Custom Map #555: Catch 22

[Zaggy]

This is in my top 10 favorite maps list, for sure.

I've done it a few times, and every time I work my way from the top.  The secret is to use 60-million AC makers as bombs, and just throw them at the dense creeper over and over.  You'll need more bombs than you think, so be patient!

I'm proud of my 33-minute time.   I think there's only 2 custom maps where I have the best time.  :)

[jepler]

When you say "use them as bombs", do you mean to actually let them be destroyed, just to make sure that when they burst their payload they're over the creeper, or what?

For my 60-minute time I feel like I'm constantly building makers even though I lose relatively few of them—just slowly growing the 8 or so groups that I cycle in to burst.  and yet the map is far from full of them by the time I finish.

[Kithros]

Don't let your makers die (well, you can, but it certainly won't be any good for your time). As long as all the anti-creeper from your makers is reaching the creeper, it doesn't really matter if you just produce or charge up the makers and burst them or whatever - just make sure all your makers are constantly either charging or producing at all times, and all the anti-creeper is being used. You should definitely have maxed out fire rate as the fire rate does effect the rate at which makers can use ore.

[Grauniad]

240 minutes? Holy Mackerel .

I suspect (but haven't the patience to try) that the best avenue would be to open both paths, but then to have sufficient anti-creeper stored up in makers to rapidly increase the amount of a-c in the upper passage to prevent being swamped. Not sure about the fields, but perhaps a substantial amount of a-c can be stored in the path used to open up the a-c emitter.

Not sure of one *has* to use a-c to push back the creeper in the bottom pathway. Cleaning it up would be time-consuming, so if not absolutely necessary, then that might be a time-saver. But again, I don't have the patience.

[Siscokid]

 ??? Lookit I just take these stupid slog almost unwinnable maps and just open in editor give myself what I want and go play, I have long stopped playing impossible or long drawn out maps that take two hours to finish, just aint worth my time

[SmileyCoder]

You are of course welcome to do so, and edit any level to suit your needs. Only thing to keep in mind is that you cannot submit a score on a map that has been edited.

[dratun]

I am apparently missing something obvious here, how do you get through the stone wall?

[Grauniad]

Look carefully. At least one "stone" tile is marked with a blue "x".

That means that a gateway sending out digging packets can dig through that tile. The digging packets need an path that is not obstructed by anti-creeper.

[dratun]

wow, I didn't know you could do that.  this makes the map significantly easier :)