GCPP:Proposal-Trout
Puzzle Codename: Trout
| Contact | |
| Username: | TToryk |
| Additional contact info: | Through my forum thread. |
| Project forum thread: | Codename Piranha Project |
Game concept
The idea for this puzzle comes from Popcap's Atomica game, where you have to move the different pieces (called "atoms") to form square groups of four atoms. In this, my proposed blacksmithing puzzle, you must move around the pieces on the board (which I will call "fragments") into groups of four to score points.
Objective
Score as many points as you can before the whole board is filled up. Every turn, there will be more pieces added to the board, to make it harder and to make the game end.
Gameplay
Your game will start on a 12 square x 12 square board. There will be fragments scattered amongst the board. Your job will be to group them into groups of four, which will score you 5 points and clear the four off the board (see first picture at bottom). Doing so will help you to create whatever is in the order queue (this won't be physically shown, but you get my point). The problem is that more fragments will appear on the board every turn. If you are a novice at this, the number of fragments that will appear will start at one and work their way up, adding one more per minute. If you are an expert, it will start at 3 per turn and move up by one every minute. However, if the fragment which will complete a group is blocked (see second picture at bottom), you will not be able to move it to the spot you need. If you put the same fragment next to a group of four before you finish the group, you will get one extra point for each fragment next to the group of four and they, too, will disappear (third picture at bottom).
Scoring
Creating a group of four of the same fragment: 5 pts. Additional fragments of the same as the group of four, next to it: 1 pt. each, max 5 bonus pts. Labor works like this: Basic Labor: 0-200 pts. Skilled Labor: 201-300 pts. Expert Labor: 301+ pts.
Variability
Like the Alchemistry puzzle, there will be power-ups which will help you along the way. They will have different effects, and different rarity, too.
Intangible Object
Collect this power-up and the fragment you move next turn will be able to travel through other pieces. This power-up lasts for only one turn. While power-ups in general will not be terribly common, if there is a power-up, this one is common to find.
x2 Bonus
Collect this power-up and, for your next 3 turns, you will get double the points you normally would. This power-up will not be very common, so only collect it if you have a few squares of four to complete.
Recycler
This power-up is super rare! Collecting this will remove 5 fragments from the board and give you 5 points, one for each of the fragments removed. Pretty much, it's free points sitting there on the board. Unlike other power-ups, this one has an added downside: you have to collect it in 3 turns or it will crumble, and there goes your free points.
End criteria
The game will end after the entire board has been filled up. Then, points are totaled and the labor will be applied to the product.
Difficulty scaling
As you get higher in skill and rank, more colors of enamel fragments will be introduced to the board. You will start with iron fragments, steel fragments, and enamel fragments of one color. As you progress, you will get 3 more colors of enamel to work with, as well as the above mentioned power-ups. As mentioned earlier, as you rise up in the ranks, there will be more fragments added onto the board to start. At a beginner's level, you will get 1 fragment added to the board per turn for the first minute. At a highr level, that starting amount will be 2, and if you're an expert, it's three.
Crafting type
Previously, I thought that this would be only useful as an ironworking puzzle. However, some people on the forum said that this might do better as a construction puzzle. Either way, it would be a good puzzle.
Known problems
There seem to be no problems with the setup of this game. If you can find something, please tell me via a Private Message or post it on my project's thread in the forums. [1]
This puzzle is not machine-solvable because the new fragments are placed randomly. More fragments will be placed after every turn. Their placement and type (iron, steel, enamel) will be random.
This brings me to another point. The different enamels cannot be mixed for a group of four fragments.
Notes
Thanks for getting the original images up on this page for me, Tirix.
Thanks jdnx429 for all of the "new" images and for uploading them to this page.
Images
Scoring
Impossible Move
As you can see, there is no possible way for the piece of iron on the left side of the wall to get to the other side and connect with the rest of the iron pieces.
Bonus Points
In this setup, you will score 5 points for the four items in the bold box and 2 bonus points for the adjacent pieces.
