Question about Trainyard theory Hi, When two start fields are directly next two each other, can those trains ever merge by joining at the same time on a switch? By extension this relates to any two start fields with an odd number of steps apart. I have come across it in a few games and wasn't able to do it; there is usually a way around, for example the start field has multiple trains (As in The Original). But I'm interested in the theory, if this is true, is there a link to a mathematic theorem (with proof)? An equivalent claim is: On a chess board there is a start and a finish field. When moving only up/down/left/right, for each combination all possible paths are either all even or odd # of steps. Thanks, Alex
I have no mathematical theorem, but I can say for certain that it's definitely not possible for two trains that are a single step apart to merge.
What you said earlier about the alternating chess board really crystallised this for me, the idea that after every step the chess board squares switch from black to white, a train that starts off on a black square stays on black squares and can only merge with other black square trains (since every time it moves the white square it's moving into becomes a black square). You probably put it more fluently than that, hehe. But yes I found that helpful. That would also mean they can't be crossed over each other on a + shape junction...but they can still do a cross over by passing through each other on the same track (and they end up passing through each other on the faint line between squares), which was helpful when I realised that. EDIT: Oh, which gets more complicated when multiple trains start on a square. As you said previously, since they are released one step apart, the first train to emerge would be a black square train, then the second train is a white square train since the square it's on has switched to white by that time. Oh, head hurty. So if four trains start on one square, 1 and 3 can merge, 2 and 4 can merge.
Yep! It's one of those things that seems incredibly complex when writing it down, but when you see it in action, it starts to make sense pretty quickly. One of the key pieces I'm going to add in the future will be a piece that messes up this whole system
how do you access the solutions that other people have? and how do you cheat?? i can't get past the last level in delson....help??
I love Trainyard! Thanks a lot for your work Matt. It allows me to try to solve the same problem multiple ways, nice for creativity. Here are a few suggestions I have, mostly about solutions: Solutions: Statistics: Users should be able to see statistics about a solution (the track count of his current solution + the best track count known, if the person is connected on Wi-Fi or 3G) , without having to actually see the best solution and having to share his solution and go on the trainyard.ca/solutions . - For now, I have to share the solution (implies having an Internet connection), remember the 4 digit, quit the game, open safari and type the solution URL.... and try not to look at the best solution that appears on the right, only to know my track count and be able to compare my different solutions. Link/sharing solution: the link to the solution should be clickable to be able to go directly to Safari from the link + be able to email it to yourself (add a share option, I don't necessarily want to share this on FB or Twitter). - For now, I have to remember the 4 digit, quit the game, open safari and type the solution URL. Sharing a solution (EDIT): Sometimes I send my solutions "in batch" because I was playing on the subway and could not share solution... and I don't always remember which was the last solution I shared... an icon indication that it was shared already could help. (near the button share solution), or a message to let know it was shared already. (I notice the URL is the same even if you share multiple times, so it is not a major issue). ---- Thanks!
Thanks for the suggestions, a couple of these are things I've already got on my to do list, but there are some others here that I haven't thought about, so I'll look into them.
This is a great game. Thanks for the sale. I have noticed that there has been no updates for a while so is the next update big? Possible with more levels?
Thanks for putting the LONG journeys on the website! My friends and I (who have beaten the core game and nearly all the bonus puzzles) have started having insane competitions to build the LONGEST possible journey on some of the early levels (for instance http://www.trainyard.ca/7NZm). There are some crazy ones out there, especially this 2.4 million step Red Line solution: http://www.trainyard.ca/7GaZ It's a highly amusing alternate way to play this great game once you're done with the basics. P.S. It'd also be awesome to show the shortest-journey solutions. Some people put a premium on a fast journey, some on a small number of tracks
This is such a fantastic game. It's a puzzle game on the iPhone unlike any other I've played. It's unreal how fun this game is, how satisfying it is when you finally complete a puzzle, and I dig the fact that there are always multiple solutions to each puzzle, so seeing one solution doesn't ruin that puzzle at all. Awesome job on the game I can't tell you how many hours I've sunken in with that $1 purchase lol. A question, though: Are there planned updates to add more levels? If there are, will these be levels that start off at the crazy difficulty at the end of the game? Or will they be of varying difficulty levels? What about planned updates for more tool types? I can't think of any other possible piece types, but I'm sure you have something cooking Great job on the game. It's pretty much 100% perfect and amazing
There are definitely more puzzles coming, and eventually there will be more pieces and a puzzle editor and all kinds of stuff. Unfortunately I still have a full time job, and I have a baby and all kinds of other stuff to do, so I haven't actually had very much time to work on updates, but I'm hoping to have an update with some more puzzles and bugfixes done before Christmas. The new levels will be of varying difficulty levels, some hard, some medium, some easy. I'm starting to work on Trainyard full time in January, so you'll see a ton of new stuff after that.
I wanted to cast my vote for the shortest journey solution as well. I checked solutions for the first time after completing Barrel Roll and was surprised to see it was only track count listed. My journey was only 25 steps. Anyone else have a shorter? www.trainyard.ca/7Yhm I thought my solution was sort of pretty in a way too. Thanks for this amazing puzzle game! One of my favorites I've ever played!
Awesome game. Finished Trainyard express, now getting the full game. ANd you've created the levels yourself? If yes, you're quite brilliant. Making a puzzle concept is one thing, where trainyard excels, but creating levels with the understanding of how difficult every level is, is a gift. Kudos! And btw, I don't know if you have been following the best logo thread, trainyard is quite a favourite amongst people here.
Yep I made all the levels myself! Trying to figure out the approximate difficulty of each one is the hardest part I didn't know there was a best logo thread, I'll have to look it up!
