tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3341941751324943000.post4853926566954032766..comments2024-03-25T14:53:54.413+00:00Comments on PuzzleMad: I Just Don't Understand It!Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05649523779226834414noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3341941751324943000.post-23104349242025616952023-06-28T21:59:38.845+01:002023-06-28T21:59:38.845+01:00Thank you. I found the hidden move but didn’t reco...Thank you. I found the hidden move but didn’t recognise it. The problem is that every position looks like every other and I cannot tell where I am.Kevinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05649523779226834414noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3341941751324943000.post-13401811277907249952023-06-28T20:58:32.274+01:002023-06-28T20:58:32.274+01:00Note: I wasn't able to sign in.
I had a simil...Note: I wasn't able to sign in.<br /><br />I had a similar problem trying to solve the puzzle. I initially solved it by accident. On the second attempt, I was familiar with the possible moves but kept going around and around and around without any visible progress. I decided to diagram the positions/states of the puzzle and how to move between them. Doing so, I eventually reached a disturbing conclusion: the puzzle had no solution! Obviously I was missing something. I thought perhaps there is some addition move in a certain configuration(s) that I hadn't considered. Indeed there is and that is the key. To solve the puzzle, you must make use of a hidden move(s). Good luck!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3341941751324943000.post-72561285121743007322023-06-28T20:52:43.148+01:002023-06-28T20:52:43.148+01:00I initially had a similar problem. I initially so...I initially had a similar problem. I initially solved it by accident. Then on the second attempt when I had the possible moves down, I kept going around and around and around without any visible sign of progress. So I decided to write down the positions/states of the puzzle and how to move between them. I eventually reached a disturbing conclusion: the puzzle had no solution! Obviously I was missing something. I figured that perhaps there was an additional move available in a certain configuration(s). Indeed there is! That is the key to solving the puzzle. You must make use of this extra hidden move in order to solve the puzzle. Good luck!Glenn C. Rhoadshttp://gcrhoads.byethost4.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3341941751324943000.post-36413123915903623822021-03-15T04:21:14.724+00:002021-03-15T04:21:14.724+00:00Hi, just thought you would be interested in this s...Hi, just thought you would be interested in this structured solution, where I develop a method to identify the state of the puzzle and derive the state diagram. Using the diagram, the solution is easy from any position. Hope it helps :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAhHeWFeEz8msmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14478774472444375365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3341941751324943000.post-15260333143459445402021-02-09T06:47:04.612+00:002021-02-09T06:47:04.612+00:00That makes two of us!
Enjoy the snow! I’m not look...That makes two of us!<br />Enjoy the snow! I’m not looking forward to the trauma work as a result of it!Kevinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05649523779226834414noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3341941751324943000.post-73353954437375376302021-02-08T23:05:46.884+00:002021-02-08T23:05:46.884+00:00Ha, I'm in Yorkshire so no excuses for misspel...Ha, I'm in Yorkshire so no excuses for misspelling! Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08295365004157147629noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3341941751324943000.post-52912834094128649692021-02-08T20:18:37.899+00:002021-02-08T20:18:37.899+00:00Congratulations on spelling anaesthetist correctly...Congratulations on spelling anaesthetist correctly (unless you’re from the UK in which case I should bloody hope so). I do hope that you are managing to keep safe in these trying times?<br />I always find it fascinating how so many of us find different things to enjoy and create such a diverse yet cohesive community.Kevinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05649523779226834414noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3341941751324943000.post-2822218557714996842021-02-08T20:05:10.489+00:002021-02-08T20:05:10.489+00:00I'm with Anonymous. I've just done it and ...I'm with Anonymous. I've just done it and really enjoyed it. I like that there are no (completely!) hidden mechanisms, and yet it's still so difficult to work out - similar to Enigma but with a greater number of possible moves. Initially keeping track of the orientations felt impossible, but soon I realised that most moves didn't fundamentally change the relationship between the pieces, and you can work out (eventually) how the other moves change the relationship in a systematic way.<br /><br />Always enjoy reading your blogs after I've completed a puzzle - and occasionally for hints/motivation during the solve. I'm also an anaesthetist, as it happens! Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08295365004157147629noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3341941751324943000.post-47911584566880406572021-01-19T06:40:52.970+00:002021-01-19T06:40:52.970+00:00Yet another person who loved it! Maybe I need to t...Yet another person who loved it! Maybe I need to try again? It’s still in pieces on my desk!