Author
Message
PuzzledPineapple
Unfettered
Joined: 07 Apr 2005 Posts: 352
[S2] [Cards Set] #196 Marble Loss Front:
Quote:
A new game is popping up at all the cafes in Perplex City. In it you have to tilt a board N, S, E and W to drop a blue marble into a pit. However, you must do so without tipping any of the 3 yellow marbles into the pit. When the board is tilted, the marbles run downhill as far as they can before stopping (unless they pass over the pit, in which case they fall through it) and the board can't be tilted again until the marbles are stationary. In which directions must you tip the board to get the blue marble into the pit in the fewest moves possible?
Back:
Quote:
I've never been able to patch things up with Emily since our big argument. After that, events followed a certain inevitab;e course that led to our divorce. Normally our story would have ended there, but of course, there's our son, Daniel. He was always very independent, and on the occasions I did see him, he never wanted to talk about his mother. That suited me fine - I found it impossible to have a conversation with her any more, and we could only managed the most banal pleasantries on the occasions we really had to meet.
After Daniel left the Academy, he stayed with me for a while. I didn't ask him what had happened - he'd obviously burned some bridges and needed time to think everything over. Of course, as soon as Emily found out, she was constantly visiting, wanting to 'help' Daniel and introduce him to the Brotherhood . I couldn't stand it, and I think that's one of the reasons why he moved out.
When he had the accident in Catbite Gorge, I did everything to ensure that he had the best possible care; I used my contacts at Cognivia to get Kennard and his team involved. They managed to stabilise him, but otherwise they were simply baffled - nothing worked to bring him out of his sleep, and they refused to try invasive surgery in case it worsened his condition.
Emily fought to have him moved from Greycastle, on the ridiculous argument that 'medical science' was doing nothing and he would have better care at home. She even got the Brotherhood of the Six involved. I managed to convince the Health Office otherwise, but Emily kept it up. Who knows what she had Sister Cecile do to Daniel but I'm going to find out.
Description
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187.25KB
Viewed
320 Time(s)
Description
Filesize
275.15KB
Viewed
299 Time(s)
Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2007 2:23 pm
AtionSong
Unfettered
Joined: 29 Aug 2006 Posts: 352
I've been working out this one by working backwards.
If you think of each row as 123etc and columns as ABCetc, then the final move has to start with the blue ball at either
Spoiler (Rollover to View):
G1, A7, J7, or G10...
Unless there is another orange ball beneath it (but that can be adjusted for mentally
The problem is, there are no moves that, ordinarily, would land you at any of those spaces. So that means that there must be another orange ball beneath the blue one when it falls (in order to get it to stop). This means that the possible set ups for the final move are:
Spoiler (Rollover to View):
Orange balls at J1 I1 H1 Blue Ball at G1
Orange balls at A4 A5 A6 Blue Ball at G7
Orange balls at J8 J9 J10 Blue Ball at J7
Orange ball at F10 Blue Ball at G10
Orange ball at H10 Blue Ball at G10
I think that it would probably take too many moves for the first three, so I'm trying to set up one of the final two.
I hope I'm not overcomplicating this.
UPDATE: I got a path that works in 10 moves, but the system doesn't take it (too long, I guess). But it made me realise that there's another position that works:
Spoiler (Rollover to View):
G9 without a ball
This is what I used in my path:
Spoiler (Rollover to View):
WSENWSESEN
So I'm working on getting a shorter one now.
Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2007 7:56 pm
Eugenes Lair
Boot
Joined: 27 Feb 2007 Posts: 51
Ink Treatment on Card? Two-thirds of this card (from the left) appear to have had some sort of treatment to the surface.
I suspect it might be UV, but I haven't got the means of checking at the moment. Can anyone else confirm/deny this, please?
Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2007 9:39 am
PuzzledPineapple
Unfettered
Joined: 07 Apr 2005 Posts: 352
I've checked this card all over with my uv light and can't find anything but tbh I don't entirely know where you're looking. I can't see any treatment, but I could well be overlooking something.
Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2007 12:07 pm
twixwolf
Boot
Joined: 19 Feb 2006 Posts: 14 Location: Surbiton, Surrey
If anyone is having trouble with this card, I have attached my simulator. If anyone finds it useful please do let me know!
Description
Marble Loss Simulator (Season 2 Card 196)
Download
Filename
Marble Loss Simulator.xls
Filesize
139.5KB
Downloaded
629 Time(s)
Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2007 11:48 pm
simonaubrey
Boot
Joined: 06 Dec 2005 Posts: 37
I also only get 10 moves but not sure if there is a shorter route.
Spoiler (Rollover to View):
W S E N W S E S E N
Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 9:59 am
grendelrob
Boot
Joined: 02 May 2006 Posts: 22 Location: Nebraska
I have found two different routes that get you there in 10 moves, but that is the lowest I can find.
twixwolf, that app is a ton better than eraser marks all over a piece of paper. Thanks.
Rob
Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 1:18 pm
Sophiecat
Decorated
Joined: 08 Apr 2006 Posts: 171 Location: North East UK
simonaubrey wrote:
I also only get 10 moves but not sure if there is a shorter route.
Spoiler (Rollover to View):
W S E N W S E S E N
Yes, 9 moves is possible and gives the correct solution.
_________________Undomesticated equines could not remove me - Teal'c
Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2007 5:20 pm
X9Tim
Boot
Joined: 29 Sep 2006 Posts: 16
grendelrob wrote:
I have found two different routes that get you there in 10 moves, but that is the lowest I can find.
twixwolf, that app is a ton better than eraser marks all over a piece of paper. Thanks.
Rob
I agree! Thanks a bunch twixwolf, that's an excellent app.
Only took me 10 mins to get the right answer using this app. After days of working on paper!
Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2007 9:58 am
Last edited by X9Tim on Wed Mar 14, 2007 12:48 pm; edited 1 time in total
Sophiecat
Decorated
Joined: 08 Apr 2006 Posts: 171 Location: North East UK
I also forgot to say how brilliant the app was.
_________________Undomesticated equines could not remove me - Teal'c
Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2007 10:04 am
simonaubrey
Boot
Joined: 06 Dec 2005 Posts: 37
Great app - took me a while but here are the moves I get:-
Spoiler (Rollover to View):
N W N E N W S E N
Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2007 4:00 am
Shaph
Boot
Joined: 08 Mar 2007 Posts: 15 Location: Chicago, IL
I will add on to the applause for this simulator- much easier to hit buttons than pencil, paper, eraser, and aggravation! Kudos to twixwolf!
Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 11:58 pm
cmlobue
Veteran
Joined: 06 Sep 2006 Posts: 112
I was using Lego heads on the card itself (brain in a jar for the blue one) - fun, but not nearly as efficient as the simulator. Thanks!
Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 9:15 am
matt220781
Greenhorn
Joined: 30 Jul 2006 Posts: 8
Thank you for the simulator it made it much easier I'd have been there for weeks keeping track of pencil lines.
Posted: Sun May 13, 2007 3:00 pm
DarkAngelDaisuke
Guest
mARBLE lOSS i got it in 7 moves.
i dont know how to make a highlight thing so ima make it small
e s w n e s w
so that was 7 moves any idea if i was right?
Posted: Mon May 26, 2008 4:04 pm
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