Important Notes:
* The change in submission time! (or is it because you guys have hit daylight savings?)
* Restriction in challenge - only your first submission is accepted
Round 4 - Revenge of Polymers
If you remember from last year, there is a whole class of molecules that consist of chains or sheets of smaller molecules. Let's make a few!
8: PVC V
Task: Convert vinyl chloride into chlorinated PVC.
Goal Priority: LEAST CYCLES/LEAST SYMBOLS/SUBMISSION TIME
Challenge 4: Liquid Glass
Coincidentally similar to a Blueeyedrat puzzle
Task: Make sodium silicate from silica via fusion and fission. Restriction: Only your first submission will be accepted.
Goal Priority: LEAST SYMBOLS/SUBMISSION TIME/LEAST CYCLES
Here are my Round 3 submissions. I feel pretty good about this week, though I did stupidly miss an easy couple of cycles on Superhydracetylene. I doubt I'll get Top 8 there, but I think my challenge solution should be enough to get Top 8.
The Round 4 puzzles look fairly challenging, but maybe it's because I'm tired and my head is still aching a little from alcohol consumption. And since I won't be able to make some headway for a couple days, I hope I have enough time to get enough thought into the challenge before submitting...
Completely overlooked the restriction on this week's challenge. On the plus side, my second solution only saved cycles and that's one less puzzle to worry about.
I'm surprised I got Top 8 on all three of the Round 3 puzzles, actually. But the important thing is that you keep beating me on the Challenge puzzles, I'm almost envious. Super-impressed by your performance so far on the upper tier.
As for this week's puzzles, early benchmarks from SA are sub-200 cycles on PVCV and sub-30 symbols on Liquid Glass. Time for me to get working! ... tomorrow, once I'm less tired. Gotta hope I get a good submission in a timely fashion...
But the important thing is that you keep beating me on the Challenge puzzles, I'm almost envious. Super-impressed by your performance so far on the upper tier.
As for this week's puzzles, early benchmarks from SA are sub-200 cycles on PVCV and sub-30 symbols on Liquid Glass. Time for me to get working! ... tomorrow, once I'm less tired. Gotta hope I get a good submission in a timely fashion...
Haha, I'm sup-300 (opposite of sub?) at PVCV at the moment.
Oddly pleased at the delay in submission time, because it means that it's ... I think, Saturday 11am local time for me now instead of 5am.
Means I might actually get some sleep on Friday night, instead of staying up far too late powered by adrenalin!
I finally got started on the round's puzzles yesterday and got to sub-30 on the challenge puzzle. Historically, I've been worse on symbol puzzles than cycle puzzles, and I can't see anything obvious about my design that could be improved. On the symbol challenge from Round 2 (Three), I got to my submitted solution very early, so past performance suggests I should send in my submission now. But I can't help but feel like I need to cut at least one more symbol to be competitive. What to do...
Dang, yo. I've been trying to get sub-30 on Better than Graphene after submitting my challenge solution yesterday, but unable to iron out the kinks enough to get past my initial optimizations. I also need to find time to better my PVC V solution, apparently there's a 'trick' to it to get to the sub-200 claims mentioned earlier.
Yah, BTG is tricky because it's a 4 wide molecule, which severely limits the "assembly zone", if you will.
I still haven't put in my challenge solution, because I haven't work on it enough yet. >_> <_<
I ended up hitting a great bit of inspiration last night/this morning for BTG, so I played around with that. When the muse comes knocking, I don't turn her away, yah?
Sub-27 is a thing people are reporting on Better than Graphene (that odd benchmark being due to 27 being the best solution on the SolutionNet depository for ResearchNet's Graphene puzzle), in case people were still working on puzzles. I did manage to cut a couple more symbols on my own solution, and I think I'm at or near floor cycles on PVC V, but for the most part, I don't have high hopes for this week. I know I say that every week, but this week moreso than the previous ones.
Sub-27 is a thing people are reporting on Better than Graphene (that odd benchmark being due to 27 being the best solution on the SolutionNet depository for ResearchNet's Graphene puzzle), in case people were still working on puzzles. I did manage to cut a couple more symbols on my own solution, and I think I'm at or near floor cycles on PVC V, but for the most part, I don't have high hopes for this week. I know I say that every week, but this week moreso than the previous ones.
Yah, I've got sub-27.
I suspect there's one more symbol that I can take out in my solution - it's sort of a duplicate - but I just can't quite get the timings in my loops to be able to remove the duplicate.
Well folks, it looks like I'm out. As much as I've enjoyed participating in the tournament, creating and improving solutions has been taking up all of my spare time. It's distracted me from working on personal project, which I can't really afford to put off for another month, so I'm going to have to call it quits. Keep up the good work, representing PA as well as you have!
