Almo
Level: Goblin

Rank Points: 19
Registered: 10-24-2004
IP: Logged

So, I finished Level 8, including the really ugly one down south. And I figured, for all the people saying 8th was really hard and that 8th has the most help threads and posts, I though maybe I was past the hump.

But... Level 9. I'm not sure I'll be able to complete it. It just seems like trial and error, because the order the roaches are processed influences how they move. I don't know, man. I've done 3 of the rooms, and the rest are mainly different versions of what I've done. That wouldn't be so bad, but the other 3 levels were really irritating! Apolgies if I've offended the dude who designed this level.

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Almo!

Watcher
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 902
Registered: 02-04-2003
IP: Logged

Welcome to the boards, Almo!

Don't worry, you won't offend anyone. The level designers are indeed evil, and they don't mind being reminded.

Level 9 may seem like trial and error at first, but you'll get the hang of it. In some of the later rooms, it's actually a bit easier to get the roaches to the right position.

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Today the refrigerator, tomorrow the world!

Malarame
Level: Master Delver
Rank Points: 220
Registered: 02-04-2003
IP: Logged

Over the hump? Heh... it's all uphill from here on out. You'll get through it though, and by the time you've joined the list of Legendary Smitemasters you'll look back on levels eight and nine and laugh at how easy they were.

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Matt O'Leary
Webb Institute
Class of 2007

"I never forget a face, but in your case I'll be glad to make an exception."
-Groucho Marx

Almo
Level: Goblin

Rank Points: 19
Registered: 10-24-2004
IP: Logged

Whew. On level 10 now. That was ugly. It was the third one that was most annoying due to the "roach ordering" thing. Problem is, I'm a game programmer, and try to work out the puzzles from how they were coded. But... when the order of the roaches in the array matters, there's not much you can do but screw around until it works!

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Almo!

Scott
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 578
Registered: 02-12-2003
IP: Logged

Yes order that things were created in the rooms can have a big effect on puzzles. Personally I don't like that part because drod is meant to be a game where you can predict every move just from looking at the screen.

jdyer
Level: Smiter
Rank Points: 329
Registered: 03-19-2003
IP: Logged

Hmm. I don't remember *ever* thinking about roach order in the original Dugan's. I don't see why solving the 3rd room depends on it.

The only time I ever find worry about roach order is with precise tricks involving large groups of roaches (basically, causing "roach bumping"), and solving level 9 doesn't require that much precision.

Almo
Level: Goblin

Rank Points: 19
Registered: 10-24-2004
IP: Logged

It was Twice North, Twice East. If you did it wrong, you ended up with a line of roaches that would stay a line if you moved up and down. If one of the roaches is out of order, they bump and the line splits into two lines. You had to get at least one roach out of order to break it up.

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Almo!