Fantastic Contraption

Anyone played this online puzzle game? If not, I dare you to. It is devious. It's really hard and ties my brain up in a knotty torture.

I was thinking it could provide quite an interesting psychological experiment for problem solving. Now, I confess I am not very good and though I have quite a logical mind, a lot of the solutions to these puzzles and the various ways they can be solved completely escaped me. I want to see if you can do better.



Warning - this could be really time consuming for people, who like me, just don't know when to let go and call it quits.

Tip - though it's cheating, Youtube is your friend and definitely helps relieve the agony! I cheated and it felt great but also bad.

Anyhow, still reading. Where's that link then? So here it is: Fantastic Contraption. It's all kinds of ARGHHHH!!! You have been warned!

I got bored after 2 seconds reading the tutorial ,think i will stick to something like Portal 2 Mr Spooky.

It was a bit of fun... for a few minutes.

You guys need to get past the tutorial. There's a whole other world of fun and stuff waiting for you!

Completed the first page, took an hour though!

Might have another go tomorrow.

That's very good going. Took me about an hour just to do some of the puzzles on their own.

Completed the whole of the second page now though. I was pleased I didn't need any help with the last one. That must've taken at least an hour too. Been Youtubing a lot of them though as clearly the type of thinking required for these puzzles definitely ain't my strong point.

Did better than T2D though, he didn't even get past the tutorial.

In reply to a post by SPOOKish:

Did better than T2D though, he didn't even get past the tutorial.

To be fair to the old boy I think he was tied up on more important business.

Something about a well apparently?

who told you that.........traitors.............

Actually it was me in the video winding those 2 up if the truths known

That's very good going. Took me about an hour just to do some of the puzzles on their own.

Time to get a console matey if your that desperate..........

Mrnelster's the clever one mate, I'm a dunce with this thing. That's partly why I was interested to see how other people would get on with the puzzles as I was so stuck, didn't know where to start. I think I have a lack of creative imagination - I couldn't envisage where to begin.

Also, most of my contraptions were very mundane: they had wheels and just plodded along. The clever ones (with other separate moving parts and catapulting devices etc) were all totally copied from other people's efforts posted on Youtube.

I've got MW1 on my laptop and loads of Steam games but I've spent god-knows-how-many-hours on that Fantastic Contraptions site. There's a FC2 game but I'm not going anywhere near that one. Congrats to anyone who can do those puzzles in less than an hour though.

Still think I will wait for the next gen of consoles matey, I have a feeling they are gonna be pretty sweet. And I don't wanna pay out for hardware that's less able than my current PC really. Yeah, the PS3 is meant to be great as an entertainment hub. I kinda wish I had just bought one ages ago instead of buying a blu ray player. Anyway...

Bet you guys can't do the FC U turn mission!

(it's the last one)

In reply to a post by SPOOKish:

Mrnelster's the clever one mate, I'm a dunce with this thing. That's partly why I was interested to see how other people would get on with the puzzles as I was so stuck, didn't know where to start. I think I have a lack of creative imagination - I couldn't envisage where to begin.

I wouldn't say that mate!

And don't think wonderful contraptions are the key. Your simple chains of wheels are actually the crux of it. Its just the key seems to be one arm that can be cantilevered or used in a pendulum fashion to fall at the right time. I found thinking tank tracks to be the best approach. If you find one that baffles you, stick them down, let them drive across the screen and crash. Then think laterally from that event onwards. Trial and error baby!

I got fed up with the tutorial after the first couple and went straight to the action which is probably how I managed the first 11 in an hour. I then got stuck on 12 for 15 mins and called it a night. Will have another go tonight with the annoying sound turned down again!

Enjoyed it SPOOK, thanks.

Hey way to go. Very impressive.

Yeah, maybe it just took me a long time to learn. I'm getting old. I finished the final one, 'U turn' with no help at all and had basically done what you yourself discovered, a caterpillar type design but with rolling wheels in the air too. Nice and simple and it worked. Awesome stuff.

Real good going with your times then dude. I was stuck for hours on some of them. Just as well there wasn't a time bonus! I really enjoyed watching the Youtube FC stuff where people recorded their creations. Some people's designs were pure genius. Anyhow, glad you enjoyed it. I never once listened to the music on it so still have yet to learn just how awful it is. Think we'll leave that one to the imagination.

You've jinxed me!!!

I've been on level 12 for 35 mins and I cant crack it! [censored] !

I thought you'd finished it! Sorry pal.

Hmm. Level 12, 'Up the stairs'. Oh, that one was easy. Well, I don't even remember it but if you get stuck you can always go to Youtube and look it up like I did!

EDIT

Well, just redid the level. Here's a link to my contraption!
designId=11772304

Not the fastest thing in the world but it got the job done (in the end!)

Edited by deleted (Wed 11-Jul-12 23:49:51)

I got to the tutorial then fell asleep .zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Far to taxing for my brain.

