Puzzle Marathon 2015 - LMI

[kiwijam]

Puzzle Marathon 2015 - LMI March Puzzle Test - 6th to 15th March

•All puzzle grids in this test are marathon grids, i.e. they are much bigger in size than usual.
•There is no fixed time limit for any puzzle. The challenge for solvers is to solve all of them in the least amount of time.
•The test will be open for ten days, with the idea that everyone can get around to solve all puzzles conveniently.
•Each puzzle can be started, solved and submitted independent of others, and in any order, anytime during the week

http://logicmastersindia.com/forum/foru ... sp?tid=933

Also this year I am one of the authors. But can anyone guess which of the ten types I chose to make? (before LMI tells you)
I'll find a small prize for the winner...!

Regional Coded Snake
Regional Battleships
Turning Fences
Summon
Hidoku
Nurikabe
Statue Park
Scrabble with Loop
Meandering Numbers
Fillomino

[puzzlemad]

My guess - Regional coded snake

[furudo.erika]

I shall guess Meandering Numbers purely because I like the type.

[kiwijam]

My guess - Regional coded snake

I don't like Snakes much, their logic has never appealed to me...

I shall guess Meandering Numbers purely because I like the type.

I like them too, and wrote one for last year's GP to promote the new Japanese idea (and try to change the name to anything but "Count Number"). So "Meandering Numbers" I can live with.
And I'm looking forward to solving it next week...

[rakesh_rai]

The contest has started and is open till 15th March.

Instruction Booklet and Submission Link : http://logicmastersindia.com/2015/03P/

[detuned]

First I've heard of this! In the last couple of years Deb usually got me to make a puzzle, which I took great pleasure in making much too hard, so I've got to say I'm quite miffed by being completely overlooked this time round.

Still, I'm looking forward to being on the receiving end of these - usually good fun and it'll definitely keep me occupied all week!

Also James, stop making your guessing game too easy! We've gone from 1/10 to 1/8 in the blink of an eye

[kiwijam]

which I took great pleasure in making much too hard, so I've got to say I'm quite miffed by being completely overlooked this time round.

have you considered there may be a link between those two points?

Also James, stop making your guessing game too easy! We've gone from 1/10 to 1/8 in the blink of an eye

Ah but the prize only goes to the first correct guess, so is it better to go early or wait for the odds to improve..?

[detuned]

That wasn't explicitly mentioned in the rules

I suspect it's better to wait, but if everyone takes that view then your fun will be ruined James, and I can't have that! I reckon it might be Summon...

[Nilz]

Have only just seen that people are trying to guess which
Is James's.
Doesn't it say the answer on the submission page?
Or am I mistaken?
Knowing the answer probably disqualifies me.
Unless anyone says otherwise, I won't spoil it.

[kiwijam]

True, the authors became known when the competition started (when Rakesh posted above).
I suppose that might mean Tom is yet to start?

Anyway I think the odds stay constant, you only get your 1/8 guess after the first is wrong (9/10) and the second is wrong (8/9), so it's still 1/10.
And you want to be early to get the best guesses (Summon was a decent try) and before time runs out...

[detuned]

I agree with your conditional probabilities, assuming everything is equal. Might be interesting to sit down and work everything out if you have some well-informed weights! And you're right, I haven't started yet, but will do very soon.

[tamz29]

How is the marathon going for everyone?
With a few puzzles left, I can't see what's been said in the LMI forums yet.
But so far, I'm already battered.

Personally, I find a couple of these puzzles a little too guess-y to be fun.
Maybe it is just the marathon format. But, ugh, there's at least one puzzle I'm very frustrated with right now
But I'm comforted by a few top-10 finishes (as of now)

Game on!

[detuned]

I've got 3 to go, but I'm a fair old way off being competitive.

My favourite so far has been the turning fences - I guess my notation for those needs to be improved to get better times, but I generally like this type a lot. I actually really enjoyed the Hidoku as well, given my prejudices there, although I perhaps started that too late at night to make the wonderfully constructed solving path a rather slow and steady affair.

The meandering numbers was the first I've ever done - I had to restart that so I'm not sure if that's just me being rubbish as opposed to guessing too much. I thought the nurikabe was a bit of a let down, but I suppose with the popular types you really have to make something great to stand out from the crowd.

Oh and I was definitely annoyed by my wifi dropping out and adding 5 minutes onto my statue park time, given that's likely to be my best source of bonus time!

[sf2l]

In spite of the fact that Tom was not among the authors, the quality of the puzzles was excellent. Much harder than last year but why not. it's a marathon, you expect to have to struggle for some time.
Beautiful contest.

[Para]

First I've heard of this! In the last couple of years Deb usually got me to make a puzzle, which I took great pleasure in making much too hard, so I've got to say I'm quite miffed by being completely overlooked this time round.

Deb had the rule in place that he doesn't want to use the same authors 3 years in a row. So if you wrote a puzzle for the previous 2 years, you're not up for contention as an author. It was the reason Prasanna didn't write one last year and also why I was not considered this year.