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Does "mapping" actually help?

Posted: Wed May 13, 2009 7:36 pm
by smiteo
I never drew a map for the blue...
I'm getting so lost in the green I've tried to draw one a couple times...
Can't say it has helped me...

How many of you solvers actually draw a map, and how many just see it in your head?

Re: does "mapping" actually help?

Posted: Wed May 13, 2009 7:50 pm
by Jazz
I see it in my sleep :shock: I think with it being a cylinder it is extremly hard, also the stop staring just to put down one or two moves is driving me nuts :shock: The boys an girls who do these things so fast must just be able to do it with memory mine look more like a design for 60's flower power shirt :lol: :lol:

Love an Peace Man

Re: does "mapping" actually help?

Posted: Wed May 13, 2009 8:34 pm
by Ade704
smiteo wrote:I never drew a map for the blue...
I'm getting so lost in the green I've tried to draw one a couple times...
Can't say it has helped me...

How many of you solvers actually draw a map, and how many just see it in your head?
Without giving anything away, I would say that without drawing a map, for me solving it would be near impossible. When you figure out why, you'll be much closer to beating it...

Re: does "mapping" actually help?

Posted: Wed May 13, 2009 8:46 pm
by walther
Ade704 wrote:
smiteo wrote:I never drew a map for the blue...
I'm getting so lost in the green I've tried to draw one a couple times...
Can't say it has helped me...

How many of you solvers actually draw a map, and how many just see it in your head?
Without giving anything away, I would say that without drawing a map, for me solving it would be near impossible. When you figure out why, you'll be much closer to beating it...
I draw them out as I go. Uncovers things you wouldn't expect. Guess it's a left over from my days of mapping out text adventures so that I knew where I was and where I hadn't been.

Re: does "mapping" actually help?

Posted: Wed May 13, 2009 8:46 pm
by ReVoMate
Ade704 wrote:
smiteo wrote:I never drew a map for the blue...
I'm getting so lost in the green I've tried to draw one a couple times...
Can't say it has helped me...

How many of you solvers actually draw a map, and how many just see it in your head?
Without giving anything away, I would say that without drawing a map, for me solving it would be near impossible. When you figure out why, you'll be much closer to beating it...
... for now....

Re: does "mapping" actually help?

Posted: Wed May 13, 2009 9:13 pm
by bluesign2k
I drew a map for both the blue and green. I wouldn't say it actually helped me solve the blue as such, but it did help shave a few hours off the solve :D Once I had the map drawn and had solved it a few times then I no longer needed the drawn map, I saw the map in my head.

The green was a different story though. Im sure I could have solved it without having drawn a map but it would have taken much much longer! For me, the map highlighted one of the "tricks" in the green that some people probably wouldn't see without being told or having drawn a map... some people may struggle to spot it even with a map ;) Again, now I know the route I no longer use the map, I see it in my head :)

If your strggling with the green I suggest making a map so you have a better idea of your surroundings so that you can figure out where you have to go by eliminating the routes you know won't get you anywhere ;)

Re: does "mapping" actually help?

Posted: Wed May 13, 2009 9:30 pm
by smiteo
So on a more basic question, how do you map it?
I find it hard to judge "distances", except by feel...
More the rotational distances than the in/out movement...

Re: does "mapping" actually help?

Posted: Wed May 13, 2009 9:52 pm
by bluesign2k
I mapped with a pencil? lol
Seriously though, I used a number of colour pencils. Thick black for walls, think red for traps, blue line for routes, green for what I considered to be the best/correct route... have a rubber handy too though ;) :lol:

Distances aren't always the most important thing... map out where corners etc are relative to each other, if you do this then some distances will sort themselves out. There are sections where distances are important, and as you said the best thing is to "feel" your way, particularly if your not confident in judging distances :)

Re: does "mapping" actually help?

Posted: Wed May 13, 2009 10:11 pm
by Ironkong
didn't map the blue but have mapped the green so far, thin lines for routes thick ones for traps, there not to scale at all but it is helping me alot with the green.

Re: does "mapping" actually help?

Posted: Wed May 13, 2009 10:49 pm
by smiteo
the engineer in me wants to map it precisely, but I will try relative guestimation and see how it goes...

Cheers,
Derek / smiteo