Puzzled by puzzles.... feel sad.........

By soulman, in Mansions of Madness

I had the time and energy to get out my copy on MM2 and spread it out on a table to play. Enjoyed it, as i played a hour here, another hour there over the course of 2 nights. When i hit the puzzles as i got deeper into the mansion.

They was a little tough for me and needed to read the rule book a few time to get a idea of them, and I thing I do better next time..... but then in the attic i came across the code puzzle, and after 46 go`s at it over a hour, I lost interest in the story of the game and just packed it all away.... and wonder what next...?

I saw a play though on you tube, the couple playing it was puzzled, and with guess work they did it in about 15 minutes....

I`m pleased I did not play with friends, what if we all could not get it....would it have be a wasted evening...a sad time for all...?

I`m 47, bright, with dyselixa and not a puzzle person, sure I like the rule book, or even the app to explain what i should be doing... maybe a app update may help. Maybe a app update so you can try the puzzles outside of the main game, or have a level of hardness to it, easy gets less rewards Etc.

But I feel if i give up a evening to play this solo again the same puzzle will face me... thank god i did not try 46 try`s in game turns, the world would have ended ...!!

Shame I feel this way about a game.......... worried to unbox it a second time, just waiting for a puzzle to appear... and then I lose all my sanity :-(

Thanks for reading, and I hope understanding..............

Alan

and not a puzzle person

Puzzles are a prominent part of Mansions of Madness experience, starting with the core box of first edition. I guess you haven't done your homework if you weren't prepared for this. It may be a good idea to check beforehand if the game is a right for you.

Have you read through the puzzle examples in Learn To Play guide?

Edited by tsuma534

So i know which puzzle you are talking about, the code one right?

So to help you i will give you a little guide that will work with that puzzle every time. Ill put it in spoilers so people that like to solve them by themselves can avoid reading.

Step 1: First fill out all spaces with the same character. This requires 1 attempt
Step 2: Do this for each character or untill you know precisely which characters are in the code. So for example if there are 5 characters and you after the first 3 have found out that there are 3 "1", 1 "2" and 1 "3" no reason to check the rest. Takes 1-3 steps with the puzzles i've seen.

Step 3: Now take one of the characters that are in the combination with the amount that there should be, together with a character that are not in the combination. Test untill you find out where that character should be located. Normally takes 1-5 steps for 1 type of character.

Step 4: After this put in the character you found from step 3 to the correct location, and then put the other correct characters in new spots untill you find the correct combination. This has normally taken me between 1-5 attempts.

With these steps it should be possible to always do the puzzle in 4-14 attempts guaranteed, and i would say i more often do them in 4 than in 10.

Yes Drakthal thats what i was thinking, i had a tired mind after 46 go`s..!!! thank you.....

"Have not done your homework".....!!! Ha.... Like swimming may cause you to be eaten by sharks or something.....

I was going to give the same advice. It's a great method and usually works in 2-3 actions with a 3 or more in the relevant skill.

One more thing, no puzzles reset between actions or turns so you always continue were you ran out of attemps during your current action.

and not a puzzle person

Puzzles are a prominent part of Mansions of Madness experience, starting with the core box of first edition. I guess you haven't done your homework if you weren't prepared for this.

Have you read through the puzzle examples in Learn To Play guide?

That's just rude... try answering the question instead.

Agreed, take the smugness out of this forum please. We are here to help and discuss, not look down on or judge.

Maybe a app update so you can try the puzzles outside of the main game

I think the idea to be able to try out puzzles without spoiling the story of any scenario is very good.

Are you going to submit it to the Customer Service? If you prefer, I can send it to them. I don't suppose this idea would be implemented but I think it's worth trying.

Hi Tsuma534 and to all, big thanks for reading and understanding, and a hi to 534, hope things are fine with you tonight...

Thanks for thinking about testing your skills on the puzzles as a separate idea... If you like please do send to customer service if its not too much trouble... each of us think and act differently, and this game with the App is a great move forward, and a testing ground for new and indeed better things to come, i do hope this wonderful game has much me to show yes.... As in hellraiser " we have many sights to show you"...!!!!

