Lucky Luc
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 1215
Registered: 08-19-2012
IP: Logged

I had completely forgotten how awesome this game is! I felt creative the last few days and made three new (mostly simple, I think) research puzzles; you can find them in my updated first post.

My guess is that chemical notation leaving hydrogens implicit didn't quite fly, but it's pretty essential for recapitulating larger molecules in SpaceChem.

That is quite an interessting approach, I've never thought of that. It really seems to be a good way to construct bigger molecules, but I must say that it needs some getting used to. Especially the heteroatoms look kind of strange without the H's.

I have solved Skeletal Amino Acid Catabolism so far, which was quite enjoyable. Chemotherasynthesis also looks pretty cool, but I think I need some more time for that . (I have no idea how to solve either of your puzzles in the Journal, by the way ).

I managed to solve Acidic Anhydrides with 2764/5/162 - I'm just glad I was able to figure out a relatively simple method for making sulfuric and nitric acids in one reactor, despite the fact that it's slow.

Funnily, this sounds quite similiar to my solution (though I've used one reactor less and was waaay slower) - this level might be tighter than I thought.

And right, here are my (terrible) stats, in case you care:

Hunter Process: 5312/4/79
Nonsense Orcanic: 698/1/61
Tetrazene Isomers: 8105/6/185 (by the way, I completely failed to solve this one correctly. I'd eventually get a clogged pipe, but fortunately it was enough for fourty molecules )
Uranium Oxide Reduction: 467/1/33
Cyanide Reassembly: 6314/2/106 Skeletal Amino Acid Catabolism: 1337 (yeay, I'm so leet!)/1/81

Chaco
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 3674
Registered: 10-06-2005
IP: Logged

Hmm, very interesting. For Cyanide Reassembly I was able to get 6065/2/133 - with two loops rather than three. However, I needed a bunch more symbols to do that.

Here's my reactor layouts.

I'm really interested in seeing your solution to this problem, since it looks like you found a simpler way to assemble the molecule (what with using fewer symbols). Mine is pretty messy and I'm not sure how I would optimize it without starting over from scratch.

----

Also, my solution for Tetrazene Isomers is 13232/6/314, which is terrible - but it will run forever! If you're interested in the specifics, let me know.

____________________________
Quick links to my stuff (in case you forgot where it was):

---

[Last edited by Chaco at 01-17-2013 03:25 PM]

Lucky Luc
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 1215
Registered: 08-19-2012
IP: Logged

Your solution really looks quite different from mine; seems like I was a bit more careful with cutting down the molecule. I also managed to save about 800 cycles just by repositioning a few Sync symbols, so that my score is now 5507/2/106. I guess there's still some room for improvement, though.

So here's my reactor setup

As for Tetrazene Isomeres, my stoichiometry is only slightly wrong (I used 1:1 and would need 5:6 I think) and there would probably be some way to fix it, but I'm too lazy to do so. I'd still like to see your strategy; I wonder if it's in any way similiar to mine.

Chaco
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 3674
Registered: 10-06-2005
IP: Logged

Yeah, as I suspected, your Cyanide Reassembly solution is impressive and consists of very simple steps for each of the three cycles. It keeps the atoms in mostly the same positions too; I ended up having to move mine around a lot. So kudos

--

Here's my Tetrazene Isomers solution. Again, it's a workable one, but not one of those truly great solutions.

Reactor setup

A quick tour of the solution:



Anyway, if you're going to say your solution clogs up eventually, of course I'd like to see it. It brings to mind those wonderful solutions from the now-concluded SomethingAwful SpaceChem tournament, which would only produce the exact output requirements, and crash sometime in the future, but get the job done fast.

