# A Fantastic Contraption SDMB Contest **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [July 26, 2008, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-fantastic-contraption-sdmb-contest/457870 "2008-07-26T20:54:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2008, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-fantastic-contraption-sdmb-contest/457870/61 "2008-07-29T03:36:27Z")
[QUOTE=Lightnin’] Level 70, in 20pts: > **[Fantastic Contraption - Launch Level](http://fantasticcontraption.com/?designId=114574)** > > The classic physics puzzle game from 2008. Build whimsical machines to solve puzzles. Now available on Steam with new updates coming soon! [/QUOTE] And now, [70 in 16pts!](http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=118916) ---
**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2008, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-fantastic-contraption-sdmb-contest/457870/62 "2008-07-29T03:48:58Z")
[QUOTE=Don’t fight the hypothetical] I don’t know but I’ll guess. I think in addition to adding weight they also offer a larger traction surface. Those two things together add more power. At least that’s what I assumed when I added them. [/QUOTE] My guess is that it allows both wheels to power when only one wheel is gripping… transfers power from the wheels that slip to the wheels that grip. ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2008, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-fantastic-contraption-sdmb-contest/457870/63 "2008-07-29T05:24:15Z")
[QUOTE=Lightnin’] And now, [70 in 16pts!](http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=118916) [/QUOTE] Sorry, [70 in 15pts!](http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=119756) ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2008, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-fantastic-contraption-sdmb-contest/457870/64 "2008-07-29T05:30:01Z")
(Um, guys, you know 70’s already been done in [10](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=10042236&postcount=39), right?) ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2008, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-fantastic-contraption-sdmb-contest/457870/65 "2008-07-29T05:59:28Z")
[QUOTE=fachverwirrt] (Um, guys, you know 70’s already been done in [10](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=10042236&postcount=39), right?) [/QUOTE] I never dreamed two wheels could push it up the slope, wow! ---
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2008, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-fantastic-contraption-sdmb-contest/457870/66 "2008-07-29T07:40:17Z")
[QUOTE=Santo Rugger] My guess is that it allows both wheels to power when only one wheel is gripping… transfers power from the wheels that slip to the wheels that grip. [/QUOTE] Yeah, that’s it. I noticed that the catapult designs used this concept to link several wheels in a chain to power a throwing arm. I took it to an extreme and crosslinked a bunch of freaking wheels as seen here: [level 53](http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=93187) (this is the same one I posted earlier) [new 06](http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=94668) [Big Ball](http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=94851) ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2008, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-fantastic-contraption-sdmb-contest/457870/67 "2008-07-29T08:40:35Z")
[QUOTE=Ale] Scratch that, level 44 [3 points.](http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=92901)🆒 [/QUOTE] Nice, I tried to trump you with a gravity rods-only solution, but it just didn’t work out any better than [4 points.](http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=121128) ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2008, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-fantastic-contraption-sdmb-contest/457870/68 "2008-07-29T09:41:40Z")
[QUOTE=Santo Rugger] Nice job, **Half Man** , it’s even more impressive that the contraption can’t make it up the hill if you keep everything exactly the same if you disconnect the pink ball and move it off to the side. [/QUOTE] Thanks! Considering how long it took me to even get through that level, it’s astonishing how simple the solution turned out to be… I tried, at first, to make an ‘extending ramps’ kind of design like yours, but couldn’t get it to work, then finally hit upon [this](http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=86976) as my first solution – you can kinda see how my final design evolved from that via the tried-and-true engineering principle of throwing shit out… Oh, and, just call me halfwit, everybody else does, too. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2008, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-fantastic-contraption-sdmb-contest/457870/69 "2008-07-29T10:59:18Z")
I knew I could get this to work – Level 44, [2 points](http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=122171). 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2008, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-fantastic-contraption-sdmb-contest/457870/70 "2008-07-29T11:56:40Z")
[QUOTE=Half Man Half Wit] I knew I could get this to work – Level 44, [2 points](http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=122171). 🆒 [/QUOTE] Ah, well done sir. I’d tried a few rods only designs, all of mine had the rods stuck together to the centre of the ball. Gotta start thinking outside the box :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_fight\_the\_hypothetical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/59ef9b/32.png) [@Don\_t\_fight\_the\_hypothetical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_fight_the_hypothetical)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2008, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-fantastic-contraption-sdmb-contest/457870/71 "2008-07-29T15:29:05Z")
