while to figure out how to get it to determine which is which without a element checker.

I'm idconvict on steam if anyone wants to add me.

 

[mike23]

OMG. No Ordinary Headache. I've done 3 cracking solutions, but just can't get rid of the excess Oxygen in time to stop a blockage. Fecking thing. Every time I get stuck, I switch the damn thing off, then have another idea and spend another half hour trying to implement it....

I just made the pipes really long on the outside, heh.

 

[Sportbilly]

Hehehe. I did think of that, but as a former research chemist it appalled me...

 

[Sportbilly]

4-3 was the first one to give me trouble. I'm going to blame it on the fact that I'm dead tired. I got stuck in one mindset and had trouble thinking outside the box. Ended up with a somewhat interesting, but still terrible, solution for all my hard work.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVk0jWBs5YQ

The whole right area determines where to drop the finished compounds. Took me a while to figure out how to get it to determine which is which without a element checker.

I'm idconvict on steam if anyone wants to add me.

Wow, I'm always astonished at how intricate some people's designs can be. I don't mean that in a sarcastic way, I'm genuinely impressed by how you can come up with a design like that. Mine tend to be dully efficient and a bit boring-

Oxides solution

I'm here- http://steamcommunity.com/id/Mudface90210 if people would like to add me.

 

[amdnv]

Oxides solution

Um, that reactor can't work? You pick up the beta atom and crash it into the alpha atom?

Edit: Oh, I see you've got the blue Waldo bonding. That's a cool way to do it.

 

[Sportbilly]

Yeah, saves messing around.

I've got the first reactor splitting stage of No Ordinary Headache off OK, just keep messing up the rest .

 

[wsippel]

Yeah, saves messing around.

I've got the first reactor splitting stage of No Ordinary Headache off OK, just keep messing up the rest .

Clever. I've gone for a single reactor solution from the start, and it works. Not exactly very efficient, though:

I throw away half the atoms, then bond whatever's left, then check if the result is what I wanted. Stupid, wastes tons of cycles. Works though.

 

[Sportbilly]

Holy shit- one reactor?

Right, need to get serious with this...

 

[bigf00t]

After staying awake thinking about spacechem last night, I managed to build my one-reactor solution for In-Place Swap today:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsBScGDqBlw

I can't figure out how to record reactor view only, so here's a screenshot.

http://steamcommunity.com/id/bigf00t/screenshot/578927726896927231

I'm pretty happy with the number of symbols used (43) compared to some solutions I looked at afterwards on Youtube.

Also, if anyone wants to add me for leaderboards my steam name is bigf00t.

 

[jepense]

I got SpaceChem from the Steam sale a couple of days ago, and wow, it is one of the best games I have ever played. It's simple yet complicated and extremely challenging in a most rewarding way. So far I'm through the 4th world.

 

[The Technomancer]

Damnit, I just don't see how to beat the giant pyramid boss with less then three reactors. I need one reactor to break down the originals and send along Uranium, one reactor to sort the other Oxygen and Hydrogen, and one reactor to assemble the sorted O and H into the final molecule...

 

[MacGurcules]

Damn, this game is phenomenal. I almost feel bad about how many levels I just brute force. That's what's so gorgeous about this game, though. You can optimize all the livelong day, but so far every level can also be solved by just throwing enough controls at it. Might not be pretty, but it gets the job done.

I just finished KOHCTPYKTOP and I feel I solved it in an appropriately Soviet fashion: in case of deficiency, just add more workers. My time wasn't actually all that bad. I got around 12000 cycles on the first run. And once I optimized my silicon dioxide disassembler a bit, I ended up at 8360. I'm actually fairly fond of how preposterously convoluted it is.

 

[bigf00t]

I haven't seen SolutionNet mentioned here yet. I'd recommend checking it out if you're interested in other people's solutions. It has a leaderboard system based on uploaded save files, including images of each person's solutions. Pretty interesting to see some of the high-ranked solutions.

This one-reactor solution to "4-4 No Ordinary Headache" blew my mind.

 

[jepense]

Oh I didn't know of SolutionsNet. Very interesting.

The way leaderboards in the game are handled as distributions is just awesome. It would be utterly irrelevant to see that my solution ranks 14375th with the leader having used 2476 cycles less than me. But seeing my solution ranked worse than the median just demands a more efficient solution. I'm in world 8 now and although I always try to construct elegant solutions, I find myself brute-forcing some puzzles since they really are quite difficult. I'll return to them later for sure.