The Sphinx's Lair

Sid

18:00

Darkness is beautiful. :-)

dcfyj

He hadn't at the time :P

Mithrandir

I can't talk, that would ruin it...
Oh wait.

dcfyj

Too late :P I'll fix it ^^

Mithrandir

Still need more people here...

(Yes I ruined it)

dcfyj

Again haha

Sid

18:02

Lol, @Gareth calling himself idiot, makes me feel like I am way below the "idiot" level now..

Mithrandir

It would look better SidMith

Haha

They're all back there again

:P

dcfyj

The image is once again complete!

BmyGuest

:c)

Mithrandir

Oh look...

BmyGuest

Ah, typing rearranges them..

dcfyj

18:04

lol

Mithrandir

yup.

BmyGuest

;->

Rubio

yeah they're sorted in order from most recent talkers on the left to least recent on the right, followed by dimmed icons for idlers. i have no idea what the idle threshold is, and don't feel like trying to figure it out.

dcfyj

You could always sit there and stare at your screen for x minutes :P

Gareth McCaughan

@Sid I am constantly struck by my own stupidity. I think basically everyone is pretty stupid most of the time.

Deusovi

18:10

Yep, I'm stupid a lot of the time too.

Sid

@Deusovi What could "applicable" mean in a cryptic clue?

Deusovi

@Sid As an indicator? Nothing I can think of.

Sid

@GarethMcCaughan What's the consensus? That Eight balls puzzle was a dupe or not?

Puzzling Meta

18:30

-1

Q: Do we need the [open-ended] tag?

I saw the tag open-ended and it seemed a bit pointless to me. The tag wiki is as follows: Used when the tagged puzzle is open ended to all solvers and could be "bested" at any point, if a given solver has a better solution that fulfills the askers requirements. Only use this tag if the...

Mithrandir

@Sid Duped.

Gareth McCaughan

@Sid Well, I voted to close as dupe but I wouldn't be upset if it survived.

Beastly Gerbil

If there is any confusion over this I will be happy to clarify.

Rubio

18:46

Yeah, I'm confused about how to solve it. Please clarify. ;)

Mithrandir

33

Q: Polynomial game with Devil

You die, and awake in Hell. Satan awaits you, and has prepared a curious game. On a blackboard, he has written the polynomial $x^2+x+666$. He explains the rule: On each day at $12$ noon, you must either increase or decrease the coefficient of $x$ by $1$, and a minute after, Satan will either inc...

mathematics strategy game

Beastly Gerbil

@Rubio any particular part?

@Mithrandir similar but not really related

dcfyj

@BeastlyGerbil I think he was jokingly saying solve it for me

Beastly Gerbil

Oh dear, I how did I miss the winking face :P

Rubio

"You have to get to 0 or 100 using factors of an original number." maybe should say "To win, a player must get 0 or 100 on their turn, [...]"

Otherwise only a win condition for YOU is specified

Mithrandir

18:48

@BeastlyGerbil Just made me think of it.

Nobody seems to want to solve my puzzle :(

8

Q: The mysterious email on Mithrandir's Puzzlers Mail

Original inspiration from @BeastlyGerbil's puzzle - This is an opportunity. Can you take it? I have just received this email, from someone who Puzzlers Email couldn't give me any info on - it just says 'Unknown'. I took a picture with my camera - maybe you can figure out what on earth this guy...

cipher enigmatic-puzzle

Rubio

I think we're stuck on it at the moment.

Deusovi

I'll take another look at it later today. I've been busy with metapuzzle coordination and writing up the cryptic clue thing.

Beastly Gerbil

Changed the number game to devil goes first.

Sconibulus

has the last submetapuzzle been posted yet?

Rubio

@BeastlyGerbil Do you know the answer to this, btw?

dcfyj

18:52

@Sconibulus We don't know where humn has gone

Beastly Gerbil

@Rubio no

Mithrandir

@Deusovi You're colorblind, right?

Beastly Gerbil

But I'm pretty sure there is a solution

Mithrandir

Ahh there's the feed.

I prefer Obie.

2

Q: Is it OK to make a puzzle which requires distinguishing fairly similar colours from each other?

I was playing with some puzzle ideas this morning, one of which involved messing about with different colours in a way which might be impossible for someone colour-blind. I won't go into details (spoilers!), but instead will make this a general question: Is it OK to post puzzles which require di...

discussion etiquette

^applies to my puzzle

Deusovi

@Mithrandir Yep.

Sconibulus

18:57

@BeastlyGerbil does the devil wins if He gets it to 0?

dcfyj

I would assume so

Mithrandir

Wait, so you still need a metapuzzle?

And it's been 5 days since humn was last seen?

dcfyj

It says "...a player...", the Devil is certainly playing

Well, I thought it did...?

Rubio

It doesn't. That is why I suggested it should.

Mithrandir

I would offer to make the metapuzzle, but I don't know if I'm good enough....

dcfyj

19:00

It insinuates that he will though, since it says if you lose you go to Hell

You can't lose if he can't win

Mithrandir

@dcfyj So you can't go to eternal damnation.

