Factory Runs - Best Way?

[DrBonniePurpleBubble]

I have made a couple of factory runs now and I am a little confused. It appears there are several ways through, some very difficult. Why would anyone choose to go through the stomper alley or lava room if you could just avoid it? I have gone through a couple of times and stayed away from those rooms and a couple of times I have tried to go through and lost laff points. Are there benifits to going through those rooms? I am a low laff toon so I avoid as many cogs as I can, it just seems a waste of gags and laff points to go into these rooms you don't need to! Help, Enlighten Me! What's the best way through the factory?

[Wolfeh]

Originally Posted by DrBonniePurpleBubble

I have made a couple of factory runs now and I am a little confused. It appears there are several ways through, some very difficult. Why would anyone choose to go through the stomper alley or lava room if you could just avoid it? I have gone through a couple of times and stayed away from those rooms and a couple of times I have tried to go through and lost laff points. Are there benifits to going through those rooms? I am a low laff toon so I avoid as many cogs as I can, it just seems a waste of gags and laff points to go into these rooms you don't need to! Help, Enlighten Me! What's the best way through the factory?

The factory gives you more freedom of choice for the route you take than the mints or offices.

The shortest route (withOUT glitching) will give you 17 cogs (side enterance) or 20 cogs (main enterance). The longest (all cogs) will give you 35 cogs I think.

The benefit to going past the stompers is that on the left in the lava pit, you can get into a room for gag barrels (2x 35beans, 1 toon up, elephant and I think throw but I could be wrong).

For the shortest (side enterance), you go in, get the 3 cogs next to the switch. Go out, up the ramp into the pipe room. AVOID the cogs, run past them. Out other side, go to your left, then take a right, that will get you into the warehouse (all the goons). Defeat the cogs, hit main switch, then other switches to kill goons. Defeat east/west silos, hit switches, then defeat center silo.

From front enterance, you go in, get 3 cogs and hit switch. Go through 2 sets of doors, go right (or go left). If you go right, you have 3 skelecogs. After you defeat them, you go past and through the doors. You can go right to the paint room for gag barrels if you want. Continue to warehouse (room with goons) and continue from there. If you go left, defeat 3 cogs, go out the doors then head to the warehouse (avoid goons on the walkways, don't go on either of the left routes).

If you want to try the stompers, here's how I get by and I often get by without getting hit:

First, go on the right side (wall that is next to ramp heading to pipe room). Go up to the first set of stompers.

Now, you have 3 stompers. Closest to you, one after that, and then the 3rd. The 3rd one is the key. When the 2 closest to you go down and you do NOT see the third one stomping down after them, THEN when the first two stomp down again, you start running. (To rephrase it, I see the first one stomp down, lift up, I see the second one lifting up. If I don't see the third one, then when the first one stomps down again, I start running). When the first one lifts, I will run under it and hit the second while it is already down. When it lifts, I will run under it and hit the third (which has now hit the ground). When it lifts, I will run under it. After I pass the 3rd stomper, I stop before the first stomper of the 2nd set.

Next is the same thing really. First stomper and second stomper. First stomper comes down, if you do NOT see the second one, then when the first one hits again, you start running.

If you ever have to go BACK, it's actually easier. The 2 sets are in reverse order (of course). The first set (duo stompers), wait until the delayed stomper comes down. (The delayed one is the closest to you now, when it was the 2nd stomper the first time.. Confused yet?).. When it comes down, you start running against it until you get past it and where the regular stomper hits (so you don't get smooshed). For the triple stompers, it's the same thing. The slow stomper comes down, you start running against it, and you'll make it past. I've only done it a few times, and the first time I lost points (didn't figure it out yet). After that, I got through without losing points.

It's best to go in with either a one or more high laff toons (likely maxed gags), or in a group of 4 (at least 2 with toonup; and better if 2 of them have level 3 or higher of lure or sound) Drop/trap isn't too useful if they're all 60laff or under, unless they've already trained all/most of their gags to level 4+

I sometimes go in by myself. I grab all the goodies, and can usually make it though the 17 (or 13 if I glitch) cog run without only a few missing laff points.

Hope my exhaustive babbling has been of some use to you.

