I was trying to solve http://eterna.cmu.edu/game/puzzle/372… and like those before me ran into a particular section that was very hard. I want to create a puzzle to see if anyone can solve just that bit, but I don’t seem to be able (as I would have to solve it myself first!). Is there any avenue for this kind of thing? The section that seems impossible is (((((((…(((…).))…)))))))
Hi Cogito!
I understand why you are curious about this oddity and want to solve the puzzle.
And yes, it is a small area of the puzzle that is unsolvable. This puzzle truly is unsolvable in the energy simulation the puzzles run on. Its from a time when the original puzzle makers (developers) did not always know weather their puzzles were solvable or not.
In the beginning it was not a requirement for the one making the puzzle, also to solve it. But we had countless new players getting lost and using hours and hours trying to solve puzzles that could be not solved. Many even leaving frustrated, thinking they could not help at all. Since then it has been a requirement for the one making the puzzle to solve it themselves also.
The energy model the puzzles run in, is a simulation, and as such we cut corners like crazy with it in puzzles, in ways we can’t in the lab.
You can try out some of the first tutorials in this lab tutorial series, to get an idea about how lab and puzzles differ:
http://eterna.cmu.edu/web/playerpuzzl…
But on the other hand nature allows solves, that the energy model can’t predict (are unsolvable in puzzle). In lab you are allowed to overrun the energy model to a certain degree. There we have showed that we can solve lab designs in ways the energy model predicts as unsolvable.
It is more useful finding what can work in lab, than what can work in simulation.
Welcome to Eterna. Come join the lab side.