Sergenth
Level: Master Delver
Rank Points: 296
Registered: 05-04-2005
IP: Logged

I crafted a snap-to-point thingy in Microsoft Word so I could easily draw lines and mirrors (and they would snap to points and stay centered and be easily deleted if I came up with a bad solution). Here's how that looked.



However, this puzzle must be relatively easy, cause I only needed to delete one set of laser lines and move one mirror, and I was expecting the actual solving to be a nightmarish procedure of undoing and redoing. I do expect something like that for the real challenge.

The Word setup took me about 7-10 minutes and the actual solving was 4-6 minutes, though I think a large chunk of that time was pure trepidation and confusion.

Sign me up for Puzzle 1, which for me is Sunday, 02-19-2006 7:00PM. A tip for others here, make sure you remember that if you live in -5 GMT (Eastern Standard Time) that you don't choose +5 GMT like I did.

ErikH2000
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2794
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KevG wrote:
I'm in. Do we have to declare ahead of time which round we'll play? I'd like to do round 3, but I can't guarantee I'll be home from work. If we have to declare ahead of time I'll be in round 4.

No, you don't have to declare in advance. Just as long as you submit an answer and it is for one puzzle only, you will be fine.

-Erik

____________________________
The Godkiller - Chapter 1 available now on Steam. It's a DROD-like puzzle adventure game.
dev journals | twitch stream | youtube archive (NSFW)

Blondbeard
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1486
Registered: 03-31-2005
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Hmm... Testing, testing... What time is it?

Blondbeard
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1486
Registered: 03-31-2005
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Puzzle number 4 sounds like a reasonable time for me. Count me in. (although I am a self proclaimed slow thinker. I think I am somewhere around the last page of fastest DROD players )

Mattcrampy
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2388
Registered: 05-29-2003
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I started from the outside and worked my way in. It didn't take me long.

____________________________
What do you call an elephant at the North Pole?

Swivel
Level: Master Delver

Rank Points: 236
Registered: 09-14-2005
IP: Logged

Mattcrampy wrote:
I started from the outside and worked my way in. It didn't take me long.

Oh. Are you talking about eating a coconut? Opening a safe? Perhaps coloring in a circle?

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[Last edited by Swivel at 02-06-2006 02:28 AM]

eytanz
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2708
Registered: 02-05-2003
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I'll probably play puzzle #1, unless I forget.

____________________________
I got my avatar back! Yay!

TripleM
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 1377
Registered: 02-05-2003
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Well, even though Erik said we didn't need to sign up for doing one of the puzzles, I'll follow the trend of all the recent posters just in case and say I'll do either #1 or #2.

techant
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 854
Registered: 06-08-2004
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I'd like to play, don't know which game set yet. It took me about 15-20 minutes but half was before the superbowl (which I stopped to watch ) then I finished after the superbowl.

Can we change the objects to DROD monsters

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

Svante
Level: Master Delver

Rank Points: 169
Registered: 04-23-2005
IP: Logged

This sounds fun, I'm in.
I know we shouldn't make computer programs that solve the puzzles, but can we create programs so we can solve it with graphics( like making a puzzle game of it).

-Svante

robin
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 845
Registered: 09-01-2004
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I'm in too, I want puzzle 3.
I got nightshift that week, so I can spend all day on it

____________________________

Ezlo
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1227
Registered: 01-08-2006
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Enough people want puzzle #1, that I want to do #4 now. I know it doesn't matter.

____________________________
Call me Citrus.

Tahnan
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2460
Registered: 11-14-2005
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Svante wrote:
This sounds fun, I'm in.
I know we shouldn't make computer programs that solve the puzzles, but can we create programs so we can solve it with graphics( like making a puzzle game of it).

-Svante

It seems to me that, if everyone's to be on equal footing, everyone should have exactly the same equipment--presumably, pencil and paper. Even that sort of computer-assisted solving, where the computer's doing none of the logic but a lot of the keeping track of things, is much faster than solving on paper.

Chaco
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 3659
Registered: 10-06-2005
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Yeah, this makes it unfair for those of us who can't program. Well, can't program well, anyway.

____________________________
Quick links to my stuff (in case you forgot where it was):

ErikH2000
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2794
Registered: 02-04-2003
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Svante wrote:
This sounds fun, I'm in.
I know we shouldn't make computer programs that solve the puzzles, but can we create programs so we can solve it with graphics( like making a puzzle game of it).

That seems unfair to me, unless maybe you made a web-based app that everyone could use.

-Erik

____________________________
The Godkiller - Chapter 1 available now on Steam. It's a DROD-like puzzle adventure game.
dev journals | twitch stream | youtube archive (NSFW)

stigant
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1182
Registered: 08-19-2004
IP: Logged

I'll play. I'm not going to commit to a time though. I took about 3 minutes to solve the sample one. I used 17 mirrors. It seems (at least with the current format) that it will be pretty simple to just guess A correct answer. Perhaps requiring more of a solution would make this a more difficult puzzle. For example, preplacing some of the mirrors that need to be placed or requiring that exactly x mirrors are used etc. But whatever the format, I'll play.

EDIT:
Also, my solution had an (seemingly) interesting property: If you draw all the laser beams in, each square is entered/exited in all four directions. For example, I have a / in A1. The beam for the check mark enters from the north, and exits west, while the beam from the eyeball enters from the east and leaves via the south. So all four directions are taken. Is this a general property of other solutions or is this a more unique property of my solution?

EDIT 2:
I think this must be a property of any solution of any puzzle of this sort. Does anybody have a rigorous proof?