[Cool Corny ELectrofoot]

If you're looking for my opinion for the BEST WAY in the factory, I would say the 260 merit run (without invasion - 520 with invasion). It takes about 7 minutes each run compared to the full run which takes about 15 minutes.

Full run gives 776 merits and the short run gives 520. So, since you can do 2 short runs in the time it takes to do 1 full run, that's 1040 merits (520 merits X 2 runs=1040 merits) in 15 minutes (1 minute to get gags) compared to 1 full run (776 merits). So obviously the short run is much better.

The short run I am talking about goes like this:

Go in from the side entrance, Battle the cogs, Go straight into Pipe Room, Defeat both sets of skelecogs, Go straight, Through the door, Than make a left, Go into the warehouse, Defeat the cogs, Step on the switch (or glitch), Go up to the West Silo (or east), Defeat the cogs, Step on the switch, Go to the East silo (or west), Defeat the cogs, Step on the switch, Go to Center Silo, And battle the Foreman (make sure invasion is on so you get double merits).

You can do all that in about 7-8 minutes...

So straight answer, in my opinion the Side entrance 260 merits(520 with invasion) is a better, and faster way to get merits.

~CcE

[JC Poppenflap]

Originally Posted by DrBonniePurpleBubble

Are there benifits to going through those rooms? I am a low laff toon so I avoid as many cogs as I can, it just seems a waste of gags and laff points to go into these rooms you don't need to! Help, Enlighten Me!

Merits - if you are running with someone who states "I need more merits" then they are really stating they want to defeat every cog in the factory. Or as was previously posted there are gag and jellybean barrels in both the lava room and paint room.

[Queen Violet Hulawig]

I only use the lava/paint rooms if I need gags. The first few times I went through the factory (getting my cash suit) I used them quite a bit. Now that I can carry 80 gags, I find I don't need the extra gags anymore and just stand in the foyer while the others go. Thank goodness because I can do the paint room no problem, but have to get my son to run my toon through the lava room, LOL!!!

[Trish]

Merits per minute, dance to dance, if you have sound it is quicker to do this:

Side entrance, pipe room, turn around and hit lava for sound, oil room, warehouse, west, east, center. Even if you're with friends and one can run while you gag, it's faster to not have to go back for gags at all, even if you consider the extra time running from the oil room to the warehouse. I don't have the stats anymore but during a 5500 run before the double merits in fac, a few of us tested it extensively, including glitching certain areas so we could find the fastest way for future 5500s. This is the reason I now have a toon named Navigator. I was told my next toon HAD to be named this. lol

Originally Posted by Cool Corny ELectrofoot

The short run I am talking about goes like this:

Go in from the side entrance, Battle the cogs, Go straight into Pipe Room, Defeat both sets of skelecogs, Go straight, Through the door, Than make a left, Go into the warehouse, Defeat the cogs, Step on the switch (or glitch), Go up to the West Silo (or east), Defeat the cogs, Step on the switch, Go to the East silo (or west), Defeat the cogs, Step on the switch, Go to Center Silo, And battle the Foreman (make sure invasion is on so you get double merits).

You can do all that in about 7-8 minutes...

So straight answer, in my opinion the Side entrance 260 merits(520 with invasion) is a better, and faster way to get merits.

~CcE

[Flippers]

And I thought you were just a Buster Keaton fan...

With maxed gags (lure/throw/squirt/sound) you can call the shots and do whatever you want. It's something to look forward to. Got most of my VP runs to HW50 by solo factory, both full and partial, side door and front door.

[Deputy Monty]

I prefer short runs but nearly all randoms do the whole factory....I just get used to it. Sometimes if I'm soloing, I will pick up the boiler & gear room cogs...leaving the oil room and front lobby cogs out of the mix (Hate those double doors and stompers). I'm not sure how many merits it all yeilds...I used to know every route and every number but I just take what I'm dealt nowadays. I avoid the "Paint room" though as I feel the payoff is not worth it.

