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 Bridge Builder Contest 17


Welcome to the 17th bridge building contest! It's about building Bridge Builder bridges. Download Bridge Builder here. (It's free!)

Everyone is welcome to enter.

The Goal

For the uncertain, the goal is to build the cheapest, most original, best-looking or craziest bridge possible that allows the train to complete the level, while obeying the following simple rules ...

Contest 17 RULES - read carefully!!

In the contest 17 level the right hand side terrain is slightly higher than the train level. As the railroad tracks are bound to the train level in Bridge-Builder, you have to construct some kind of mechanism to 'lift' the train. Therefore, extra attention should be paid to rules number two and five.

The level is comparably small and competition will be very close. Please note rules number twelve and fifteen concerning this matter.

If you have problems solving the level, you might want to have a look at this 'inspiration pack'. It contains several record bridges solving similar problems.

There are 2 main bridge categories: 'CLEAN' and 'DIRTY', and the additional 'ARTISTIC' category. Exact definitions can be found below.

For 'clean' bridges:

1. The train must pass the bridge without breaking any links.

2. No bridge links may touch (except at the three anchor points) or penetrate the level terrain. This applies for edit and test mode, so don't make any use of the grounds for a CLEAN bridge!

3. The bridge must work (the 'Next Level' message must appear) with any train delay beyond the 'settling point'.

For 'dirty' and 'artistic' bridges:

4. Bridge links may break.

5. Bridge links may touch/penetrate terrain.

6. The bridge must work, either with zero train delay or after settling (or in both cases).

For all bridges:

7. You may not exploit bugs or flaws in the game engine (separated train engine, etc).

8. Editing the level is strictly prohibited. The application of techniques only possible by using an external editor (e.g. arched deck) is not allowed.

9. Save your bridge in a .BRG file. Your bridge will be located in the game folder. Attach it to an e-mail and send it to contest@bridgebuilder-game.com. Don't use filenames longer than 8 characters!

10. The e-mail subject must read "[CLEAN/DIRTY] Cost: xxx Name: yyy" or "ARTIST Name: xxx Cost: yyy". No dollar signs ($), no punctuation in the bridge cost, e.g. "CLEAN Cost: 12345 Name: Gray". Use these e-mail links to make sure you get it right: CLEAN, DIRTY, ARTISTIC.

11. The contest ends at 6:00 PM GMT on December 21st. I take no responsibility for e-mail servers being too slow for your e-mail to reach me in time, etc. You will get an automatic e-mail reply when an entry is received.

12. Strictly TWO clean, TWO dirty and ONE artistic bridge per participant are allowed at most, no exceptions. If someone submits two clean and/or two dirty bridges, only the cheaper working one will be evaluated in every category. ALL bridges count as 'artistic' as well, so you don't have to submit your 'clean' bridge twice to get the Bridge Artist title :)

13. Any discussions on contest bridge COSTS are to be kept in this special sub-forum. For your own good, it is password-protected. To get the password, first read this. General comments on the level and the contest are welcome and should be posted here.

14. Breaking, bending or scratching any of the above rules will result in disqualification. If you are unsure whether or not your bridge meets all the requirements, contact me for a clarification before submitting your entry.

15. In the event of a tie, the entry I receive first will be rated better.

The Prizes

Prizes are awarded, as usual, to the cheapest working bridge in each category. If either of these prizewinners declines their prize, as has frequently happened in the past, their prize shall be awarded to the best newcomer in that category. A 'newcomer' is defined as anyone who does not appear in the Hall of Fame (except bridge artist titles). I should stress that handing down of prizes is totally up to the winners, however I'm sure most of the contest regulars would be happy to support the bridge-building community in this way. This means that even if you never entered a contest before, there's a really good chance you can win a prize this time! So don't be shy! Send in your bridges!

For the cheapest working 'CLEAN' bridges:

Winner: Eternal glory and admiration, the title of 'Bridge General' and the full version of any Chronic Logic game!
1st Runner-up: Temporary glory and admiration, the title of 'Bridge Major'
2nd Runner-up: Momentary glory and admiration, the title of 'Bridge Captain'

For the cheapest working 'DIRTY' bridges:

Winner: Eternal respect and awe, the title of 'Bridge Don' and the full version of any Chronic Logic game!
1st Runner-up: Temporary respect and awe, the title of 'Bridge Mafioso'
2nd Runner-up: Momentary respect and awe, the title of 'Bridge Bandit'

Additional awards: The Title of 'Bridge Artist' for the best-looking entry
The Title of 'Bridge Inventor' for the most creative entry
Possible additional Special Titles as I see fit :)

Many thanks to Chronic Logic for providing the prizes!
The winners will be announced soon after the contest ends. They will have the right to register on the Forum completely free of charge and bear the best of their titles there forever. Their names will also appear in the eternal Hall Of Fame.

The Level

The 'contest17.zip' file contains the file 'level01.lvl'. Before you unzip the file make a backup of the original 'level01.lvl' located in the 'level' folder of the game and the corresponding bridge files ('bridge01.bdg'). Now you can overwrite the original file. The bridge file (bridge01.bdg) has to be deleted or renamed. Finally, you can load the level from the main menu using 'START GAME' -> 'LEVEL 01'.

Contest 17 level (ZIP) (1 kB)

Some Hints

Since the level is not an easy one this time, I've put together a small collection of bridges that demonstrate the use of creative techniques to solve tricky levels. I highly recommend taking a look at the bridges in this collection to everyone without lots of Bridge Builder experience.

Inspiration Pack (ZIP) (12 kB)

I also suggest you read the tips page and check out some bridges built by others in the bridges and records sections in case you're not very familiar with the common bridge building techniques.
I also recommend using the Speed Hack (download it here) to increase the simulation speed (if it works for you).

Good Luck!


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