My best prologue solution: 40g, 83 cycles, 7 area.
(https://i.imgur.com/ID1RWNB.gif)
Same puzzle, 15 cycles:
(https://i.imgur.com/v5ort15.gif)
My best Precision Machine Oil (90/73/14)
(https://i.imgur.com/Es7m4sC.gif)
I've been attempting to get the lowest sum of cost+cycles+area.
Stamina Potion:
(https://i.imgur.com/rW7ml21.gif)
Mist of Incapacitation!
(https://i.imgur.com/ApVH6ci.gif)
I'd love to see some other solutions on this one.
I also have a one-armed Very Dark Thread:
(https://uristqwerty.ca/img/up/Opus%20Magnum%20-%20Very%20Dark%20Thread%20-%202017-10-19-22-40-52.gif)
It can lead to some silly first solutions, such as this Universal Solvent (spoiler note: last puzzle of the campaign)
(https://uristqwerty.ca/img/up/Opus%20Magnum%20-%20Universal%20Solvent%20-%202017-10-21-12-55-59.gif)
I probably made multiple poor choices in when and where to assemble subcomponents, but I could always find some combinations of movements that brought the awkwardly-placed molecules out into an open space again without compromising on input rate. It was actually a bit fun at times, routing molecules without having to massively backtrack on existing parts of the design, though I expect there's room to save tens of cycles with a more efficient form-scratch design.
Assembling the 4-salt molecules and converting the atoms afterwards caused excess complexity and startup delay, then splitting the two types afterwards was inefficient and caused awkward routing later, and finally, I did not know you could rotate groups of selected components with A/D, so was hesitant to re-orient the Life/Death producer even though it might have helped routing a bit.
Also, I focused on minimum loop duration, starting from the two inputs, and just tried to fit everything else in the 8-cycle loop that implied. Coming back a day later, having seen problems with my earlier solution and slept on it, I was able to make a better variant.
(https://uristqwerty.ca/img/up/Opus%20Magnum%20-%20Universal%20Solvent%20-%202017-10-21-19-54-12.gif)
A further cycle might be saved by grabbing the final molecule from the top.
Fast:
(https://i.imgur.com/BHhQBLt.gif)
Faster, smaller, good rhythm.
(https://i.imgur.com/LMoJUS3.gif)
Fast:
(https://i.imgur.com/BHhQBLt.gif)
Faster, smaller, good rhythm.
(https://i.imgur.com/LMoJUS3.gif)
Fastest.
(https://i.imgur.com/AAe5L7O.gif)
Smallest/Cheapest.
(https://i.imgur.com/m8oQh1g.gif)
(https://i.imgur.com/ccAeg3T.gif)]
I wasted entirely too many hours optimizing this for cycles.
Anyone who can do it faster I shall decry as a witch!
(https://i.imgur.com/tnVGU3j.gif)
Okay, good call on not letting go of the product at the end. Saved 1 cycle. Witch.
Your dream of a sustained 2-cycle bonding however is pure folly!
(https://i.imgur.com/3JlQQTL.gif)
Okay Smarty McCycleWizard, how can I refine this one?
I did it! I feel a little embarrassed for being slower, bigger, and more expensive than like all the rest that've been posted, but it looks pretty so whatever.
(https://i.imgur.com/C3m6S9K.gif)
I also liked how these uns turned out:
(https://i.imgur.com/iqSHZdr.gif)
(https://i.imgur.com/3Yjx0T2.gif)
It's like practically impossible to not have a cool-looking infinite puzzle, I think.
(https://i.imgur.com/tTYSobG.gif)
(https://i.imgur.com/KQyLWVi.gif)
This one's kinda neat, even if it's blatantly bad.
(https://i.imgur.com/Ab1T2Ac.gif)
This one's also kinda neat, even if it's also blatantly bad.
(https://i.imgur.com/y6noK5F.gif)
This one is my favorite though I think. The breakdown puzzles were lots of fun in general.
(https://i.imgur.com/pQC1yay.gif)
Gonna be honest, I hope that gets changed...
I'm definitely enjoying this though. Including the new minigame - I spent an embarrassing amount of time on the Freecell-like in Shenzen I/O. This one has Mahjong, and it's really cute.
I'm also enjoying the puzzles, heh. Just solved the um... potion, at the end of Chapter 1. I went for speed over cost, and it's the biggest so far:
(https://i.imgur.com/KKL4u2T.gif)
I'm just a little worried since I've clearly only grazed the surface of the game, yet I had to scroll considerably for this. Ah, but looking through this thread at solutions from the demo, maybe I'm worried over nothing!
I do *really* like the unlimited space, and placing the inputs/outputs. With so much freedom, it's hard to imagine a puzzle I couldn't solve with disgraceful sprawling inefficiency. And it would even look pretty cool.
Edit: omg infinite products
The soundtrack for this is once again right-on, BTW. Zachtronic knows how to pick music for puzzle games, even back in the Codex. Even better in SpaceChem, Schenzen, and now this. Oddly chill yet thought-stimulating.
I'm proud of my ancient jiggle sword smithing techniques, handed down through my family. 234 cycles.
(https://i.imgur.com/us7TBL9.gif)