World of Banished

Conversations => Challenges => Topic started by: kee on February 13, 2015, 01:48:56 PM

Title: The fast forward challenge
Post by: kee on February 13, 2015, 01:48:56 PM
Got a hour and a half to kill? Well, why not play a silly bout of Banished?

We're about to set up a hamlet in 10X mode.

Here are the rules, laws and ordinances of this challenge:
*Game settings:
Use any map seed
Terrain type valleys
Terrain size medium
Climate mild
Disasters on
Starting conditions hard
Vanilla version or mods who don't allow for speedier construction allowed.

*No game pausing allowed. Lay off the space bar. The only pause you even can consider is the pause button on buildings under construction.
*As soon as game launches set speed to 10X. Yes, even before you position your windows.
*When you reach late spring year 10 the challenge is over. Take some screenshots, post them in this thread.

Now, who's the winner?
Let me propose a few criteria from which to judge:
* To pass you must have built at least:
- A town hall
- A market
- A trading post
(yes it's ridiculous to have them up this early. I said it was a silly challenge)
*To pass summa cum laude you must have:
-A food surplus of your population X 100
-More than four hearts
-More than four stars
-Housing for all, no houses to be cold
-No people without tools
-Built at least one: School, Boarding house, Tavern and Bridge
*Extra honors will be awarded to the one who:
-Has reaped at least one crop from a field or orchard

I tried this just now, and lazy ass that I am didn't pass laude. Screencaps added. It was a fun and very different way of playing than I am used to, though.
Title: Re: The fast forward challenge
Post by: salamander on February 13, 2015, 01:58:30 PM
The Honor System is alive and well (ie, no pausing), which I think suites this forum pretty well.  Any takers?  FYI -- I can't because I seem to have an inherently criminal mindset and would pause every chance I got.  ;)
Title: Re: The fast forward challenge
Post by: irrelevant on February 13, 2015, 05:44:32 PM
I like this idea very much!

Quote from: kee on February 13, 2015, 01:48:56 PM
* To pass you must have built at least:
- A town hall
- A market
- A trading post
(yes it's ridiculous to have them up this early. I said it was a silly challenge)
It most certainly is not ridiculous. I normally have a market and a TP by year 10; the town hall can be tough though. ;D
Title: Re: The fast forward challenge
Post by: Nilla on February 14, 2015, 03:50:48 AM
Although I am honest in things like this, maybe close to stupidity, so I wouldn´t cheat, but all the same; it is not a challenge for me. I  can´t play 10x, much too stressful for a sick old lady.  :-\
Title: Re: The fast forward challenge
Post by: kee on February 16, 2015, 03:12:56 PM
→Lizards with criminal intent should see this challenge as a... well... challenge. In self control.
→Of those three I very seldom have more than a trade port  at year 10, I'm usually a very slow builder who likes to see his population have a near linear development. That's why I thought a challenge like this would be fun- it takes me out of ingrained methods.
→Mylady, you should loan that nameless elks linux rig. Apparently vine has tangled up the speed something awfully and he plays at 10x as default. A.moose: This challenge was made for you!
Title: Re: The fast forward challenge
Post by: irrelevant on February 20, 2015, 07:02:54 PM
Well, that was stressful and exciting! Lots of fun.

Did pretty well, no harvested crop though. Only got seeds in Winter 9; had the TP built in year 3, but all the merchants brought just food or livestock until the last one.  ::)

Thanks for the challenge, @kee!

Build order:

Year 1
School
Barn
Hunter
Gatherer
Forester
House

Year 2
Chopper
Smith
House
Herbalist
House

Year 3
Tailor
TP
House
Market
House

That was my planned order; I think I more or less did that. Year 4 and later, who knows what got built?! ;D

Edit: I should add in the interest of full disclosure that I did hit the pause button from reflex a number of times, and every time I unpaused it right back. I normally do play making liberal use of "pause!"
Title: Re: The fast forward challenge
Post by: rkelly17 on February 21, 2015, 07:24:59 AM
Why am I not surprised that @irrelevant is the first to take up the challenge?

