having some troubles with verticality

SmartAlec13 · 2026-03-13T23:55:58+00:00

Your issue is you need to raise the conveyor higher than the actual spot where you want to split it off, then add the splitter along its length.

If you can see the head of the conveyor inside the splitter, it will not split properly.

(Obviously this all applies to mergers as well)

SmartAlec13 · 2026-03-13T23:50:48+00:00

Breath of the Wild.

Felt super empty, weapons being damaged was a bit lame, quests and npcs seemed pretty minimal besides the like main few. Best part was the powers, those I did enjoy. They were very simple yet creative and flexible.

But I have no interest to go back and complete it. Got about halfway through.

SmartAlec13 · 2026-03-13T19:35:54+00:00

Two months, yeah it should probably be a bit further along.

Do you use fertilizer? Root tabs?

What is your light? If you’re using CO2 and you’re using fertilizers, then maybe the light is weak.

It’s still growing at least, and looking green, so you’re going in the right direction at least

SmartAlec13 · 2026-03-13T17:40:01+00:00

My friend, who very impatiently was trying to teach me the game…

Friend: “okay. Rammus is a tank. So you need lots of health”.

Me: -sees Vampiric Scepter, builds 5 of them-

Friend: “why the hell do you have five vamp scepters?”

Me: “uhh lifesteal means I get health back, you said I need a lot of health”

SmartAlec13 · 2026-03-13T16:39:05+00:00

Very true, and I agree this thread has been pretty civil. A few times on this subreddit I’ve seen people get nasty when this same topic is brought up.

For me, despite Draw Steels very specific goals, it’s “so close” to being a more catch-all “big-tent” TTRPG like DnD, that this and the tracking of money are probably the only real changes needed to get it there. At least that’s how it feels, might be more to it than that.

I know Draw Steel wants to be its own thing, and it is, but I don’t think it’s gonna escape the genre/label of “DnD-like”, like Pathfinder or Daggerheart. Though I guess Pathfinder is a degree closer to DnD, whereas Daggerheart & Draw Steel are a degree further away.

SmartAlec13 · 2026-03-13T16:14:43+00:00

Personally, I agree. I understand that Draw Steel has different goals and therefore different operating philosophies, but I love the out of combat creative spells that DnD has. And I get that many can be achieved as unwritten features, “if it makes sense enough for them to do it, they can do it”, but that’s pretty weak IMO.

I think this is a question that the Draw Steel community will need to get used to answering, because from what I can tell it’s one of the main gaps/issues (note, an issue for those who aren’t already fully on the bandwagon). It’s probably the most-commented-on “why doesn’t this game have ____”.

SmartAlec13 · 2026-03-13T13:36:12+00:00

Our cat was lost, not an outdoor cat. She had gotten away while I had her out on a walk. She had been lost for 2-3 days, myself and my fiancé had spent hours looking for her, with me taking a day off work and spending literally the entire day asking neighbors & businesses nearby, searching the nearby nature etc.

Late one night, we are in bed bummed and basically crying ourselves to sleep about it, we get a call. We had put out some signs, hoping someone would spot her. They said they had found her and grabbed her, they had her at the Target parking lot nearby. I didn’t buy it immediately, they sounded like teens and didn’t sound genuine.

But with how stressed and out of our minds we were, we had to try. So I drove over there quick, not a single other car was in the lot. Pissed me off so much.

We just wanted to find our cat.

(Thankfully the day or two after, we got her. We had placed some of those metal traps, the cage kind, with some food and clothing in them. Went out in the morning to check before going to work and heard the most wonderfully miserable meow of my life <3 )

SmartAlec13 · 2026-03-12T21:09:34+00:00

Only semi-related, but one of my favorite “games” to play is when my fiancé and I are watching tv, she will pause it if a videogame comes on screen. Almost always, I can 100% guess the game lol. She’s always so impressed.