Sconibulus

well, he could have you forced into a hellish math game for all eternity...

dcfyj

@Sconibulus I suppose, but in that case you still haven't lost, you just haven't won. Therefore you shouldn't die yet because where you're going hasn't been determined :P

Lukas Rotter

Does anyone know if there's a correct term for a 2d computer coordinate system? I.e. where the origin is at the top left and x,y increase towards the right and bottom. Nothing I found online uses a better term than "screen coordinate system/frame"...

Sconibulus

Quadrant 4?

dcfyj

19:10

lol

The numbers aren't negative though

Sconibulus

Aren't they though? :)

dcfyj

No, they're only negative when you're referencing something above or to the left of the screen

@LukasRotter I'm not seeing another name for it, and I don't know of one offhand

Lukas Rotter

I guess "screen coordinate system" will do as long as I link to an example picture.

Maria Deleva

19:32

Hi all!

dcfyj

Hey

Matt

hello

dcfyj

Haven't seen you in a while

Maria Deleva

True, I was a bit busy at university and work and some other stuff :) But I am back.

And I missed you all

Mithrandir

Hello Maria. Long time no see. (Okay, I'm late in saying that, but...)

Maria Deleva

19:42

:) Nice to see you, too :)

Matt

Having never seen an only connect puzzle, is there anything else besides creating 4 groups of 4?

Beastly Gerbil

@MariaDeleva came back :P

Maria Deleva

@Matt, generally you should make 4 groups of 4 and say what each group is.

@BeastlyGerbil I did :)

Matt

thanks. I guess you can tell which puzzle I'm looking at haha

Is it worth posting a partial answer if I think I have a couple groups complete?

Mithrandir

@MariaDeleva A small stone chamber in the castle? :P

@Matt Yes.

Maria Deleva

19:51

@MAtt yes

Beastly Gerbil

@MariaDeleva is the title a clue?

Maria Deleva

@BeastlyGerbil everything in my puzzle is for a reason. :)

So, yes, it is a clue.

If you actually figure out one of the groups, it would become easier :)

Beastly Gerbil

Well @Matt just got 1

Matt

woo I did a thing

Mithrandir

Ashes, castle, and candle seem to fit with something like 'fire', but i can't find a fourth...

Maria Deleva

19:56

However, group 1 is not entirely figured out. That is all I would say. :)

Mithrandir

Wait, so it has all of the objects but the reason isn't correct?

Maria Deleva

The reason is partially correct.

Mithrandir

Things With Rings

Maria Deleva

hahahah

Look at what Beastly asked a little earlier :)

Mithrandir

About the title?

Maria Deleva

20:00

Yes

Matt

So I need to draw a line between rings and leisure and entertainment

Mithrandir

quoits?

Matt

omg

quoits.

Mithrandir

Maria Deleva

Nope.

Mithrandir

20:04

That's from a puzzle of mine...

Maria Deleva

I remember these kind of your puzzles :)

Mithrandir

Surprise, candle, trip...

Maria Deleva

So what do you do for leisure and entertainment?

Mithrandir

Rings, like at the gym?

Or like the One Ring?

Maria Deleva

The One Ring?

Mithrandir

20:06

Music, candle, surprise, havoc - party

From Lord of the Rings

Where my username is from

Maria Deleva

Aha

that is it

Mithrandir

What, that group?

Maria Deleva

Yes :)

No, I was not talking about the party

I was talking about your next line :)

Mithrandir

Wait what?

Oh o_o

Maria Deleva

The first group is Lord of the Rings :)

Mithrandir

20:09

Woohoo.

Hear that @matt?

Well, I added the party to my answer...

Maria Deleva

Only 3 groups left :)

Mithrandir

I'm heading to bed soon. Maybe it'll be solved in the morning...

Maria Deleva

Maybe :) I hope so.

Good night :)

I will go watch a movie :)

Mithrandir

I'm hoping that someone will solve my puzzle...

...Is that a hint?

Maria Deleva

well, you already have one movie or book :)

Rubio

20:23

@BeastlyGerbil Even if a soul-saving play can be found for even a single case, the proof is going to be unwieldy. There are no solutions up to 15 plys, other than the trivial Devil-wins-first-turn solutions for every prime.

The combinatorial explosion in number of play paths gets absurd quickly, especially since there are no short solutions anywhere.

Maria Deleva

@Mithrandir ah, I will look at your puzzle at another time. Seems too many-layered for this evening. :) But I appreciate all the effort you have invested in making it.

Rubio

well. no guaranteed ones. obviously with imperfect play either side can win easily.

Mithrandir

@MariaDeleva Thank you :)

boboquack

Have a feeling that the current CCCC is Hellenism, (Athenian worship) though I'm not sure how to make it fit…

Rubio

oh. @BeastlyGerbil You changed the game. For shame.

Matt

20:38

sorry guys, had a meeting

GentlePurpleRain

@Deusovi Is it legitimate in a cryptic clue to have punctuation separating an indicator and the word it applies to?

Deusovi

Yep, that's fine. Punctuation is typically fair game in cryptics.

