Help with BD3 Cave K/4

[johnomg]

G'day All

I've scoured the Boards for information on this particular Cave and not found much to help me, so I'll ask here.

Is there a Tip, Trick or Fix for BD3 Cave K/4?

I enter the Cave with 9 lives (and less lucky than a cat), in the bottom right of the Cave I can see the spinning Block (?) inside the walled enclosure.

Then on average this happens:
- Most (5) times the contents of the walled enclosure exploded before Rockford even appeared in the entry point
- 3 times the contents lasted for 2 seconds, I got halfway to it
- 1 time the contents lasted for 3 seconds, I got to touch the wall
During one attempt I think the contents lasted for 5 seconds, but that could have been my mind playing tricks on me or wishful thinking.

The contents exploding before Rockford even appears in the entry point seems crazy and the short times the contents do last impossible to work with unless your "Faster than a Speeding Bullet", "The Flash" or living in a Universe where time and motion obey different laws to the one I live in.

Because the contents only last a Random time (mostly 0 seconds) I figure maybe I'm missing something?

Any help appreciated.

Regards
John

P.S.
And I thought Cave P/3 was tough

[Sendy]

Boulderdash 3 is really unprofessionally done and a couple of the higher level caves are unsolvable due to insufficient playtesting. You're doing nothing wrong.

My fix is to not play it, sorry I can't be more helpful

[Arno]

Guess you already use the bugfixed version? (Not sure if that fix modifies K/4 , but that would be nice... )
Anyway, as Sendy points out, the higher levels of BD3 have never been tested properly, so to me they seem uninteresting to play at all.

[johnomg]

Thanks Sendy and Arno

From the start BD3 didn't have the feel of BD1 and 2 (for me anyway). I don't know if it's because Rockford is in a spacesuit or just some sixth sense that tells me it's not quite right.

Then there are the weird things like: Cave P/3 is really tough but some of the Level 5 Caves seem very simple.

I am using the Bugfix already (thanks to the creator) and would love to see it contain a fix for Cave K/4...hint...hint...HINT

I've looked over Caves K/1,2,3 and 5 and it seems to me that in Cave K/4 (what I call) the Chomper is in the wrong spot, being in the middle of the enclosure means the entire contents explode, in Cave K/2 (the only other one with a Chomper) it's in the middle bottom square and when it explodes there is still a Spinning Block left which can grow out.

The fix (to me) would be to move the Chomper to the Bottom Right Hand corner under the Boulder. In this way even if it exploded the Spinning Block would survive and grow like in Cave K/2. After all the object of the Cave is to release the Spinning Blocks before they change to Diamonds and then enclose them with Boulders to make the required amount of Diamonds to complete the Cave.

I suppose anywhere on the bottom row or right hand column would be fine too, but the bottom right square is where I feel it was meant to be.

Anyway, all that said it leads me to this question:
Who do we beg to add Cave K/4 to the fix?

I'm sure all BD Fans would love it to be included so that BD3 can be completed fully and not discarded as unbeatable

Regards
John

[Sendy]

Peter Liepa wasn't involved in BD3, which is probably what you were picking up on.

[johnomg]

Peter Liepa wasn't involved in BD3, which is probably what you were picking up on.

Your probably right Sendy, if BD3 didn't have the "Creators Touch" then something even if very minor would have to be different about it, probably the Strategy.

[Dustin]

The bugfix is made by LogicDeLuxe, it already fixes the formerly also unsolvable levels A/5, I/4 and I/5. There was already a discussion in another topic to fix some other levels (K/4 included), too. Most probably he hasn't had time for it yet;he's using a lot of time for other things concerning BD, e.g. his own engines.

I also dislike the fact that most of the higher levels weren't tested properly, so I've made a version of BD3 with Gdash with -to my mind- more proper use of the five levels. I've mainly made it gor myself to play, but if someone likes it, I can send it to Arno for a possible release here.

[RTADash]

I've made a version of BD3 with Gdash with -to my mind- more proper use of the five levels.

You, too?
I made something like that a while ago when I still had time, but never released it or found time to test it. Maybe we could exchange our BD3 "visions".

[johnomg]

The bugfix is made by LogicDeLuxe, it already fixes the formerly also unsolvable levels A/5, I/4 and I/5. There was already a discussion in another topic to fix some other levels (K/4 included), too. Most probably he hasn't had time for it yet;he's using a lot of time for other things concerning BD, e.g. his own engines.

I also dislike the fact that most of the higher levels weren't tested properly, so I've made a version of BD3 with Gdash with -to my mind- more proper use of the five levels. I've mainly made it gor myself to play, but if someone likes it, I can send it to Arno for a possible release here.

Thanks Dustin

I did read the other Topics and asked just in case the fix for K/4 (and other caves) was out and I didn't notice where to find it.

LogicDeluxe did a excellent job on the Bugfix, I'm sure he is very busy with other stuff...but I can always hope he finds time to include K/4 (and other caves) in a second release of the Bugfix (insert big arsed begging grin).

Thanks for the offer of your fixed version, I might take you up on that in the future. Right now I'm working my way through Arno's Games (up to Arno 12 now).

I'm still trying my luck at K/4 until I feel like comiting Hari Kari. I have managed to release the Spinning Squares (maybe) 3 times (out of like 100) but keep stuffing up how to trap them.

Thanks again
John

[Dustin]

Yes, Arno's games are fantastic, aren't they?

There's actually no chance to find a solution of K/4 that always works! It's actually one of many oversights of the authors. If you can solve it 3 out of 100 times, it's the best thing you can do

@Rory: Oh, of course, I'll send you my version!

[johnomg]

Yes, Arno's games are fantastic, aren't they?

Yep, I'm enjoying them a lot

If you can solve it 3 out of 100 times, it's the best thing you can do

Man....I'm nowhere near solving it yet, I've only managed to release the Spinning Squares 3/100 times, then I stuff it up

[Dustin]

They're calles monoliths... but give it up, why trying to solve a cave which is an obvious bug?

[johnomg]

They're calles monoliths... but give it up, why trying to solve a cave which is an obvious bug?

Ah, that sounds better than Spinning Squares and I don't know why, probably my stubborn streak

[Dustin]

About your suggestion to replace the biter's position in K/4: That won't be possible. BD3 is made with the same engine as BD1 (only other graphics) and the division of the "random" elemnts is made by a ranom generator. If you change the random seed of K/4, the whole divison of boulders and biters(fireflies) will be different.
American Action's mistake was not to test many higher-öevel random seeds. I am pretty sure that the ridiculous task to free the exit door in P/3 wasn't intended either. And there are many more examples: N/2 (boulder blocks the butterflies off, making the task a lot harder), A/5, I/4, I/5 (were all unsolvable because of way- blocking boulders before Logic DeLuxe's bugfix version came out; he simply changed the random seed values)...

[johnomg]

Thanks for the insight Dustin

I'm (obviously) not into the Blood and Guts of how it all works and appreciate the time you took to explain why a further Fix probably won't happen.

Now if I could just find my receipt I could return it to the Store and tell them it's defective