goldenferret
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I want to make a challenging orb puzzle with 6 orbs, but I'm not sure how orb puzzles are usually made. Do you write it out on paper, and try to figure out how the orbs will interact? Do you just plunk down a coupla orbs and randomly connect them to the door?


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Jatopian
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Yeah, they're basically logic puzzles. There's an Orb Solver app floating around the forum somewhere, and you can use that to test - but really you need to mix it up a bit or we'll hate you.
I suggest doing a puzzle that mixes some one-use plates or cracked orbs with the regular; that hasn't been done yet.

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calamarain
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There is one rather cool method that I've found that works quite well. If you're creating orb puzzles with toggles only (i.e. each orb *only* toggles things, not just opens/closes) then a good way is to start with the puzzle in the solved state.

Then strike a few orbs that you intend to be the solution, and note down the new configuration of doors. Without changing what orb opens what door, change which doors are open at the start to match the configuration you turned it into.

Then, the solution should consist of the orbs you struck.

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goldenferret
Level: Delver

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Nifty. Perhaps the method could be altered a little for open/close?

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calamarain
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goldenferret wrote:
Nifty. Perhaps the method could be altered a little for open/close?

Not easily. if all the orbs are toggle based, then the system is totally reversible. If you have struck orbs A, D, G and I, and then strike orbs A, D, G and I again (in whatever order), the system will return to its previous configuration. This makes reversing the direction quite easy.

If A opens a door but does not close it again, it's not as easy. You have to do it one step at a time, working backwards from the solution.

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