Antici-Pation

VirtLands · Post by **VirtLands** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 4:47 am

Here's my newest level, number 3. It's just a friendly sokoban game,
or is it?

I call this level "Antici-Pation".
Enjoy the included new texture...

Amadeus! · Post by **Amadeus!** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 4:54 am

Andy, this was an absolutely brilliant Sokoban Puzzle!

Enjoyed your mysterious textures and Next Generation Gizmos.
However, I had to work it out on paper, since turning off the time didn't help.

I'm able to get all the boxes placed in the room in 40 seconds,
but I have no time left over to reach the exit, unless I use Unlimited Time.

Cat · Post by **Cat** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 4:59 am

Virtlands, this could of been a fun level! But I can't finish it because of the changes you have made.

Lucky-Luc · Post by **Lucky-Luc** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 10:07 am

Nice puzzle, but are you sure it's possible with timer on? I even can't get through the first gate! So I had to turn the timer of

Anyway, thanks for the fun!

(Great use of the next generation toys, by the way

)

Loirae · Post by **Loirae** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 11:50 am

I can't even get all the boxes into the room, let alone get them placed! Time runs out too quickly..

Gen · Post by **Gen** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 7:09 pm

Why don't your set the time at 2 seconds, it would accomplish the same as it is now.

Lutz · Post by **Lutz** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 8:51 pm

Nice sokoban puzzle. But for me it's impossible to reach the exit within the time

. Played it with the timer off and made it. Thanks

Lillie · Post by **Lillie** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 10:58 pm

This is such a funny level - I nearly jumped out of the window when it all went off (I tend to have my music up very loud when I play). It really made me laugh! Now - could I please have a little help on the sokoban part - I just can't get it

Thanks

drushing · Post by **drushing** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 11:11 pm

This one scared the daylights out of me too! I have no brain for Sokobans so I need major help on this one please!

**EDIT** Yahoo, I finished this one thanks to Amadeus and his video solution! I can honestly say I would probably never have worked it out on my own!

Lillie · Post by **Lillie** » Thu Mar 02, 2006 1:40 pm

I did it (with some help from Mark) thanks! Perhaps you could post the video on here Mark for others to enjoy?

Excellent sokoban level - and an excellent effect with the spikes - too funny

Thanks for the laugh and the stinker

VirtLands · Post by **VirtLands** » Tue Mar 07, 2006 10:38 pm

Hello again, sorry about the response delay.
Yes, this one did turn out to be a massive stinker. OOps.

(9/10)

I've recreated the same level for you, this time without the spikes!

I see that Amadeus worked it on paper.
My initial intent with this level was to give players that massive jolt.

There is a small (and FREE) DOS program, RBOX, that solves sokoban games of this type. I've included it here just in case, with instructions included.

The Rbox map in the file is made with the following symbols:
'#' = Wall, ' ' = Floor, '.' = Goal for a ball, '$' = Ball, '@' = Sokoban man,
'*' = Ball in goal and '+' = Man in goal.

Interesting Links:

"Automatic Sokoban Solver for Windows"
http://www.ic-net.or.jp/home/takaken/e/soko/

"Sokoban++ 1.6"
http://www.joriswit.nl/sokoban/en/download.htm

One solution to Antici-Pation is ----
llllllLdllUlUUUUddddrdrruLuLrddlUlUUUruLruulldDrddddrruL dlUUUruuullddRluurrdLddddrrdrruLLLdlUUUUUruLdddrUldddll
ddlluRRdrUluRdrUUUUdddlldlluRRRdrUUUruL

Solved with 150 moves and 45 pushes !

See you next time.

###########
####. ####
####...####
####. ####
####. #### # # #
##### #####
# $ $ $ #######
# $ $ $ @#
# # #######
###########

wonderlandlover · Post by **wonderlandlover** » Tue Mar 07, 2006 11:29 pm

My question for everyone is did anyone solve this with the timer on? I have gotten as far as heading into the path for the exit, but that was moving with no mistakes. I can't see how it is possible!

Loirae · Post by **Loirae** » Tue Mar 07, 2006 11:38 pm

I have not solved it with the timer on. And I also don't get the jolt that I know is coming because the timer runs out before it jolts.

kiki · Post by **kiki** » Tue Mar 07, 2006 11:40 pm

Nope not me

VirtLands · Post by **VirtLands** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 12:37 am

To wonderlandlover,
I just realized that I should have turned the timer off.