Lets see whats ahead for us all.........

Typing this now in east england, with the sound of trees blowing in the wind, like tentacles wanted to reach for me.......

Back in the 90s (and even a few these days) adventure games on the PC were huge. Puzzles were a big part of them, but not the only part. Sometimes figuring out what to do next was nearly impossible, so there were complete game walk throughs. No shame in looking one of those up for a part in the game you get stuck. Not everyone can do everything perfectly.

Of course this game doesn't have complete walk throughs yet.

Being walled by a puzzle is a difficult issue to solve. I've played video games in the past that let you skip difficult sections, but I'm not sure this would work in this context.

A practice mode for the puzzles would be very welcomed. Though I understand that this is a big addition to the app.

Another possibility could be spending resources (clues, health, sanity, etc) to get hints. Apologies for the tangent, but a lot of mobile puzzle games have a business model based on continued played (candy crush and its clones, for example) and these implement hints for next moves or partial solutions rather well. I wonder whether this is something that could be brought to board game puzzles through companion apps?

Additional I wonder whether this is something that can solved in scenario design. For example, giving multiple routes that lead to the same outcome. So if you're unable to figure out a puzzle, the conditions for moving forward change to something else, such as defeating a monster or finding an item hidden elsewhere in the map. I've played 3 scenarios so far (first 2 core and the call of the wild expansion one), but I've not seen this too much, does anyone know if I've missed something similar to this that already exists in the scenarios.

The puzzle is called Mastermind, and there are plenty of examples online where you can play it and practice it. You can even set it up with paper and a pen and play with a friend, to practice, until you get good at it.

I don't struggle too much with that puzzle, but I did play that game with friends so often when I was a kid, that I got the techniques down. Maybe that might help you?

Also, in this case, I would actually suggest don't worry about the actual game rules, take as many tries as you want to solve it, I don't think the app penalizes you for taking 50 guesses in one turn, at least until it becomes less challenging for you.

Also, in this case, I would actually suggest don't worry about the actual game rules, take as many tries as you want to solve it, I don't think the app penalizes you for taking 50 guesses in one turn, at least until it becomes less challenging for you.

100% agreed here. If a single element of the game ruins your experience, and removes the fun out of the game, then change it at your will. The app doesn't take into account how many puzzle actions were done within the same action, so, you can go all until you find the solution. Just keep in mind the standard algorithm that was posted in this thread so that you don't waste an hour of life trying to figure out the possible combos

I had the time and energy to get out my copy on MM2 and spread it out on a table to play. Enjoyed it, as i played a hour here, another hour there over the course of 2 nights. When i hit the puzzles as i got deeper into the mansion.

They was a little tough for me and needed to read the rule book a few time to get a idea of them, and I thing I do better next time..... but then in the attic i came across the code puzzle, and after 46 go`s at it over a hour, I lost interest in the story of the game and just packed it all away.... and wonder what next...?

I saw a play though on you tube, the couple playing it was puzzled, and with guess work they did it in about 15 minutes....

I`m pleased I did not play with friends, what if we all could not get it....would it have be a wasted evening...a sad time for all...?

I`m 47, bright, with dyselixa and not a puzzle person, sure I like the rule book, or even the app to explain what i should be doing... maybe a app update may help. Maybe a app update so you can try the puzzles outside of the main game, or have a level of hardness to it, easy gets less rewards Etc.

But I feel if i give up a evening to play this solo again the same puzzle will face me... thank god i did not try 46 try`s in game turns, the world would have ended ...!!

Shame I feel this way about a game.......... worried to unbox it a second time, just waiting for a puzzle to appear... and then I lose all my sanity :-(

Thanks for reading, and I hope understanding..............

Alan

I'm not sure if you've gotten an answer to your question yet because I didn't want to break that spoiler warning as I quite enjoy learning from puzzles. However I just wanted to make sure you know (because I didn't and almost failed a puzzle that I might have beaten had I known) that you can use repeating symbols. In other words the SAME symbol or number can appear twice in one puzzle. I thought it was just a matter of putting them in order and it's not always like that. Hope that helps. If a friend hadn't pointed it out and suggested that we at least TRY two of the same symbols in a puzzle then I may well have gotten up to 46 attempts myself!

