@YearOfComing and anyone else who noticed similarly, if there are multiple apparent solutions, try one row or column, marking both filled and blank. If all the numbers for that row/column gray out, then that's the correct answer. If not, then try the other one(s).
@FrozenFlame320: I've had fairly good luck racking up points (and therefore levels) with explosives. However, that's not until level nine or so. In the earlier runs, you won't get far without a strong engine, good aim, and a little bit of extra ammo.
@Scorpion: For Lv. 7, it's generally not a good idea to let the gateway do all the digging in its path. Dig up the top row yourself, and then put in a few shields, a repulsor, and a couple of weapons behind the shields (I personally used a blaster and a launcher) on each side. That way, when the gateway digs up to your area, you'll have defensible chokepoints ready.
@Timmeh: It's a quirk of the font used, but that's actually a (lowercase) B, not a 6, for the Singlekill achievement (The one where you need to get a pair in one shot is Singlekill A.)
Trying to 'strike gold', as I call it (That is, get an Internet) is supposed to be difficult. That's part of the draw of this game. At least you're not limited to one play a day here.
If you think the x3 Shotguns are crazy, let me tell you this: Doom Shotgun x6.
Recycling goes like this: Scrap five unwanted equips, get one at random. The number is just how many draws you have.
Oh, yeah, and in the later levels, you're gonna need that shield, because Bullet Hell is probably going to be unleashed. (Suddenly fourty absorbed shots for the Titanium Edge EMP Absorb shield won't seem like a lot.)
@Skullkid100: I think the real cause of the whole thing is that someone managed to infect the ad server with a virus. It had nothing to do with the game itself.
Although a decent Panepon/Puzzle League game, it seemed to go rather slow for me. That and a few potential matches didn't clear like they were supposed to.
3/5. It's a bit glitchy at points, like when a saucer spawns when one is on the field, the one that's on the field disappears.
Also, it's difficulty curve is a little bit too slow at the beginning for most player's taste. (Maybe one more asteroid per wave?)
Otherwise, I'm guessing the reason it's at 2.6-ish is because a good portion of the Kongregate membership are either trolls who one-star everything or upgrade/color/shiny/whatever is 'current gen'-hungry kids who never bothered to ask their parents what games were like in their day.
@Maxman: Stage #16 is a boss stage, and you'll face an Arcane Guardian there. Your EXP level will be somewhere in the low twenties when you beat that one.