Swordz Akimbo V2

[SwordGrunt]

Designer:		SwordGrunt
Level Set:	5HR/HR	Area 5 "High Rollerz" Level 17
Est. Completion:		43:45
Est. Solve:		??:??
Date Released:		December 3, 2015
Status:		Released
Notes:		Difficulty=Medium Size=Medium(48X48) Density=Normal
		Forum's web host
		video
Statz Page image		Forum's web host (BattlezM)
Survivorz		9
Deathz		0
Toolz		7
Toyz		2
Powerupz		0
Coinz		16
Secretz		2
View the map!		1,373,268 bytez - Forum's web host

The first stage of High Rollerz reborn as a more complex puzzle involving many more Gruntz; while the original would give you 3 for a head start and no more, you will start off with the same amount and create a total of 6 Gruntz on this level. The toolz encountered are the same, with the addition of a Straw, and many areaz are similar to the original level in some way; a few of them, considerably harder...

"Now how am I supposed to get past THIS?"

Previous Level 16 <- 17 -> 18 Next Level

[GooRoo]

I am resurrecting my testing of this puzzle. I felt the need to practice a bit first, so worked on some recreations. Time to get others' verified.

[GooRoo]

Too slow at moving two Gruntz around to cover four Switches (at the right times) to guide a Rolling 8 Ball over Bridgez and past a Purple Pyramid (controlled by two Purple Multi-Grunt Switches ) to roll over a Black One-Time Switch . This one need younger, nimbler fingers to verify it.

[SwordGrunt]

Have you considered the positioning of your Gruntz, though? Perhaps you're not placing them in the optimal spots to minimize the 'fast clicking' required. I don't remember how tight the timing was here, hopefully not tight enough that you can't make it even with the best possible positioning... that was definitely not my intention in this map, or any of the Standard Levelz V2 (besides "Golf Anyone?", which has challenging timing as its key characteristic).


Edit: I just played it and indeed it's a bit tighter than I thought, even when taking the best available path with each Grunt as shown in the picture below, you'll only have a second or so to spare. Feel free to lower the speed of the RollingBall from 550ms/tile to 650 or 700, that should give some room for breathing already.

[GooRoo]

I will slow down the Rolling 8 Ball and try again. There is a new episode of a television show that my wife and I are both interested in, so I only have about two hours to spend on it. So probably no result until tomorrow (afternoon?) to report about my progress.

[GooRoo]

Even with the R8B speed reduced to 650 msec, the problem remains that at my 800X600 pixel resolution, I cannot see where the R8B is in order to tell when it is safe to move to the next 'station'. There are 21 tilez from the top=most Switches to the Purple Pyramid, and I can only display a bit over 18 tiles on my screen. The design of the enemy Gruntz area is such that I don't see any easy fix for that problem. So this puzzle requires 1024X768 (32X24 tile) screen resolution (or an excellent sense of where the R8B is without seeing it) in order to succeed in the effort.

[SwordGrunt]

Well, the thing that you really have to worry about is when to swap out from the blue toggle bridgez so the ball doesn't fall. You can look at the middle of the bridge, and move your Grunt from the top blue switch to a purple switch when the ball is in the 2 middle tilez, then move the other one to the other purple switch when the ball gets to the lower part of the bridge. You shouldn't need to see the purple switch at any point.

[GooRoo]

I admit it ... I am no longer nimble enough for this type of puzzle. I can position the screen to see as much as possible of the puzzle to begin the effort, but my mouse movement is just too imprecise ... when I move to the upper Grunt to move him, the screen shifts so I cannot see when the R8B is in position for the next move. Using Ctrl-# makes things even worse if I double-click the selection, since the screen shifts to center on that Grunt. I see no easy modification to the puzzle, compressing it so that everything can remain totally within view in 800X600 resolution, due to the shapes of the platforms. To move the R8B starting platform up will intrude upon the design surrounding the Bottle of Zap Cola, and make the defeat off the lowest Object Guard more difficult because of the loss of room. That would only shorten the path by one tile. Moving the end of the path up one tile would place it within reach of a Springz Grunt ... and still leave the path at a minimum of 19 tilez. Doing both would help ... if the screen didn't shift with Grunt selections.

As I said earlier ... this one requires a more dexterous (likely much younger) BETA tester.

