The Sphinx's Lair

n_palum

02:18

Heh. HNQ because some bus driver magically figured out which way is North...

Wen1now

05:47

Hey guys, what tools do you use for a grid-deduction puzzle?

@TheGreatEscaper?

TheGreatEscaper

Microsoft publisher :P

but PuzPre is a really great online thing

you can model up basically any grid deduction puzzle you can think of in puz pre

Wen1now

puz pre?

Anyway puzzlescript.net/play.html?p=77d7ba25ad15385affa545d2ee945bc1

^@TheGreatEscaper Test version of your puzzle

TheGreatEscaper

Ooh cooool

Lol I'm stuck on level 3.

Oh, nevermind!

Wen1now

Personally I found level 6 hardest

TheGreatEscaper

Yeah I'm stuck on level 6.

i may have cheated a little in level 3 and made use of a mechanic the player isn't really supposed to know yet

Wen1now

06:01

That's alright

Sid

Morning guys.

Wen1now

Hello

Sid

@TheGreatEscaper How long ago was the ogre game made?

Wen1now

@TheGreatEscaper How do I make a Slitherlink-type puzzle with numbers larger than 3?

TheGreatEscaper

@sid at least a few yeas.

*years.

one sec:

Just over 2 years, @sid.

@Wen1now few options but they're all variants, right

theres one where you ADD all the line lengths adjacent to the square.

Sid

06:07

@Wen that's another game?

Wen1now

Wait, I mean are there any online programs that let me do that?

@Sid You mean a puzzlescript thing?

TheGreatEscaper

just use the corral editor on puzpre

Sid

yeah.

Wen1now

Okay then

@Sid It's in development

TheGreatEscaper

@sid the one wen just linkdropped is an idea we had a while back

lost most of the sketches though

Wen1now

06:09

Credits:
TGE - puzzle idea
BBQ - most of the code
me - most of the levels

Sid

ohk..

Wen1now

But still, even in this version the levels are hard enough to not be trivial

Oh yeah, and TGE had a bunch of levels which we kind of lost

Sid

Hm, I am just trying that. You don't mind, right?

Wen1now

Yeah, sure, np

btw TGE how are you going?

@TheGreatEscaper What about a puzzle where I want subscripts on each square?

TheGreatEscaper

Use Microsoft :P

Sid

06:16

Hmph, level 3 is hard

ffao

microsoft makes the best products, like Windows

I'm sure Rubio agrees

Wen1now

I'll see if I can ~~trick~~ get excel to do it

Jan Dvorak

I'm not going to buy a Windows phone in the foreseeable future

ffao

only reason you won't see how great it is

Jan Dvorak

MS Excel got preinstalled on my new phone, though

well, a stub for it got, at least

Sid

06:25

Windows phone?

Ah, that piece of crap.

my Dad had a windows phone.

He swore never to buy me that phone again.

ffao

my mom had a windows phone, I think she liked it

maybe partly because it was free

ok, maybe the most part

TheGreatEscaper

I gotta disappear now

Byeee

Sid

free phone? She's lucky

Wen1now

Byeee

Sid

@Wen I am still stuck on level 3. It's hard..

ffao

06:34

it was shortly after microsoft bought nokia, so they were a bit desperate to get someone to actually use the thing

so they gave out a bunch of lumias

Wen1now

Yeah, some people are complaining about how hard the levels are :p

Sid

I don't think microsoft had any huge success after buying Nokia. The lumias didn't sell very well.. at least here.

ffao

yeah, then they fired a bunch of nokia people

Wen1now

Microsoft is good with computers, period.

Ankoganit

^

Sid

06:38

That is correct.

ffao

the xbox works well, it's just the line up that is questionable

at least in my country I think the xbox 360 was more popular than the ps3

then the publicity disaster at e3 made the one sell much less

but it still sold a lot

Sid

06:54

I haven't ever used either XBox360 or PS2/3

Wen1now

How do you make a good name for a puzzle?

Sid

Ask Hugh Meyers..

ffao

make it as clickbaity as possible so it reaches HNQ, then reap upvotes

Mike Q

Pick random words from a hat

M Oehm

07:11

@Ankoganit The CCCC is PILFERAGE - (EG ARE FLIP)<

Wen1now

Oh, nice

How do you make it really clickbaity...

