25 replies to this topic

[octopuppy]

OK it's wrapping up time, let's see if I'm right

Spoiler for algorithm

Count the vowels in the command, that's your offset amount. Letters will be offset positively or negatively.

Consider letters odd or even based on their place in the alphabet.
odd : ACEGIKMOQSUWY
even : BDFHJLNPRTVXZ
(interestingly vowels are all odd so that probably helps with figuring it out)
Go through the command as long as there is an odd-even-odd-even pattern. First letter to break the pattern is your starting point (if you get to the end, start at 1st letter).

Begin with a positive offset but whenever you hit a letter drawn with a curve (including starting letter) swap between positive and negative.

How did I do?

[araver]

True if you ask me.

Kudos for sinking it from the first try

Edited by araver, 02 November 2010 - 11:25 PM.

[dawh]

OK it's wrapping up time, let's see if I'm right

Spoiler for algorithm

Count the vowels in the command, that's your offset amount. Letters will be offset positively or negatively.

Consider letters odd or even based on their place in the alphabet.
odd : ACEGIKMOQSUWY
even : BDFHJLNPRTVXZ
(interestingly vowels are all odd so that probably helps with figuring it out)
Go through the command as long as there is an odd-even-odd-even pattern. First letter to break the pattern is your starting point (if you get to the end, start at 1st letter).

Begin with a positive offset but whenever you hit a letter drawn with a curve (including starting letter) swap between positive and negative.

How did I do?

That's the algorithm in a nutshell. I liked the idea of the parity test to pick the shift point. I didn't really think about the possibility that the vowels might cause complications (or perhaps "simplifications" would be a better term ) since they were all odd.

It seemed like it would be a little stronger than your first algorithm to use a variable number for adding or subtracting the letters for each character, so I decided to do a vowel count.

[octopuppy]

True if you ask me.

Kudos for sinking it from the first try

Thanks, it was fun to do that!
At the time my best guess was you started from the 1st letter if it was a consonant, otherwise take the last consonant. So it was pretty much dumb luck that it came out right. It's ironic that the hardest parts of the last 2 games were easily beaten by guessing. I suppose that's always a danger with one-off operations.
Good games nevertheless!

Shame we haven't more people playing. Is there anybody playing this silently? Own up, I'd just like to know.

I have a couple of ideas brewing now, so I could host the next if you want. Be warned though, I'm cranking up the difficulty level this time.

[araver]

I just sunk my half-brewed idea, so I'm free

[octopuppy]

OK, Crack the Code 5 coming up...