Feedback thread gm5

[_H_]

I need some help on 100 Switches, first of all, regarding the hint:

Can it be summed up with: either use trial and error or solve the puzzle?

No, in no way there is any trial and error involved.

What you have to do, is described in the hint:

STEP ON EVERY SWITCH, AND THEN STEP ON EVERY OTHER SWITCH, AND THEN STEP ON EVERY THIRD AND SO ON

but you have to step on a lot of switches if you follow these instructions.

All that matters is the state in which the switches are left after you are done, and finding out which ones are on and which are off is the puzzle.

Or is the hint part of the clue to the puzzle? If so, I still don't understand it; even after reading your hint in your above post. The only thing I can think of is some commonly known number theory involving 100 numbers (or items) that I don't know about. I don't know where to begin.

Are there audio or visual clues that happen after so may switches are pressed? (I tried but heard none) Do I need to press a whole lot of switches before something happens? [i don't see what can happen and you can't go up and check to see if the door is open and return].

There is no number theory needed to solve the puzzle, and there is nothing special about the number 100 in this context.

There are no audio or visual clues that happen. You have to either do what the instructions say or solve the puzzle.

Perhaps some more clues towards the puzzle:

[Click to Show Content]

Initially all switches are off.

Now think step by step:

What happens if you step on all switches once?

Now you are stepping on every second switch (2,4,6,...) - in which state are the switches now?

After stepping on the every third switch (3,6,9,12,...) which ones are on or off now?

Now you step on number 4,8,12,16,...

The mathematics:

<div class="ipsSpoiler" data-ipsspoiler="">
<div class="ipsSpoiler_header">

The switches will be on in the end if and only if the number of steps onto them will be odd, that means the number has an odd number of divisors.

The question is, which numbers have an odd number of divisors.

Almost the full solution:

<div class="ipsSpoiler" data-ipsspoiler="">
<div class="ipsSpoiler_header">

If you know, what prime factor are, the answer should be obvious (simple combinatorics), if not, it's still pretty simple, make yourself clear that if d is a divisor of n then n/d is as well a divisor of n...

[Pulluxx]

Ugh, I'm super slow with my feedback, sorry . Here's what I thought of some of the new levels:

27 RESTRICIONS

As I said before, really cool level where it first seems like you're being nice to the player but then that last sokoban comes . In my opinions this is one of the best levels in the set.

28 BOUNCY BALLS

Cool little level. A nice easier level to break up the tension.

31 24

I think this level is hilarious, mainly because I'm imagining Chip with a Jack Bauer-like stare and some corny action-music in the background.

33 9 ROOMS

Not the most exciting level, but it has some tricky spots and some interesting thoughtwork required.

34 14 TILES

One of my favorites of the new ones, straightforward and pretty easy in theory but still a bit tricky to pull off. Really neat level.

35 CLEMENTIA

To be honest, I sighed a bit when I first saw the level, but given that it wasn't that hard I liked it enough.

As usual, great work

[_H_]

Now with 10 new levels

[_H_]

Since 60 levels sounds like a nice number, it will probably not change anymore, and I name it Version 2.0 B)


It's likely, that there will be some smaller updates to the levels based on feedback, and who knows, there might be some substitutions of some of the more boring levels in the future...

[mobius]

I haven’t tried the new levels yet, but glad to hear you’re updating.

I don’t like giving feedback in such small amounts like this but my time to play the game is incredibly limited at the moment, so all I have at the moment is a handful of comments. I might have mentioned this before but I tend to skip around the pack instead of playing in order; unless I manage to solve every level as I'm playing which is rarely.

So4 -- [not solved] I love the sokoban at the beginning. the second one is super hard! So hard that I briefly looked to see if it was only a trick and you could somehow bring blocks out of the thin wall area but I don’t think you can. This one's really puzzling!

It’s a Trap-- excellent level. Contains a few good ‘gotcha’ moments.

Speed -- a nice action level that wasn’t too hard. I got it in a few tries so it wasn’t frustrating at all.

No Way Back? [not solved] --- intriguing maze-like level.

[_H_]

Thank you for your feedback

So4 -- [not solved] I love the sokoban at the beginning. the second one is super hard! So hard that I briefly looked to see if it was only a trick and you could somehow bring blocks out of the thin wall area but I don’t think you can. This one's really puzzling!

The second sokoban in this level is indeed one of the hardest I made for this set, despite being so small and looking so innocent

No Way Back? [not solved] --- intriguing maze-like level.

[Click to Show Content]

If a bomb blocks the way - it is not necessarily required to collect all chips as soon as possible, just collect them before it's too late...

I haven’t tried the new levels yet, but glad to hear you’re updating.

And most of the new levels are on the easier side - exceptions prove the rule B)

[_H_]

Yet another update, to version 2.1 which compared to 2.0 fixes two small busts in THIEVISH GHOST and IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE

Additionally I deemed CLEMENTIA one of the worst levels in the set and therefore substituted it with an equally easy but hopefully more fun to play level - WATER LILIES

A puzzle I designed quite some while ago is now added to the set in the level INFINITE MOTION. It's probably not a lot of fun to solve, but on the other hand pretty unique, therefore if you hate it, let me know and I'll remove it again B)

With SO MUCH a second bonus level was added as well. It consists of several block pushing puzzles I initially designed for the set, which didn't find any place in any of the regular levels for some reason (probably too easy )...