____________________________
Quick links to my stuff (in case you forgot where it was):

---

[Last edited by Chaco at 05-27-2013 01:07 AM : replaced Something Awful thread link with an LP Archive link]

Lucky Luc
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 1215
Registered: 08-19-2012
IP: Logged

Wow, this is a very clean solution! Mine might be a bit faster, but it's quite messy. Here it is. EDIT: Oops, messed up #4, sorry! Here is the real #4

As you've probably guessed, the red pipe is the one that will eventually clog up. As you can see, reactors 1&2 split up the Hydrogen and Nitrogen streams, reactor 3 constucts Fork Tetrazene, 4&5 construct Chain and Cyclotetrazene and #6 finally sends them to the right containers.

The main idea of my solution is that Chain and Cyclotetrazene can be carved from the same structure (see 4&5). It has two stoichiometry problems, though:
(1) Twice as much Fork Tetrazene as necessary is formed.
(2) The distribution of H's should obviously be 5:6, not 1:1

If I managed to fix the distributions of reactors 1 (2:1) and 2 (5:3), I guess my solution would actually be reasonably fast. I think I have to try this some time.

EDIT 2: Okay, I tried it now, the solution now works infinitely and I managed to save quite a few cycles. New stats: 6892/6/204

---

[Last edited by Lucky Luc at 01-18-2013 01:53 PM]

Dischorran
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 3414
Registered: 09-10-2005
IP: Logged

Hunter Process: 4734/6/131. BUT: no sensor reactors.

____________________________

Lucky Luc
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 1215
Registered: 08-19-2012
IP: Logged

Chemotherasynthesis: 975/1/88. No quantum tunnels. Quite proud of myself now

Chaco
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 3674
Registered: 10-06-2005
IP: Logged

Okay, I published about 10 more new puzzles today. This may partially explain where my time went.

Puzzles (same link as last time)

____________________________
Quick links to my stuff (in case you forgot where it was):

Banjooie
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1645
Registered: 12-12-2004
IP: Logged

I do not understand why I am so dumb, but as soon as we started using sensor reactors I could no longer handle this game.

Chaco
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 3674
Registered: 10-06-2005
IP: Logged

Oh, gosh, I thought I had already posted about this, but apparently it slipped my mind and I never got around to it.

The Something Awful SpaceChem 2013 tournament is underway, and it's currently in the third round of its open submission tournament, which means that you, yes you, the reader, can still submit solutions even if you didn't participate in the first two rounds. It's hosted by WildM, one of the major personalities of the previous tournament.

Something Awful thread
Steam Users' Thread

The usual suspects from last year are still around and have been highly successful, but I can personally attest that it's possible for normal people to do well; I got third place on one of the puzzles in the first round.

____________________________
Quick links to my stuff (in case you forgot where it was):

Pearls
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 775
Registered: 12-21-2009
IP: Logged

Chaco wrote:
...but I can personally attest that it's possible for normal people to do well; I got third place on one of the puzzles in the first round.

Uh huh.

____________________________
Hey, w-wait, that's the guy who shamelessly promotes his own...

---

[Last edited by Pearls at 06-25-2013 04:14 PM]

Chaco
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 3674
Registered: 10-06-2005
IP: Logged

What are you talking about Pearls, splitting gold and silver into oxygen using nuclear fission is totally a thing normal people do nowadays.

____________________________
Quick links to my stuff (in case you forgot where it was):

---

[Last edited by Chaco at 06-25-2013 06:02 PM]

Chaco
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 3674
Registered: 10-06-2005
IP: Logged

Just a reminder to people still playing this game: the annual tournament has started, and it's hosted on the Steam forums this time.

The format is a lot less centralized this time: each puzzle submitter is also the one responsible for receiving the solutions and tabulating the results.

The four puzzles currently available are a good mix of difficulties, and they're all incredibly interesting optimization problems.

____________________________
Quick links to my stuff (in case you forgot where it was):

vinheim
Level: Smiter
Rank Points: 300
Registered: 05-31-2007
IP: Logged

Banjooie wrote:
I do not understand why I am so dumb, but as soon as we started using sensor reactors I could no longer handle this game.

This. And all this chance based input, especially on production levels. Really fun game though

Chaco
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 3674
Registered: 10-06-2005
IP: Logged

It's that time of year again!