Sid

Something like, "Mods are kidnapped"..4

M Oehm

"You won't believe what happend on tile (3, 1) ...."

Jan Dvorak

perhaps go the math.se route - "why is x==y"

Wen1now

What about Why does PSE look... weird?

Sid

07:38

That works too.. I guess.

Although I have a vague recollection of having seen a similar name, before

Wen1now

Oh no! Something's wrong with PSE! - A duogrid challenge

Sid

I am not sure you would want to keep the duogrid challenge. Better keep the suspense. But what do I know?

Sphinx

0

Q: Create a changeable maze

I have quite a creative task with many, but a bit vague limitations. Can someone help me with it? One needs to create a 2D cell-based maze, like this one: The criteria: The solution should be not trivial for a person who is inside the maze. (The partitions are walls, higher than human hight...

Ankoganit

07:56

@MOehm Yep, correct

M Oehm

Okay, so:

CCCC: Spooner's to fend off more ardent wizard (5, 6)

Sid

Looks like HARRY POTTER to me. Now, to figure out the wordplay...

Sp3000

Yeah, Spoonerism

Ankoganit

Ah, of course

M Oehm

Okay, that was an easy one. But who of you got it?

Sid

08:13

Don't know. I said it first but I think sp3k had gotten it earlier

Ankoganit

If someone hasn't explicitly typed up the solution, that doesn't count imo

Wen1now

Is more ardent = hotter?

I have no idea how to 'type up' spoonerisms, anagrams, etc.

Sid

Yeah. Fend off =parry. More ardent=hotter

Spooner=PARRY HOTTER->HARRY POTTER (Def-wizard)

Wen1now

Okay guys, my new puzzle is ready!

Ankoganit

@Wen1now I mean, one has to actually say the answer and the explanation

Wen1now

08:17

I get what you mean

I was just wondering what the notation for typing up was

Ankoganit

I don't think there's any standard notation

But people typically use (SOMETHING)* for anagram

Wen1now

Okay...

Maybe the Archive then?

Ankoganit

?

Sid

So, who's up? Me or sp3k?

Ankoganit

Not sure, what does @Sp3000 say?

Sp3000

08:22

I don't mind either way, I don't have a clue ready atm

Sid

Neither do I.

M Oehm

You could collaborate, Chinese-whispers style: One of you writes a definition, the other one the wordplay. :)

Sphinx

2

Q: Oh no! Something's wrong with PSE!

An entry in Fortnightly Topic Challenge #32: Grid Deduction Hybrids As soon as I woke up this morning, I took out my phone and logged onto PSE. After all, I had recently answered a question and I wanted to see how much rep I had gained! Unfortunately I can't make anything out... especially sin...

logical-deduction enigmatic-puzzle steganography no-computers grid-deduction

Sid

But someone has to write the solution to this CC

Sp3000

Technically you already did :P

Ankoganit

08:25

You did that

Sid

Oh, bah. I was explaining that to wen. :P

Ankoganit

@Sphinx Woo

Wen1now

Okay, I'll admit it, my puzzle title has nothing to do with the actual puzzle

Ankoganit

There's a final answer, right?

Wen1now

Oh, yeah, there's a final answer :)

Wen1now

09:07

New CCCC?

ffao

I see wen took my title lessons to heart

Wen1now

09:20

Hey, isn't that how you got 100 upvotes?

Rubio

11:25

@Wen1now This was fun. Last level took me a few tries.

@LukasRotter Welcome back!

Lukas Rotter

@Rubio Thanks! :)

Sphinx

0

Q: What are the pros/cons? Petrus vs Heise

Petrus and Heise are both good no-algorithm, block building fewest moves methods. If we compare them, what are the advantages of Petrus and what are the advantages of Heise?

rubiks-cube

n_palum

12:08

:O a Spooner CC

Jan Dvorak

Either it's very easy or very hard :-D

Deusovi

12:24

@MOehm: HARRY POTTER (parry hotter)

n_palum

Heh

Jan Dvorak

Very easy :-D

Should I have a CCCC prepared at all times in case I solve one?

