How To Cheat The Thermo

[Rogar]

Not true, sometimes more vertexes can result in more optimal polygons, resulting in being smaller in filesize.

How does that work, then?

First of all, I worked out approximately how many vertices you can have normally. For this, I used a square of DM, and cut a sackboy shape out of the middle, which is a fast way to add another 53 vertices to an object. Then I copied and pasted as many as I could until it wouldn't let me. Result was 297 copies before the thermo overheated.

Then I tried again by emitting 400 squares of DM, and cutting a sackboy shape out of each one. The thermo didn't go up at all while I was doing this, but after the 369th sackboy, it wouldn't let me cut any more, and I got the complex objects warning, even though the thermo was still only at 1.5 notches (of 16).

Be aware that there's some thermo difference in these two methods even without cheating the thermo. Mm claimed that copying objects was more efficient in their thermo video, and I managed to somewhat confirm this with a test similar to yours (see the Comprehensive Thermo thread). The difference was small, but you could get slightly more shapes through copying.

Also, some of this stuff reminds me of some inconsistencies when running close to the thermo limits on the PSP. I deleted some objects or vertices but wasn't allowed to add new objects that I was making room for. I don't know if these things happen on the PS3, but if they do, some results might be misinterpreted.

[Aya042]

Hmmm, was the warning you got "this object is too complicated, you cannot add any more to it", or was it "your level has over heated, try using less complicated shapes".

It was the former. After all, the level never actually overheated in the sense that the thermo never went above 1.5 notches.

Also, when you say, there is no way to exceed it, did you attempt corner editing the original emitted objects, or emitting objects into the level, because I found both of these methods were possible beyond the point where it stops you adding directly into the level.

Yes, I could still make some changes, including being able to paint new blocks of DM into the level, but not many. Point is that when you're that close to the hard limit, the restrictions the game places on you, in terms of what it will or won't let you do, are most likely too annoying for the average creator.

If you really want to squeeze a few more vertices out of the level, you can, but you'll be very restricted in the ways in which you can do it.

I'm currently attempting to break the 'moving objects' limitation, although this is one you'd probably never exceed in an actual level, since it gives you 1400 moving objects to play with, which is usually more than enough. I'm guessing I can probably extend it up to the 'objects and shapes' limit which is around 3000, although it's very tedious having to material change this many objects manually.

My next challenge will be to try cheating some of the other thermos, but I'd less confident about being able to do that. Ideally, I'd like to exceed the collected objects thermo, and be able to have more than about 1400 mag keys/switches in a level.

Out of curiosity, which thermos tend to be the most problematic when building a typical level?

[comphermc]

Out of curiosity, which thermos tend to be the most problematic when building a typical level?

Shapes and collected objects. Make it go away!

[rtm223]

I'm currently attempting to break the 'moving objects' limitation, although this is one you'd probably never exceed in an actual level, since it gives you 1400 moving objects to play with, which is usually more than enough. I'm guessing I can probably extend it up to the 'objects and shapes' limit which is around 3000, although it's very tedious having to material change this many objects manually.

No need. If you emit 100 shapes of a different material, with gaps inbetween and glue them to a thin layer of dark matter in the front, they will all count as static objects. Then just unglue the DM after emitting and you will have 100 moving objects and one static object.

[Aya042]

Also, some of this stuff reminds me of some inconsistencies when running close to the thermo limits on the PSP. I deleted some objects or vertices but wasn't allowed to add new objects that I was making room for. I don't know if these things happen on the PS3, but if they do, some results might be misinterpreted.

I've found the PSP's thermo to be highly inconsistent, probably due to a memory leak. The PS3's, however, seems to be okay.

If you emit 100 shapes of a different material, with gaps inbetween and glue them to a thin layer of dark matter in the front, they will all count as static objects. Then just unglue the DM after emitting and you will have 100 moving objects and one static object.

I gave up anyway - it was too tedious.

I just noticed something else, though - I miscounted - my original 10x10-block emitter was actually only 9x9, which accounts for the 25% difference. Seems I can only cut out about 300 sackboys after all, which is the same as you can do without the hack.

I've updated the OP to correct for this, so this may not be as useful as I originally thought. However, even if this means you can't actually squeeze any more out of the complex objects thermo, you can definately still use it to have more materials at the same time.

[rtm223]

I've updated the OP to correct for this, so this may not be as useful as I originally thought. However, even if this means you can't actually squeeze any more out of the complex objects thermo, you can definately still use it to have more materials at the same time.

Well that's exactly what I found last night. At exactly the point that the normal thermo would overheat, you lose the ability to place objects directly into the level and as I predicted, you lose the ability to use those objects to cut into other objects.

However, you can still continue to add to the level, via the corner editor and by building in an alternate level, capturing and emitting.

Sure, it's not easy, but that's not stopping people using the extra layers now, is it?

[Aya042]

Shapes and collected objects. Make it go away!

Wheee! I think I can do this too, or at least the collected objects. I just found a way to have 2000 mag keys in a level (usual limit is 1400) and still have nearly zero thermo use. Plus it will still let me place more, which implies that, unlike the complex object thermo, this one can be seriously exploited.

I shall make a proper post later on when I have time.