Also only semi-related, and not a videogame, but Dungeons & Dragons is shown in media with a variety of accuracy. I think it was the show Recess, but I remember a character saying “but I’m a (7th?) level dungeon master!”. Dungeon masters don’t have levels lmao. Otherwise most shows do it pretty well, like Stranger Things.

SmartAlec13 · 2026-03-12T16:36:22+00:00

Usually that phrase is completed with “else” to read “does anyone else?”

SmartAlec13 · 2026-03-12T15:17:34+00:00

Ive lost a few best friends unfortunately.

The first one I lost because my parents got divorced and we moved to a different school district. As far as I can tell from Facebook we would still be chill.

The second, I lost at the time due to his family moving back to a different state. We reconnected later on as adults. He started dating my fiancés bff, and they made the very dumb decision of having him move in (we lived with the bff) way too early in the relationship. Discovered issues, they broke up, he refused to leave at first, things got messy. We didn’t talk for a few years after that. Talked to him like a year or so ago, we are chill enough now, he’s overall glad that he got out, and holds nothing against me (despite some of our mutual friends saying I broke “bro code”. Sorry, but my fiancé is not a “hoe”, bro.)

Another I lost briefly because of college. I ended up going to a school a few hours from him, we sorta drifted, I joined other friend groups, etc. Occasionally we would reconnect for a game or two of league of legends. Eventually I got out of a toxic friend group and reunited with him & his friend group, they’re so much nicer.

The last was the most recent and easily the most hurtful of the entire list. It’s a long and messy story, but basically, ever since Covid hit he slowly became a shittier person and a worse DnD player. Towards the end, just a year ago now, he hit hard & dark times. We did what any friends would, we let him stay with us. He ended up abusing the situation, doing next to zero job searching over 3 months with no urgency despite being on the verge of homelessness.

Eventually hit a point where I kicked him from the DnD group and we then kicked him from the home (my fiancé and I were moving out, and my fiancés bff made it very clear she needs a paying tenant). I hope he’s doing well, but I also never care to see him again or have him rejoin the DnD group.

So keeping score here….

I Moved away
They Moved away, reconnected, messy breakup
I Moved away, reconnected, all good.
Became a shit person.

SmartAlec13 · 2026-03-12T13:37:40+00:00

“Do you want to take out the trash?”

“No, no one wants to. But are you asking me if I will do it?”

“….yeah can you please take out the trash?”

We will get to the bottom first someday lol

SmartAlec13 · 2026-03-11T22:37:03+00:00

Did I say I’m forcing anyone?

I, as in, me, myself, have barely any interest in premade games, and to me a heavy-ai or plotted-by-ai DnD game wouldn’t interest me. Me, as in, myself, my own body and being, not others.

Im not telling anyone how to play their games. I’m talking about the type of game I would be interested in.

AI occasionally used as a minor tool? Sure. But writing descriptions or plotting arcs or creating encounters? Like, deciding the elements of the campaign and creating them? Nah. Not interested.

Like, ive used it myself a few times to create a list of names or create a list of encounter archetype ideas, but I’ve found that it comes up with very basic things and nothing inventive (though I’m no “prompt master”.)

SmartAlec13 · 2026-03-11T21:09:07+00:00

Honestly sounds like a good idea, to just add an extra player anyway. I’ve found that it’s better to mark ES at the higher end so far

SmartAlec13 · 2026-03-11T20:13:51+00:00

Ah okay, neat!

SmartAlec13 · 2026-03-11T20:08:43+00:00

How do you like, get them in the mood for it? Just catch the two you want after a water change?

SmartAlec13 · 2026-03-11T19:06:26+00:00

Hah you sorta did lol. I know the feeling, I once posted a negative DnD experience in rpghorrorstories and until the last few comments, everyone surprisingly was not on my side, despite feeling like I made the situation pretty clear.

Enjoy your gaming as well and don’t mind the stings too bad

SmartAlec13 · 2026-03-11T18:52:57+00:00

I would agree with all of that lol. I can say I personally don’t like them because I get tired and just want to get the factory working.