Deusovi

You can. I did for a while, but I've been making them up on the fly.

Gareth McCaughan

I mostly make them up on the fly. I have a bunch of half-baked ones I've thought up in the process of doing this that I'm not satisfied with, and sometimes I'll refine one of those rather than making up a new one from scratch.

n_palum

I've got a couple saved from when they come to me. Granted I never use them because I don't solve them

Deusovi

12:34

(shouldn't be too difficult)

Gareth McCaughan

wait, why is @Deusovi posting a CCCC? The previous one was solved by Sid and/or Sp3000.

dcfyj

@Deusovi For whatever reason I'm thinking it's HERMIONE GRANGER

Deusovi

11 mins ago, by Deusovi

@MOehm: HARRY POTTER (parry hotter)

Gareth McCaughan

:38316779

Deusovi

ah whoops

I didn't notice it

Gareth McCaughan

12:36

not entirely your fault

the old one was still pinned because a new one hadn't come along

so it's kinda Sid's/Sp's fault for being sluggish about making a new clue

dcfyj

Might be good to say it's solved in cases like that

Deusovi

yeah, and Jan's statement implied that it was unsolved

at least to me

Gareth McCaughan

it does rather

Deusovi

anyway, it's removed - I'll wait for @Sid to post their clue

n_palum

I think Jan and I were not around for it's solve so it was new to us

Deusovi

12:38

well, that's what I get for not reading through the backlog

Gareth McCaughan

It's not clear that it should actually be Sid rather than Sp3000 who posts the next one. Sp posted the answer and then "spoonerism" before Sid posted the more explicit explanation

I think whichever of them comes up with a new clue first should post it :-).

Deusovi

Oh, good point. I skimmed it and thought Sid did get the wordplay, just didn't explain it thoroughly

dcfyj

5 hours ago, by Sid

Looks like HARRY POTTER to me. Now, to figure out the wordplay...

Didn't sid get it?

Deusovi

Didn't get the wordplay.

Just guessed based on enum+def.

dcfyj

4 hours ago, by Sid

Yeah. Fend off =parry. More ardent=hotter

4 hours ago, by Sid

Spooner=PARRY HOTTER->HARRY POTTER (Def-wizard)

I don't see anything by 3k except the fact that it's a spoonerism

Deusovi

12:41

Well, "spoonerism" plus answer is all the explanation necessary.

dcfyj

Well yes, but I didn't see 3k say anywhere that it was harry potter

Gareth McCaughan

the actual order was: Sid says HARRY POTTER, no explanation; Sp3000 says "ah yes, spoonerism"; Sid posts explicit explanation with all the details. It sure looks to me as if Sp3000 understood it completely, but he could just have been guessing based on the word "Spooner" in the clue.

and frankly in a case like this I don't see any point in a painstaking attempt to assign credit exactly.

Again, I say: let whichever of them comes up with a new clue first post it.

Deusovi

I mean, I can't imagine anyone seeing HARRY POTTER, knowing "spoonerism", and not getting "parry hotter"

dcfyj

@GarethMcCaughan I'm not, I just don't see why it's a debate between 3k and sid.

Deusovi

and I agree. Just give it to whichever one of them happens to come up with one.

Gareth McCaughan

12:42

agreed

Deusovi

I could repost my clue as a non-CCCC clue, or just hold it off for the next one

Gareth McCaughan

I'm perfectly happy with either.

Deusovi

it's not difficult, so I'm considering holding it back so one of our less regular solvers can get a CCCC clue

dcfyj

@Deusovi That clue still makes me think of Hermione Granger

n_palum

\o/

dcfyj

12:44

?

Deusovi

Oh hey, it's n_p!

n_palum

Me me! I'm a less regular solver! \o/

dcfyj

He said something earlier

Jan Dvorak

Can I solve a CCCC and let someone else post a new one?

Sconibulus

nope

Deusovi

12:45

NO.

