A workable guide to soloing the factory

[kyga42066]

A workable guide to soloing the factory


Foreword - This strategy was designed for the toon almost maxed in lure, sound, throw and squirt. Since you are soloing, very few TU’s are needed and those you do need can be supplied by a goggle lure and using your SOS doodle.

Route – front elevator – lobby, gear rm, boiler rm, both side of pipe rm, duct rm, lava rm for restock of jb’s, tu and squirt (sound is optional), oil rm, warehouse, west silo, east silo and center silo

Gags – all of lvl6 gags in lure, sound (fog to at least a 42+lvl), throw and squirt plus maxed amount of lvl5 throw, and squirt. Bring about 10+ blue magnet lures and 2-3 $10lures (occasional rare use) Storm cloud should be capable of removing a lured lvl7 cog (gag strengh of 48+pts)

You must account for missed lures and that is the primary adversary of any factory run. When you get low on laff, especially less the 50%, use your goggle lure and maximize use of your doodle toonup. I have left the factory with 2laff on a rare bad trip, but often I’ve only lost less than 20laff in the route.

Lobby – use 2 elephant horns

Gear rm – strategy is to get the 6lvl cog on right so you can get a bonus. Hit the door and let it close one time. Enter the second time going left and engaging the center cog (lvl6). This puts him on the right and then lure cogs, remove lvl6 with cream pie, use fog to take rest of them. If you weren't able to put the lvl6 on right, then use a cake on him after luring cogs and restock cake from lobby hallway gagup.

Boiler rm – strategy is to get the lvl6 on right again. Engage him first, lure cogs and remove the lvl6, with cream pie. Use a seltzer on the lvl3 and a hydrant on the lvl5.

Pipe rm – engage the lvl5 on the right, lure all cogs and remove lvl5 with hydrant, use hydrant on lvl4 on right, and a fruit pie for the last as the last cog usually gives you a bonus. Repeat the engagement on the other side of pipe room by hitting the center cog, a lvl5, first which puts him on the right and use same gag strategy.

Duct rm – engage and lure cogs, Use fruit pie on lvl4, seltzer on lvl3 and hydrant on lvl5

Lava rm – I usually restock jb’s here (50 of them available), tu and the squirt. Sound is optional as you use mostly fog except for sound in lobby which is elephant horns.

Oil rm – sound with fog (adapt strategy for throw and squirt if fog misses (rarely). Save the last fog for Warehouse.

Warehouse – engage the lvl6 standing at the left button, putting him on right. Lure with magnet, and use cream pie to take the six.. Take rest out with fog horn. (Optional strategy is to use the fog first and gamble on a hit from the six or a possible missed sound and several hits. It is possible for a missed lure, of course, and only your computer knows for sure)

West Silo – stay near edge of cog field until a lvl6 wanders close and engage him as primary cog. He will be on the right, giving you a bonus with cream pie throw. Remove the lvl7 with a storm cloud, and the last cog with cream pie. If the lvl7 is in the center, a lvl6 cloud of less than 72pts might not remove him because oftentimes you won't get a bonus on him as you might if he were on the left. Just my observation.

East Silo - repeat strategy of West silo

Center Silo – The trick here is to engage the lvl9 first. Do this by hovering at door until the cog that approaches the skell moves away. Rush in and engage the lvl9 after the cog moves away from him. Use goggle lure to assure 4 rounds then remove skell with maxed cake, as well as the remaining cogs with cake and last cloud.

Good Luck – You must be aware this is NOT fool proof but a very workable strategy employed by the toons of the Deputy Dynowoof’s clan.

[Superbouncer]

Thanks for the guide, esp the tactic to put the lvl5/6 on the right to get bonus attack. I'll try it the next time i solo the factory. I've tried it 3 times, 2 success and 1 fail (because of missed lure in center silo).
Here's my screenshot of a success factory solo:

[kyga42066]

Thanks! It is no fun making the countless factory runs for merits, especially the 26+ runs for attaining the 5500 merits for the lvl12, lvl15, lvl20,30,40, and maxed Hollywood status.

My friend and I have made partnered runs in the factory 4 times in a row without restocking gags from a gagshop by adjusting our gags for each run. We load up on lvl4 sound and alternate use of it (I use the lvl4 in one engagement and she the lvl5 sound, then we reverse for next) going from room to room. We stretch this out often by using a trap instead of crm pie for removing the lvl6 cogs. This often enhances the success of a lure. We often use drop as a filler while the other toon does a TU in the event one is needed. We both restock in the lava room and sometimes go to the paint room and restock throw/squirt there.

