sku_u Posted May 22, 2003 Share Posted May 22, 2003 199,000 pts for a perfect score in level 1 225,000 pts for the 45 gold bars in level 2 10,0000 pts for the basket 10,0000 pts for the flute 15,0000 pts for the snake charmer 15,0000 pts for the golden rope 25,0000 pts for escaping the caverns -100 pts for falling down a ladder (it's unavoidable to get to the rope) ======================= 498,900 pts is the most you can get Ben You added an extra 0 on the basket points, flute points, snake charmer, golden rope and escape from the caverns. Those numbers add up to 874,900. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pitfall Harry Posted May 22, 2003 Author Share Posted May 22, 2003 Well, okay. Now I feel like a total idiot. The answer to the ultimate secret trivia question in Pitfall Harry's Contest of Doom is NOT 498,900 points. I made my Level 2 map more than a year ago, and in all the time since then I believed it to be correct. Only minutes ago did I realize my map contains a critical error of omission. A ladder, which indeed exists in the game, is missing from the map I created. The presence of that ladder makes it possible to reach all treasures and all bonus items without the need to deliberately fall (and lose points) anywhere. Thus, a perfect score of 300,000 is possible in level 2, and a perfect game of 499,000 is also possible. The location of the ladder which I neglected to record in my map is shown in red (just below the lowest point of the green, highlighted area) in the attached map. What to do now? I was willing to accept the max possible points for level 2 by itself as the prize-winning answer to this contest, even though the sum of the maximum points possible for levels 1 and 2 is technically correct. Thomas was first to guess 300,000 points. Had I drawn the map correctly, he surely would have provided the same answer and I would have ended the contest then and there. But I did not end the contest then and there. I allowed the contest to continue until somebody gave what I thought was the correct answer. I also took the opportunity to make it clear I was looking only for the SUM of the max possible scores for levels 1 and 2. Scooterb23 was first to guess 499,000 points, which is absolutely correct. And he offered this guess BEFORE I further stipulated an explanation of how the figure is arrived at would be necessary. Thinking his answer was wrong, I allowed the contest to continue. Finally, Thomas provided the wrong answer I was looking for, and explained it perfectly... except that he was misled by the inaccuracy of my map. Who, then, deserves to win the prize? If I had two CIB Room of Doom's to award, I'd certainly give each of them a copy. Sadly, the game is pretty tough to come by complete and in mint condition, and I have only one copy of the game to give. As author, administrator and judge of this contest, I must assume the role of arbitrator, as well. Thomas is the contest winner. He worked hardest for the prize, made the most progress towards its solution and provided what should have been the first acceptable answer. Besides, I've already sent his prize off in the mail and I can't get it back now. Scooterb23 will receive a consolation prize for being first to provide the CORRECT answer. Even though his was only a guess, he got it right even before I did -- and that does deserve something in the way of a reward. Scooterb23, if you are willing to email me your mailing adderess, I'll send you a classic videogame-related consolation prize. I won't say what that prize is, exactly, but I'm confident you will not be disappointed when you receive it. Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pitfall Harry Posted May 22, 2003 Author Share Posted May 22, 2003 I know the frog's not the reason for the fall, but it makes that particular hole seem extra-strange, since normally with a frog in that position you'd have the smaller type of hole that allows you to climb onto the ladder. Does the frog jump back and forth across this wider hole the way frogs usually do in other positions in the game? There are two other places in the game where a frog jumps back and forth across a ladder which separates a discontinuous platform (as opposed to a continuous platform with a ladder passing though a hole in it). In all three instances, the frog hops back and forth to either side of the ladder, and does not chase after Harry as other frogs can and do. BTW, you still never told me how long it took you to put this puzzle together... I started it on Friday and finished it on Sunday, the weekend before I posted it. Obviously, I should have spent an extra day quality-testing it before I posted it. I promise that my next contest won't be nearly as flawed. ...or as easy. Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Nathan Strum Posted May 22, 2003 Share Posted May 22, 2003 I promise that my next contest won't be nearly as flawed. ...or as easy. Why, I oughta... Actually, I think what threw some of us, is we were making the puzzle much harder than it turned out to be. I never expected the question to be part of the clues in the original post. I thought it would be something completely different, so I spent many hours scrutinizing the puzzle for obscure patterns, words, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pitfall Harry Posted May 22, 2003 Author Share Posted May 22, 2003 Actually, I think what threw some of us, is we were making the puzzle much harder than it turned out to be. You are right. I never expected the question to be part of the clues in the original post. I thought it would be something completely different, so I spent many hours scrutinizing the puzzle for obscure patterns, words, etc. Actually, the question IS in the word search puzzle. Half of the question lies hidden in the 26 letters at the knee points of the second-tier words, which pass through the silver letters. The other half of the question lies in the 23 letters which the gold letters touch when you fold the puzzle in half. Believe it or not, my plan was simply to give you the word search matrix alone. But when I went to play test the puzzle before posting it, I realized how insanely difficult it would be to solve. I had to admit that I, myself, would not have been able to solve it without additional clues. So the three auxilliary clues (The Golden Touch, Silver Knee Pads and The Green Folder) were an afterthought, albeit a carefully considered afterthought. Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Jentzsch Posted May 22, 2003 Share Posted May 22, 2003 Well, okay. Now I feel like a total idiot. Don't feel like an idiot! You have just proven to be an extremely honest person, that's what really counts here. Since I played through that level by using your map, I probably would have never ever seen that missing ladder and nobody else would have too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Nathan Strum Posted May 22, 2003 Share Posted May 22, 2003 Actually, the question IS in the word search puzzle. I knew it had to be, based on the original post. But what I didn't know is that it was in both places. I assumed the words with the question marks were more clues about how to find the real question, and not actually part of the question itself. I assumed it was only to be found in the puzzle. I dead-ended after finding the alternate-letter words, and only figured out the question after Thomas had posted his guess, and you mentioned he was on the right track. Then it clicked. It's nice to know I was going in the right direction with the egg and crown clue, though (white and yellow). That's what I assumed it meant, but couldn't figure out the rest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gateway Posted May 23, 2003 Share Posted May 23, 2003 ...It's nice to know I was going in the right direction with the egg and crown clue, though (white and yellow). That's what I assumed it meant, but couldn't figure out the rest. And my guesses about the egg and crown were completely off! Oh well. Good job, everybody and Congrats to Thomas and Scooterb for solving this one! Also, thank you Ben for this brain teaser. I wish I'd had more time to work on solving it ( I was right about the letters in the "knees" being significant and the thought about folding the paper diagonally crossed my mind, but I didn't pursue it very far. ) I'll be ready for your next puzzle ( if I don't present an evil puzzle contest myself! ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Room 34 Posted May 23, 2003 Share Posted May 23, 2003 All of this contest fever has me inspired to work up my own contest, which I am doing in honor of my 2000th post to these forums. I am hopeful that it will be a level of challenge to rival Ben's work, although the nature of the contest is quite different. (It may be somewhat familiar, however, to those of you who participated in my Game Art Name Game.) My new contest is HERE... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Nathan Strum Posted May 26, 2003 Share Posted May 26, 2003 Yeah, yeah... I know that this contest ended days ago. And I also know that nobody is probably reading this thread anymore. But, I thought I'd throw these in here anyway. I had these two strips written before the contest ended, but didn't get them finished in time. So here they are, a two-part "lost episode" of... Carl Wonders - part 1 Carl Wonders - part 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Room 34 Posted May 26, 2003 Share Posted May 26, 2003 These are great! Keep 'em coming! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MegaManFan Posted May 27, 2003 Share Posted May 27, 2003 Wascawy Wabbit! I need an emoticon for falling over laughing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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