Secret Soduko 1

[GooRoo]

I only have one SAVE slot again, and I made the mistake of leaving a Coin until 'later' ... and the 'later' was when Springz was the only Grunt who could pick it up ... and it was on Spikez ! So I will have to start over from the beginning (after dinner) and have Gauntletz pick up that Coin (ouch! my feet!) so that Springz can jump over the Spikez later, on his way to the Secret Switch .

Boomerang getz the first Coin on his way to the Blue Wormhole. I believe that GooberStraw getz the other three Coinz and goez through the Red Warp (no third trip through the area after all).

[BattlezM]

admin said:

Ah, but you see, patience is a virtue! While there may not be any TimeBombz available when the Bombz Grunt has a bit of freedom to roam, some other member of the team will perform some taskz that will reward you with just the thing you need!

Patience may be a virtue, but necessity isn't. I tried leaving bombz there, now he is stuck, no way back... so what'z the deal here?? how am I supposed to get that megaphone earlier, or is there some other way in I'm missing?

Victory is sooo close , yet seemingly so far.

[GooRoo]

is on the way ... after I have dinner.

I have just managed to re-install the "additional smilies" script, and had to try it out. Of course, doing the searching and updating has pushed back my dinnertime!

[BattlezM]

Goo Roo

[GooRoo]

battlezm said:

Goo Roo

Well, I just completed SecretSoduko1, in a little over 2 hourz (game timer time ... much more "real time") ... and it is nasty! I also failed to step on a Secret Switch that would have made getting the Warp letter 'R' much easier, so no "PERFECT!" score for me this time (but I did get the 'R').

Bomb pickz up three Toyz in each leg of the Construction Pyramidz near the western edge (a newly-baked Grunt enterz the game there before Bombz goez after the first Toy), and waitz patiently for his buddiez to call for the TimeBombz he so desperately needz. Your problem may be that you failed to locate and use all of the Megaphonez. One is in the "SECRET SODUKO 1" area, fairly well hidden behind a tree north of the "1". When they finally give him the assistance he needz, he blowz up three Rockz and a Giant Rock on the east side, then goez down toward the bottom of that leg and blows up another Rock, which clearz the area around the GruntzCreationPoint. Then another newly-baked Grunt enterz the game. TimeBombz (nee Bombz) crossez over to the other side (Ouch! That hurtz!) and blowz up three Rockz and a Giant Rock there. Then (since there is nothing more to blow up) he takez a set of Springz from the GruntzMachine and pickz up some Coinz from the islandz that were hidden under the Giant Rockz. Crossez back over to the other side and pickz up the Bomb that was revealed. He is now back to his 'natural' Tool. He goez through the Red Warp, returning to the Sudoku puzzle area. His next SecretTeleporterTrigger takez him to the other leg, where he doez his kamikaze thing aided by three Toyz. By now, the Object Guard (which you could not control) that was pacing around the Green Toggle Switchez has been removed to one of the islandz in the bad water top center. In his place there will be a newly-baked Grunt that will operate those Green Toggle Switchez to lower several Green Pyramidz, and who will stand on the Blue Hold Switch mostly hidden under the GruntzCreationPoint in the center, raising the last two Bridge Tilez just before the Bombz CheckPoint Switch.

I recommend the solver print out "The Brickyard" picture, that will save a lot of time in going through the Brickyard. Today's run was very slow because I dug up every single Hole/Mound that I could safely reach ... even the onez with Construction Pyramidz under them!

The tough timing puzzle is the Suicide Bomber's run across the bad water, stopped by the ToyBox near the starting area. Getting the timing right to make it across to the other side is tough all by itself ... but the toggled Red Pyramidz make it much tougher! (That's what the Yellow Toggle Switch in the area where Shovel doez a lot of work is all about ... to help you to alter the timing of those Red Pyramidz.)

