Mr. Slice
Level: Disabled
Rank Points: 140
Registered: 10-26-2007
IP: Logged

File: The Example.hold (1.8 KB)
Downloaded 56 times.
License: Public Domain

Any idiot can make in impossible room, but it requires talent and perseverance and just a bit of luck to make an impossible room that looks possible.

Contest Idea
Make a room that is impossible but looks possible. Basically, (going off of NiroZ's idea) make two rooms. One that possible, and on that is impossible. They to make the player spot the difference or rather, which one is which. Both need to be hard enough to make the player have some thought into it, in other words, moderate difficulty. Also, don't make the player have to slug through a hack and slash room even if it follows the rules. The room that you make needs to be Fun and Interesting (With a capital F and I).

Tricks To Making It
First, you would need to make a moderately difficult room. Then, you would need to change something, anything that would make the room impossible. This something would need to not be obvious, such as a changed pressure plate effect or a door out of place. Basically, keep it simple.

Or, you could just make an impossible room that you thought was possible, by testing it out. This is how, usually, the best kinds turn out. But that normally needs to have a bigger difference that can be noticeable.

Prizes
1st Place - 6 Points
2nd Place - 4 Points
3rd Place - 2 Points
For those who make a hold and people like Chaco (who think deeply about the room first) who can't find anything wrong will be: 2 Extra Points.

Due Dates
All entries are due by May 20th, 2008.

Do You Understand?
Yes? Good.

For those who don't, I'm going to get an example room that is from somewhere else that you don't need to know where.

Also, one entry per person. (One entry being two copies of the same hold, one possible and one impossible.)

____________________________
"To see or to hear is to know, but to
do is to understand"

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[Last edited by Mr. Slice at 05-02-2008 04:26 AM]

NiroZ
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 1302
Registered: 02-12-2006
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Why not have the entrants post two rooms, one possible and one impossible, and have people try a guess which one is which?

Because everybody is going to know that every puzzle in this thread is impossible otherwise.

Jacob
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 3746
Registered: 10-01-2004
IP: Logged

Nice idea, but why not use this in the May contest?

____________________________
New to DROD? You may want to read this.
My Holds and Levels:

Moo
Level: Master Delver
Rank Points: 224
Registered: 10-14-2006
IP: Logged

Opposite of many "normal" rooms.. They start off looking easy..
Once you've played them for a while you come across something that makes you think they must be impossible.
But of course they aren't.. So eventually (if you don't get too annoyed) you find out the secret..

Mr. Slice
Level: Disabled
Rank Points: 140
Registered: 10-26-2007
IP: Logged

Jacob wrote:
Nice idea, but why not use this in the May contest?

That would be nice. Can this thread be used for that?

NiroZ wrote:
Why not have the entrants post two rooms, one possible and one impossible, and have people try a guess which one is which?

That seems like a better idea for this contest. I'm going to update the contest rules and ideas to this new thing.

____________________________
"To see or to hear is to know, but to
do is to understand"

Beef Row
Level: Smiter
Rank Points: 471
Registered: 12-28-2005
IP: Logged

Mr. Slice wrote:

Jacob wrote:
Nice idea, but why not use this in the May contest?

That would be nice. Can this thread be used for that?

Maybe. The contest hasn't been announced yet so no one can promise it will fit the rules (except NiroZ I suppose), and since you started it before the announcement you probably need his approval too. You might want to PM him and ask this.

EDIT: he's been in this thread already so maybe skip the PM and just wait to see if he answers.

____________________________
"Now I will repeatedly apply the happy-face rule"

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[Last edited by Beef Row at 04-29-2008 07:53 AM]

NiroZ
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 1302
Registered: 02-12-2006
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Mr. Slice wrote:

Jacob wrote:
Nice idea, but why not use this in the May contest?

That would be nice. Can this thread be used for that?

That is exactly what my upcoming contest is for.

In fact, all the current unofficial contests can be run within my contest. I just don't like blowing my own trumpet.

mxvladi
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 2505
Registered: 02-11-2008
IP: Logged

I'm in. Here's my two-room project - Aumtliches and mirrors... and one little roach.

