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SpaceChem |OT| It's Not About Chemistry

ultron87

Member
Completing the first multireactor puzzle made me feel like a god damn hero. And I'm sure it'll only get more ridiculous.
 

Corky

Nine out of ten orphans can't tell the difference.
The_Technomancer said:
Okay...I need to stop playing SpaceChem...I need to go buy food...

Food....foood....

*start-->input food--->grab....ramblings*
 

XiaNaphryz

LATIN, MATRIPEDICABUS, DO YOU SPEAK IT
TyrantGuardian said:
I cannot believe how mind-bending this is without ever having you resort to random brute forcing of solutions
And even if you do get stuck but have an idea what to do, the option to brute force a solution is still there. But at least it's not random!
 

Toma

Let me show you through these halls, my friend, where treasures of indie gaming await...
Corky said:
Food....foood....

*start-->input food--->grab....ramblings*

You still need to drop in your mouth. No wonder why you are still hungry, very inefficient.
:p
 

XiaNaphryz

LATIN, MATRIPEDICABUS, DO YOU SPEAK IT
Another quick tip for those starting that may not be apparent - you can change the red ins and outs to affect what blue ins/outs normally and vice-versa. Just right-click and select the other symbol.

Also, I just realized I haven't played in a long time. Here's my current progress:

VPKyG.png
 

Toma

Let me show you through these halls, my friend, where treasures of indie gaming await...
XiaNaphryz said:
Another quick tip for those starting that may not be apparent - you can change the red ins and outs to affect what blue ins/outs normally and vice-versa. Just right-click and select the other symbol.

I just learned that a few hours ago.. For some reason I didnt think it'd work with the in and output.
 

The Technomancer

card-carrying scientician
XiaNaphryz said:
Another quick tip for those starting that may not be apparent - you can change the red ins and outs to affect what blue ins/outs normally and vice-versa. Just right-click and select the other symbol.
Oh yeah, this becomes absolutely necessary for any kind of efficiency as the game ramps up.
 

Corky

Nine out of ten orphans can't tell the difference.
Toma said:
You still need to drop in your mouth. No wonder why you are still hungry, very inefficient.
:p

But I'm a zombie! Seriously I really hit a wall at like the first "real" mission, with the 3 storage tanks. But I just need to take a break because I'm doing stupid stuff.
 
Toma said:
I just learned that a few hours ago.. For some reason I didnt think it'd work with the in and output.
I used that technique almost from the very start. Maybe I just got lucky and noticed it when the tutorial told me to right-click. I'm sure there's a level in the tutorial where it forced me to do it though. I really should remember, it wasn't even that long ago!

Does this have online leaderboards or anything? I dunno if the end of level scores are just showing me my own records because that's all it does, or because I've got nobody on my friends list.

In which case, if you're playing Spacechem, add toythatkills!
 

The Technomancer

card-carrying scientician
toythatkills said:
I used that technique almost from the very start. Maybe I just got lucky and noticed it when the tutorial told me to right-click. I'm sure there's a level in the tutorial where it forced me to do it though. I really should remember, it wasn't even that long ago!

Does this have online leaderboards or anything? I dunno if the end of level scores are just showing me my own records because that's all it does, or because I've got nobody on my friends list.

In which case, if you're playing Spacechem, add toythatkills!
You should get a series of graphs at the end of each level that show you how you compare to everyone who plays it.
 

Toma

Let me show you through these halls, my friend, where treasures of indie gaming await...
The_Technomancer said:
You should get a series of graphs at the end of each level that show you how you compare to everyone who plays it.

... erm what? You do? The graphs you get are comparing to the leaderboards in general. And the "list" leaderboard only lists your friends.

Or did I miss something?

Edit: Apology below
 
Toma said:
... erm what? You do? The graphs you get are comparing to the leaderboards in general. And the "list" leaderboard only lists your friends.
Yeah, that's what he said :p

I guess it's 'cause I've got nobody on my Steam friends list that I'm seeing nobody but me in the leaderboards list
 

Toma

Let me show you through these halls, my friend, where treasures of indie gaming await...
toythatkills said:
Yeah, that's what he said :p

I guess it's 'cause I've got nobody on my Steam friends list that I'm seeing nobody but me in the leaderboards list

Aaaah damn. "You should". I read this as "Boy you know what would be great? You really should get graphs that..."