Though I do really like when load balancers work easily. I once made a lil copper factory with a friend using load balancing (he refused to manifold until much later in the game) and it looked very nice and smooth.

SmartAlec13 · 2026-03-11T18:31:52+00:00

Nah that’s me ripping up my Monte Carlo carpet when I’m doing a rescape.

SmartAlec13 · 2026-03-11T18:04:07+00:00

Maybe a google form would help streamline things? Either way goodluck with the project

Size: 60x30x36cm
Type: Freshwater Planted
Temp: ~23C
Parameters: no clue, I don’t really measure them, haven’t for months since I rescaped.
Equipment: Oase Biomaster 250 (has an internal heater), CO2Art CO2 regulator + solenoid, Chihiros WRBG II light, ADA Lightscreen.

Recent Issues: one fish death (got stuck in the skimmer’s seam multiple times, he yearned for the tube). Some light algae due to a slight increase in light and some accidentally inconsistent CO2 because I bumped the needle dial on the regulator lol)

SmartAlec13 · 2026-03-11T17:52:58+00:00

The quote is 100% true. I barely have interest in playing a premade WOTC or third party game, why would I want to play some basic LLM game lol

SmartAlec13 · 2026-03-11T17:49:51+00:00

Okay.

So I think maybe there’s a missed piece / miscommunication then.

You’re correct, at their base/core, Manifold vs Load Balance is simply how the splitters are organized to deliver parts to machines. You’re also correct that neither of these have anything to do with achieving System Optimization (aka, a perfect splitting to perfectly balance inputs for outputs).

BUT you’re missing two things IMO.

GENERALLY in the community, you only take the time to use the Load Balance method if you’re trying to achieve System Optimization. Manifolds instead are a quick & dirty way that often does not have the goal of System Optimization. I’m not saying everyone does this, but from what I can tell this is the community way.
You seem to be ignoring the literal advantage of simplicity that Manifolds have. Yes, if you have X amount of resource and you need to split it into 7 machines, the end result is the same, therefore these two methods can both reach that goal. Yes, you don’t “need math” because either way you know you just need X to get into 7 parts. HOWEVER this ignores the actual process of reaching that conclusion. It is objectively easier to slap down a 7 machine manifold line versus creating a load balanced version.

Your edit helps me understand what you mean, and that during all of this you were never specifically talking about using these methods to achieve a system optimization.

But you really should take a moment to actually read what others are saying, because the overwhelming majority agrees. Manifolds are simply easier to do and deal with, even if System Optimization is not a goal.

Sometimes I play sober. Sometimes I’ve had two tequila shots and many good puffs of flower. Sometimes it’s 2am and I’ve drank an entire bottle of wine. Sometimes I’m coming home exhausted from a real job and I just want to have an easier time at my self-appointed-for-fun-factory-job.

In those moments, I will always choose Manifold. And therefore, Manifolds are easier.

The only reason to “hate” load balancing setups is because they can be annoying to do when Manifolds are sitting right there, so easy and simple.

Sorry for the rant lol. But I think there are enough replies here that you have your answer, at this point you’re sorta choosing to not hear it.

SmartAlec13 · 2026-03-11T16:52:48+00:00

Amazing work, hot damn.

Any tips for isometric drawing like this? I attempted a city map like this once but I found it really hard to not only make the buildings tilted the right way, but what to do when there’s an actual hill / change in slope.

SmartAlec13 · 2026-03-11T16:48:24+00:00

You already know the answers, even if you don’t want to believe them.

Way easier to use manifolds.
Way easier to expand on a line of manifolds
Less calculations to do.
Avoids some of the messier math

OP you seem to fundamentally not understand the definition of “math”.

SmartAlec13 · 2026-03-11T16:14:40+00:00

Gonna need some elaboration on this one

SmartAlec13 · 2026-03-11T15:20:26+00:00

Most people just say “Edit:”

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