EDIT: removed

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[Last edited by mxvladi at 05-03-2008 03:18 PM]

TFMurphy
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 3118
Registered: 06-11-2007
IP: Logged

Considering that both those rooms can be solved in the same way, and that 1W also has a trivial solution, I think you'll need to retool that one a bit.

Also, it might help if you actually started in a neutral room where you can choose between the two puzzles. I realise you can leave the first room without solving it, but that's a secret passage, and dumping them in the first puzzle room is sorta directing the player's choice on which to try first.

mxvladi
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 2505
Registered: 02-11-2008
IP: Logged

Ah, yes. Thanks for commenting.

hartleyhair
Level: Smiter
Rank Points: 307
Registered: 08-05-2007
IP: Logged

File: ImPossible.hold (2.1 KB)
Downloaded 55 times.
License: Public Domain

Here's mine.

EDIT: Hopefully, one's impossible now!


____________________________
I'm currently working on Jerrik's Dungeon, an oldschool Hold for TCB.

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[Last edited by hartleyhair at 05-01-2008 07:32 AM]

TFMurphy
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 3118
Registered: 06-11-2007
IP: Logged

Completed both of hartleyhair's, I'm afraid.

Also, mxvladi's still has a particularly trivial UI that works for both rooms. I think this'll be the last time I report on any hold I've already commented on for now: this isn't Architecture, this is a contest. And I'm unsure exactly how much feedback and help should be warranted in that case.

I'll try to comment on any new entries that appear (unless they seem to be working as intended) since I've already commented on these two, but if Mr. Slice would rather I didn't, then that's fine too - I'll just wait for deadline to play them.

I do realise how very *very* difficult it is to make rooms that seem possible but are really impossible. There are certainly ways to do so, but it all depends on the type of puzzle you're doing. (And some puzzles are easier to figure out how possible they are than others)

In any case, good luck with your entries, and I hope you can get them working as you wish them to by the deadline.

EDIT: Oh, and for the record, Mr. Slice's example hold is also possible to conquer. If anything, this should be a good lesson in exactly how difficult this contest is for architects. But I'm still looking forward to what comes of this.

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[Last edited by TFMurphy at 04-30-2008 09:12 PM]

Doom
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 3226
Registered: 07-05-2004
IP: Logged

File: Beethros Assistant.hold (2 KB)
Downloaded 64 times.
License: Public Domain

mxvladi
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 2505
Registered: 02-11-2008
IP: Logged

File: Rock Giant.hold (1.6 KB)
Downloaded 45 times.
License: Public Domain

I removed first project and here's my new - Rock giant.

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[Last edited by mxvladi at 05-03-2008 04:34 PM]

zex20913
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1723
Registered: 02-04-2003
IP: Logged

mxvladi wrote:
I removed first project and here's my new - Rock giant.

Both rooms are possible. And you have to go into the editor to get to the second one.

____________________________

mxvladi
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 2505
Registered: 02-11-2008
IP: Logged

Ah, I didn't dig passageway to second one! Now it exists.

But how to solve the second one? Yes, both are solvable, but you can't exit... or I'm mising smth?

And another one - solvability of the room is solving it and leaving after solving in my opinion.

zex20913
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1723
Registered: 02-04-2003
IP: Logged

Yup. Solved and left.

____________________________

Mr. Slice
Level: Disabled
Rank Points: 140
Registered: 10-26-2007
IP: Logged

Well, this contest idea was to make one room possible and copy that same room and make it impossible. Try to make one of those rooms impossible, and then switch the two rooms to create chaos and confusion.

____________________________
"To see or to hear is to know, but to
do is to understand"

mxvladi
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 2505
Registered: 02-11-2008
IP: Logged

Aha! I understood how you did it. So, I deleted those rooms and added new two.

Mazer
Level: Master Delver
Rank Points: 162
Registered: 04-08-2007
IP: Logged

File: Mission Impossible.hold (1.3 KB)
Downloaded 41 times.
License: Public Domain

Here's my possible hold with an impossible room.

EDIT: Now one room is impossible.