[BattlezM]

I do know how to solve bomb'z area completely. But it appearz indeed that I have missed a megaphone... :(it is not the one behind the tree in the SecretSudoku1 area, I know I got it (unless I overlooked something then got confused ).
Oddly the walkthrough claimz the megaphone for timebombz is on the Goober checkpoint, which I can't reach.
That meanz that now I will have to restart the level the level and look over it, combing over the locationz of megaphonez, then see if there is a way to resume from my current savez (I have about 20 ).
The last resort is going to be to tear this level apart with cheating , restart and current to make sure I have not missed megaphonez. If the problem persistz, well...who knowz?

[GooRoo]

I have just completed solving the CL again, but discovered that while it is possible to get all 100 secretz, it was not possible to actually get the Warp letter 'R'. So I made a small correction, and will make that available as "SecretSoduko1a.wwd" (this will be a link when I have uploaded it to the web host). I adjusted one SecretTeleporterTrigger so that a Bare-handed Grunt would be teleported to the entrance to the Warp letter 'P' mini-puzzle, instead of the useless destination near the King's Fortress. So the SpongeGun Grunt will activate the last Secret Switch , and the Bare-handed Grunt will actually get the letter.

Also, in this effort, I did not need the fifteenth Grunt (because I did thingz the way I originally intended, instead of the wrong way, as yesterday's attempt ), so it definitely can be done with a total of 14 Survivorz and 0 Deathz.

P.S. Did you get the Megaphone near the opening area (either Springz (difficult) or Gravity Bootz (easy) can get it)? (That was the one that called for the TimeBombz, in today's solve.)

[BattlezM]

So the one near the beginning? That makez sense. (I wondered why boot'z part was so short )

[BattlezM]

I lose.

Apparently I hit a GTS waaay back on square 2 one too many timez. Don't know how that happened, but I didn't notice. Until now of course because that GP is in my way to the megaphone.
Maybe I'll try again in a couple of monthz. (as I have stated before I do not like replayz and I need my self-esteem to build back up).

This level (and a couple of otherz) show one thing that really drivez me (and otherz likely) crazy, and that is having to hit multiple GTSz or BTSz in order to make a really long path accessible near the very end of the level.
So a note to future designerz' CLz: DON'T put these annoying long chainz of pyramidz and bridgez because when you mess up on them you practically have to restart the entire level!!!
Perhapz it'z just a clumsy "need to pay attention to this and that" when I go along sort of ordeal, but the player should not have to go through that.
this level is already difficult and innovative as is without the hassle of remember to press switch odd number of timez.

If it is simply necessary, put a raised GP near the GTS that lowerz in sequence with the one in the long path so the solver knowz for sure the path is actually clear up to that point. Or better yet just use BOTSz, it'z takez no effort to change that...

[GooRoo]

battlezm said:

So the one near the beginning? That makez sense. (I wondered why boot'z part was so short )

The Megaphone is physically located near the opening area ... but not accessible until well after BrickLayer tradez in his homeimprovement Toolz for Springz. Gravity Bootz is nearby, picking up a Coin ... but can go retrieve that Megaphone if other Gruntz have done their part.

[BattlezM]

admin said:

battlezm said:

So the one near the beginning? That makez sense. (I wondered why boot'z part was so short )

The Megaphone is physically located near the opening area ... but not accessible until well after BrickLayer tradez in his homeimprovement Toolz for Springz. Gravity Bootz is nearby, picking up a Coin ... but can go retrieve that Megaphone if other Gruntz have done their part.

Eh-he, I knew that. If only that GP wasn't up... I probably could have finished the level.

[GooRoo]

I did some really nasty thingz in this CL ... like requiring a Switch to be pressed an odd number of timez ... with an even number of Gruntz passing over it. Perhapz you missed one of those?

[BattlezM]

In my dismay I looked at the level in the editor. Thankfully you at least labeled which pyramid getz operated by which switch where. It was the one where boxing glovez entered to get springz and teleport an enemy sword away (spike ring on square 2). Of all the switchez, this is the one that would be most difficult to accidentally press twice...I have no idea why I did.
Otherwise, every other pyramid was down. Darn shame. At least next time I'll know what to do.
P.S.- Is the forum time in sync again, for me it'z past 10:00 PM as I post the message.