Well folks, it looks like I'm out. As much as I've enjoyed participating in the tournament, creating and improving solutions has been taking up all of my spare time. It's distracted me from working on personal project, which I can't really afford to put off for another month, so I'm going to have to call it quits. Keep up the good work, representing PA as well as you have!
Best of luck to you, then, ContentContext!
I totally understand - my personal projects have been put on hold as well.
not that they were going anywhere prior to this =P
It's too bad that you have to drop out, but yeah, SpaceChem can suck up a lot of time, especially in a highly competitive situation as the tournament environment. I'd normally make a suggestion that you just continue with light participation, but I think we all know where the rabbit hole leads. :P
I'll at least add each week's puzzles, so that the option is there, but the 2 I did this week are probably my last for the tournament. I'll still be watching the results.
Edit: Production assignments...got out, just in time.
I couldn't really think of enough material to make a tutorial video for, so I didn't. Basically, you get a selection of reactors to drag on the field, then you connect pipes and program each reactor. You can right-click on reactors to add notes to potential outputs if it makes your life easier.
Anyway, note that production submissions require the following:
1. An image of the interior of every reactor.
2. An image of the entire solution in progress so that I know where to put the reactors.
3. If it matters (it sometimes does!), the order in which you placed your reactors on the map. GuavaMoment explains why.
10: Gas to Liquid and Solid!
By sirawit
Task: Use some ideas to pass.
Goal Priority: LEAST SYMBOLS/LEAST CYCLES/LEAST REACTORS/SUBMISSION TIME
Task: Use a mix of acetylene, carbon monoxide, and water to form acrylic acid.
Goal Priority: LEAST REACTORS/LEAST CYCLES/LEAST SYMBOLS/SUBMISSION TIME
Task: Create 1-Azo 1,2 Propadiene. On Flidais.
Restriction: Use the provided reactor layout. Place the leftmost reactor before the rightmost reactor.
Goal Priority: LEAST CYCLES/LEAST SYMBOLS/SUBMISSION TIME
Here are my solutions for Round 4. Not so good, excepting PVC V.
Interesting that we're getting production puzzles in at this stage of the tournament. I guess with the round name being called 'simple' production, we only have the simplest reactors available. I wonder if a one-reactor solution is possible on Reppe Chemistry. And the types of reactors used in Cyanide Reassembly are kind of sadistic. At least Gas to Liquid and Solid! looks straightforward enough.
Here are my solutions for Round 4. Not so good, excepting PVC V.
Interesting that we're getting production puzzles in at this stage of the tournament. I guess with the round name being called 'simple' production, we only have the simplest reactors available. I wonder if a one-reactor solution is possible on Reppe Chemistry. And the types of reactors used in Cyanide Reassembly are kind of sadistic. At least Gas to Liquid and Solid! looks straightforward enough.
Far out! Your PVC V solution is awesome!
Haha, I like your BTG solution - it's a lovely lattice of flip-flop intersections.
And the old single waldo with a second waldo on Bond+ trick for LG - of course. Edit: This morning, I had almost come up with a way of going single waldo for Liquid Glass, but the thought of doing the Bond+ on the second waldo just slipped past. That would have solved so many problems.
You still beat me on Liquid Glass, though! I'm impressed with your Better than Graphene solution, splitting up the two waldos into construction and output weaving sections and using the Syncs to do the vertical stitching on the output one column at a time.
I'll at least add each week's puzzles, so that the option is there, but the 2 I did this week are probably my last for the tournament. I'll still be watching the results.
Edit: Production assignments...got out, just in time.
What a curious game.
The only way to win... is not to play?
It appears that you win this round, ContentContext! =P
I'm impressed with your Better than Graphene solution, splitting up the two waldos into construction and output weaving sections and using the Syncs to do the vertical stitching on the output one column at a time.
Haha - thanks! I tried to apply the same thing into LG, but without the sensor, it turned out to be quite hard to figure out when to output. =/ Had to add all those extra flipflops for the right time.
So Jabor over at SA has reported that 1-reactor solutions for Reppe Chemistry are possible. Interestingly, there was discussion in the thread at the end of Round 4 about the Miller-Urey ResearchNet puzzle (Vol. 4, Iss 4.), and a solution on SolutionNet that created Glycine in one reactor from a random input of Methane, Water, and Ammonia. In essence, the solution preloaded all of the input molecules it needed before doing complicated sorting and sifting operations to solve the puzzle. As you might expect, there needed to be a lot of field pipe laid out, enough to cover almost the entire field.
For Reppe Chemistry, we are disadvantaged since our reactors are Standard Reactors and do not have sensors. Unlike Miller-Urey, however, inputs are perfectly balanced with no waste management necessary. Hopefully this is useful information in getting that reactor count down - I've only just started so I'm working from three to start off with...