Communication is the key. I had one toon say "Lets keep it short and sweet" and we did a short run. No Problem...I appreciated the "heads up". For those of you who might wonder, the phrase "I need more suit parts" was also used to indicate the desire for a short run.... see, we used to lose 2-4 parts of our suit every time we faced the VP. Now, however, it's really moot but it might be a way to indicate the desire for a short run.

What irks me more than anything is hotshots who run ahead and defeat the foreman while the rest of you are plugging along doing the whole factory. Had that happen last night...the toon thought they were quite clever and just laughed at our outrage. I can only hope they will get theirs from someone else. This toon said nothing...just didn't join us after the first set. Next thing we knew...they were fighting the foreman...We were in the oil room! Grrrr!

Anyway...the OP asked why anyone would face the stompers...it has to do with the gags and the few merits you pick up down there. Eventually you will get used to the stompers...they are just a warm up for what is in some of the other boss plants.

[Wolfeh]

Originally Posted by Deputy Monty

What irks me more than anything is hotshots who run ahead and defeat the foreman while the rest of you are plugging along doing the whole factory. Had that happen last night...the toon thought they were quite clever and just laughed at our outrage. I can only hope they will get theirs from someone else. This toon said nothing...just didn't join us after the first set. Next thing we knew...they were fighting the foreman...We were in the oil room! Grrrr!

What gets me are those who make others feel uncomfortable. There's this one player that gave off the impression of impatience to the extent that when I told an SF to get more gags (they told me they were out/low of one), they told me they didn't want to get left behind and indicated that this one player seemed like they wouldn't be willing to wait. They too used the "short and sweet" phrase, but did a full factory run. Basically, what they meant was "Do it our way because we're not gonna wait for you". It's not the first time I've seen this player give off a rude demeanor.

[Deputy Monty]

Originally Posted by Wolfeh

What gets me are those who make others feel uncomfortable. There's this one player that gave off the impression of impatience to the extent that when I told an SF to get more gags (they told me they were out/low of one), they told me they didn't want to get left behind and indicated that this one player seemed like they wouldn't be willing to wait. They too used the "short and sweet" phrase, but did a full factory run. Basically, what they meant was "Do it our way because we're not gonna wait for you". It's not the first time I've seen this player give off a rude demeanor.

Yes, there are those who won't wait. If I don't have time for someone to get gags, I figure I don't have any business in there.

My problem is that the toon that is working Sell is soundless. I learned long ago that as soon as ppl find out you don't have sound they often do one of two things... (1) if in the mints...they go back to the playground. (2) if in the factory, they pull out their unmaxed trap/drop and start using or working them. I don't really mind that they use them...but working these gags is a ROYAL pain and something I think you should do only with friends. I had a couple of toons pull three or four Shelly Seaweed (restock drop) SOS cards the other night. That factory took 2x longer than if I'd soloed. And... I often solo because for me, it's faster.

I realize ppl think soundless is freeloading and I admit that sometimes it is. When I'm with sounding friends I rarely have to refill gags !!!

Just a side note...it used to be that the factory was one of the best places to "work" these gags because you get 2x gag credit. NOT SO anymore. If you are in the invasion district the best place to work those gags is on the UPPER 2 or three floors of a building. With an invasion, the 5th floor will yield 6x gag credit. I've NEVER understood people who use their biggest trap/drop on the first floor of a building and trap/drop their way up to about the third floor....working backward using the highest level first and then lower level gags. When you hit the 4th floor they pull out their maxed sound and blow away all the points...I mean Cogs. The first floor of a building yields street level points. Second floor is 1.5x street level. Third is 2x, Fourth 2.5 and Fifth 3x....double for invasions.

Ok...I'm sure I've taken this way off topic.

Bottom line.... the best way to do the factory depends on why you are in there and who you are with.

[Wolfeh]

Originally Posted by Deputy Monty

Yes, there are those who won't wait. If I don't have time for someone to get gags, I figure I don't have any business in there.

Indeed. Either that or warn the person/people first that you're on a specific run and not going to wait, because then if they go, they agreed to it.

