X-Git-Url: https://git.distorted.org.uk/~mdw/sgt/puzzles/blobdiff_plain/118473f595a49e20a818ed7253d58fdfacaa7a86..e9f8a17fe682e455dff18a9dbdb1310d18d2dc1f:/puzzles.but diff --git a/puzzles.but b/puzzles.but index 00239b2..13056d7 100644 --- a/puzzles.but +++ b/puzzles.but @@ -47,12 +47,11 @@ ends - PocketPC, Mac OS pre-10, or whatever it might be - then all the games in this framework will immediately become available on another platform as well. -The actual games in this collection were mostly not my invention; I -saw them elsewhere, and rewrote them in a form that was more -convenient for me. I do not claim credit, in general, for inventing -the rules of any of these puzzles; all I claim is authorship of the -code (or at least those parts of the code that weren't contributed -by other people!). +The actual games in this collection were mostly not my invention; they +are re-implementations of existing game concepts within my portable +puzzle framework. I do not claim credit, in general, for inventing the +rules of any of these puzzles. (I don't even claim authorship of all +the code; some of the puzzles have been submitted by other authors.) This collection is distributed under the \i{MIT licence} (see \k{licence}). This means that you can do pretty much anything you like @@ -960,11 +959,6 @@ Removing a region causes the rest of the grid to shuffle up: blocks that are suspended will fall down (first), and then empty columns are filled from the right. -The game generator does not try to guarantee soluble grids; -it will, however, ensure that there are at least 2 squares of each -colour on the grid at the start (and will forbid custom grids for which -that would be impossible). - Same Game was contributed to this collection by James Harvey. \H{samegame-controls} \i{Same Game controls} @@ -1010,6 +1004,23 @@ any points at all. With the alternative \q{(n-1)^2} system, regions of two squares score a point each, and larger regions score relatively more points. +\dt \e{Ensure solubility} + +\dd If this option is ticked (the default state), generated grids +will be guaranteed to have at least one solution. + +\lcont{ + +If you turn it off, the game generator will not try to guarantee +soluble grids; it will, however, still ensure that there are at +least 2 squares of each colour on the grid at the start (since a +grid with exactly one square of a given colour is \e{definitely} +insoluble). Grids generated with this option disabled may contain +more large areas of contiguous colour, leading to opportunities for +higher scores; they can also take less time to generate. + +} + \C{flip} \i{Flip} @@ -1193,6 +1204,232 @@ Selecting \q{Random} will give you a different board shape every time (but always one that is known to have a solution). +\C{dominosa} \i{Dominosa} + +\cfg{winhelp-topic}{games.dominosa} + +A normal set of dominoes - that is, one instance of every (unordered) +pair of numbers from 0 to 6 - has been arranged irregularly into a +rectangle; then the number in each square has been written down and +the dominoes themselves removed. Your task is to reconstruct the +pattern by arranging the set of dominoes to match the provided array +of numbers. + +This puzzle is widely credited to O. S. Adler, and takes part of its +name from those initials. + +\H{dominosa-controls} \i{Dominosa controls} + +\IM{Dominosa controls} controls, for Dominosa + +Left-clicking between any two adjacent numbers places a domino +covering them, or removes one if it is already present. Trying to +place a domino which overlaps existing dominoes will remove the ones +it overlaps. + +Right-clicking between two adjacent numbers draws a line between +them, which you can use to remind yourself that you know those two +numbers are \e{not} covered by a single domino. Right-clicking again +removes the line. + + +\H{dominosa-parameters} \I{parameters, for Dominosa}Dominosa parameters + +These parameters are available from the \q{Custom...} option on the +\q{Type} menu. + +\dt \e{Maximum number on dominoes} + +\dd Controls the size of the puzzle, by controlling the size of the +set of dominoes used to make it. Dominoes with numbers going up to N +will give rise to an (N+2) \by (N+1) rectangle; so, in particular, +the default value of 6 gives an 8\by\.7 grid. + +\dt \e{Ensure unique solution} + +\dd Normally, Dominosa will make sure that the puzzles it presents +have only one solution. Puzzles with ambiguous sections can be more +difficult and sometimes more subtle, so if you like you can turn off +this feature. Also, finding \e{all} the possible solutions can be an +additional challenge for an advanced player. Turning off this option +can also speed up puzzle generation. + + +\C{untangle} \i{Untangle} + +\cfg{winhelp-topic}{games.untangle} + +You are given a number of points, some of which have lines drawn +between them. You can move the points about arbitrarily; your aim is +to position the points so that no line crosses another. + +I originally saw this in the form of a Flash game called \i{Planarity} +\k{Planarity}, written by John Tantalo. + +\B{Planarity} \W{http://home.cwru.edu/~jnt5/Planarity}\cw{http://home.cwru.edu/~jnt5/Planarity} + +\H{untangle-controls} \i{Untangle controls} + +\IM{Untangle controls} controls, for Untangle + +To move a point, click on it with the left mouse button and drag it +into a new position. + +\H{untangle-parameters} \I{parameters, for Untangle}Untangle parameters + +There is only one parameter available from the \q{Custom...