Contest ended

[street]

I hope a LOT of people didn't submit a bridge at all.  108 people who bought the game only totals a little over 2000 american dollars.  Nothing to scoff at, but I hope for Chronic Logic's sake that enough people purchased the game to fuel their ability to make more software/money.

Maybe putting a map-pack up for sale, or sending the demo to schools to spark interest.   Schools are often looking for a cheap alternative to expensive software that is already on the market, and having it be a game too is just icing on the cake (chocolate cake).

I will support CL with whatever they do, even if their next game is "Corporate Soda Bottle Constructor".  http://www.pontifex2.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/cool.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':cool:'>

[mendel]

Since the question of changes in contest 2 has come up, let me just mention that Gray put up a new poll on www.bridgebuilder-game.com , asking your opinion on whether to "Allow posting of scores/designs for an ongoing Pontifex contest?" Go cast your vote!

[deepgreen]

Grats to Calis, really spectacular design, it's always funny to see the way people are building their bridges, mine was 92k, but i never thought of the way Calis, Grey or Chillium did it

And congrats to CL i think the level was really great, it was easy to solve, and you always could squeez out a lot of money.
And the possibility of different bridge designs was really cool, I just hope for the next one that we get a reply mail, so we know you got the bridge.

Looking forward to the next contest, hope they will start soon

BTW, CL, what was your cheapest design ?

[mat-c]

But just imagine the possibilities... short-squat soda bottle... tall-thin soda bottle... oddly shaped soda bottle that looks like it won't work but does... ;)

[Plas]

Congrats Calis!!!

My expensive bridge at �

http://www.citicom.com/~matt/bridge.gif

[mendel]

Calis, OverClok: I like those "inverted cable-stayed" designs much as well. Apart from the fact that I haven't used V-supports because I thought it wasn't worth the extra steel cost (which seems to have been a bad decision), this type of bridge is, in my experience, extremely susceptible to twisting - I had a bridge that had 1 train passing just fine, but the back journey would commence on a bridge slightly askew, and the whole underpinnings would just slide out on that pass, resulting in bridge twisting, keeling over  and the big splash. I found this to depend on the cable setup in ways I don't understand.
OverClok was seemingly fighting the same problems because he broadened some supports in #6 to a trapeze-shape.
I find refining this kind of bridge very difficult, because I cannot refine a working design to another by small working steps - intermediate steps would show twist, and I wouldn't be sure whether that could be remedied by a small change or whether that idea was worthless.
Calis, if you would provide some construction strategies, I'd be forever indebted to you (or at least for as long as your new title lasts :-)

AFAIK, Vienna has some nice bridges, too! http://www.pontifex2.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'>

[cfh7]

Congrats to Calis!

I would also like to say that I hope people are paying for this program.  It would be a real bummer if CL could not make enough coin to keep up this great work.  I will be happy to chip-in for any new software they produce.

[Gray]

Calis is still a Newbie http://www.pontifex2.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'>
The main members page and the CL main page are outdated... Guess that means there's a huge contest stats page coming at us http://www.pontifex2.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'>

[Calis]

Mendel wrote: ´.. had 1 train passing just fine, but the back journey...´  
lol.. during optimization I got one that twisted over on the 4th pass http://www.pontifex2.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':('>
Obviously, I experienced that twisting effect, too.
If you get my zip-file, you can see ´badtumbl´ collapsing exactly the way you describe.
But when I made the transition from rectangular supports to ´V´ supports, this effect completely vanished. I have never seen a V-support bridge twist over, so I wonder why OverClok had troubles with the V and went the other (wrong?) way towards rectangular supports..
And I still wonder where the asymmetric twist force come from.. Is it based on some inaccurate floating point calculations, where small truncation errors sum up over time, doesn´t the train run in the perfect centerline of the decks, or is it some random effects introduced on purpose?

[MrBerious]

I don't think contest entry numbers will bear any resemblance to the amount of sales.  With any game, it's only the hardcore that even post on related forums, let alone enter contests! http://www.pontifex2.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'>

Unless I'm missing something though, we don't seem to have any dedicated web space to upload map packs etc.  CL need to get this sorted ASAP 'cos it's user support that really makes a game last 'n' last (Half-life, Operation Flashpoint, etc)

[Andy24]

congrats calis

I didn't enter the contest but I downloaded the file(just for kicks). and I thought that the winner would build a bridge a lot like grays. the thought never crossed my mind that the type of bridge calis build would win.

[Calis]

Mendel wrote: AFAIK, Vienna has some nice bridges, too!

Yeah, with the not-so-small river Danube running through, we got some of these ;)

And we got some collapses, too!
Remember the ´Reichsbruecke´ going down early in the morning (with just an empty bus and a single car on it, iirc) the same day when Niki Lauda had his horrible Nurburgring fire crash?

And then there was the (unnamed) new bridge that collapsed even before it was opened to the public. Actually my father did the material calculation for that one! And he had a hard time to prove that his calculation was ok. Finally, he kept his job when they found out that more than one bridge worker redirected concrete transports to their own weekend house construction sites!
So the bridge went down. Well, we all know what happens if you remove just a small piece, or weaken a few links ;)

[OverClok]

You can see my (non-winning) bridge designs here: http://www.sili.net/pontifex/index.html" target="_blank">http://www.sili.net/pontifex/index.html

[carlosius]

Congratulations to Pontifex Maximus Calis, and all the Pontifi (?!?)

That's a really interesting design.  It's great seeing the winners, because they show a distinct lack of of imagination in my entry (which I thought was pretty good at *100,000* under budget!  WOOHOO!!)

This will make me think much more creatively about my next designs http://www.pontifex2.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'>  Thanks for posting the bridge!

Carlosius Minimus

[beaujob]

Speaking of bridge collapses, there's everyone's favorite suspension bridge - the first Tacoma Narrows bridge.  http://www.pontifex2.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'>  Refer to discussions of new materials and heavy cable to support stiffening trusses.  Perhaps Callis' delicate solution to the torsion problem would make suspension bridges work better.