Nice job.
Title: Re: The fast forward challenge
Post by: irrelevant on February 21, 2015, 07:59:55 AM
@rkelly17 thanks! This was quite a lot of fun. Got me nicely out of my comfort zone. And it really did take just an hour or two (I didn't time it).
Title: Re: The fast forward challenge
Post by: kee on February 21, 2015, 12:01:02 PM
And an impressive summa cum laude for irrelevant, who as ususl show us how things should be done.
Our next candidate is?
Title: Re: The fast forward challenge
Post by: Demonocracy on February 22, 2015, 03:34:21 PM
This way way harder than I thought it would be.  I actually went through several seeds and everyone-dies-at-the-first-winter moments.  Finally around the 5th try, I found the right seed and built just the right things to make it work. 


Positives:

- A town hall
- A market
- A trading post
- A food surplus of your population X 100
- More than four hearts
- More than four stars
- Housing for all, no houses to be cold
- No people without tools
- Bridge
- Boarding House

Plus:
-Everyone clothed
-Cemetery
-Hospital
(And I aaaalmost had a church too!)


Not achieved:

-No School
-No Tavern
-No Crops (or seeds)


I will say this... I really value the pause button now.  I never realized how important it is to my gameplay--especially at the start of a game.  It was a struggle to make it through the first couple years without being able to pause.  It got easier as the game went on though, mostly because activities were in queue.

It was a lot of fun.  Thanks for the challenge!

So, what's the next challenge?   :)


Title: Re: The fast forward challenge
Post by: kee on February 23, 2015, 06:26:49 AM
A very good attempt still, and a pass of course. It's easy to forget the targets and start to build in the order you think's best for a sustained town, yesno?
Title: Re: The fast forward challenge
Post by: Demonocracy on February 23, 2015, 05:46:24 PM
It really is.  I find that the first part is me just panicking to survive the first winter.  After that first hurdle, the rest gets a little easier. 
Title: Re: The fast forward challenge
Post by: irrelevant on February 23, 2015, 05:52:28 PM
Ah, yes, the pause! So enticing.... :P

Nicely done, @Demonocracy. Panic is what I remember from the first year as well.  :o

And welcome back!
Title: Re: The fast forward challenge
Post by: Demonocracy on February 23, 2015, 07:44:42 PM
This was the cruelest part of the challenge by far:

"*As soon as game launches set speed to 10X. Yes, even before you position your windows."

Oh... my... gosh!  That really messed me up.  I couldn't even think!  I had to just get them working so I could have some time to get my windows up.  I'll say this though:  the experience was fun and definitely a unique challenge.

I'm looking forward to more challenges.  Keep them coming!  I'm eager to try my hand at the next.  If there are still-open challenges, could someone point me to them?

Thanks, guys!  And it's nice to see you again too, @irrelevant !
Title: Re: The fast forward challenge
Post by: assobanana76 on February 24, 2015, 03:05:12 AM
oh guys!
you need to scale the UI windows!   :D
too big!
the game window is reduced to a coin!  ;D
Title: Re: The fast forward challenge
Post by: irrelevant on February 24, 2015, 06:17:51 AM
Quote from: assobanana76 on February 24, 2015, 03:05:12 AM
you need to scale the UI windows!   :D
I need to be able to read the UI windows!  ;) They will stay the size that they are.  ;D
Title: Re: The fast forward challenge
Post by: rkelly17 on February 25, 2015, 07:53:44 AM
I decided to give this one a try. So far I've killed more citizens than I killed Kerbals when I first played Kerbal Space Program! I keep hoping for a settlement that survives the first Winter. I'm just not very good when I can't cogitate and plan.
But I'm not going to give up . . . well, at least not quite yet.
Title: Re: The fast forward challenge
Post by: Chon Waen on February 25, 2015, 12:21:47 PM
@rkelly17  would it be considered cheating for this challenge to do a slow-run on a chosen seed, see if its possible to meet the challenge, plan out your builds, commit your plan to memory, then start the seed again, and try the challenge?
The hard thinking and planning will be done, you'll probably make a few minor changes in building positions, but you can concentrate on getting stuff down rather than "where do i put this"
Title: Re: The fast forward challenge
Post by: kee on February 25, 2015, 03:15:48 PM
The whole idea with this exam was for you to proove your skill under the pressure of speed and time constraints. Please, do not bring any prepared materials, notes or textbooks. You may refer online material during the exam as long as the accessing of this material does not constitute in effect a pausing of the simulation.
Title: Re: The fast forward challenge
Post by: Demonocracy on February 25, 2015, 10:19:27 PM
Quote from: rkelly17 on February 25, 2015, 07:53:44 AM
I decided to give this one a try. So far I've killed more citizens than I killed Kerbals when I first played Kerbal Space Program! I keep hoping for a settlement that survives the first Winter. I'm just not very good when I can't cogitate and plan.
But I'm not going to give up . . . well, at least not quite yet.