Originally Posted by Deputy Monty

My problem is that the toon that is working Sell is soundless. I learned long ago that as soon as ppl find out you don't have sound they often do one of two things... (1) if in the mints...they go back to the playground. (2) if in the factory, they pull out their unmaxed trap/drop and start using or working them. I don't really mind that they use them...but working these gags is a ROYAL pain and something I think you should do only with friends. I had a couple of toons pull three or four Shelly Seaweed (restock drop) SOS cards the other night. That factory took 2x longer than if I'd soloed. And... I often solo because for me, it's faster.

I realize ppl think soundless is freeloading and I admit that sometimes it is. When I'm with sounding friends I rarely have to refill gags !!!

This is some advice for doing a good factory (or building, mint, office, etc) run...

If 3/4 have sound and the other does not.. Then it's likely they have lure. 4th lures, other 3 sound. Before anyone pipes up "Don't use sound on lured cogs", keep in mind that the advice is meant to discourage someone from unluring cogs where the cogs can attack you. Luring cogs with the intent to use sound is different. The lure reduces the chance of a miss.

For those that TP out if anyone doesn't have sound.. You're narrow minded, get a grip and grow a brain. Work with what you have, not run if it's not your definition of "perfect".

Originally Posted by Deputy Monty

Just a side note...it used to be that the factory was one of the best places to "work" these gags because you get 2x gag credit. NOT SO anymore. If you are in the invasion district the best place to work those gags is on the UPPER 2 or three floors of a building. With an invasion, the 5th floor will yield 6x gag credit. I've NEVER understood people who use their biggest trap/drop on the first floor of a building and trap/drop their way up to about the third floor....working backward using the highest level first and then lower level gags. When you hit the 4th floor they pull out their maxed sound and blow away all the points...I mean Cogs. The first floor of a building yields street level points. Second floor is 1.5x street level. Third is 2x, Fourth 2.5 and Fifth 3x....double for invasions.

Actually the truely best way to gag train in a building is to use the small gags on the top floor, and work your way up.

Reference: Gag Camp by Loosy Goosy
For training throw, for example, on a level 4 (30points), I use a 2, 3 and then a 4. (9 points). Using a 4 twice will only get me 8. Yeah I know, big deal. During invasion, 5th floor = 6x, so I just got 6 bonus gag points for playing it smart and only for a level 5 cog. Imagine a level 7 (72 points). Cake @ 6000 is 48 points, 2 will get you 12gag points. But 7 level 2 gags and then 1 cake @ 6000 will give you 20 gag points. 12 * 6 = 72 gag points, 20 * 6 = 120 gag points. 48 bonus points. Of course since you can only get 200 gag points max per gag per run, it only helps to a point. Basically, instead of trying to kill a cog, pick the one you want to train on (or the 2 you want to abuse), and get rid of the others. Then get them for what you can. Training sound? Keep the strongest cog and get rid of the others (save you from getting hit more than once per round). Lure? Use 2 cogs. Alternate back and forth (as one gets lured, other gets hit) because then it's a lure each time and not waiting for one to wake up first. On experience you start to know where that middle ground is between taking forever (gag camp) to defeat a cog, and how to defeat it quickly but get more than the minimum points for it.

I think this goes to being on topic, since it's useful information to use in a factory. :13b:

[Deputy Monty]

Originally Posted by Wolfeh

Reference: Gag Camp by Loosy Goosy
For training throw, for example, on a level 4 (30points), I use a 2, 3 and then a 4. (9 points). Using a 4 twice will only get me 8. Yeah I know, big deal. During invasion, 5th floor = 6x, so I just got 6 bonus gag points for playing it smart and only for a level 5 cog. Imagine a level 7 (72 points). Cake @ 6000 is 48 points, 2 will get you 12gag points. But 7 level 2 gags and then 1 cake @ 6000 will give you 20 gag points. 12 * 6 = 72 gag points, 20 * 6 = 120 gag points. 48 bonus points. Of course since you can only get 200 gag points max per gag per run, it only helps to a point. Basically, instead of trying to kill a cog, pick the one you want to train on (or the 2 you want to abuse), and get rid of the others. Then get them for what you can. Training sound? Keep the strongest cog and get rid of the others (save you from getting hit more than once per round). Lure? Use 2 cogs. Alternate back and forth (as one gets lured, other gets hit) because then it's a lure each time and not waiting for one to wake up first. On experience you start to know where that middle ground is between taking forever (gag camp) to defeat a cog, and how to defeat it quickly but get more than the minimum points for it.

