diff --git a/script.js b/script.js
index 6fa349e..9de35ac 100644
--- a/script.js
+++ b/script.js
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ class Board {
     this.grid = [];
     this.tiles = [];
 
-    for(let i=0; i<120;i++) {
+    for (let i = 0; i <= 120; i++) {
       this.grid[i] = null;
       this.tiles[i] = null;
     }
@@ -204,6 +204,12 @@ class Board {
    * @param {Boolean} errorIfEmpty
    */
   removeOrbByIndex(index, errorIfEmpty = false) {
+    // placeholder orb
+    if (typeof this.grid[index] === 'string') {
+      this.grid[index] = null;
+      return;
+    }
+
     if (this.grid[index]) {
       this.$orbs.removeChild(this.grid[index].node);
       this.grid[index] = null;
@@ -626,7 +632,7 @@ class Game {
   /**
    * Init the game
    */
-  constructor(seed=null) {
+  constructor(seed = null) {
     this.board = new Board();
     if (seed === null) {
       seed = +new Date();
@@ -664,7 +670,7 @@ class Game {
       'frisbee': [0, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 22, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 33, 34, 36, 38, 39, 40, 41, 45, 46, 47, 49, 50, 53, 57, 58, 59, 60, 62, 64, 65, 68, 69, 72, 74, 75, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 92, 95, 96, 97, 104, 106, 107, 115, 116, 117, 118],
     };
 
-    this.newGame()
+    setTimeout(() => this.newGame(), 100);
   }
 
   /**
@@ -842,19 +848,20 @@ class Game {
 
       // Highlight pattern shape
 
-      if (this.board.tiles[i]) {
-        if (allo) {
-          this.board.tiles[i].setAttribute('opacity', 1)
-        } else {
-          this.board.tiles[i].setAttribute('opacity', 0.6)
-        }
-      }
+      // if (this.board.tiles[i]) {
+      //   if (allo) {
+      //     this.board.tiles[i].setAttribute('opacity', 1)
+      //   } else {
+      //     this.board.tiles[i].setAttribute('opacity', 0.6)
+      //   }
+      // }
     }
 
     const place = (n, symbol) => {
       if (!allowed[n]) throw Error(`Position ${n} not allowed by template`);
       if (this.board.grid[n]) throw Error(`Position ${n} is occupied`);
-      this.board.placeOrbByIndex(n, symbol);
+      // we use a hack to speed up generation here - SVG is not altered until we have a solution
+      this.board.grid[n] = symbol;
     };
 
     const findAvailableIndexWithNeighbours = (count) => {
@@ -904,55 +911,6 @@ class Game {
     console.log('Solution: ', toPlace);
   }
 
-  updateOrbDisabledStatus() {
-    for (let n = 0; n < 120; n++) {
-      if (this.board.grid[n]) {
-        this.board.grid[n].node.classList.toggle('disabled', !this.isAvailable(n));
-      }
-    }
-  }
-
-  newGame() {
-    // this.board.onTileClick = (n) => {
-    //   console.log(n, this.board.gridIndexToXy(n));
-    // };
-
-    const RETRY_IN_TEMPLATE = 100;
-    const RETRY_NEW_TEMPLATE = 15;
-
-    // retry loop, should not be needed if everything is correct
-    let suc = false;
-    let numretries = 0;
-    const alertOnError = false;
-    for (let i = 0; i < RETRY_NEW_TEMPLATE && !suc; i++) {
-      console.log('RNG seed is: ' + this.rng.state);
-      const template = this.getRandomTemplate();
-      for (let j = 0; j < RETRY_IN_TEMPLATE; j++) {
-        try {
-          this.placeOrbs(template);
-          suc = true;
-          break;
-        } catch (e) {
-          if (alertOnError) alert('welp');
-          numretries++;
-          console.warn(e.message);
-        }
-      }
-      if (!suc) {
-        console.warn("Exhausted all retries for the template, getting a new one");
-      }
-    }
-
-    if (!suc) {
-      alert(`Sorry, could not find a valid board setup after ${numretries} retries.`);
-      return;
-    } else {
-      console.info(`Found valid solution (with ${numretries} retries)`);
-    }
-
-    this.updateOrbDisabledStatus()
-  }
-
   shuffleArray(a) {
     let j, x, i;
     for (i = a.length - 1; i > 0; i--) {
@@ -991,7 +949,7 @@ class Game {
     const nsalted = this.rng.nextInt(2);
     for (let i = 0; i < nsalted; i++) {
       while (true) {
-        const n = this.rng.nextInt(toPlace.length-1);
+        const n = this.rng.nextInt(toPlace.length - 1);
         if (toPlace[n][1] !== 'salt') {
           // console.log(`Pairing ${toPlace[n][1]} with salt.`);
           newSaltedPairs.push([toPlace[n][1], 'salt']);
@@ -1044,6 +1002,70 @@ class Game {
 
     return toPlace;
   }
+
+  renderPreparedBoard() {
+    for (let n = 0; n <= 120; n++) {
+      if (this.board.grid[n] !== null) {
+        const symbol = this.board.grid[n];
+        this.board.grid[n] = null;
+        this.board.placeOrbByIndex(n, symbol);
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  updateOrbDisabledStatus() {
+    for (let n = 0; n <= 120; n++) {
+      if (this.board.grid[n]) {
+        this.board.grid[n].node.classList.toggle('disabled', !this.isAvailable(n));
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  newGame() {
+    // this.board.onTileClick = (n) => {
+    //   console.log(n, this.board.gridIndexToXy(n));
+    // };
+
+    const RETRY_IN_TEMPLATE = 100;
+    const RETRY_NEW_TEMPLATE = 15;
+
+    // retry loop, should not be needed if everything is correct
+    let suc = false;
+    let numretries = 0;
+    const alertOnError = false;
+    for (let i = 0; i < RETRY_NEW_TEMPLATE && !suc; i++) {
+      console.log('RNG seed is: ' + this.rng.state);
+      const template = this.getRandomTemplate();
+      for (let j = 0; j < RETRY_IN_TEMPLATE; j++) {
+        try {
+          this.placeOrbs(template);
+          suc = true;
+          break;
+        } catch (e) {
+          if (alertOnError) alert('welp');
+          numretries++;
+          console.warn(e.message);
+        }
+      }
+      if (!suc) {
+        console.warn("Exhausted all retries for the template, getting a new one");
+      }
+    }
+
+    if (!suc) {
+      // show the failed attempt
+      this.renderPreparedBoard();
+      this.updateOrbDisabledStatus();
+
+      alert(`Sorry, could not find a valid board setup after ${numretries} retries.`);
+      return;
+    } else {
+      console.info(`Found valid solution (with ${numretries} retries)`);
+    }
+
+    this.renderPreparedBoard();
+    this.updateOrbDisabledStatus()
+  }
 }
 
 /* Start */
diff --git a/style.css b/style.css
index 8071728..851f60c 100644
--- a/style.css
+++ b/style.css
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ html,body {
 
 .orb-glow,
 .orb-shadow {
-	transition: opacity linear 0.2s;
+	transition: opacity linear 0.1s;
 }
 
 .orb.selected .orb-glow,