Stupid me. Sorry Techno for not being able to read properly :(
 

The Technomancer

card-carrying scientician
Okay, the instructions don't explain Control Branches at all. I mean, I get how they should work but I have no clue what actually activates a branch. It says use them to "respond to external conditions". How?
 

Toma

Let me show you through these halls, my friend, where treasures of indie gaming await...
The_Technomancer said:
Okay, the instructions don't explain Control Branches at all. I mean, I get how they should work but I have no clue what actually activates a branch. It says use them to "respond to external conditions". How?

Which level was that?
 

Toma

Let me show you through these halls, my friend, where treasures of indie gaming await...
The_Technomancer said:
The first defense level, with the moving tank.

Give me a second to search for it. Memory is fuzzy.
 

XiaNaphryz

LATIN, MATRIPEDICABUS, DO YOU SPEAK IT
Look at the bottom, you press certain keys to activate whether a branch is active or not. That way you can personally control when to send a waldo to a certain path.
 

GDJustin

stuck my tongue deep inside Atlus' cookies
Holy shit, I'd bought Spacechem finally as part of the Steam Summer sale and I just wanted to chime in and say it is one of the most brilliant puzzle games I've ever played. Absolute genius.

Every time I start a puzzle I begin without a clue, convinced I'll never solve it. Then I figure it out, and feel like a God. But then I see that my answer was sloppy as shit, and find some way to double its efficiency, making my old "God-like" solution look terrible.

Perfect.
 

Toma

Let me show you through these halls, my friend, where treasures of indie gaming await...
This post is now going to be abused for track keeping.
 

Toma

Let me show you through these halls, my friend, where treasures of indie gaming await...
The_Technomancer said:
Oh yeah, sensing branches. Here we go!

Yeah, just had those as well. Totally forgot about them.

Currently working on 4-3.
 

DogWelder

Member
Toma said:
I just learned that a few hours ago.. For some reason I didnt think it'd work with the in and output.
Hahahahaha, oh man. You made the game so much more difficult for yourself. How far did you get without that knowledge?
 

Toma

Let me show you through these halls, my friend, where treasures of indie gaming await...
DogWelder said:
Hahahahaha, oh man. You made the game so much more difficult for yourself. How far did you get without that knowledge?

4-3 so far. But yeah I can totally see where I can use that knowledge. I am actually more surprised that I still managed to get very good highscores without knowing that.

Edit: 4-4 now.
 

The Technomancer

card-carrying scientician
DogWelder said:
Hahahahaha, oh man. You made the game so much more difficult for yourself. How far did you get without that knowledge?
You want to see "making it too hard on yourself"? Check out my video on the last page when I didn't know you could move bonders. Its actually pretty cool.
 

Toma

Let me show you through these halls, my friend, where treasures of indie gaming await...
The_Technomancer said:
You want to see "making it too hard on yourself"? Check out my video on the last page when I didn't know you could move bonders. Its actually pretty cool.

actually we should totally make these a challenge on a certain map.

"Dont move bonders" "do not change ANY tool by right clicking"

Would make for tough levels.
 

bonesquad

Member
I bought this on a whim (I don't do that often, but $5...), and I'm sure glad I did. Excellent game, even if I already know I'll probably never complete all the puzzles it comes with.

Earlier this year I was addicted to Train Yard on the iPhone. And while Spacechem is a very different game, they both fall into a 'circuit creation' puzzle game genre (is that a genre?). Not sure why I hesitated buying Spacechem anymore... now I need to get 3 tickets to grab the DLC.
 

Toma

Let me show you through these halls, my friend, where treasures of indie gaming await...
4-4 is is giving me no ordinary headache right now. Damn, this game..
 

DogWelder

Member
The_Technomancer said:
You want to see "making it too hard on yourself"? Check out my video on the last page when I didn't know you could move bonders. Its actually pretty cool.
LOLOL. You guys need to read the instructions!
 

amdnv

Member
Earlier today I quit somewhere on planet 4. It is the third challenge of the game, where you have to solve the level using a single reactor. I tried a few different approaches but could not figure it out.
You get a mix of different molecules, have to unbond them, then re-bond them depending on what atoms they are. I think it would be fairly easy using a second reactor, but doing it in a single one seems crazy hard.

Not looking for ANY help at all (!!), just wondering whether you folks did this challenge?