Matt

I had three for party, but I couldn't find the fourth

Maria Deleva

party is not a group :)

Matt

well then

Maria Deleva

20:40

But Mithrandir figured out what the first group is

Matt

but the first group is definitely Lord of the Rings?

Maria Deleva

yes

dcfyj

@MariaDeleva I don't know about you, but when I party (D&D or otherwise) it's always in a group :P

Maria Deleva

@dcfyj hahaha :) but isn't it usually larger than 4? :P

Sconibulus

I think 5E is actually balanced for groups of 4

dcfyj

20:41

Not always

Sconibulus

Think the earlier editions were often balanced around groups of 6, but I'm not certain

Matt

but encounters can always be rebalanced for larger or smaller parties

chamber pot ... clay pot ...

dcfyj

4 is pretty common in all editions as I recall

Maria Deleva

getting a tiny bit closer @Matt

Matt

stoner -> pot

ashes pot -> urn

Maria Deleva

20:49

Ok - you found a second group, now you only need the name of the group :)

Rubio

pot heads

Maria Deleva

nope

Rubio

i tried. :)

Matt

smoking dead poop flowers

Maria Deleva

that is not really how I imagine leisure :D If you mean smoke enough to be dead, then poop while dying and turn yourself into fertilizer for flowers. :D

dcfyj

20:53

poop flowers? I don't think you should give those to your significant other, they most likely won't like them. Even if it's the "gesture that counts" I don't think it would count enough in that case

Sconibulus

I threw together a guess before spying on people :) It looks like I'm probably pretty wrong

Matt

gardening?

Maria Deleva

nope... the groups are not so far from each other....

OK, I am off to take a shower, will be back in about 15 minutes :)

Matt

hmmm ... pots related to LotR

Rubio

@Sconibulus Nice date. ;)

Matt

21:09

pineapple express

Storm -> havoc, snow, castle, small?

Maria Deleva

nope... any thoughts on the second group?

Matt

the only thing I keep coming back to is that it's probably a movie

or book

as in leisure and entertainment

GentlePurpleRain

I've added some hints/clarifications to my Cleverly Disguised Word puzzle:

10

Q: A Cleverly Disguised Word

This puzzle can be solved as puzzle on its own, but its solution is also part of Deusovi's Community Metapuzzle. The answers to the following nine clues are closely linked. (Their link is related to wordplay, and not related to the semantic meanings of the solutions.) The clues are straight...

word pattern wordplay enigmatic-puzzle connections-puzzle

Maria Deleva

@Matt that is the right direction

GentlePurpleRain

@Sid @Sconibulus @GarethMcCaughan ^^^

Beastly Gerbil

21:28

Is there a way I can get a picture of just the puzzling background?

Matt

Harry Potter?

Maria Deleva

correct

Lukas Rotter

@BeastlyGerbil What dimensions would you need?

Beastly Gerbil

@LukasRotter it doesn't matter...

But quite a lot

Lukas Rotter

21:43

@BeastlyGerbil Is that enough?

It's 1898x853

Rubio

@LukasRotter How'd you get that btw

Lukas Rotter

Not sure if there is an easier way, but I did it this way: 1) Just make a new file with the suffix .htm or .html. 2) Just paste

<body style="width: 100%; height: 100%; background: url('http://cdn.sstatic.net/Sites/puzzling/img/bg_pattern.png?v=92ab26e4496d'), linear-gradient(to bottom, #fffed6 0, #bbba9e 270px, #2dbab4 900px)"></body>

into it 3) Open the file with any browser. This limits the size to your browsers viewport size, if you'd want a 10,000x10,000 it would be more work.

Rubio

ah

I wasn't able to find the bg_pattern.png

Lukas Rotter

It's in the body css rules.

Rubio

I wonder if I grabbed the wrong css; I might have. the one I found had like 150 background-image tags and no background: tags that meant anything

Oh well. You got it :)

Puzzling Meta

21:56

0

Q: Board games and card games

There exists the tag board-games with questions about games using some kind of board. This can range from Battleship to Connect Four and beyond. Now, say I want to use a game that just uses cards, like Uno, Solitaire, or Yu-Gi-Oh. Should they also fall under board-games, should there be a new ...

discussion tags

Lukas Rotter

22:24

Unbelievable, I may actually be ready to post this stupid puzzle soon... This was the first puzzle where I've constantly been on edge while making it :D Countless little, stupid mistakes resulted in doing everything all over again multiple times.

Matt

Snow man, music man, man in the castle?

Small man?

Lukas Rotter

23:01

I hope I won't get banned for infringing copyright because I used a (self-made) SE logo :P

0

Q: A weird screensaver

As I was gazing at my beautiful Puzzling.SE profile for a while, my screensaver started. But, contrary to what I expected, a completely unknown one appeared. Here is a short GIF of it: There are three shapes that appear alternating and move around the screen for a while: A jigsaw puzzling...

pattern visual

Gareth McCaughan

Surely there must be some mistake. I don't see a [cipher] tag.

Lukas Rotter

Incredible, right? And yeah, there's probably a mistake :P

Rubio

23:36

@LukasRotter This... I'm mesmerized. I want that screensaver. :)

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