Design Musings

[mhuti]

I'm really disapointed by puzzles that rely on basically tricks or abstract randonness, they are an exercise in attrition and offer little reward to a thoughtful mind. At the end all you have is a hollow feeling that you are now 'in with the joke'. The best puzzles offer a glimse at the solution from the start and with progression and make you feel that you have an opponent. As allardwza has said, I am also not very impressed by the introduction of electronics (shiny shiny) and magnets (yawn) to impede or preclude progress for example. Good puzzles rely on a simple concept applied in a interesting, cruel and/or unusual way. Cosmetics are secondary and only of importance if they affect the useability/durability of the puzzle.
There is no elegance in randomness, it's brutal and the only way to crack it is to resort to a brute force attack. Machines are not random and I for one look for elegance in the machine. Without this there is no reason to return to the puzzle (any puzzle).

[maztec]

If a puzzle continuously changed in a logical manner, it would be interesting. But, if it was never logical and was mere randomness overall (minor parts being random may be acceptable if navigable), then it would be an exercise in frustration more than a puzzle.

[ReVoRabbit]

If a puzzle continuously changed in a logical manner, it would be interesting.

thats exactly what I'm proposing....

[allardwza]

[Split out as a separate topic - but kept it in the same sub-forum for access...allard]

[Bunny_Whabbit]

As long as it has some kind of logical way to be solved with feel or brains.

// M

[ReVoRabbit]

oh it most certainly will

[allardwza]

....well in that case...Go for it!

[maztec]

Topic split. See later post for link.

[mhuti]

I take it that conversation was above my pay grade...

[bluesign2k]

Yeh, I'm not sure if maztec has realised that not everyone has access to where he's moved it to... I'll leave it to him to decide if it should be moved back