} option +on the \q{Type} menu: + +\dt \e{Number of points} + +\dd Controls the size of the puzzle, by specifying the number of +points in the generated graph. + + +\C{blackbox} \i{Black Box} + +\cfg{winhelp-topic}{games.blackbox} + +A number of balls are hidden in a rectangular arena. You have to +deduce the positions of the balls by firing lasers from positions +on the edge of the arena and observing how they are deflected. + +Lasers will fire straight until they hit the opposite side of the +arena (at which point they emerge), unless affected by balls in one of +the following ways: + +\b A laser that hits a ball head-on is absorbed and will never re-emerge. + This includes lasers that meet a ball on the first rank of the arena. + +\b A laser with a ball to its front-left square gets deflected 90 degrees + to the right. + +\b A laser with a ball to its front-right square gets similarly deflected + to the left. + +\b A laser that would re-emerge from the entry location is considered to be + \q{reflected}. + +\b A laser which would get deflected before entering the arena (down the + \q{firing range}) by a ball to the front-left or front-right of its + entry point is also considered to be \q{reflected}. + +Lasers that are reflected appear as a \q{R}; lasers that hit balls +dead-on appear as \q{H}. Otherwise, a number appears at the firing point +and the location where the laser emerges (this number is unique to +that shot). + +You can place guesses as to the location of the balls, based on the +entry and exit patterns of the lasers; once you have placed enough +balls a button appears enabling you to have your guesses checked. + +Here is a diagram showing how the positions of balls can create each +of the laser behaviours shown above: + +\c 1RHR---- +\c |..O.O...| +\c 2........3 +\c |........| +\c |........| +\c 3........| +\c |......O.| +\c H........| +\c |.....O..| +\c 12-RH--- + +As shown, it is possible for a ball to receive multiple reflections +before re-emerging (see turn 3). Similarly, a ball may be reflected +(possibly more than once) before receiving a hit (the \q{H} on the +left side of the example). + +Note that any layout with more that 4 balls may have a non-unique +solution. The following diagram illustrates this; if you know the +board contains 5 balls, it is impossible to determine where the fifth +ball is (possible positions marked with an x): + +\c -------- +\c |........| +\c |........| +\c |..O..O..| +\c |...xx...| +\c |...xx...| +\c |..O..O..| +\c |........| +\c |........| +\c -------- + +For this reason when you have your guesses checked the game will +check that your solution \e{produces the same results} as the +computer's, rather than that your solution is identical to the +computer's. So in the above example, you could put the fifth ball at +\e{any} of the locations marked with an x, and you would still win. + +Black Box was contributed to this collection by James Harvey. + +\H{blackbox-controls} \i{Black Box controls} + +\IM{Black Box controls}controls, for Black Box + +To fire a laser, left-click in a square around the side of the arena. +The results will be displayed immediately. Lasers may not be fired +twice (because the results will never change). Holding down the left +button will highlight the current go (or a previous go) to confirm the +exit point for that laser, if applicable. + +To guess the location of a ball, left-click within the arena and a +black circle will appear marking the guess; to remove the guessed ball +click again. + +Locations in the arena may be locked against modification by +right-clicking; whole rows and columns may be similarly locked by +right-clicking in the laser firing range above/below that column, or +to the left/right of that row. + +When an appropriate number of balls have been guessed a button will +appear at the top-left corner of the grid; clicking that will mark +your guesses. + +If you click the \q{mark} button and your guesses are not correct, +the game will show you as little information as possible to +demonstrate this to you, so you can try again. If your ball +positions are not consistent with the laser paths you already know +about, one laser path will be circled to indicate that it proves you +wrong. If your positions match all the existing laser paths but are +still wrong, one new laser path will be revealed (written in red) +which is not consistent with your current guesses. + +If you decide to give up completely, you can select Solve to reveal +the actual ball positions. At this point, correctly-placed balls +will be displayed as filled black circles; incorrectly-placed balls +are displayed as filled black circles with red crosses, and missing +balls are filled red circles. In addition, a red circle marks any +laser you had already fired which is not consistent with your ball +layout (just as when you press the mark button), and red text marks +any laser you \e{could} have fired in order to distinguish your ball +layout from the right one. + +(All the actions described in \k{common-actions} are also available.) + +\H{blackbox-parameters} \I{parameters, for Black Box}Black Box parameters + +These parameters are available from the \q{Custom...} option on the +\q{Type} menu. + +\dt \e{Width}, \e{Height} + +\dd Size of grid in squares. There are 2 \by \e{Width} \by \e{Height} lasers +per grid, two per row and two per column. + +\dt \e{No. of balls} + +\dd Number of balls to place in the grid. This can be a single number, +or a range (separated with a hyphen, like \q{2-6}), and determines the +number of balls to place on the grid. The \q{reveal} button is only +enabled if you have guessed an appropriate number of balls; a guess +using a different number to the original solution is still acceptable, +if all the laser inputs and outputs match. + + \A{licence} \I{MIT licence}\ii{Licence} This software is \i{copyright} 2004-2005 Simon Tatham.