At the silos, we alternate using the lvl5 and lvl6 sound or use small throw together to take the remaining lvl6 cogs, using her TNT on the lvl9. Many times we have reduced our factory runs to less than 21 minutes, but nothing reduces the boredom of factory runs. It is understandable, now, the lack of available sellbot 4 and 5 story buildings following a successful large group of toons doing the VP. You see, 4 toons can reap 220+ merit points from a 5 story sellbot in DDL in less than 8-9 minutes, making the factory seem tedious, of which it is. So this guide allows you a measure of solo success when considering the time it takes to locate a building by district hopping and street running.

Something of use is to learn the strategy for what is needed to remove cogs (what I learned from threads here at the forum). A lvl7 cog requires 72+pts. of hit to kill him (lvl7+1 times lvl7+2), that is, 8 times 9 gives 72pts. Knowing then that a lure cog gives you a 50% bonus on your gag and 22% for 2or more toons using a like gag, you can successfully take a cog out with one use of gags. Thus as stated in the guide, a lvl6 storm cloud at 48pt hit is actually 48pts plus 24pts(50% bonus) if, in fact, you get the bonus. That is why a toon with a less than maxed TNT or piano asks for help when using that gag on a cog. We know a maxed TNT will always remove a lvl11 cog, but never a lvl12. That is why we know a maxed throw will usually remove a lvl10 cog when getting a lure bonus, but never a lvl11 cog. So it helps to keep this in mind when working with fellow toons. On the safe side, you should ask for assistance when using a less than maxed gag on a large gog when in VP to help your fellow toons avoid a cog hit.

I am very happy for your success. It sort of gives an inner satisfaction of doing something you thought not possible, doesn't it!

Good Luck - Deputy Dynowoof, 110laff, maxed sellbot, RB8 in cashbot, along with all his clan toons, Lion Heart, Lion Heart Jr., Sir Periwinkle, Grandpa Katt and Will E Bee, the newest clan ape. Will E Bee was named after the famous Atlanta zoo Gorilla, Willie B, who died at 42+ yrs old and fathered a bunch of cute gorillas in the last 6-8 years of his life. He was a gentle giant of whom I loved to watch playing with his children.

[Sir Biscuit]

Thanks for the guide! Ill try it when I get home! It would be nice to have an option to use when no friends are on! Random runs can be infuriating!

[ZanyMega]

Deputy Dynowoof, thank you for a very good guide for toons who have chosen both the lure and sound gag tracks. As a fool who didn’t recognize the power of sound with my first toon, but am too vested in seeing him reach HW50 to just give up and delete him, I’ve developed a similar, but soundless strategy to solo the factory since no one with sound likes to make factory runs with him. He’s a HW26, btw, so I can safely attest that this strategy works time and again.

First of all, I stock up on lure (3 goggles, 7 $10 bills, and 10 blue magnets), throw (3 b-day cakes, 7 cream pies, 7 fruit pies), squirt (3 storm clouds, 7 hoses, 7 seltzer bottles), and drop (3 pianos and 6 safes). I carry trap (2 tnts and 5 trap doors), just in case, lure begins to consistently fail, but otherwise don’t use it as you’re subject to cog attacks when the trap is laid and every laff counts when you’re soloing since lure can fail at any time. I use my drop on any cog that didn’t get the lure bonus for the hit and as a safety fallback if lure fails. I primarily rely on lure, throw and squirt though.

I run the rooms in the same order that you suggest: Lobby, Gear, Boiler, Pipe, Duct, Oil, Warehouse, West Silo, East Silo and Center Silo.

Lobby: Lure cogs with blue magnet then take out cogs in following order: lvl 5 with a hose, and the two lvl 3’s with seltzer bottles.

Gear Room: Your guide suggests a creative way to get the lvl 6 on the right so that the lure bonus works, but if it doesn’t work and the lvl 6 is in the center you can do like I do. Lure the cogs with a blue magnet and take out the lvl 6 with a B-day cake and the two lvl 5’s with a cream pie. On the way to the Boiler room, return to the Lobby Hallway and restock your throw gags. This restores your B-day cakes and cream pies for the remainder of the run.

Boiler Room: Lure with blue magnet and take out lvl 6 with a cream pie, lvl 5 with a hose and lvl 3 with a seltzer bottle.

Pipe Room: Lure with blue magnet and take out lvl 5 with a hose, and two lvl 4’s with fruit pies on both sides of the room.

