| Idle wonderings |
m2e
Kwon-Tom Obsessive
Puzzles: 607
Best Total: 16m 43s | Posted - 2006.08.30 04:54:51
I was doing the November 2005 beast last night and was thinking about what foilman said a while ago:
Quote: Originally Posted by foilman This is the incredibly long-winded way my puzzles are designed:-
1) Draw a loop
2) Add a set of numbers (for symmetry) onto the grid and then see how solvable the puzzle is. During this stage I try every possible combination and pick the one that makes it "most solvable".
3) If not completely solvable, repeat step 2.
4) Start taking unnecessary number sets (again, for symmetry) off the board, unless that would make it "too difficult" based on my current difficulty settings.
5) Repeat step 4 until none can be removed. |
Then i saw this in the puzzle:
I was just intrigued as to how it identifies which number are necessary etc.
I'm no trying to prove anything here, I'm just interested in how the puzzles are made. |
PuzzleLover
Kwon-Tom Obsessive
Puzzles: 1033
Best Total: 38m 17s | Posted - 2006.08.30 05:19:29
It sounds like it's there for symmetry of clue positions. |
m2e
Kwon-Tom Obsessive
Puzzles: 607
Best Total: 16m 43s | Posted - 2006.08.30 06:59:38
Here's a link to the full puzzle: November 2005
I can't see any symmetry involving that 0. |
tilps
Kwon-Tom Obsessive
Puzzles: 6720
Best Total: 18m 37s | Posted - 2006.08.30 08:28:47
Its symmetrical with a 1 diagonally down from that area.
The puzzle is 180 degree rotationally symmetric. |
foilman
Kwon-Tom Admin
Puzzles: 3613
Best Total: 24m 6s | Posted - 2006.08.30 12:39:48
It's actually 90 degrees rotationally symmetrical, except for outside the central square region where that bit is only 180 degrees symmetrical. So the 0 is there because at least one of the other 3 numbers it's symmetrical with is required.  |
PuzzleLover
Kwon-Tom Obsessive
Puzzles: 1033
Best Total: 38m 17s | Posted - 2006.08.30 23:30:16
foilman, is 90 degree rotational symmetry your standard, or do you use other symmetry patterns too? Thanks. |
foilman
Kwon-Tom Admin
Puzzles: 3613
Best Total: 24m 6s | Posted - 2006.08.31 07:41:56
It's either that or mirrored at the moment. I can do other types, including completely random ones, but I decided the rotated or mirrored ones looked best. |