<br /><br />I’d be very interested to see your notation and state diagram.Kevinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05649523779226834414noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3341941751324943000.post-55486967364903814642021-01-19T04:40:27.655+00:002021-01-19T04:40:27.655+00:00First-time poster here! I'm in the opposite ca...First-time poster here! I'm in the opposite camp: this is my favorite Hanayama so far. (Granted, I've only done about ten of them.) I see where you're coming from, because the puzzle states are so hard to distinguish. I didn't start enjoying the puzzle until I found a compact notation for describing the moves and puzzle states.<br /><br />With the complete state map in front of me, I definitely can't say that the puzzle is simple. (There are 72 states in total.) It is, however, extremely logical. It's reducible to a pencil-and-paper puzzle of symbol manipulation, and the entire map can be constructed by following a few simple rules.<br /><br />In short, I found Rotor frustrating at first, but deeply satisfying to understand completely... which took me over 24 hours, spread over several days. The level 6 is well-deserved.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3341941751324943000.post-87524054525849230142021-01-14T17:05:21.969+00:002021-01-14T17:05:21.969+00:00Definitely not spoilerish! I might go back to it o...Definitely not spoilerish! I might go back to it one day but for the moment I’m too fed up with it to try again. There are very few puzzles that I actively dislike but this seems to be one of them.Kevinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05649523779226834414noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3341941751324943000.post-19758950917590465132021-01-14T02:06:11.819+00:002021-01-14T02:06:11.819+00:00It comes down to understanding which part of the m...It comes down to understanding which part of the maze you're in. There's basically 96 different moves you can do with the entire puzzle i think. But only half are relevant since it's divided in 4 parts. Using the parts as 2 gears which are tilted upwards in the middle, and the markings which face up and how they line up, can show you in which part you are. There's basically 4 positions which are important, which are the 4 states you can get in around the hidden crossover part. Finding that is a matter of doing a full circle, switch one piece, doing a full circle, switch the other piece, full circle, switch the first piece again, full cirlce, so 6x4 moves at maximum + a couple to get to being able to switch the other part again. And testing the other spokes if they are in the correct position.<br />Always keep the colors on the same side though, if needed just flip the puzzle to keep the "gears" facing upwards.<br /><br />Not sure if that helps, but it's how i approached it. If someone scambled it up well, i can easily find my way to one of the 4 positions mentioned by doing the above, and get to one of the other positions leading towards the end or beginning. <br /><br />(I hope it's not too spoilerish, i tried to be a bit circumvent about it to not spoil people who wouldn't want the full solution.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3341941751324943000.post-85421879955165391922021-01-13T18:39:28.175+00:002021-01-13T18:39:28.175+00:00No, I’ve never got to grips with it. In fact it re...No, I’ve never got to grips with it. In fact it remains in two pieces as I cannot put it back to the beginning again.I really dislike it as a puzzle. The problem is that it’s impossible to keep track of where you are or have been. I prefer the Trinity because at least you can tell what you have done before.Kevinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05649523779226834414noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3341941751324943000.post-87246027375624733912021-01-13T02:54:52.599+00:002021-01-13T02:54:52.599+00:00We're a bit later now, and i wonder if you man...We're a bit later now, and i wonder if you managed to find the logic in how to solve it every time ;). <br /><br />This one was one of the first ones i actually did, and other than one move, there wasn't much luck involved. In the end you can be in 4 parts of the maze, and figuring out which part and where to get is helped by the markings i've found. If they hadn't hidden a single move, it'd have been a 100% logical puzzle (and the place where you need to go is noticeable i found. <br /><br />Compare this to something like the Trinity, which is a lot more fiddly i find, and a lot less logical and blocked by minute details. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3341941751324943000.post-83164189920080046532020-01-05T21:27:48.165+00:002020-01-05T21:27:48.165+00:00Thanks for the explanation Brian. I look forward t...Thanks for the explanation Brian. I look forward to meeting up at the next IPP.Kevinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05649523779226834414noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3341941751324943000.post-47575901757740948462020-01-05T17:08:00.096+00:002020-01-05T17:08:00.096+00:00Yeah, it is a fairly difficult and subjective task...Yeah, it is a fairly difficult and subjective task! I wish we had more time with the puzzles, in recent years the room has opened a day (or half-day) early and the judges have another day for judging. But that day is more like 5 hours before we start voting. So maybe 10-15 hours total.