So Jabor over at SA has reported that 1-reactor solutions for Reppe Chemistry are possible. Interestingly, there was discussion in the thread at the end of Round 4 about the Miller-Urey ResearchNet puzzle (Vol. 4, Iss 4.), and a solution on SolutionNet that created Glycine in one reactor from a random input of Methane, Water, and Ammonia. In essence, the solution preloaded all of the input molecules it needed before doing complicated sorting and sifting operations to solve the puzzle. As you might expect, there needed to be a lot of field pipe laid out, enough to cover almost the entire field.
For Reppe Chemistry, we are disadvantaged since our reactors are Standard Reactors and do not have sensors. Unlike Miller-Urey, however, inputs are perfectly balanced with no waste management necessary. Hopefully this is useful information in getting that reactor count down - I've only just started so I'm working from three to start off with...
Intereessssttttinnng!
I'm currently sitting at a 4 reactor solution, because I just wanted participation points. I can see that it's a lovely puzzle, though!
Edit:
Oh
My
Gosh
An idea just popped into my head on how to do this, derived from sorting algorithms in computer science.
Urrgggghhhh
No muse of inspiration! Inspire me on the challenge puzzle, darn it! =P
The fact that we don't have a Sensor Reactor is the main reason why the 1-reactor Reppe Chemistry is going to be such a pain. I don't have the same kind of CS experience as you do, but the base fact that we don't have the convenience of a sensor to provide flow control has huge implications as far as solutions go. I crafted a basic four-reactor solution as well, but I'm gonna need more thinking to figure out how to cut reactors due to my inexperience with these kinds of problems.
Haven't heard anything about the challenge yet and haven't done any work in-game yet, but it doesn't seem too bad to get any working solution. But the fact that the reactors have been built in a 'wrong order' means that getting efficient passing of products between the reactors is going to be the trickiest part.
What, 1-reactor Reppe Chemistry? I've successfully pared down from four to three to two, but I'm probably gonna hold off on working on one reactor for now to get a solution on Cyanide Reassembly - still haven't done in-game work on it yet.
What, 1-reactor Reppe Chemistry? I've successfully pared down from four to three to two, but I'm probably gonna hold off on working on one reactor for now to get a solution on Cyanide Reassembly - still haven't done in-game work on it yet.
Yah
Thought about it too much last night
Started tripping myself up. Woke up this morning, realised it was simpler than I thought! No bubble sort required. =P
Also, made this - random input order of first 256 inputs to Reppe Chemistry:
I did some number work as well. The first 120 inputs are perfectly balanced (40 of each molecule), so it is possible to try and solve the puzzle with the minimum number of inputs. However, it's probably the case that having extra inputs will make things faster.
Serbaldrig's reporting a 1-reactor solution to Reppe Chemistry, now. I'm about halfway to giving up on it - I'll make one more attempt at it tonight, but I think my sub-5000 2-reactor solution may have to be what I turn in, with hopes that it's good enough for Top 8.
Posts
Important Notes:
* The change in submission time! (or is it because you guys have hit daylight savings?)
* Restriction in challenge - only your first submission is accepted
The Round 4 puzzles look fairly challenging, but maybe it's because I'm tired and my head is still aching a little from alcohol consumption. And since I won't be able to make some headway for a couple days, I hope I have enough time to get enough thought into the challenge before submitting...
Haha - that's pretty neat as well! Generating the theta-O4 molecule in beta makes it faster!?
Also, haha - re: your 345/1/62 solution!
Here's my 345/1/63 solution:
Man
What were the odds?! I had no idea we managed to hit the exact same number of cycles.
Overall Standings - Upper Tier
Overall Standings - Lower Tier
Detailed Results
6: Hypothetical Synthesis
7: Superhydracetylene
Challenge 3: Intro to Templates
Congratulations - good results from PA folks in the challenge, and special congrates to MrBlarney* for placing in all three puzzles!
* even though he's also part of SA, but pfft =P
As for this week's puzzles, early benchmarks from SA are sub-200 cycles on PVCV and sub-30 symbols on Liquid Glass. Time for me to get working! ... tomorrow, once I'm less tired. Gotta hope I get a good submission in a timely fashion...
Consistent performer!
Thanks! Shame I'm terrible at the lower tier =P
Haha, I'm sup-300 (opposite of sub?) at PVCV at the moment.
Oddly pleased at the delay in submission time, because it means that it's ... I think, Saturday 11am local time for me now instead of 5am.
Means I might actually get some sleep on Friday night, instead of staying up far too late powered by adrenalin!