Duct Room: Lure with blue magnet and take out lvl 5 with a hose, lvl 4 with a fruit pie and lvl 3 with a seltzer bottle.

Oil Room: Lure with a blue magnet and take out two lvl 5’s with hoses and lvl 4 with a fruit pie.

Warehouse: Lure with a blue magnet and take out lvl 6 and lvl 5 with cream pies and lured lvl 4 with a fruit pie. Since the fourth cog will become unlured, I either drop a safe on the lvl 4 or use a seltzer bottle and then hit him with drop.

West and East Silos: Lure cogs with goggles and take out lvl 7 with a storm cloud and two lvl 6’s with cream pies.

Center Silo: Lure cogs with goggles and take out lvl 9 with a b-day cake and remaining three lvl 6’s with the other 2 b-day cakes and last storm cloud.

*******

I have a good friend that doesn't have lure, but has found that he can solo the factory now that the cog levels have been reduced. I'll ask him about his strategy for soloing with a lureless toon and ask that he post his suggestions.

[kyga42066]

Thanks for the nice reply. I debated awhile and discussed this with my best friend, Candy Gigglemuffin and B.J., both of whom I trusted as an excellent player. We work together quite often, but I brought Deputy Dynowoof up with this inner challenge to be successful in taking 4 story bldgs. He accomplished this during his 80laff term, earning a rotating gold star in Donald's Dock.

After his first successful VP, being a skeptic of a sort to it, he developed this challenge to do his own runs anytime he wanted to, meaning he had to go solo. When Cashbot headquarters opened and Disney reduced the sellbot factory cogs, the dismay was the lack of merits one could earn running the factory, only to realize that the factory was no more a challenge, but a tedious requirement for running the VP.

So a guide to help most toons to run the factory solo became a real possibility. I don't know how many times I had come to the elevator to do a solo, only to find a large toon waiting for a partner, when in reality, a partner was not necessary. Hence, I wrote the guide and hope it helps many toons.

Running solo only adds, at worst, 6 minutes to a factory run and often times one waits longer than that to get a toon to go with them.

I"m happy this guide has helped a few toons and thanks for the information on running solo without sound. Now, without lure??? That's asking for a LOT of luck, isn't it. LOL

[fizzletooth]

thanks for the guide. after running with you last nite i still need about 700 merits i completed these solo using your guide that worked perfectly except I really think my lure is broke. LOL. think i had to lure 3 times in the boiler room and 4 somewhere else. but besides this it worked like a dream and in the meantime by getting the jellybeans i didnt need to ride the trolley for a while.

fizzletooth

[Superbouncer]

I also like to go solo on buildings.

It's very hard on lvl 4+ buildings you can't restock gags (except if you use SOS card) and a missed lure means going straight back to playground.

Is there anyone who ever try going solo on cashbot mints?


Harvey Superbouncer
Mr.Holly 11 - Money Bag - 105 laff

[SLPedalhopper]

Just a few comments:

Gags - I only carry 2 or 3 10's. Its rare that you need to lure 1 cog when soloing fac. For sound I only bring my fogs and 2 or 3 trunks. The lobby is about the only place trunks are useful when soloing anyways. At least for clean kills. I usually bring 12 blue mags to account for misses. The only drops/traps I bring are lvl 6 and their almost neer used. Bring some extra fruit pies and spray bottles instead.

Lobby - either touch the 5, group lure, hose 5, trunk the rest or touch the 3, trunk the 3's before the 5 gets in line, 10 bill the 5 and hose him. Either way no lost laff here.

Gear/Boiler - Maximize your cake barrel. For gear touch any cog, group lure, cream right, cake next, and cream last. For boiler touch either the 5 ot 6, group lure, cream right, fruit the 3, cream last. Now go back to the lobby and get your cake and 4 cream pies back from the barrel.

I usually do warehouse before the other rooms so I can use a 2nd fog if the first misses. Also so that room is already done if laff gets low.

Pipe - My only comment is that you can get knock back on all 3 cogs on the right side. I usually fog the 3 on the left side.

Oil - I think you can usually get knock back on all 3 here too but I usually fng these also.

Central silo - If you end up touching 1 of the other cogs first then do the foreman last. Last cog standing in any battle always gets knock back.