[mobius]

I hadn’t solved Clementia yet. I didn’t really have an opinion on it yet one way or another but if I ever do solve it I’ll give my opinion. Calling it the worst level seems a bit harsh but then I haven’t solved it yet so I can’t really give a good opinion on it.

I don’t know if you wanted to have your levels in order by difficulty. If so, I felt Bouncy Balls was much easier than the levels around it. But still a fun level.

deep blue - a very nice simple puzzle!.

Tanks and even more tanks -- very cool concept and puzzle. Fun to work out. Even more tanks is possibly my favorite level in the set. (so far)

14 Tiles; another cool concept. My only criticism is that it was quite so strict or tight on the timing. In most cases you can’t make a single mistake or it’s over. I’m not a fan of levels that are that strict.

I may have mentioned this before but looking through your levels in the editor has helped me understand how the game works.

I look forward to playing the new levels!

EDIT: I solved Water Lillies; a nice small puzzle, but I must say, is this some sort of glitch in the solution? At least, it doesn't seem like intended behavior to me, although then again, there are several things about this game which I don't care for and consider glitchy.

Elementary block pushing was an excellent level! some very simple puzzle at the beginning and I love the decoration.

[_H_]

I hadn’t solved Clementia yet. I didn’t really have an opinion on it yet one way or another but if I ever do solve it I’ll give my opinion. Calling it the worst level seems a bit harsh but then I haven’t solved it yet so I can’t really give a good opinion on it.

Just by itself it might not have been the worst level in the set, but arguably it wasn't a good level and some of the levels which are not that fun to play at least fulfill a purpose in the set - this one didn't.

[Click to Show Content]

To solve it, have a close look at the line below the exits.

If you dislike certain levels, let me know, there might be design flows I'm not aware of in some, which I hopefully can fix, or if the concept is crap, I can potentially replace them. However there will always be a worst level in the set as long as there are levels in it, and even if I see the merit of a flawless yet empty bundle, it's justifiable to retain some suboptimal levels

Generally I think it's easier to learn from what someone didn't like in a level than what she or he did like, that's one of the reasons why my feedback might sometimes feel overly critical...

I don’t know if you wanted to have your levels in order by difficulty. If so, I felt Bouncy Balls was much easier than the levels around it. But still a fun level.

The first few levels in the set are supposed to be relatively easy, anyhow there is no difficulty curve in the rest of the set.

The reason behind this is partly that I don't like bunch of difficult levels clumped together, since it can get frustrating, partly because the idea of simpler breather levels scattered across the set (this level is an example of this) has some benefits to it, and e.g. in J.B. Lewis' let's play of cc2 at least it felt like he was thankful for such, sadly I don't have the experience myself for them, since I remembered most of the levels surprisingly well from playing them probably around 15 to17 years ago, also I might have left out some level I didn't have the best memories of, as well it's sometimes hard to judge how obvious or maybe convoluted the solution to a certain puzzle is, since if you know the clue, it's always easy...

Tanks and even more tanks -- very cool concept and puzzle. Fun to work out. Even more tanks is possibly my favorite level in the set. (so far)

Nice to hear, especially since the first feedback on them wasn't that great B)

14 Tiles; another cool concept. My only criticism is that it was quite so strict or tight on the timing. In most cases you can’t make a single mistake or it’s over. I’m not a fan of levels that are that strict.

Yes it's strict, but since in cc2 you can hold two directional keys at once to make a turn as soon as the line in which you are moving is blocked, you don't have to be overly precise most of the time. So it might not be everyone's concept / level, but hopefully at least for some a fun to play one

I solved Water Lillies; a nice small puzzle, but I must say, is this some sort of glitch in the solution? At least, it doesn't seem like intended behavior to me, although then again, there are several things about this game which I don't care for and consider glitchy.

Most behaviors in the game I would consider game mechanics, even if they might be not too natural or feel a bit like glitches. In the level RAIL BOWLING in cc2 initially the same mechanics worked with trap controls as well, but was patched out, but left for flame jet controls

[Click to Show Content]

Here the rule is, something has to leave the tile to trigger the change, if it is destroyed on the tile, the state of the corresponding flame jet will not change back.

So it is a bit of a gimmick level, but that's fine I hope...

[mobius]

That’s a good point; having breather levels is a good idea now and then in a set. Which levels are you talking about that you played 17 years ago?

and I completely forgot or never noticed that about Rail Bowling...

Railroad crossing: Excellent level! I love that concept

Bar and around the world are fun and puzzling levels, though I haven’t solved them yet. I liked the simple yet puzzling directional block thing in Bar.

Blue sky and Fire-- another greatconcept. I felt this one could’ve been longer though or more complex. Although, it is a concept which can get annoying fast; until you figure it out what’s controlling the movements. So idk, maybe it’s okay as is. But it did feel extra short.