I had a difficult time surviving the first winter, too.  Here's approximately what I remember doing to keep alive for the first winter.

1.  Set to full speed (obviously).
2.  Set laborers (everyone at this point) to resource harvesting.  (Trees and Stone mostly.)
3.  Place Gatherer's hut and set priority.
4.  Place Boarding House and set priority.
5.  Keep all Laborers as Laborers until Gatherer's Hut has all resources to be built.
6.  Keep all Laborers as Laborers until Boarding House has all resources to be built.

At this point, it's Winter.

7.  Set all people to laborers except 4 Gatherers.
8.  Place another Gatherer's hut.
9.  Set priority on Gatherer's hut (or your people will starve).
10.  Keep all Laborers as Laborers until Gatherer's Hut has all resources to be built.
11.  Set 5 total Gatherer's to Gather.
12.  Place Woodcutter.
13.  Keep all Laborers as Laborers until Woodcutter has all resources to built.

At this point, you should be able to survive through the rest.  That first winter is a killer one, and the second is a little harsh too.  But something like this should do you quite well.  At least that's how I got through it!
Title: Re: The fast forward challenge
Post by: Bracken on February 26, 2015, 03:40:04 AM
I got a harvest off my peach orchard.  ;D I got lucky, the first merchant to arrive had seeds.

Everyone housed, fed, clothed, provided with tools and firewood.
4.5 hearts
5 stars
Food surplus over pop x 100
Town Hall
Market
Tradingpost
Boarding house
School
Tavern
Bridge


Title: Re: The fast forward challenge
Post by: kee on February 26, 2015, 05:09:37 AM
Now that is a summa cum laude with extra honors! Congratulations to @Bracken, may your shrub never wilt!
Liked the way you spread out the hamlet on both sides of the bridge.
Title: Re: The fast forward challenge
Post by: irrelevant on February 26, 2015, 10:16:19 AM
Congrats, @Bracken! Nicely done. :)
Title: Re: The fast forward challenge
Post by: Nilla on February 26, 2015, 11:47:36 AM
I'm impressed of you all. :)

It seems to make you all a lot of fun, so I have decided to give it a try, too. I feel good at the moment.

But look what happened! I'm not sure that it is such a good idea to play such a challenge with disasters on!  ;)

I'll give it one more chance. 
Title: Re: The fast forward challenge
Post by: Nilla on February 28, 2015, 02:40:21 AM
Now I gave it another chance. I'm glad I did. Wasn't quite as much stress, as I thought it would be. Thank you @Demonocracy for challenging us.

I think I have everything asked for (there is a bridge not to be seen cross the small river south, just to collect the valuable stone on the other side). I was lucky and got some cabbage seed early spring 9, so I harvested some last year. (To increase the chances for luck, I even built a second trading port). The only thing not quite ready is the brewery, it is built but hasn't produced anything, because I had no fruit (except berries and I don't want to spoil them).