____________________________
Progress Quest Progress

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[Last edited by stigant at 02-06-2006 07:48 PM]

Svante
Level: Master Delver

Rank Points: 169
Registered: 04-23-2005
IP: Logged

ErikH2000 wrote:
That seems unfair to me, unless maybe you made a web-based app that everyone could use.

-Erik

I'm not that good, so... *deletes file*

-Svante

Doom
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 3303
Registered: 07-05-2004
IP: Logged

You *could* propably post the file here, so everyone can use it.

KevG
Level: Smiter

Rank Points: 333
Registered: 08-16-2004
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stigant wrote:
Also, my solution had an (seemingly) interesting property: If you draw all the laser beams in, each square is entered/exited in all four directions. For example, I have a / in A1. The beam for the check mark enters from the north, and exits west, while the beam from the eyeball enters from the east and leaves via the south. So all four directions are taken. Is this a general property of other solutions or is this a more unique property of my solution?

I think this must be a property of any solution of any puzzle of this sort. Does anybody have a rigorous proof?

Start with a grid with no mirrors. Clearly each square is entered/exited in all directions. Now add a mirror. The beams entering that square will be deflected, but you'll still have beams entering/exiting in all four directions. Since no other square is affected in terms of whether or not beams enter/exit it mirrors are independent of each other in this respect. Therefore you can add as many mirrors as you want with out affecting the property.

Andy101
Level: Master Delver
Rank Points: 222
Registered: 07-22-2005
IP: Logged

KevG wrote:
Start with a grid with no mirrors. Clearly each square is entered/exited in all directions. Now add a mirror. The beams entering that square will be deflected, but you'll still have beams entering/exiting in all four directions. Since no other square is affected in terms of whether or not beams enter/exit it mirrors are independent of each other in this respect. Therefore you can add as many mirrors as you want with out affecting the property.

This is not quite correct, consider the case when mirrors form a closed loop as such:
/ \\
\\ /
There is no source of a beam within the loop, so there will be no beam bouncing off the insides of these four mirrors and hence four square edges with no beam going across them.

____________________________
"True perfection has to be imperfect"

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[Last edited by Andy101 at 02-06-2006 09:17 PM]

KevG
Level: Smiter

Rank Points: 333
Registered: 08-16-2004
IP: Logged

Andy101 wrote:This is not quite correct,

Which is a nice polite way of saying "dead wrong" since the conjecture I was trying to prove isn't true. Nice catch.

Mouse
Level: Master Delver

Rank Points: 246
Registered: 04-21-2005
IP: Logged

I wish I could enter this competition but I'm going to be in New Zealand during those days and probably won't have access to the Internet.

Is there any possibility of puzzles earlier in the month?

NekoIncardine
Level: Master Delver
Rank Points: 127
Registered: 08-23-2005
IP: Logged

There's puzzles I'm good with, and puzzles I suck with.

This puzzle is strongly in the latter category, in spite of it's simple logical basis. I'm sitting this month's contest out.

____________________________
The secret to using a sword is that you hit people with the sharp end and then they die.

Muiff
Level: Delver

Rank Points: 32
Registered: 12-07-2003
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I'm in for the contest, and I think I will do puzzle 3.

I got yet another solution for the puzzle:

trick
Level: Legendary Smitemaster
Rank Points: 2580
Registered: 04-12-2003
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Yet another solution (~3 min):


Not sure if I'll enter the contest, but if I do it'll be for puzzle 4.

- Gerry

ErikH2000
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2794
Registered: 02-04-2003
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Mouse wrote:
Is there any possibility of puzzles earlier in the month?

Sorry, Mouse. It is a fair amount of work to make 4 puzzles, so I don't want to make more than that.

If anyone else wants to post some more practice puzzles here leading up to the contest, that might be interesting.

-Erik

____________________________
The Godkiller - Chapter 1 available now on Steam. It's a DROD-like puzzle adventure game.
dev journals | twitch stream | youtube archive (NSFW)

Bombadil
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 523
Registered: 06-01-2005
IP: Logged

I think I'll enter...
I'll go for this one:

Puzzle 4 - Local Time:02-20-2006 at 06:00 PM


My first DROD Contest... I'm nervous... ^^

Maurog
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1501
Registered: 09-16-2004
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File: SamplePuzzle.jpg (49.6 KB)
Downloaded 58 times.
License: Public Domain

Hmm, it took me about 5 minutes to solve the testing puzzle. I used Gimp and came up with a different solution, but the same number of mirrors. I will go for Puzzle 3 if I remember it.

I change my pick to Puzzle 1. Can't make it in time for number 3.

____________________________
Slay the living! Raise the dead!
Paint the sky in crimson red!

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[Last edited by Maurog at 02-19-2006 07:17 PM : Changing to Puzzle 1.]

ErikH2000
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2794
Registered: 02-04-2003
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Change the puzzle requirements to use seven forward deflectors (/) and 5 backward deflectors (\\). Does that make the puzzle significantly harder? I ask this so I can get some idea of how to adjust the difficulty level for the contest puzzles.

-Erik

____________________________
The Godkiller - Chapter 1 available now on Steam. It's a DROD-like puzzle adventure game.
dev journals | twitch stream | youtube archive (NSFW)

Swivel
Level: Master Delver

Rank Points: 236
Registered: 09-14-2005
IP: Logged

I don't think that that number of usable deflectors should be part of the requirements. After all, someone who starts in one place might inherently use less. Where you start is usually random (especially with a bigger puzzle), and someone who "got lucky" by starting elsewhere would not have to restart the puzzle, etc. It's just too large of a system to do that.

That's what I think, anyway. And you can quote me on that.

++Adam H. Peterson Swivel