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This is a fascinating example of the power of biased randomness. The gameplay challenges this article points out are notable because they require sequences of i
by jfasi 13y ago
This is a fascinating example of the power of biased randomness. The gameplay challenges this article points out are notable because they require sequences of inputs that are both specific and lengthy. Even if the input stream were random, there would still be a nonzero probability that the correct sequence of instructions would be realized.
On the other hand, this stream isn't random. If it were truly random, the player would just move pointlessly in a horrible Brownian motion. It's nonsensical, to be sure, but in some weird way it encapsulates knowledge about the game, and as a result the game makes progress.
It sort of enlightens other places where true randomness is required, and the presence of any information or understanding radically changes the behavior of a system. In cryptography, even the slightest weakness in the probabilistic underpinnings of a cryptosystem can render it useless. In finance, even the slightest edge over the market can be leveraged to produce gains.
- jmgrosen 13y agoYou might be interested in this: http://www.twitch.tv/RngPlaysPokemon http://www.twitch.tv/RngPlaysPokemon An actually randomly (well, pseudo-randomly) controlled Pokémon game.
- itsybitsycoder 13y agoInterestingly it's currently on its second attempt. The first attempt was deemed a failure after earning the second gym badge, when it got stuck in the wrong town and released its starter Pokemon, leaving it only with a single Magikarp it had purchased from an NPC. (I guess it's pretty hard to catch a wild Pokemon using random button presses.)
- ctchocula 13y agoTo quote someone from the subreddit: "The problem wasn't having a magikarp, he could still level it and get gyarados. The problem was not being able to EVER have a pokemon that can learn cut. He was out of money to get pokeballs, and out of trainers to get money from defeating." This wouldn't have been a problem in Generation 2 and onwards, because there you can exchange numbers with trainers to have rematches which can yield more money.
- phillmv 13y agoI watched last night as they went back to the PC just to retrieve the Helix Fossil. That was madness.
- jfasi 13y agoMy god.
- pyrocat 13y agoPrecisely.
- Dylan16807 13y agoTo add to that, I believe the goal there was depositing the 'dig' rattata that they kept escaping the dungeon with, finally fed up enough to take the risk. And then the process of smashing random buttons at the PC restored the precious helix fossil. And the players decided to accept this wonderful result and not tempt fate, and left to continue on their journey. Still with the rattata.
- hfsktr 13y agoI don't like watching others play games (never did) but I find reading about things like the Eve battles, strange things that happened while testing engines (Oblivion), and this after (or during) the fact. This one I just love reading about. I think it's because of the way people write about it. It almost sounds like Hitchhiker's Guide or something the way it's so random but accurate. Trying to explain this to people in person has resulted in some odd looks but I still try...
- jackgolding 13y agoI totally agree, things like opening the AQ gates in WoW are like old battle stories
- capisce 13y agoYou might like http://lparchive.org/Dwarf-Fortress-Boatmurdered/ http://lparchive.org/Dwarf-Fortress-Boatmurdered/
- arcadius 13y agohttp://sheltered-reef-4687.herokuapp.com/ http://sheltered-reef-4687.herokuapp.com/ Check this out. You can clearly see it the majority of the commands move in the desired direction (or at least some of the time).