Started this way:

X10
Clear land
Stockpile
Open windows
School (one chiled slipped school)
Gatherer (2)
House
Hunter(1)
Plan Market (not build yet)
Tailor, Blacksmith, Woodcutter at the future Market
Houses for everyone
Forester (the forest around the gatherer was very thick from the start so it could wait)
Trading port, Market.....    as soon as there are enough stones.
Title: Re: The fast forward challenge
Post by: irrelevant on February 28, 2015, 05:56:57 AM
@Nilla, way to keep at it! Well done.

The challenge was created by @kee however.
Title: Re: The fast forward challenge
Post by: Demonocracy on February 28, 2015, 09:14:31 AM
Great job, @Nilla !  We all knew you had it in you.  : )

Thanks, of course, go to @kee for the challenge.
Title: Re: The fast forward challenge
Post by: kee on February 28, 2015, 09:39:34 AM
There is no thing more despondent than an out of ale tavern, but still the smell of the malting was not a prerequisite of the challenge. A full honours, summa cum laude @Nilla !
Title: Re: The fast forward challenge
Post by: Nilla on March 01, 2015, 02:15:33 AM
Sorry,@kee.I suppose I suppose I was a bit mixed up after the game. Once more,thank you.

I also forgot to post the picture, here it is.

Title: Re: The fast forward challenge
Post by: salamander on March 01, 2015, 11:29:45 AM
Myrmidon Hill ... an exercise in incompetence.  But, about the best I've been able to do with this challenge after several attempts (including one where almost everyone starved in the first minute or two), so please don't laugh too hard. 

The game was completely vanilla, and each attempt was with a different seed.  I didn't realize how rusty I had gotten since my son got me hooked on Space Engineers over the xmas break, and maybe trying @kee's challenge first thing after coming back to Banished wasn't the smartest thing.  ::)  After getting counseling from the GEICO Gecko, who also is a reformed miscreant, I was able to curb my urge to hit the pause button every few seconds regardless of the rules, and I have to say I found this challenge to be really fun ... and definitely challenging.

@kee -- Thanks for this.  Can we submit more than one attempt ... if I want to punish myself some more?  ;)
Title: Re: The fast forward challenge
Post by: kee on March 01, 2015, 12:40:35 PM
@salamander Go ahead and retry as often as you wish. More than two litres of coffee consumed simultaneously to playing will be considered as doping.
Title: Re: The fast forward challenge
Post by: kee on March 02, 2015, 02:30:35 AM
But I see
- A town hall
- A market
- A trading post
So this is a pass. Your papers, sir! @salamander
Title: Re: The fast forward challenge
Post by: solarscreen on March 03, 2015, 02:27:03 PM
Let me know who your winner is and I will post in the Champion Post and add them to the Champions group.
Title: Re: The fast forward challenge
Post by: kee on March 03, 2015, 02:41:01 PM
In this challenge I rather think I proposed a grading scheme rather than a winner scheme, but still @Bracken did get the full honors first. I suppose it's only fair that the fern gets his name in the hall of fame.
But for the rest of you students: It is not too late to hand in your exams for grading!
Title: Re: The fast forward challenge
Post by: salamander on March 03, 2015, 04:11:45 PM
I reckon a 'pass' is better than the alternative.  'D' for Diploma, right?  ;)

I kind of like these short-term challenges.  Nice idea, @kee.
Title: Re: The fast forward challenge
Post by: Brugle on March 08, 2015, 09:33:51 AM
@kee
You said in the opening post that you "didn't pass laude", but you have a town hall, a market, a trading post, food > people*100, 4.5 hearts, 4.5 stars, housing for all, no cold houses (as far as I can tell), lots of tools (so everyone should have one), and a school.  No extra honors, but it appears to be summa cum laude.  What am I missing?
Title: Re: The fast forward challenge
Post by: kee on March 08, 2015, 10:04:24 AM
No pub. Says it all, really.
Title: Re: The fast forward challenge
Post by: Brugle on March 08, 2015, 10:47:03 AM
@kee
Thank you.  I thought "Built at least one: School, Boarding house, Tavern and Bridge" meant build any one, but it means build one of each.  Makes it a little harder. :)

If I had looked at how you graded the entries, I wouldn't have been confused.
Title: Re: The fast forward challenge
Post by: Brugle on March 08, 2015, 10:18:43 PM
I have an unfair advantage--my computer is slow.  Rather than 1.5 hours, I took around 3 hours.  The only time the simulation stopped was when I saved the game (and I sometimes went to pee then).  "Remove Structures" was only used twice, to remove the original cart and to vacate the boarding house (in year 4) so people would pair up.

