kikuchiyo
Level: Master Delver
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Observations:


The difficulty:

Nuntar
Level: Smitemaster

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You have the right idea, and where is indeed the right question.


____________________________
50th Skywatcher

kikuchiyo
Level: Master Delver
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That's what I've figured, but I still have trouble with the execution. The snake with its brained movement patterns doesn't want to cooperate. More specifically,

LovaP48
Level: Smiter
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I can get Beethro isolated no problem, but I see no way how to make the unbrained snake move THAT far without any further control from Beethro.
At some point, the snake goes into vertical preference, meaning it will want to go south, ruining everything... What to do?

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[Last edited by LovaP48 at 07-12-2025 03:53 PM]

kikuchiyo
Level: Master Delver
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I can only offer the generic hint that it depends on timing:

Search the forum for "snake clock" on how to install an alternative threat clock that helps with this.

If this doesn't help:

LovaP48
Level: Smiter
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kikuchiyo wrote:
I can only offer the generic hint that it depends on timing:

Click here to view the secret text

×you want the snake chasing you from the east then north when you're walling yourself in, so that when it turns northwards, its own tail turns it east. And to finish it off, it should go up for 5 turns and then east for 5 turns.

Unfortunately, that didn't help me. I'll return to this shortly.*

kikuchiyo wrote:
Search the forum for "snake clock" on how to install an alternative threat clock that helps with this.

I know how to track the preferences even with the builtin clock, but thanks.

kikuchiyo wrote:
If this doesn't help:

Click here to view the secret text

×

Click here to view the secret text

×

Click here to view the secret text

×One of the demos for the non-secret room is good for this room too.

Awesome!

* Now to the question, as I seem to not fully understand snake preferences:
When I isolate myself from the snake, it starts moving east and north, which is all good.
But then, in the middle of this moving towards the plate, there's a moment where:
- the snake head is more north than Beethro,
- there's nothing south of it,
- and the preference changes to vertical.

Then why does the snake not go south in that situation?
That would be "towards" Beethro and I thought that takes precedence over the NESW rule (perhaps this is the incorrect assumption).
Explanation/recap how snake moves work is greatly appreciated!

Dragon Fogel
Level: Smitemaster
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What turn is this happening on? You might be mixing up whether it's a horizontal or vertical turn.

You see, snake preferences change *on* turns ending in 5 or 0. That is, if the turn ends in 5, the snake is on vertical preference, not horizontal. If the turn ends in 0, the snake is on horizontal preference, not vertical. Many people who are still learning snake preferences get confused about this, because it's basically a quirk of early DROD that's stuck around all this time.

I don't know if that's the particular source of your confusion, but that's all I can think of that it might be.

LovaP48
Level: Smiter
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Dragon Fogel wrote:
What turn is this happening on? You might be mixing up whether it's a horizontal or vertical turn.

You see, snake preferences change *on* turns ending in 5 or 0. That is, if the turn ends in 5, the snake is on vertical preference, not horizontal. If the turn ends in 0, the snake is on horizontal preference, not vertical. Many people who are still learning snake preferences get confused about this, because it's basically a quirk of early DROD that's stuck around all this time.

I don't know if that's the particular source of your confusion, but that's all I can think of that it might be.

Aha! Looking very carefully at my demo, I see where my confusion lies.
More specifically, I was describing a scenario that never comes up in there.
This is because the snake turns north before it's vertical preference time, because it's trying to go west, but can't.
Same thing for turning east, it's doing that before it's horizontal preference time.
So I think I understand the snake moves like I should, I simply hallucinated a scenario that doesn't happen. Whoops.
Still thanks for confirming/making me aware of what I was assuming wrong.