<br /><br />I've raised the idea of doing the jury voting closer to the awards banquet, but that has some issues with scheduling the time to meet and giving Nick time to create the presentation. I'm able to solve maybe 2/3 of them over the course of the party, but maybe only 1/3 by the time I have to vote. I do spend at least some time working on each of them to get an idea of what the solving experience is like, but if you do the math it is about 10-15 minutes per puzzle on average. I generally don't look at the solutions other than to confirm my solution or otherwise clarify something.<br /><br />I'd attribute the differences mainly to the fact that it is a small panel of people with their own preferences, compared to a larger group of attendees.Brian Pletcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13379308851000087603noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3341941751324943000.post-29696954304508244922019-12-31T09:52:32.276+00:002019-12-31T09:52:32.276+00:00I often wonder why the jury decision it’s very dif...I often wonder why the jury decision it’s very different from the attendees and I assume it is the time available to discover the nuances of each of the puzzles. Kevinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05649523779226834414noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3341941751324943000.post-60567866067425667402019-12-30T18:34:22.712+00:002019-12-30T18:34:22.712+00:00As an attendee, I often have the problem that I li...As an attendee, I often have the problem that I like a certain puzzle, but I cannot solve it. Do I look at the solution before deciding what to vote on? Also, if my first impression is not good, I will often skip a certain puzzle entirely (like Cast Rotor). But this means I never vote for a puzzle that I don't like right off the bat. This is sad because I'm sure many of the puzzles I would like don't have a good first impression. As I said, it's an imperfect system.Georgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10140920751826036814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3341941751324943000.post-42984207410198157512019-12-30T15:17:42.871+00:002019-12-30T15:17:42.871+00:00Indeed Michael, what makes a great puzzle? It is d...Indeed Michael, what makes a great puzzle? It is different for everyone but I would say there needs to be a certain amount of logical progression. The time taken is immaterial as long as there is logic and thought rather than pure randomness.Kevinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05649523779226834414noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3341941751324943000.post-25495637070337570452019-12-30T11:02:15.028+00:002019-12-30T11:02:15.028+00:00Hi there. Long-time reader of your blog but first ...Hi there. Long-time reader of your blog but first time poster here.<br /><br />This made me think about what makes a good puzzle. Is it difficulty (this one), elegance (Cast Loop), the ability to subvert expectation (Cast News)…? As George said, this can be subjective. For me, I enjoy most puzzles that take a long time to understand, but physically can be solved fairly simply. One of my favourite is Cast Horseshoe. Despite being able to take it apart in a second, I still don’t fully appreciate exactly how it works!Michaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13973448150841003588noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3341941751324943000.post-15182531861897183572019-12-30T10:57:38.758+00:002019-12-30T10:57:38.758+00:00I agree with you George! It is a very difficult ta...I agree with you George! It is a very difficult task but I think they have access to the puzzles for a fairly long time. I do wonder whether their decision is made based on a knowledge from the solution sheets. Thus they make a decision based on the cleverness of the solution rather than the ability to discover the solution. <br /><br />As for the attendees, a puzzle like this would never win because the solution is to undiscoverable in the time anyone has. Kevinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05649523779226834414noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3341941751324943000.post-64790117983862095102019-12-30T02:28:50.790+00:002019-12-30T02:28:50.790+00:00The judges have an impossible task. I don't s...The judges have an impossible task. I don't see how anyone can evaluate 60+ puzzles and come up with "winners". The IPP attendees have the same problem, I do not remember ever even looking at this puzzle, but for that reason I did not vote for it. The process is not perfect, but I think the puzzles that win are some of the best. Everybody has different criterion for puzzles they like, so not everyone will agree on the best. It is still a lot of fun playing with all the puzzles (if you have time).Georgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10140920751826036814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3341941751324943000.post-87987645308298836542019-12-29T20:30:52.628+00:002019-12-29T20:30:52.628+00:00Good luck! I look forward to hearing of your succe...Good luck! I look forward to hearing of your success!Kevinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05649523779226834414noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3341941751324943000.post-23758872813557994412019-12-29T17:58:56.106+00:002019-12-29T17:58:56.106+00:00Your point about being able to repeat a solve is w...Your point about being able to repeat a solve is well taken. Having good notes helps to retain that expertise. It is not very satisfying to just jiggle something apart. If I ever get my Cast Vortex back together (I've done a thorough analysis and I am making progress), I will attempt the Cast Rotor.Pete W.https://www.blogger.com/profile/13094098190933336072noreply@blogger.com