From: Russell L. Bryan <rbryan@Mail.trincoll.edu>
Subject: Re: Searching for a sense of wonder
X-Xxmessage-Id: <A72C4C38E8013165@downes1-101.dynamic.trincoll.edu>
X-Xxdate: Sun, 15 Nov 92 23:49:28 GMT
Organization: Starving Writers of America (sole member)
X-Useragent: Nuntius v1.1.1d12
Date: Sun, 15 Nov 1992 23:46:50 GMT

In article <41026@sdcc12.ucsd.edu> Darin Johnson, djohnson@cs.ucsd.edu
writes:
>All it takes to get frustration is a zork style maze.  If you feel
>you must put this in a game, at least put a frustration level on
>the package.

On this much I agree with you.  Zork-style mazes can be incredibly
painful for those who aren't used to them, although once you've learned
the drop-in-room method of solving them it can be a LITTLE less difficult.

In addition, there are the Deep Space Drifter mazes.  Although in general
DSD is a very good game, the two mazes, in their search for originality,
are far too tedious.  The flooded caves, for example, are 100% trial and
error, and the swamp maze is pretty much the same.  In addition, both of
these mazes have only ONE solution (or at least only one solution less
than fifty moves long).

I support no puzzles where no hints are offered for the solution.  The
cyclops puzzle in Zork I, or the baseball maze in Zork II, are examples
of failures even in Infocom games to provide logical solutions to
problems.  If I had stumbled upon the solution to the baseball maze, for
instance, without using hints, I doubt I would have caught the
significance of the diamonds regardless.  However, puzzles can be
difficult and still not be obvious.

My favorite example is the metal door from Unkuulian II:

*** SPOILERS ***

First, there is a collection of small holes in the room outside of the
door.  Careful reading of the descriptions, and careful examination of
the holes, will reveal that these are lasers.  So how do you get through
the lasers?  Clap the erasers together and the lasers are clearly visible
(anyone who has watched TV in the past twenty years can figure this out).
 Then you can open the door (IF you have the labcoat and IF you have
gotten the stain out) and walk in, but you call attention to yourself by
coughing and sneezing.  So how do you stop from coughing?  How about that
liquid which smells like artificial grapes?  And how about sneezing?  How
about putting the clothespin on your nose?  But they still kick you out
for forgetting your goggles.  The X-ray glasses are suitable protective
eyewear -- and you're finally in.

This puzzle frustrated the hell out of me, but it was so much fun as I
conquered each step of it that I couldn't even think of complaining.  It
is clever, and each portion DOES have a logical solution.  This
particular game, incidentally, was solved largely while I was drifting to
sleep, when the solution suddenly struck me.  Therefore, to qualify what
I consider good puzzles, I list here the three which I believe are the
most fun to solve:

1) Puzzles with solutions both logical and intuitive, such as a key
fitting a door, or a "tried and true" puzzle such as the x1-x12 cubes
from Spellbreaker.

2) Puzzles with solutions which are illogical but intuitive, such as the
afore-mentioned origami bird puzzle from "Trinity"

3) Puzzles with solutions which are logical but not intuitive, such as
the fourth floor puzzle from Hollywood Hijinx or the egg-opening puzzle
from Zork I

4) EXCEPTIONAL CASES: Puzzles with solutions both illogical and
non-intuitive, such as the "run away" climax of Unkuulian I and the
shears-and-weed trap from Spellbreaker.

This is only my own opinion, and I enjoy and welcome the comments being
presented.  Perhaps tomorrow I will present one of the puzzles from my
own adventure to see what you all think of it, and if you can solve it.

-- Russ