[GooRoo]

No, as the Information Box at the top of the Forum on the Main Page sayz ... ProBoards does not do anything with Daylight Savings Time in the U.S.A. The time will be 'off' by one hour until the return to 'Standard Time'.

[GooRoo]

I plan to work on the walkthrough for this CL as time permitz. I noticed that the Square 1 description is confusing ... so will add a Grunt # to the Tool picturez, so the solver knowz which Shovel Grunt is being described. Gruntz will exchange Toolz (temporarily) for another in this CL, and (except for the SuicideBomber Grunt) alwayz get another Tool of the same type as they started out carrying. So I strongly recommend using the Ctrl-# method to identify your original nine Gruntz! Except for Shovel and Toob, the Gruntz should have the same # assigned to them as the ID of the Tool they are carrying:

• 1-SuicideBomber
  
• 2-Boomerang
  
• 3-Bricklayer
  
• 4-Shovel (ID = 13)
  
• 5-Gauntletz
  
• 6-Boxing Glovez
  
• 7-GooberStraw
  
• 8-Gravity Bootz
  
• 9-Toob (ID = 18)
  

[GooRoo]

Each time I do significant work on the walkthrough, I am re-uploading the componentz changed/added to the web host. So clicking on the link in the original post will alwayz give you the most up-to-date version of the walkthrough that is available on-line.

[manu]

Incredible : I manage to finish this CL with almost a "PERFECT!"
I only missed one secret : I didn't want to spend time killing a Sponge Gun with my own Sponge (I was sure GooRoo wouldn't have intended such a long battle), and I was wrong
This Sponge is useful at the very end, even if I managed to take the R without him.
There's still two points I don't really understand :

• Why Boomerang has to go to times in the water area (where there is 4 coins) ?
  
• Why Boxing Glovez has to go back to the "Box world^(TM)?" area (I loved that part as I am fond of this game ) ?
  

It was after all a splendid level, thanks a lot, GooRoo, for it

[GooRoo]

Since there are 81 'squarez' in a Sudoku puzzle, and everything was to be accomplished with secretz in this Rocky Roadz (area 1 ... and the ID of the Bombz Grunt) graphicz set puzzle it was necessary to re-use a lot of "real estate". I had intended another reason for the Boxing Glovez Grunt to return to the three GunHat area ... but couldn't come up with anything other than ZAP Cola. So any Grunt low on health could go into the area the second time and get the Can of ZAP Cola the boxer left behind (the boxer didn't need it when you sent him through the first time, did he?) and refresh himself.

The same is true of the Boomerang Grunt ... only there it was intentional that if the solver took all four Coinz on his first 'visit' there, there would not be enough Crumbling Bridge Tilez left for the other two Grunt entriez into the area.

BTW, it is not necessary to spend a lot of time with the SpongeGun Grunt against the Hit & Runner SpongeGun Grunt ... stick your Grunt at the far western edge and he will fight back and not be pushed into the Goo Pool ... you only have to duck once or twice so that he lastz longer than the enemy Grunt. Then you can 'remember' him much later, and move him back to the place where he warped into the area.

[oldone]

Oh GooRoo, I'm really trying to get this, but I keep getting stuck, and always because of the #4 springz (nee shovelz). I really need to have "VVV Lots more walkthrough goesz here!VVV" (Is it finished yet?) The grunt is left at the purple switch which allowed #2 shovelz (nee boomerangz) to dig a couple more holez, I don't see any others that he can safely reach, and then go through his warp. What the heck doez springz do then?? You say in the walkthrough that he will eventually continue eastward to yet another BTS, but another springz (#2) does that in a little bit, and I need #4 to get a shovel and get back so he can go to his place in box #2. Please!!!

[GooRoo]

I have a bit more done, and am uploading the updated walkthrough right after this Forum scan run. There is still lots more walkthrough to be done, though.