[GooRoo]

All right! Simple solution for the less nimble of fingers (like me!). I Changed the lower right Blue Hold Switch to a Blue Toggle Switch and was able to get the Rolling 8 Ball to the Black One-Time Switch . Now I can finally resume testing ... after I run some errands.

[SwordGrunt]

Fair enough, that works! I recall one other rolling ball that needs to be 'helped' to reach its destination in time, but it shouldn't be an issue.

[GooRoo]

Oct 7, 2015 13:23:05 GMT -8 SwordGrunt said:

Fair enough, that works! I recall one other rolling ball that needs to be 'helped' to reach its destination in time, but it shouldn't be an issue.

The other Rolling 8 Ball mini-puzzle was fairly easy ... even I was able to complete it on the first try. I admit that I had a SAVE before starting into it, and decided that my Grunt would have to endure a little pain, if the timing was tight (it was!), so it was a challenge, but not discouraging. But I am at a loss as to how to get my Springz Grunt where he needs to be ... he seems to be 'way too slow for the distance he needs to travel. I'd like to know how the Designer and the BETA tester did it! Younger, nimbler fingers, maybe?

[SwordGrunt]

Oct 12, 2015 19:06:15 GMT -8 GooRoo said:

Oct 7, 2015 13:23:05 GMT -8 SwordGrunt said:

Fair enough, that works! I recall one other rolling ball that needs to be 'helped' to reach its destination in time, but it shouldn't be an issue.

The other Rolling 8 Ball mini-puzzle was fairly easy ... even I was able to complete it on the first try. I admit that I had a SAVE before starting into it, and decided that my Grunt would have to endure a little pain, if the timing was tight (it was!), so it was a challenge, but not discouraging. But I am at a loss as to how to get my Springz Grunt where he needs to be ... he seems to be 'way too slow for the distance he needs to travel. I'd like to know how the Designer and the BETA tester did it! Younger, nimbler fingers, maybe?

Are you referring to his final task on the level, which you mentioned that these couple of arrow tiles were preventing him from performing? I replied to you shortly before I read this post with where he's supposed to go to be able to reach the switch, such that those arrowz do not matter at all - in fact, they were put there exactly to prevent that 'shortcut'.

Edit: and I see you've just responded, but I'm keeping this post here to keep the thread clear.

One more thing: should this level should be rated as Hard instead of Medium? I expected it to be far more clear than it actually is in regards to what should be done and when, and looking at it again after several weeks realized that it's probably much more difficult for the solver to see how to approach things than I imagined.

[GooRoo]

I read the e-mail, and saw the solution ... so went back to my tested version. I can now complete it much faster than I did, without all of the extra (unnecessary) Grunt work I did in my (almost) successful attempt).

[rohit]

I am using the enemy Timebomber to blow up the 2 yellow brick near the King which lead to the Glovez. However whenever I break any of the two bricks, the game crashes.

[Zu]

I compared the level itself to the provided map, and it appears that the yellow bricks were meant to be impassable pyramids, but ended up being replaced at some point for some reason. All I can say is, this probably means that you're not supposed to break them.

I changed the download link, since the other link appears to be pointing to a version of the level that does use the construction pyramids.

[SwordGrunt]

Odd, I would never place Brickz on a map, even if decorative and not meant to be breakable, without assigning them the proper logic. Regardless, if you're talking about the Gauntletz near the king, the orange switch that opens up those pyramidz is probably somewhere to the southeast area near where the Timebomber is at - either there or under the giant dice in the middle south, I don't remember where exactly.

[rohit]

I have checked the area near the Timebombers in southeast and orange switch is not there.

If it is under the large dice in middle, then how do I break them as I do not have glovez. It is impossible to get the Timebomber to follow me as Rolling balls are in the way.

[SwordGrunt]

There's a timebomber in that area though, surrounded by black pyramidz. Those are lowered by the black switch in the area below, which is to be activated by the enemy SpongeGun. He is an object guard, so he will go towards his patrol area once he is released by lowering the purple pyramid - if he stands still attacking you, simply move your Grunt around to get the enemy back to moving towards his destination.

[rohit]

I finished the CL but could not get to the Secret surrounded by Red bricks. I could not find a Red switch to lower the pyramids. How do I get the secret?

[SwordGrunt]

The red switch is hidden at the bottom left of the level if I'm not mistaken.