I think I have everything: all required buildings, lots of food, 4.5 hearts, 5 stars, everyone housed (in a boarding house and 2 wooden houses), all warm houses, everyone tooled, and a squash harvest in year 9.  In addition, everyone was educated--with 8 starting kids that was a surprise.  (I meant for the tavern to make ale in year 9, but I forgot.)

In early summer 3 I noticed that someone was without a tool.  I forgot to build a blacksmith!  Eventually, over half of the adults were toolless, including the blacksmith.  But when he finally delivered 6 tools to the storage barn in early spring 4, most adults got tools, including the blacksmith.

The hunting lodge in the forest wasn't catching many deer, and I was worried about keeping people clothed, so I built a second hunting lodge in year 5.  In year 6 the new hunting lodge (with 1 hunter) caught 3 deer, but the old hunting lodge (with 1 hunter) caught 5!

I enjoyed this challenge a lot.

Hmm ... I get an Internal Server Error when I try to preview or post with screenshots.  It's getting late--I'll try to post the screenshots tomorrow.
Title: Re: The fast forward challenge
Post by: RedKetchup on March 08, 2015, 10:22:39 PM
yeah me too i am getting server error when i try to post screenshots.... is server full ? IMO
we all starting to have a tons of screenshot at 1-3MB each shots ^^


QuoteInternal Server Error

The server encountered an internal error or misconfiguration and was unable to complete your request.

Please contact the server administrator and inform them of the time the error occurred, and the actions you performed just before this error.

More information about this error may be available in the server error log.


Apache Server at worldofbanished.com Port 80
Title: Re: The fast forward challenge
Post by: kee on March 09, 2015, 02:50:40 AM
I will not take differences in the spacetime continuum into consideration for this challenge. A summa cum laude with full honours awarded to @Brugle .
Saves long enough to go pee? With that slow a system I'd try to stop all automated breaks for fear of them completely freezing up the rig.
Title: Re: The fast forward challenge
Post by: Brugle on March 09, 2015, 06:31:06 AM
Quote from: kee on March 09, 2015, 02:50:40 AM
Saves long enough to go pee? With that slow a system I'd try to stop all automated breaks for fear of them completely freezing up the rig.
No, these were saves I made myself, usually when a year started (if I remembered).  Usually I immediately resumed the game, but my daily coffee (probably less than 1 litre) was working its way through, so a few times I peed and then resumed the game.  If that was against the rules I'll give back the diploma.

Here are the screenshots, including the start of year 4 (with the toolless blacksmith who will shortly deliver some tools to the storage barn):
Title: Re: The fast forward challenge
Post by: kee on March 12, 2015, 03:06:11 AM
Those toolless blacksmiths must have asbestos hands.
Title: Re: The fast forward challenge
Post by: Bracken on March 20, 2015, 03:36:08 AM
I tried a combination of this and the flowerchild one (nonstop, boarding houses only)

I passed, but only a pass.
Title: Re: The fast forward challenge
Post by: kee on April 13, 2015, 02:10:27 AM
Full steam ahead, captain. As long as you get the housing up in time I think a laude is in reach with that combo as well.
Title: Re: The fast forward challenge
Post by: luex on April 13, 2015, 06:29:25 AM
1st try - A tornado kills everybody except for one man in year 3.
2nd try - Everybody freezes to death collecting stone to build houses to avoid freezing to death.
3rd try - The village is doing well, but only 4 hearts. Clearly they need a chapel next to their graveyard. Or maybe Joy Division.
Title: Re: The fast forward challenge
Post by: kee on April 13, 2015, 11:29:18 AM
...And celebrate the irony...
A pass, and a laude not far off- you need a herbalist more than you need a priest though.