Sconibulus

that'd break the chain

Deusovi

( :P )

dcfyj

@JanDvorak It's not too terribly hard to come up with a C4

Jan Dvorak

ok

dcfyj

The main thing is thinking of a word

Like my favorite one: Confusing item in game design (6) ^^

Deusovi

12:47

@dcfyj yup - I often theme my clues and answers after the previous clue or two (another reason I don't stockpile them anymore)

dcfyj

As I recall, that one's actually in the Cc-chain

Deusovi

yeah, I think so

n_palum

This endless astonishment starts replacing dullness (4) @dcfyj

:P

Volatility

I remember a while back there was a chain where we used part of the previous clue in the next one

Deusovi

yeah, and there was also that run of (4,4)s that used "program's commencement"

Volatility

12:49

ooh, I missed that

Deusovi

there were only 3, apparently

dcfyj

Wow, there are 217 CC between my two in the chain

Deusovi

Program's commencement even irked king. (4, 4) -Rubio
Program's commencement is awesome, accepted by even school children ultimately (4, 4) -Sp3000
Program's commencement: "The old have the key" (4, 4) -Deusovi

dcfyj

@n_palum Yeah, I'm awful at solving these.

Sconibulus

Didn't Gareth have one of those about a cow?

n_palum

12:52

D: my joke didn't work I guess

dcfyj

I find that I'm a much better setter than solver (in pretty much every case)

Deusovi

Gareth had:

Break in on childish old cow without hesitation (7) --> (-erm)INTRUDE

dcfyj

@n_palum and no, You don't spy that

n_palum

@dcfyj but... I made a joke D:

dcfyj

oh well

n_palum

12:54

Have CC Grand Master help you

dcfyj

WH

Volatility

just spotted an error in clue #355

it's got the wrong clue listed there

Deusovi

huh, yeah

Volatility

(only noticed cause the one there was one of my clues)

dcfyj

never mind that scrabble isn't 6 letters?

M Oehm

13:03

@Deusovi Yes, of course. Sp3000 and Sid had it right away, too, but couldn't decide whoseturn it was, and then sneaked away. So it's your turn, I guess.

n_palum

15 mins ago, by n_palum

This endless astonishment starts replacing dullness (4) @dcfyj

Deusovi

Oh, alright. I guess I will post mine now if the previous setter allows it :P

CCCC: That girl, one embodying magic primarily... a grand fighter of sorts! (8, 7)

dcfyj

I still think it's hermione granger lol

Gareth McCaughan

well, that's because it is

Techidiot

Yes. It is right ^

Volatility

13:05

oh wow, didn't see it was an &lit before

Jan Dvorak

now to figure out the wordplay :-)

dcfyj

I don't see the wordplay at all lol

Gareth McCaughan

it's not too complicated

n_palum

&lit no?

Gareth McCaughan

&lit yes

Deusovi

13:06

why not post the solution if you know it, Gareth? :P

dcfyj

I probably think it's HG because of the HP clue before hand

Gareth McCaughan

actually, wait, isn't there a mistake?

Sconibulus

that girl->her, grand fighter of sorts->ranger, not sure about the middle

Deusovi

there very well could be

Techidiot

HER+MI(ONE)GRANGER (anagram)

Gareth McCaughan

13:06

it looks like you're using "one" to yield both I and ONE

Sp3000

I'm good with Deus posting :P I was trying to come up with a clue but haven't gotten one yet (also at work)

Gareth McCaughan

no anagram

Deusovi

tech is right mostly, and "a" is ONE, not "I"

"a grand" --> ONE G

Gareth McCaughan

oh, I misparsed it then

n_palum

^

Gareth McCaughan

13:07

I hadn't seen that that "a" could be the ONE

Techidiot

Oh yes, ONE G. Nice.

Gareth McCaughan

(fighter of sorts -> ranger is the bit Techidiot is missing)

Sconibulus

where does MI come from?

Deusovi

M_ inside HER + I

Gareth McCaughan

I is one

M is magic primarily

Deusovi

13:08

HER(M)I + ONE G + RANGER

Sconibulus

ahh

Gareth McCaughan

so it looks as if several people all got most of it, and no one got all of it correctly

except @Deusovi, he got all of it

Jan Dvorak

of sorts = anagram?