[kyga42066]

Originally Posted by SLPedalhopper

Just a few comments:

Gags - I only carry 2 or 3 10's. Its rare that you need to lure 1 cog when soloing fac. For sound I only bring my fogs and 2 or 3 trunks. The lobby is about the only place trunks are useful when soloing anyways. At least for clean kills. I usually bring 12 blue mags to account for misses. The only drops/traps I bring are lvl 6 and their almost neer used. Bring some extra fruit pies and spray bottles instead.

Lobby - either touch the 5, group lure, hose 5, trunk the rest or touch the 3, trunk the 3's before the 5 gets in line, 10 bill the 5 and hose him. Either way no lost laff here. [I](Yep, done that method also, works well)[/i]

Gear/Boiler - Maximize your cake barrel. For gear touch any cog, group lure, cream right, cake next, and cream last. For boiler touch either the 5 ot 6, group lure, cream right, fruit the 3, cream last. Now go back to the lobby and get your cake and 4 cream pies back from the barrel.

I usually do warehouse before the other rooms so I can use a 2nd fog if the first misses. Also so that room is already done if laff gets low.

Pipe - My only comment is that you can get knock back on all 3 cogs on the right side. I usually fog the 3 on the left side. (strange that the center cog, if the lvl5, on left side is usually bonded so bonus is hard to get)

Oil - I think you can usually get knock back on all 3 here too but I usually fng these also.

Central silo - If you end up touching 1 of the other cogs first then do the foreman last. Last cog standing in any battle always gets knock back. (That's a given. My main reason for getting him right is that usually he hits the hardest if in the event you have only magnet lure as it usually lasts only 3 rounds.)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
You're right, there are many options to running the factory. What I posted was simply a primary guide which can be adapted to each toon. I've used several of yours also. Some have used fog in gear room, taken the hit and removed cog. Somewhere in the factory, you're going to get hit, missed lure or whatever and no run is a guarantee to all gags working, of which we all well know from all of our other battles, street and bldgs. I'm sure many of gotten a bit of confidence, tho, by having a guide from which to adapt.

Thanks for your reply - all works well that ends well, heh!?

[SLPedalhopper]

Perhaps my lure just works well. I have a thing about taking guaranteed damage. I only take the hits I cant avoid(missed lures). I have finished many factories at full laff with no doodle calling but I've also seen times when 6 or 7 lures miss in a row. Whee. I usually prefer to go with others. Its usually faster unless their working little traps/drops. Less boring too. Plss I just like helping little toons. I understand tho that the point of this thread is soloing.

Regarding the central silo, I too always try to get the foreman on the right. As additional insurance I save 2 goggles for central silo and just use blue mags most everywhere else. I was just pointing out what to do when he doesnt line up on the right. In the case that Im forced to use a blue mag there and he's not on the right I hit him 3rd. 2 clean kills 1st.

[SLPedalhopper]

Popularity of the 120 merit short run has been on the rise as of late. The general idea being to do only the highest merit rooms in a single run andmake it up in the number of runs that can be done in a given amout of time. Supposedly this allows you to earn more merits per hour that full runs. This works well enough if you have at least 2 toons so you can sound the cogs and tp to each other between factory runs.

I thought I would see if this approach could be applied to soloing. Unfortunately w/o the ability to sound down the cogs and tp to another toon to avoid having to run back to hq 120 merits just isnt going to be enough to cover the time taken. What follows is my attempt to tweak the short run for soloing.

164 merit solo run
Lobby - touch 5, lure, hose 5, trunk 3s.
Gear - touch any, lure, cream right, cake next, cream last.
Boiler - touch 5 or 6, lure, cream right, fruit 3, cream last.
Restock from cake barrel by lobby.
Pipe - Fog horn both sides.
Warehouse - Touch 6, lure, cream 6, fog rest.
The silos are done the same as described elsewhere in this thread.

These runs have a fairly smooth course and fast pace while picking up the extra merits to make short solos feasible. I havent attempted to time it to see if its better than full facs but I do like the pace of these runs better. Of course theres a bit less risk with 2 fewer battles each time as well but thats usually not an issue.

[kyga42066]

lobby - 14 merits
gear room - 18 merits
boiler room - 16 merits
left pipe room - 14 merits
right pipe room - 14 merits
duct room - 14 merits
oil room - 16 merits
warehouse - 20 merits
west silo - 20 merits
east silo - 20 merits
center silo - 28 merits

Strangely Brown is saying what we have found out. The saved time of the short run adds up to more merits in the same given time as long runs. Knowing how to glitch the warehouse lookout left stairwell wall has helped me get 240 merits in so much shorter time than running the whole factory for only 194 merits (that is, 2 of these runs in less time than the whole factory once).