Really nice game congratulations! Number 2 on uk top paid and number 4 uk top grossing! Looks like the experiment worked!
You are entirely correct with your logic about not being able to delay a train by one block. So why are you trying to merge something with the one yellow train that's one out of sync?
im stuck at Formatic in express. 4 trains, each separated by a track coming from a single emmergence point need to merge into 2 purple trains, with blue and yellow painting stations available. I was formerly able to merge some of them, and can no longer even figure out how to get any of them to merge, the timing is off.
It's strange, Formatic was one of the few levels in TE that I struggled with for a while as well. The trick is realising that you will only ever be able to merge train #1 with #3, and #2 with #4. The only thing left to decide is whether to do that before or after repainting them.
It's crazy how this is getting traction so far after release. I am positive I saw reviews going out a couple of days ago.
Ladies and gentlemen, Trainyard just passed Angry Birds and is now the #2 paid app on the US App Store.
The key is kind of like what globbits said. This explanation may just make things more confusing, but I'll try it anyway. You could think of it like the alternating squares of a chessboard. If the trains start from the white squares, they'll only ever be able to merge with trains from white squares, and trains from black squares (ie. every other square) will only be able to merge with trains from black squares. The exception happens when you have two trains coming from a single station. If it's a white square the first train will be a "white square" train, but the second will be a "black square" train. I don't think I realized how hard Formatic was when I put it in. I actually hate puzzles like Formatic and Horhey and Jorge, because they're too confusing (even for me) and they usually just require trial-and-error. I like puzzles that are tricky but when you solve them, it's easy to know why your solution worked...
The odd thing is, even though the three puzzles you mentioned are essentially the same, it was only Formatic that threw me. I reckon it must have been the paint pieces that distracted me, especially since Jorge was only a few levels earlier. Either that or my morning caffeine hit hadn't kicked in at the time Congratulations, the success is well deserved!
Just signed up to say that I absolutely loved Trainyard. It's by far the best puzzle game I've played on the iPhone; so many of the puzzles were so satisfying to solve. Congrats on beating Angry Birds
Oh! Hmm...may need to rethink my tactics on this one. Perfect nudge by the way, just enough to get me thinking! Maybe I was trying to hard to get the track to fit the plan rather than modifying the plan. Also to ElectricGrandpa, no that did help, much clearer with a checkerboard metaphor. It's like bishops in chess being stuck on the one shade, only with regard to time. I'm fascinated by game theory so I'm glad I was on the right track (no pun intended). At the moment I'm passing the blue over the first yellow to make two greens, then planned on combining the red with the second yellow to make the orange I need...but the second yellow is the out of sync one. Might need to adjust the plan!
dude you beat angry birds. There's an extremely short list of people in this world that can say that :0 (and of those, how many were ONE MAN TEAMS.....)
congratsss! on your extraordinary success! I remember back when I (sorta) beta tested this..and was release with little fanfare. but lookit now!
Feeling frustrated and more than a little stupid... Why does my train not follow the track that is shown!?! It clearly leads to the correct destination but takes a detour onto the track that is below it. Yes, I am playing the tutorial levels but for the life of me I can't seem to figure out where these frickin trains are going to go by looking at the track. I own and play a lot of puzzle games but it's not the puzzles that are stumping me; it's the interface. Please... Help...
+1 from Australia Congratulations on your success! Much deserved in my humble opinion and made all the more impressive because you did it in what is fast becoming the old fashioned way - ie: no paid for reviews like a certain currently popular app we shan't mention Full Point!
ok relax take a deep breath you might be playing the tutorials but not paying attention. when you have 2 tracks intercepting and you want the train to take the right track make sure the route you want is on top of the other if it isnt double tap the square its in and theyll switch. Try playing the tutorials on how they switch again if this doesnt help.
Thank you for the response. The double tap thing I missed, but what is puzzling is the fact that the top track is not being taken by the train. Do two trains passing over each somehow affect the way the trains are routed? Less frustrated now though, thanks