As of this point in time, Amadeus seems to be the only one to have
solved it.

Here's Amadeus' video solution, (shrunk down to 124x92):

It looks better on "You Tube" in dimensions 320x240.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjpENWh2 ... h=Brentnor

kiki · Post by **kiki** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 12:50 am

I was wondering what kind of plants those are in the screen shot, They look familiar

Amnon · Post by **Amnon** » Sun Dec 28, 2014 4:29 am

Nice sokoban, but I can't solve this with the timer on. The video solution is long gone - did you solve this in time, Mark?

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Sun Dec 28, 2014 4:41 am

Amnon wrote:did you solve this in time, Mark?

Hi Amnon,
It's been so long, I forgot.

But I usually play with the timer off.

Muzozavr · Post by **Muzozavr** » Sun Dec 28, 2014 11:08 am

Amnon wrote:Nice sokoban, but I can't solve this with the timer on. The video solution is long gone - did you solve this in time, Mark?

Very unlikely. I remember the video being with the timer off, as VirtLands seems to have intended. The timer appears to be a mistake.

I have just done some detective work with my trusty Sokoban YASC which includes an editor, a solver and an optimizer.

Several attempts and program settings later, I've arrived at a 130-move solution. Executing it absolutely flawlessly and then walking to the exit kills me about two tiles before reaching it, which I think is closer than anyone else has reported.

If someone can use a solver/optimizer to find a 128-move solution, then this level will be barely possible with the timer on. As it is, no dice.

Here's my solution: lllllluLLdLLUUUUdddllddrUluRdrUUUluuRDrdLdddlldlluuRRRdrUUUUluurrDLdddddlldlUluRRRdrUUUUUruLddddddrruLdlUUUUddddrrdrUruLLLdlUUUrUL

This finishes the boxes, after this, it's time to run and die two tiles near the exit.

I'm so close, but YASO (YASC's optimizer) refuses to give me a shorter solution no matter how much I change the program settings. I don't even know if it's possible to solve this in less than 130 moves. It might be, but I don't have a clue if it's the limits of the program/settings or the absolute limits of the puzzle.

No way we can come up with such precise, exacting sequences in our head. We're Sokoban players, not Sokoban experts.

EDIT: Judging by how the usually reliable YASO absolutely refuses to go below 130 moves, I'm calling it quits. I'm not entirely sure it's impossible to go lower, but even if this limit is not absolute, I won't be the one to break it. Unless some other optimizer can come up with a 128-move solution, this level is not possible with the timer on.

EDIT 2: I just found something very interesting and strange.

One last time, I tried to use YASO with some uber-settings on "Vicinity search". Trying to play RTW at the same time, I realized the game started to lag very badly. For some reason, however, if the game lags and looks jerky, either the timer goes slightly slower or the game goes slightly faster. I'm not sure, but this is definite proof of some crazy timer shenanigans in RTW if the game lags.

It is, of course, very difficult to do exact box pushing when the game lags, but after about 7 attempts, I have managed to successfully use the 130-move solution to exit the level with the timer on.

Of course, this trick does not work when the game is running normally at full speed and cannot be considered a proper "solution" to the problem, but it's interesting, nonetheless.

Amnon · Post by **Amnon** » Sun Dec 28, 2014 12:44 pm

The best I got on my own was 7 places before the exit.

Muzozavr · Post by **Muzozavr** » Sun Dec 28, 2014 2:06 pm

Amnon wrote:The best I got on my own was 7 places before the exit.

It was probably "between 7 and 6" (just like mine was actually "between 3 and 2", but if the exit was two tiles closer, it would count) and you probably discovered the 134-move solution that my solver also gave me. It's difficult to discover, but a bit more logical, so if you're very good at Sokoban, it's not an impossible path to find. You're better than I am, though, I couldn't get that close on my own without using a solver.

YASS/YASO's 134-move solution is this:
lllllldlllUlUUUruLddddrruLdlUUUruullDRddddlldlluuRRRdrUUUUluurrdLdddddlldlUluRRRdrUUUUUruLddddddrrdrruuLLLdlUUUUddddrrdrUruLLLdlUUUrUL

Anyway, it is a bit unfortunate that even the best solutions don't reach the exit in time unless you run something RAM-consuming in the background in order to make the game lag. However, even if it was doable within the time limit, it still wouldn't be playable within the time limit, because you'd need time to figure out the puzzle.

Antici-Pation

Antici-Pation

A solution to Antici-Pation

Additional reply to Anticipation...