Correction: The level is called "No Ordinary Headache"
 
Can someone have a look at this? It's early on, 3-2, It Takes Three.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63llmmS4mAo

That's what I made, but I realise that it's horribly inefficient (though actually kinda funny, I like the way the blue waldo moves the H out of the way of the red waldo before it drops the next one).

Just wondered how other people went at this one. It's the first time I've had to use three of the same input in one output and it confused me a little which is why my solution is kinda inelegant. It seems like a technique I'm gonna need a lot, so I need it working better than it is here!
 

amdnv

Member
Hahahahaaa, I did it. I received the achievement "Efficiency Specialist", which is funny because I had to use 17,000 cycles (!) to beat "No Ordinary Headache" with one reactor.

I'm quite certain there is a much better way to do it, so if people figure it out, I'd love to see the solution. I can post mine too if you like, but it's a bit unreadable, like a plate of spaghetti.
 
Just finished "No Ordinary Headache" and it was the first mission where I felt like I actually found an efficient solution. For the rest of the game it feels like I've been creating the most convoluted paths possible. It's the most fun I've had with a puzzle game in years though, I'm really looking forward to checking out other folks builds after I've finished the game just to see how terrible I am at it.
 

XiaNaphryz

LATIN, MATRIPEDICABUS, DO YOU SPEAK IT
toythatkills said:
Can someone have a look at this? It's early on, 3-2, It Takes Three.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63llmmS4mAo

That's what I made, but I realise that it's horribly inefficient (though actually kinda funny, I like the way the blue waldo moves the H out of the way of the red waldo before it drops the next one).

Just wondered how other people went at this one. It's the first time I've had to use three of the same input in one output and it confused me a little which is why my solution is kinda inelegant. It seems like a technique I'm gonna need a lot, so I need it working better than it is here!
Here's my solution for it. Been a while since I played that level, so I'm sure I could figure out something more efficient if I think about it for a while.

http://i.imgur.com/rGIBw.png
 

Mr_Elysia

Member
Anyone feel free to add me: Mr_Elysia. Will be nice to have more information on leaderboards. Haven't got much time into it, on world three, level five, but really liking it.
 
XiaNaphryz said:
Here's my solution for it. Been a while since I played that level, so I'm sure I could figure out something more efficient if I think about it for a while.

http://i.imgur.com/rGIBw.png
Amazing, thanks!

I already realise one stupid mistake, which is forgetting that putting "bond" on a bonder would just cause them all to bond to the one moving through. For some reason I was convinced I had to drop them all, bond them all, then come back through to pick them up.
 

amdnv

Member
Spirit of Jazz said:
Just finished "No Ordinary Headache" and it was the first mission where I felt like I actually found an efficient solution.
Did you do one reactor or several?
 

Toma

Let me show you through these halls, my friend, where treasures of indie gaming await...
lorebringer said:
Gold bar on bottom left of main menu.

And the DLC content is a huge planet in the same screen.
 
More Spacechem expertise needed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?hd=1&v=c8VGY6KMxRg

The issue here was removing the bonds and then rebonding, and my solution is actually kinda good, but I'm not sure why it works.

In case it's not clear, once the hydrogens and oxygens are all dropped onto the bonders, the blue waldo removes all the bonds, and then puts new bonds back just in time for the red waldo to grab the complete thing and carry it off.

My problem is that the hydrogens bond to the oxygens, but not to each other. Why is this? If they bonded to each other the whole solution would be destroyed. I know that hydrogens are only allowed one bond and that's why they don't bond to the oxygen and the hydrogen, but I wondered if there was some hierarchy or something that caused them to bond to the oxygen instead of bonding to each other.

I've gotta admit, without knowing this my solution feels kinda cheaty :lol
 

S. L.

Member
tried one of the researchnet assignmets,
super inefficient and complicated
spacechem.gif

but i am mighty proud of it :D :D :D

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

Toma

Let me show you through these halls, my friend, where treasures of indie gaming await...
S. L. said:
tried one of the researchnet assignmets,
super inefficient and complicated

but i am mighty proud of it :D :D :D

Lol, but it looks cool as hell.
 

amdnv

Member
toythatkills said:
My problem is that the hydrogens bond to the oxygens, but not to each other. Why is this?
I don't know, but there probably is some sort of hierarchy, so I'd say the solution is fine.
 

The Technomancer

card-carrying scientician
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.

And yeah, it may not be about chemistry but they do adhere to some basic rules of chemistry, and I'm pretty sure Oxygen takes precedence.
 
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