Fantastic Contraption - Fun Online Game & Shareable Creations

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the online game "Fantastic Contraption," where players create devices to move objects from one area to another. Participants share their experiences, strategies, and specific designs they have created within the game, exploring various challenges and solutions.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants share links to their contraptions, highlighting different approaches to solving the game's challenges.
  • There are discussions about the complexity of certain levels, with some players expressing frustration and others sharing successful designs.
  • Participants mention similar games and compare their experiences, suggesting that the mechanics may vary across different platforms.
  • Some players explore the concept of dynamic versus static equilibrium in their designs, discussing the implications of each in gameplay.
  • There are observations about the unpredictability of physics in the game, with some participants noting unexpected outcomes from their designs.
  • Several players express enjoyment in the creative aspect of building contraptions, emphasizing the fun of trial and error.
  • Some participants reflect on the elegance of other players' designs, contrasting them with their own approaches.
  • There are mentions of specific design strategies, such as connecting parts in stages rather than all at once.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally share a common enjoyment of the game, but there are multiple competing views on the best strategies and design approaches. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the most effective methods for solving specific challenges.

Contextual Notes

Some designs and strategies mentioned may depend on individual player experiences and interpretations of the game's physics, leading to varied outcomes that are not universally applicable.

Who May Find This Useful

Players interested in creative problem-solving, game design enthusiasts, and those exploring physics concepts through interactive media may find this discussion engaging.

  • #121
On U-turn, I've been trying to throw the red wheel to the right with enough speed that it would roll around the U on its own momentum to get to the top. I can't seem to get enough power to go much above the half-way point on the U, though. :frown:

Aha, finally got it!
http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=809618
 
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  • #122
Next challenge: How to build a perpetual motion machine that will just keep looping around and around the tube...
 
  • #124
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  • #125
Here's a solution for Tube that stays in the goal (I think - I was about to post my first solution and the contraption was gone, so I had to tweak it): U-tube

Yes, it's stable this time.
 
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  • #127
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  • #129
rootX said:
I was trying to use wheels to lift it up...
http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=798185
couldn't get it to work. The wheels started fighting with each other.. and after some minutes, violet ones won.

Who has the simplest design for the above one?
If you want to lift the ball, you can do something like:
http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=817213
You just need to be pushing hard enough against it. :smile:

I was trying to make a contraption that lifted the ball and then flipped over (counter-clockwise). Or maybe climbed the wall after lifting the ball, or something else neat. Never quite managed to get it to work, though.
 
  • #131
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  • #132
Hurkyl said:
If you want to lift the ball, you can do something like:
http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=817213
You just need to be pushing hard enough against it. :smile:

I was trying to make a contraption that lifted the ball and then flipped over (counter-clockwise). Or maybe climbed the wall after lifting the ball, or something else neat. Never quite managed to get it to work, though.

I wonder if it's possible to get rid of all the balls.
 
  • #133
BobG said:
I wonder if it's possible to get rid of all the balls.
Hrm. It's not hard to fling two of them aside. The third one up top is probably doable. That fourth one down below the level looks very hard to knock aside, though... It would take some doing to hit it, even if that's the only one you're aiming for!
 
  • #134
  • #135
Hurkyl said:
I have three balls down: the two on the right and the one below.
http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=818782

Now to figure out how to squeeze in something to hit the top ball

Brilliant! :smile: but is there a life next to fantastic contraptions?
:rolleyes:
 
  • #137
Andre said:
Brilliant! :smile: but is there a life next to fantastic contraptions?
:rolleyes:
What is this 'life' of which you speak? :nerd:
 
  • #139
Hurkyl said:
Aha, victory! All four big balls are destroyed!

http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=819001
Love the slingshots! I'm having so much fun watching everyone's wild creations.

Hurkyl, your mission now, should you choose to accept it, it to eliminate your contraptions as well, leaving no trace of anything that could implicate the department of state. And if you are killed in the process we will casually walk away whistling, as if nothing ever happened.
 
  • #140
This is also a great place to spend time with your children or grandchildren. It is a great learning and sharing experience. I started my 7 year old grandson out just building contraptions without trying to reach a goal. He has now achieved level three on his own.

We did this one together. The kid obviously loves wheels.:smile:

http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=794411
 
  • #141
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  • #143
So guys, anyone know any similar game to this, besides of Magic Pen and Crayon Physics?
 
  • #144
Sakha said:
So guys, anyone know any similar game to this, besides of Magic Pen and Crayon Physics?

Some years ago, there was an American site that held bridge making competition. You had to make a bridge, use simulation to test it and submit it.

I am not sure if it is still there but it was nothing compared to these games (I was ranked about 600~800 :redface: .. ).
 
  • #148
  • #149
Sakha said:
So guys, anyone know any similar game to this, besides of Magic Pen and Crayon Physics?
Mentioned this earlier in the thread - The Incredible Machine
wiki said:
The general objective of the games is to create a series of Heath Robinson, or Rube Goldberg devices: arrange a given collection of objects in a needlessly complex fashion so as to perform some simple task (for example, "put the ball into a box" or "light a candle"). Available objects ranged from simple ropes and pulleys to electrical generators, bowling balls and even cats and mice. The levels usually have some fixed objects that cannot be moved by the player, and so the only way to solve the puzzle is carefully arrange the given objects around the fixed items. There is also a "freeform" option that allows the user to "play" with all the objects with no set goal or to also build their own puzzles with goals for other players to attempt to solve.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Incredible_Machine
 
  • #150
I know a game in which you build infrastructure and make profits! - You can run it for hundreds of years. In it, you build transportation and factories/industries.

"Rise of nations" is one.
http://www.microsoft.com/games/RiseofNations/
You control all nation (including economy, military, and foreign disputes). This runs for thousands of years.
 
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