Gareth McCaughan

:-)

Deusovi

...no, no anagram

Gareth McCaughan

13:09

no, "fighter of sorts" => ranger

Deusovi

what would you be anagramming?

Techidiot

No anagrams

Gareth McCaughan

as e.g. in some role-playing games

Jan Dvorak

oh, sorry

Deusovi

yup, exactly

Jan Dvorak

13:09

What even are rangers IRL?

Deusovi

(I'm not entirely happy with RANGER, but it was too nice of an already-existing word to leave out)

Gareth McCaughan

it's amusing that you have one -> I and a -> ONE; it would be even funnier if you'd managed to make it one -> A and a -> ONE or one -> I and I -> ONE.

n_palum

There are park rangers

M Oehm

Rangers are forest keepers, but apparently also mounted soldiers.

n_palum

You could argue someone who cooks on a range is a ranger

Deusovi

13:12

yup, I found that funny too - unfortunately, I couldn't fit an "I" into it without ruining the &lit, and I kinda needed the I for the wordplay

n_palum

Medieval times, archers were sometimes called rangers

M Oehm

Oh, I'm too young to know that.

n_palum

heh

thecoder16

13:24

i feel like n_p is probably younger than you lol @MOehm

n_palum

probably? you meant is

thecoder16

idk his age

all i know is you are an adele obessed 19 year old. typical.

n_palum

Heh

Well Oehm has a family afaik

And my Adele stuff is a joke, and I am not 19

M Oehm

@thecoder16 Thanks for pointing that out. But I still have no recollection of the Middle Ages from own experience.

n_palum

I'd be amazed if any of us did

thecoder16

13:26

@n_palum that was a joke too, and oops 17?

dcfyj

Well...

@thecoder16 wrong way

n_palum

You're heading the wrong direction

thecoder16

21

n_palum

About a month off from 22

thecoder16

i still imagine you as a hyperactive 8 year old lol

n_palum

13:27

Month + 4 days or so

dcfyj

yeah, @n_palum is a youngun' :P

n_palum

I'm glad I come across as an ADHD 1st grader

M Oehm

Only to some ...

Sconibulus

I don't think I've seen nearly enough obviously-drunken rants on the chat for you to be 21

n_palum

I can hold my drink fairly well (usually)

M Oehm

13:35

@n_palum I've probably never said so here explicitly, but I don't have a family.

n_palum

Hmm maybe misread something

Sorry for (assuming I guess?)

M Oehm

That's okay, no worries. It wasn't an insult. :)

Whatabout the CCCC? There seems to be another deadlock, because it isn't clear who solved the last one.

n_palum

I think Techi got most of it

TheGreatEscaper

13:50

Hullo!

n_palum

@MOehm You could always help solve the joke one I made for dc

M Oehm

Joke? DC? I don't know what you mean, sorry.

TheGreatEscaper

@Wen1now 's puzzle is really cool, by the way

I can't do it because I helped test one or two of those

n_palum

50 mins ago, by n_palum

15 mins ago, by n_palum

This endless astonishment starts replacing dullness (4) @dcfyj

dcfyj = dc

dcfyj

I do?

I'm equal to the District of Columbia? wow

M Oehm

13:55

Oh, didn't know you were on familiar terms and call yourselves by your first names.

n_palum

Heh

I wouldn't mind if y'all used my first name, or plum or palum, or np or whatever

M Oehm

Plum sounds nice. It also goes with your logo colour.

TheGreatEscaper

Huh, Trapezoids got solved. I sort of liked Scon's solution more...

Plum is cool

Rolls of the tongue a bit easier than palum, too

Sconibulus

Oh, I didn't realize he updated with another puzzle, damn

n_palum

Lot of hometown friends refer to me as that, since there are quite a few of us with the same first name by chance :P

Gareth McCaughan

13:58

@n_palum I didn't know your first name was common knowledge here.

n_palum

When I joined the CC Archive my actual name was visible for a while so a bunch of people know it I think

Also you should know it, granted it is in my email XD

M Oehm

It isn't, except that it seems to be common in Rochester.

And probably starts with N.

n_palum

Actually no, I am not from Rochester haha

Transcript for