[QUOTE=Pushkin] Nice, I tried to trump you with a gravity rods-only solution, but it just didn’t work out any better than [4 points.](http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=121128) [/QUOTE] Despite the 2 solution above I tweaked yours into 3. > **[Fantastic Contraption - Launch Level](http://fantasticcontraption.com/?designId=125222)** > > The classic physics puzzle game from 2008. Build whimsical machines to solve puzzles. Now available on Steam with new updates coming soon! ---
**Author:** ![Tenebras](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@Tenebras](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tenebras)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2008, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-fantastic-contraption-sdmb-contest/457870/72 "2008-07-29T18:43:48Z")
[QUOTE=Don’t fight the hypothetical] Despite the 2 solution above I tweaked yours into 3. > **[Fantastic Contraption - Launch Level](http://fantasticcontraption.com/?designId=125222)** > > The classic physics puzzle game from 2008. Build whimsical machines to solve puzzles. Now available on Steam with new updates coming soon! [/QUOTE] Psst. [Post 47.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=10042624&postcount=47) 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2008, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-fantastic-contraption-sdmb-contest/457870/73 "2008-07-29T20:09:55Z")
[QUOTE=Don’t fight the hypothetical] Despite the 2 solution above I tweaked yours into 3. > **[Fantastic Contraption - Launch Level](http://fantasticcontraption.com/?designId=125222)** > > The classic physics puzzle game from 2008. Build whimsical machines to solve puzzles. Now available on Steam with new updates coming soon! [/QUOTE] :smack: I sat tweaking my design all through work today too. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2008, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-fantastic-contraption-sdmb-contest/457870/74 "2008-07-29T21:25:23Z")
Here are the standings so far: Level 44: **Half Man Half Wit** for [2 points](http://fantasticcontraption.com/?designId=122171) Level 51: **fachverwirrt** for [5 points](http://fantasticcontraption.com/?designId=90622) (lots of people have tied it, but nobody’s beaten it) Level 53: **Half Man Half Wit** for [8 points](http://fantasticcontraption.com/?designId=97281) Level 70 (a.k.a. “damned ramp”): **Half Man Half Wit** for [10 points](http://fantasticcontraption.com/?designId=96884) ( **fachverwirrt** was beaten by 19 minutes) Twist: **fachverwirrt** for [7 points](http://fantasticcontraption.com/?designId=93144) Dang, you guys are good! And **Half Man Half Wit** may have come in late, but he’s sweeping the standings! [QUOTE=Lightnin’] [Twist](http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=98825) one rod, one powered wheel: 5pts. [/QUOTE] That’s not Twist. That’s Level 51. ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2008, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-fantastic-contraption-sdmb-contest/457870/75 "2008-07-29T23:02:01Z")
[QUOTE=InvisibleWombat] Level 53: **Half Man Half Wit** for [8 points](http://fantasticcontraption.com/?designId=97281) [/QUOTE] [53 in 5.](http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=131609) ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Call\_Me\_Shirley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Don\_t\_Call\_Me\_Shirley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Call_Me_Shirley)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2008, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-fantastic-contraption-sdmb-contest/457870/76 "2008-07-29T23:05:48Z")
[QUOTE=Lightnin’] [53 in 5.](http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=131609) [/QUOTE] Looks like 6 to me ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2008, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-fantastic-contraption-sdmb-contest/457870/77 "2008-07-29T23:17:52Z")
[QUOTE=Don’t Call Me Shirley] Looks like 6 to me [/QUOTE] Hey, I gotta shave those points wherever I can, ya know. Yep. Man, I keep wanting to count those powered wheels as 3 pts, instead of 4. Curse that higher math. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2008, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-fantastic-contraption-sdmb-contest/457870/78 "2008-07-29T23:37:12Z")
[QUOTE=Lightnin’] [53 in 5.](http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=131609) [/QUOTE] Very nice. How long did it take you to make that work? And now, see if you can _really_ do it in five 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-fantastic-contraption-sdmb-contest/457870/79 "2008-07-30T01:23:49Z")
[QUOTE=InvisibleWombat] Very nice. How long did it take you to make that work? [/QUOTE] Well, let’s just say I really should’ve gotten more work done today than I did. Damn game. [QUOTE=InvisibleWombat] And now, see if you can _really_ do it in five 😉 [/QUOTE] I’ve been trying… but I’m not having any luck getting it past the valley with only one powered wheel and a stick. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Call\_Me\_Shirley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Don\_t\_Call\_Me\_Shirley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Call_Me_Shirley)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-fantastic-contraption-sdmb-contest/457870/80 "2008-07-30T14:02:47Z")
[QUOTE=Lightnin’] Well, let’s just say I really should’ve gotten more work done today than I did. Damn game. I’ve been trying… but I’m not having any luck getting it past the valley with only one powered wheel and a stick. [/QUOTE] As of today the fantastic contraption site is blocked at my work. If anyone needs me, I’ll be over here getting my resume together. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-fantastic-contraption-sdmb-contest/457870.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-fantastic-contraption-sdmb-contest/457870.md?page=5)