I think this goes to being on topic, since it's useful information to use in a factory. :13b:

I understand and respect LG's concept and learned a long time ago not to argue with him. But, it's a little different time now.

You can only get 200 points per buildg. Invasions are short now. If you time an invasion right, you might be able to make points all the way through but the best way is to hurry to the upper floors and then use your gags. If you are going to use them on the ground floor..then why go in a building? You can get the same thing on the street.

A lot depends on your gags and your team. I've done it enough to know you can use your highest 2 or 3 levels and still get 200 points. The main point in using the lower gags first is you get to use MORE of them...for instance.... whittle a cog down with aooogahs and then finish him off with one of your three elephants. Trap a lvl 6 cog with mud and then trap him again with a door.

But to spend an entire factory and only get say 46 points on your trap....after you slowed the team down to a crawl...THAT'S ridiculous.

My main bewilderment in this is that over and over and over again I've seen toons use these gags on the lowe floors and when we get up to where the points are, they are out of gags and patience and they start using maxed gags. Use those maxed cakes and fog horns on the lower floors and work your gags on the upper ones.

[Black Widow Kitty]

Originally Posted by DrBonniePurpleBubble

I have made a couple of factory runs now and I am a little confused. It appears there are several ways through, some very difficult. Why would anyone choose to go through the stomper alley or lava room if you could just avoid it? I have gone through a couple of times and stayed away from those rooms and a couple of times I have tried to go through and lost laff points. Are there benifits to going through those rooms? I am a low laff toon so I avoid as many cogs as I can, it just seems a waste of gags and laff points to go into these rooms you don't need to! Help, Enlighten Me! What's the best way through the factory?

To get through the stompers on your way to the lava room, just stay against the wall and hold down your up arrow to keep you moving forward, and your ctrl key to keep you jumping. Most times you won't get stomped and occasionally you may take a hit which is only three points off.

If you find yourself falling off while jumping thru the lava try this: After falling off, run to the end of the walkway in the lava and press your home key while jumping. That should shoot you right to the top and into the gag room. If you can't normally glitch then first press the f9 key one or two times then home and jump. Not everyone gets it on the first try so keep an eye on your laff if you are a low laffer and know when to walk out of the lava without hitting the restock barrels.

[Wolfeh]

I understand where you're coming from. Which is why if I'm with someone that is gag training, I try to get them to not start training until the 3rd floor (even more so if there's no invasion).

I think her gag camp is still valid, just that it should be used by new players to learn how to pick and choose their gags better, and by experienced players on how to maximize points even if they still use higher powered gags.

A factory is a good place to gag train though, because you have gag-ups available. Using the side enterance, you can actually defeat 1 set of cogs and then you gain access to both sets of gag-ups. So then it's just a matter of deciding after each battle if you need it or not. The ideal way to use the factory would be to go in through the side, take out the warehouse, then the 2 side silos (not hitting the center). Then from there, take out the other sets of cogs until you are low enough on gags (after having used the gag ups) that you have just enough gags (and a few to spare as backup) to take on the foreman. Of course that's if it's uncertain from the beginning if you could do the entire thing or not.

There are benefits to training in the factory, even though I think if you have the SF power, a 5 story building is the better place.

Originally Posted by Black Widow Kitty

To get through the stompers on your way to the lava room, just stay against the wall and hold down your up arrow to keep you moving forward, and your ctrl key to keep you jumping. Most times you won't get stomped and occasionally you may take a hit which is only three points off.

Try the method I listed, or combine yours with what I said. You might lose points less often.

Originally Posted by Black Widow Kitty

If you find yourself falling off while jumping thru the lava try this: After falling off, run to the end of the walkway in the lava and press your home key while jumping. That should shoot you right to the top and into the gag room. If you can't normally glitch then first press the f9 key one or two times then home and jump.

Try it without hitting home/end/F9/etc. If I land in it, I go straight to the back, on the right side (side closest to the bean barrel) and just walk to it, maybe jump, and it shoots me straight in.