X-Git-Url: https://git.distorted.org.uk/~mdw/sgt/puzzles/blobdiff_plain/9d6c3859071b207a37cbd56624937a6b2daafdab..ebf54ec914da3b5569fbd041c2af06321ab87d88:/puzzles.but diff --git a/puzzles.but b/puzzles.but index df4bd4c..bc8e4bf 100644 --- a/puzzles.but +++ b/puzzles.but @@ -1274,6 +1274,139 @@ on the \q{Type} menu: 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 down the laser firing range is also + considered to be \q{reflected}; this means that a ball to the front-left + or front-right of a laser's entry point will reflect the laser. + +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-right corner of the grid; clicking that will mark +your guesses. + +Once marked, correctly-placed balls are 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, 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.