It's not too bad a game after that y'know. You just got to build something with rotating wheels, wooden sticks and the weird water sticks. Easy peasy!

You still awake Mr Spook........The only game i play on this Imac is Angry birds Space

I got that but I only played it once. You can get MW1 for the Mac and it was recently reduced to half price or something so I got that too. Now, that's a proper game. Not as proper as Battlefield of course but for now, it'll have to do.

In reply to a post by SPOOKish:

I thought you'd finished it! Sorry pal.

Hmm. Level 12, 'Up the stairs'. Oh, that one was easy. Well, I don't even remember it but if you get stuck you can always go to Youtube and look it up like I did!

EDIT

Well, just redid the level. Here's a link to my contraption!
designId=11772304

Not the fastest thing in the world but it got the job done (in the end!)

That has to be the most ridculous looking piece of [censored] I have ever seen. I love it!!

You have shown the way Tripitaka. I must free my mind of form over function (i.e. ditch the Aviators) and build things that work. Even if they do look like....ahem....that.

In reply to a post by SPOOKish:

It's not too bad a game after that y'know. You just got to build something with rotating wheels, wooden sticks and the weird water sticks. Easy peasy!

You do realise you have created a monster?

I'm stuck on four balls now

I got to level 17 Handling and that's as far as I go, much to technical for me
Only cheated when I got to four balls so I'm happy with that

Hahaha. Had a good chuckle! I feel like a proud father, having invented a monster and unleashed its design upon the world. I have spawned a slightly quite a bit better built stair walking, ball stomping, contrivance albeit not of mine own hand. {evil laughter] Now, the world must pay! I mean, play! [more muffled evil laughter followed by wracked coughing]

Good that you got it done boss. Now onto the last few torturous levels ahead.

Yeah that four balls one was the one that I came a cropper on. Well, round about there I suppose! Definitely needed help with that one though.

That handling one is pretty simple really. Just a rotating wheel and two water sticks to hold it up, it'll squeeze under the wall thing and as soon as it hits the pink bit you're done. Ooer.

Good job though Lt Swan, sir! Shame to quit now. More cheating to be done!


Edit
Well, that took a lot longer than I thought it was going to. But here's how I just did the Handling mission. Marvel at my handiwork. Or take a look at some real genius here!

Edited by deleted (Fri 13-Jul-12 06:14:26)

After stealing......ahem....re-evaluating you're design (and then sticking a pointy thing on top ) I decided to check out some YouTube clips and now I don't think I will have to result to espionage any more!

I was too wrapped up in vehicular solutions, and had completely neglected the simplistic capabilities of the catapult! Board up your e-windows, prototyping begins tonight!

I can't remember all the names mate, but I think I got stuck on level 14, though SPOOK and I collaborated on 12 or 13 I think?

And it's not cheating, it's all part of the scientific process. After the success of my "MightyMouse" and "RamDragster", I have moved on to airborne solutions (see previous post) and, if testing goes as planned, I may release the technical specification of "The Shlongshot" this evening.

(Note: Shlongshot, MightyMouse, and RamDragster are not trademarks and may be copied at will, so as to show how not to do it).

Well, I like the sound of the RamDragster and Shlongshot. Really looking forward to seeing those in action!

Although it's just the same 'Up the stairs' level, I came up with a new defiler of stairs (not a urinating lager lout no), behold: Triumveritas.

Mighty stair walking beast that it is.

In reply to a post by SPOOKish:

I came up with a new defiler of stairs (not a urinating lager lout no), behold: Triumveritas.

A thing of beauty SPOOK, but even Noel Gallagher would not possess the sheer bravado required, to attempt crossing this wonkathon of engineering!

Some of these are just too funny!

Check out some of the rope climbers toward the end. Genius.

SqueezyBridge is a lovely piece of engineering and a really cool name. It would be great to have bridges called Squeezy bridge out there in the real world.

Yeah, watching those solutions video compilations on Youtube you just can't help but be impressed, can you? Some people's imagination and sheer bravado just blow my mind. So cool. Such skill. Jammy blaggards that they are!

I would love to know what kind of person these people building these amazing contraptions are. Are they a special ilk and all of a similar bent or is there some leeway in possession of general engineering genius genes?

Answers on a postcard...

I just sneezed on my laptop screen!

Why don't you two get married and i can be the best man or something

Well, sounds like someone's jealous! How about you build us a nice little contraption, like a carriage and horses and then you can be the driver?

Or you could just play the game and do a few levels yourself. That would be easier afterall. No one would need to get divorced, have sore posteriors or get sex changes! Sounds good to me.

Don't be so ridiculous, I would never marry a man without at least living together for a bit first.

Nice one matey

In reply to a post by mrnelster:

Some of these are just too funny!

Check out some of the rope climbers toward the end. Genius.

There are some clever [censored] out there

Well, I think I'll just leave that one there.