Custom Map #2703: Opposing Tides

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This topic is for discussion of map #2703: Opposing Tides


Author: Bongo

Desc:
* HINTS * * Anti-Creeper Field unduced Gravity (down) is very powerful but also unpredictable. * Anti-Creeper and Creeper are roughly equal. Plan accordingly. * Any Anti-Creeper on the bottom is recycled to the opposite side of the top.

[Bongo]

This is the first map I've made that I wasn't totally sick of before I even submitted it. I've played it dozens of times now, but I'm a little worried about those long times. It shouldn't take more than 20 minutes to play this map. So here's some hints if you want them.

(BTW, My time is real after about 20 plays, "a" is a known cheater along with "TEST_C", and "hj chase", among others.)

Spoiler

1. There is Anti-Creeper at the top AND down both sides.

2. Setting up your power and the left side is more important than immediately digging out Anti-Creeper or Creeper blocks. I had the whole top and left side filled with Reactors (and 20 Tech-Domes) at 4:00. That's also a good place to save your game.

3. You can get a HUGE head start by immediately digging out an Anti-Creeper block near the middle and using Beacons to collect the Technytes and Power Crystals. Once you get a little power (or Crystals) you can dig out the SECOND row of Anti-Creeper blocks which will then dribble down slowly and allow you to get almost everything else.

4. Two Shields three from edges can collect the dribbling Anti-Creeper. When the concentration is AT LEAST 300 million (600 million is better) you can dig out the row safely. THEN, with caution, you can dig out the left and right side Anti-Creeper blocks AND at least 1 (or more) adjacent columns of Creeper blocks. If you only dig out the Anti-Creeper blocks then it will collect in the shallows and reverse which will set you back severely.

If you do all this, by 4:30 (ish), you should have your stuff collected, your power set up, 12 blocks dug from the second Anti-Creeper row of blocks (3 in x 4), almost all the side Anti-Creeper blocks + 1 to 3 Creepers block columns on the sides. THEN it becomes tricky. :P

ADVANCED:

5. Usually, I would dig the Anti-Creeper block columns on the edges and when they 'popped' I would dig the Creeper blocks below them all the way to the bottom

6. When I was down to about 13 to 7 columns (of both), I would start digging out the BOTTOM of the remaining Anti-Creeper blocks, and use shields to make side funnels to catch and collect the falling Anti-Creeper above each row. Collecting and digging each ROW going down. Remember to kill the Shields when you are done with them.

7. Finally, pound the 'mound' of Creeper in the middle bottom with Launchers until you can kill the Gates.

HARD CORE: (beating 10 minutes, strategies I'm STILL trying out.)

8. Any Anti-Creeper that makes it to the bottom is transported to the OPPOSTIE side of the top. It takes about 3 minutes to fall to the bottom again. If you are going for the big win, any Anti-Creeper that makes it to the bottom late in the game will be wasted in transit (after about 6:00 for me). In the last 2 or 3 minutes it MIGHT be better to make Shield funnels to force the Anti-Creeper into the Creeper.

9. Shields can be very helpful but they can also trap (and slow down) HUGE amounts of Anti-Creeper. Since the there is only a little more Anti-Creeper than Creeper having just 20 Shields with 5 mil trapped (5000 k) can make a big difference. Alternately, Shields can store or slow down Anti-Creeper that you can release at a better time later. Be careful to not let the AC 'flip'.

10. There are 6 Gateways at the bottom (stacked double deep for 1x3). Each has a limit of ONE drone with a ONE frame delay and a 10 mil (10,000k) Anti-Creeper payload. The faster you kill them the faster they spew more drones for a theoretical AC production of (1 frame to spawn +1 frame to kill) 15 Drones/Sec x 10 Mil x 6 Gates) = 900 Mil/Sec. It's actually more like HALF (or less than that). Each Creeper block contains 900 million Creeper so if you set up Blasters around the the Gates you can get enough Anti-Creeper (for free) to kill one Creeper block each 2 to 3 seconds, which will then be transported to the middle top. I'm still working out if 'milking' the Gates is worth it.

Good luck! I'm still trying to beat 8:30. ;)

[close]

If you spent 60 minutes playing this and thought it would be more fun to waste 120+ minutes then play map #476 "It comes from the sewer" by Slooch. I was going to attribute him but when I took out the Ore mining to get Anti-Creeper, I felt it was different enough not to bother.

[Strubbel]

Me for my part (I might be the Anonymous with 29 minutes... Gotta check my ingame-name), I don't care about my time... I just play for fun ^^

As long as I can "play" with some anti-creeper eliminating creeper, I am happy :D
So don't worry at my time, at least :D

[ea3401]

... "a" is a known cheater ...

That's wrong.

[Bongo]

... "a" is a known cheater ...

That's wrong.

It's not like it really matters but I've seriously looked into this guys scores on HUNDREDS of maps. If you (ea3401), Morlon, or I (and few others) get a really low time, then I KNOW the best time is usually within 30 seconds of that time. I've played over 2000 maps and I know what is, and is not, possible when you do everything exactly right.

From what I've seen he uses an infinite energy (and sometimes infinite Technytes) hack. My PROOF is that his scores suck on maps that start with infinite (or high) energy and he is routinely better than the next 20 scores by ridiculous amounts of time. It's not uncommon to see a map with the top 20 scores between 10:00 and 11:00 and "a" will have a score of 6:00. Mind you, that top 20 will routinely include YOU, ME, MORLON and the best of over a thousand other players. I could believe 9:40 or even 9:30 but a score 40% better than best of the best of the best is total shenanigans! Also, he will often get the best TIME but a crappy SCORE because he doesn't bother to collect any Crystals, especially if you have to dig for them.

Occasionally, I (or someone else) can beat him because he is lazy, not that smart, and always uses the brute force of infinite energy when advanced strategy would work better. But only a few maps are more amenable to strategy than infinite energy.

I only point this out because I wasted a lot of time trying to beat his scores (and "TEST_C"s and "hj chase"s) before I figured out it's impossible without cheating. I don't want people, who like to play for times, to get discouraged by his cheating scores. I want them to feel good when they get the (real) top score and ignore the cheating losers who so frequently pollute the #1 position.

[ea3401]

My PROOF is that his scores suck on maps that start with infinite (or high) energy...

See map2694 with infinite energy. A dumb cheater couldn't do that in 2:30.

[Bongo]

Unless he started with all the "Packet Speeds" and "20% Less Build Cost", while the rest of us had to earn those over the next 90 to 120 seconds (and buy them in the right order). He was smart enough to build a line of Micro-Rifts down the middle and push the Creeper around the edge blocks, but infinite energy often makes him lazy.

I'd say there are about 10 maps that prove my point. 10 maps where the building, energy, and strategy are so constrained that every top score is within a very narrow range, and there is his score, orders of magnitude better. 10 maps that I opened in the Editor to see if I was missing a helpful Field or a hidden Gem, and found nothing.

That's what proved it for me.

---

It's all silly anyway. For all I know every player cheats in this game (except me, :P ).

I've suggested there should be a Cheat Mode for newbies, children, and speed runners. I just don't want people to be discouraged when it takes them 40 minutes to finish a map that "a" finishes in 4 minutes, while the real best time is actually 12 minutes.

[a]

What an interesting topic, and without my participation ...

Bongo, I would be offended if I did not understand this message as an acknowledgment of my strong game. Play so well that people do not believe ...

Write to me the number of the map. And write your email inbox. I'll send save games.

But on one condition. You apologize and admit here that I'm the best of the best ... after ea3401, of course.