The 2015 SpaceChem Tournament will be starting next Monday, and there's sure to be even more efficiency analysis, seemingly simple puzzles, strange tasks, and of course, posturing.

You don't need to be a pro to participate, just interested in the game.

Here's a puzzle I had lying around earlier that I've just posted publicly:

Acetic Upgrade

H4sIAJD0g1UA/42QPWvDMBCG/0q52YaTXEKwppAlQyFD26l0UOVzLFAko4/BNe5vr1SH4tIORX
CgRy967m4GbccU63dnKUA7A5byxfL1ZYarM6SSIWjhoChqdXdQuhPH0wc2x/P5JJAxhoJhPoKx
HcuVM0TBcY9c8ExQNGyfX5vCoQLlko3QMr68LksFLsXfHWy0T4N2clXLjfrxv2q2+8ONxTzIUB
vpL1SvPUDbSxOogjdnO/L1LXy/JgPZ4Px3pqA+Bcok+nQDYTQ6RvqZimRodH6L4zSW0TwFkl4N
uTErr5sdP48XLzvKXKY4FCs80JT/LqjTfa/zcuIELS6fuhAPVcIBAAA=

http://i.imgur.com/0nHt3Vk.png

My best score so far is 152/1/61 for cycle optimization. Today I'll see if I can optimize this for symbols, but it's a pretty inherently complicated problem.

EDIT: Managed a score of 384/1/38 for symbols.

____________________________
Quick links to my stuff (in case you forgot where it was):

---

[Last edited by Chaco at 06-19-2015 04:36 PM]

LeoS
Level: Master Delver
Rank Points: 276
Registered: 04-02-2015
IP: Logged

I just found SpaceChem on GOG for a whopping 99 cents!

ErikH2000
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2794
Registered: 02-04-2003
IP: Logged

I tried SpaceChem years back and gave up on it. It just was asking for too much concentration from me at the time.

Then I went back to it this month and tried it again with a better attention span. Now I love this game!

It does cause me to think I should stop playing the game and go do some real programming though.

-1st Watcher

____________________________
The Godkiller - Chapter 1 available now on Steam. It's a DROD-like puzzle adventure game.
dev journals | twitch stream | youtube archive (NSFW)

Chaco
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 3674
Registered: 10-06-2005
IP: Logged

Hmm, somehow I forgot to bump this thread for the 2016 and 2017 tournaments.

Anyway, the 2018 SpaceChem Tournament will be starting in about a couple of weeks. Featuring the same kinds of cycle, symbol, and mixed-metric optimization featured in prior years.

This year 12345ieee from Italy will be hosting, but he asked nicely for puzzle donations and I happened to be sitting on several I designed over the past three or so years, so some (many?) will be made by me.

I'll probably be too busy to participate myself, but if you'd been looking for an excuse to play the game again, I can promise the tournaments are an excellent excuse to submit solutions and get great feedback.

____________________________
Quick links to my stuff (in case you forgot where it was):

Chaco
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 3674
Registered: 10-06-2005
IP: Logged

It's been a year, and those crazy SpaceChemists are at it again: the 2019 SpaceChem Tournament will be starting soon! New players are very welcome; we've revised the rules this year so that most infamous glitches are banned, to help level the playing field.

SpaceChem itself has also recently been updated to add some quality of life features! Now you can finally see bonder priority in-game!

____________________________
Quick links to my stuff (in case you forgot where it was):

Chaco
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 3674
Registered: 10-06-2005
IP: Logged

Well, I got distracted for several years (understandably, given the amount of stuff going on).

However, it turns out the community is still doing SpaceChem tournaments on the Discord channel ( https://discord.gg/4KUCAqQC7Q ). Incredible.

This year's tourney has a non-scoring "warm up" starting on June 9th, and then seven rounds with the first starting on June 23rd.

Given the rumors I've overheard about non-standard metrics, and playing with the "quantum barrier" mechanic in prior years, there could be some real unusual puzzles this year.

____________________________
Quick links to my stuff (in case you forgot where it was):