Edited by xodarap

I want more and harder puzzles, because everyone is different.

You can't please both me and the OP without being able to set the difficulty of the puzzles in the app.

I liked how the first edition had ways of bypassing the puzzle, if you couldn't figure out the puzzle lock you could find an axe and use that to open the door instead.

and not a puzzle person

Puzzles are a prominent part of Mansions of Madness experience, starting with the core box of first edition. I guess you haven't done your homework if you weren't prepared for this.

Have you read through the puzzle examples in Learn To Play guide?

That's just rude... try answering the question instead.

Rude or not, the truth is the truth.

and not a puzzle person

Puzzles are a prominent part of Mansions of Madness experience, starting with the core box of first edition. I guess you haven't done your homework if you weren't prepared for this.

Have you read through the puzzle examples in Learn To Play guide?

That's just rude... try answering the question instead.

Rude or not, the truth is the truth.

Indeed. I wasn't complaining about the message. Just the way it was delivered.

and not a puzzle person

Puzzles are a prominent part of Mansions of Madness experience, starting with the core box of first edition. I guess you haven't done your homework if you weren't prepared for this.

Have you read through the puzzle examples in Learn To Play guide?

That's just rude... try answering the question instead.

Rude or not, the truth is the truth.

So if anyone ever wonders why some of us refuse to buy into that "gamers are SUCH great people" b.s.? Exhibit "A.H." folks, an' no that doesn't stand for "A.rkham H.orror." Nowhere does it say this is a game about puzzles or that people who aren't brainiac from smartron V need not apply. This game is open to anyone who has the guts to try the whole "ordinary people up against extraordinary circumstances." thang. Even a "retard" like me. Deal with it.

Edited by xodarap

I liked how the first edition had ways of bypassing the puzzle, if you couldn't figure out the puzzle lock you could find an axe and use that to open the door instead.

This is definitely the direction I'd like to see the game go. Hopefully the first scenarios were more for proof of concept, and as the game grows the scenarios will develop accordingly with player feedback. If it is possible to develop, I'd love to see this level of variability into the app based Keeper.

and not a puzzle person

Puzzles are a prominent part of Mansions of Madness experience, starting with the core box of first edition. I guess you haven't done your homework if you weren't prepared for this.

Have you read through the puzzle examples in Learn To Play guide?

That's just rude... try answering the question instead.

Rude or not, the truth is the truth.

So if anyone ever wonders why some of us refuse to buy into that "gamers are SUCH great people" b.s.? Exhibit "A.H." folks, an' no that doesn't stand for "A.rkham H.orror." Nowhere does it say this is a game about puzzles or that people who aren't brainiac from smartron V need not apply. This game is open to anyone who has the guts to try the whole "ordinary people up against extraordinary circumstances." thang. Even a "retard" like me. Deal with it.

Well I don't mean to be an Arkham Horror as you put it, but the description on the box, from the publisher,in the reviews, sneak peeks, etc all mentioned cunning puzzles. Also, puzzles are ment to be challenging, I've had a difficult yet enjoyable time with them, so there's no need to put yourself down. I recommend trying to be a little less defensive & not let others get to you, it's not worth getting angry over the little things.

To you as with all, I hope you have an enjoyable time gaming.

Yes, Arkham Horror, exactly what he meant by A. H.

Great games are diverse and require much thought, skill and luck to win. The puzzles aren't anything special and skill is achieved through practice. There are many "dumb down" games out there to choose from. I recommend Elder Sign for a simpler, easier game. While rudely put, there is nothing wrong with not wanting this game to become one of those "dumb down" games, especially over mastermind, a game I remember back from my tween years. Code breaking requires thought and practice but not a huge amount. No need to water down the game to the point of just throwing dice until you get the result you need.

Instead I suggest some M of M training, do a few practice runs at mastermind on the web, so when you have to crack a code in the game, it is something that can be done rather than something that ends the game.