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[Last edited by Mazer at 05-11-2008 09:48 AM : Hold updated]

TFMurphy
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 3118
Registered: 06-11-2007
IP: Logged

Both of the rooms in Mazer's hold are possible.

As are both of the rooms in mxvladi's latest attempt.

Ptanzoricis
Level: Delver
Rank Points: 39
Registered: 09-11-2006
IP: Logged

File: The dungeon of parallel realities.hold (5 KB)
Downloaded 48 times.
License: Public Domain

Here is my entry. If this is not legitimate, then please let me know; (1N, 1E) & (1N, 2E) can easily be changed. To consider rooms
possible means to conquer the room and leave.

TFMurphy
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 3118
Registered: 06-11-2007
IP: Logged

And... uh... both of Mazer's rooms are *still* possible. (Yes, I know I said I'd try not to comment on a hold twice, but since the edited hold's puzzles are *completely* different from before, I figured it was fairer to treat it as a completely new entry.)

We're seeing some good entries though overall - and there's still quite a bit of time left until the deadline. So don't be discouraged.

EDIT: By the way, I note only a single day's difference between the deadline for this particular mini-contest and when the winner's must be submitted to the main May Contest. How are you considering scoring these holds?

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[Last edited by TFMurphy at 05-11-2008 06:44 AM]

Mr. Slice
Level: Disabled
Rank Points: 140
Registered: 10-26-2007
IP: Logged

Like normal. It's fine the way it is. The only problem would be if the deadline here was a day after the May contest deadline.

____________________________
"To see or to hear is to know, but to
do is to understand"

Mazer
Level: Master Delver
Rank Points: 162
Registered: 04-08-2007
IP: Logged

Updated the hold.

Mr. Slice
Level: Disabled
Rank Points: 140
Registered: 10-26-2007
IP: Logged

It's judging time! I'm sorry for saying this two whole days before the actual judging time, but time is of the essence! And frankly, we don't have a lot of essence.

I'm giving everyone 6 bottles of soda pop. Don't drink them yourself, but instead, open them and spray whoever you want with as much soda as you'd like!

Of the six entries that we have, One of them will stand on top, all soaked with 10 tons* of soda pop!

Now, start your spraying! And please, actually try to spray this time. We don't accept dribbling.

*Hey, I didn't say how much soda these cans have.

____________________________
"To see or to hear is to know, but to
do is to understand"

techant
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 854
Registered: 06-08-2004
IP: Logged

I don't understand is there going to be a poll or do we just state our soda dispersment?

____________________________
DROD RPG Released!! You must try it out it is Great!!

Mr. Slice
Level: Disabled
Rank Points: 140
Registered: 10-26-2007
IP: Logged

Yeah, you have to say your soda dispersement like this:

I spray [someones] entry with 1-6 (choose a number) bottles of soda!
I spray [someones] entry with 1-6 (choose a number) bottles of soda!
I spray [someones] entry with 1-6 (choose a number) bottles of soda!
(etc.)

You don't have to spray all the entries, but make sure you spend all six of them on a random number of entries.

____________________________
"To see or to hear is to know, but to
do is to understand"

TFMurphy
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 3118
Registered: 06-11-2007
IP: Logged

I get the feeling that if I don't vote, nothing else is going to happen. A poll topic might've been much easier overall.

Anyways, to avoid wasting drinks, I'll just quickly allocate points to which entries I think they should go to. Although 6 really isn't enough....

Anyways, keeping within the 6 points, let's say:
Im-possible? by VIPCOOL: 1 point
Beethro's Assistant by Doom: 2 points
The dungeon of parallel realities by Ptanzoricis 3 points

I'd much rather mark Doom's and Ptanzoricis' entries closer together, but with six points, that's pretty much the best distribution I can come up with.

I'll have more to say about the entries later, once Mr. Slice has actually decided on winner placement.

Mr. Slice
Level: Disabled
Rank Points: 140
Registered: 10-26-2007
IP: Logged

In addition to the 6 sodas that I gave you, to make judging better, I give 2 additional sodas to judge with!

Meanwhile, it looks like Ptanzoricis is in the lead with 3 sprayed sodas on zir. Get that judging done quick!

____________________________
"To see or to hear is to know, but to
do is to understand"