Over 1900 cycles with 41 symbols for BTG
And I am also apparently suffering from a case of "Unable to correctly enter the subject line on an e-mail"
/facepalm
Due to work schedule + other stuff, I'm more or less choosing to "Come up with a better solution and submit it near the end"
Man
Metagaming SpaceChem
Who would've thought it would come to this?
Edit: Grrr, silly particle smashing. I looked at the round 4 puzzle, and immediately asked myself if I could particle smash my way to victory.
GET OUT OF MY HEAD, PARTICLE SMASHING
Edit2:
There we go
First try at the puzzle uses 39 symbols.
Obviously room for improvement!
Time to go to work!
Late Edit3:
There - BTG at less than 35 symbols.
Day after edit4:
There - BTG less than 30 symbols.
Calling it.
I still haven't put in my challenge solution, because I haven't work on it enough yet. >_> <_<
I ended up hitting a great bit of inspiration last night/this morning for BTG, so I played around with that. When the muse comes knocking, I don't turn her away, yah?
I have a nice, elegant, but wrong solution to Liquid Glass.
*sob*
So close, yet so far.
Yah, I've got sub-27.
I suspect there's one more symbol that I can take out in my solution - it's sort of a duplicate - but I just can't quite get the timings in my loops to be able to remove the duplicate.
Plus, working on Liquid Glass!
Best of luck to you, then, ContentContext!
I totally understand - my personal projects have been put on hold as well.
not that they were going anywhere prior to this =P
Edit: Production assignments...got out, just in time.
I think for us, this week was not our best week.
PVC V: 337/1/57
BTG: 2613/1/25
Liquid Glass: 2855/1/27
Interesting that we're getting production puzzles in at this stage of the tournament. I guess with the round name being called 'simple' production, we only have the simplest reactors available. I wonder if a one-reactor solution is possible on Reppe Chemistry. And the types of reactors used in Cyanide Reassembly are kind of sadistic. At least Gas to Liquid and Solid! looks straightforward enough.
Far out! Your PVC V solution is awesome!
Haha, I like your BTG solution - it's a lovely lattice of flip-flop intersections.
And the old single waldo with a second waldo on Bond+ trick for LG - of course. Edit: This morning, I had almost come up with a way of going single waldo for Liquid Glass, but the thought of doing the Bond+ on the second waldo just slipped past. That would have solved so many problems.
/facepalm
What a curious game.
The only way to win... is not to play?
It appears that you win this round, ContentContext! =P
Looking at the Steam thread, 27/28 is around the benchmark, I think.
Haha - thanks! I tried to apply the same thing into LG, but without the sensor, it turned out to be quite hard to figure out when to output. =/ Had to add all those extra flipflops for the right time.
For Reppe Chemistry, we are disadvantaged since our reactors are Standard Reactors and do not have sensors. Unlike Miller-Urey, however, inputs are perfectly balanced with no waste management necessary. Hopefully this is useful information in getting that reactor count down - I've only just started so I'm working from three to start off with...
Intereessssttttinnng!
I'm currently sitting at a 4 reactor solution, because I just wanted participation points. I can see that it's a lovely puzzle, though!
Edit:
Oh
My
Gosh
An idea just popped into my head on how to do this, derived from sorting algorithms in computer science.
Urrgggghhhh
No muse of inspiration! Inspire me on the challenge puzzle, darn it! =P
Haven't heard anything about the challenge yet and haven't done any work in-game yet, but it doesn't seem too bad to get any working solution. But the fact that the reactors have been built in a 'wrong order' means that getting efficient passing of products between the reactors is going to be the trickiest part.
Went to bed last night, woke up about 30 minutes ago...
AND BY JOVE I THINK I'VE GOT IT
Yah
Thought about it too much last night
Started tripping myself up. Woke up this morning, realised it was simpler than I thought! No bubble sort required. =P
Also, made this - random input order of first 256 inputs to Reppe Chemistry:
Image
CCBBA BCACA ABBBC ACCBA CBAAC
BCBBA ABACC AABBC BCAAC CABAA
BCBBA CCCBA BACCA CABCA BBBCC
ABCAC ABBAC BCCBB CAAAA BCAAA
BCBCA CBBCA AABCB ACBBC ABCAB
CCCAB ABBAA BCCAC BCABB CBBAA
CACBAC
CBBBC ABACA CACCA ABBAA BBCCA
BCACA BCCAB BCBCA BCCBA ABACB
CBACA BAABC ABACA CBCBA BCCCB
AABAC BBACA CBACC ABABB CCACB
I was absolutely demolished this round!
Yah, I've e-mailed him about it
Not particularly fussed since I'm not very competitive in the lower tier, but would be nice if my upper tier placement drops even more! =P
Honourary mention of your neato solution for Liquid Glass
I think that might be me locking it in for that puzzle.