Alice in Wonderland Rabbit Hole Math Thread!

[TaoPhoenix]

This one is for math-y topics where there are a couple of levels:
Specifically:
A. ___ can be enjoyed "lazily" as fun entertainment.
B. There is a ferociously difficult math problem underneath to understand it "for real". There's some room for "social discussion."

Lots of inspirations are exploding in my head. So badly, that they each need posts! Here goes!

I work well in an outline style, so expect a few layers per post, such that it will reward revisiting this thread ... uh ... X times! (See what I mean? What is the optimal time to revisit this thread vs how fast do I post after X days?)

[TaoPhoenix]

This post and related is about the cases in RPG dealing with what is the perfect right curve to level up, monster stats, gold/weapons/magic/___/___ goodies ratios both layout and realtime speed, character vs combat, and more.

[TaoPhoenix]

This is about the Marilyn Vos Savant type stuff where ____ (choose denomination) yelled at her over the "basic" problem of which door you pick on Let's Make a Deal.

Basically, it had to do with information timing theory and when you learned what, to switch doors. But basically huge swaths of people got it wrong, and unlike everything else they got wrong, that one made them angry.

[TaoPhoenix]

Lots of room here.

All kinds of inspirations:

1. When (Paul) Michael Larson *pulverized* Press Your Luck in May 1984. This inspiration is about going beyond slight tips and tricks. Larson was in between work and had time to spend noticing that ... wait for it ... what if those dancing lights *weren't* random!? And why did no one break it open before him? Once the machinery was known, why didn't X people break it after him? (Did the studio get really suspicious of memory oriented people?)

2. Funny clips on TV shows/bloopers!
A. Anne Robinson played such a stern persona that about once in ... X ... shows (see? the math won't go away!) tried to rise to the verbal challenges!
B. Hilarious clips on other obscure shows
C. (Left Blank for Later)

3. "Fun vs Math"
A. Thread inspired by this game:
http://buzzerblog.com/games/moneyvault/
The "Heuristic" is quite simple - you spread them out. But you don't know (initially/yet!?) how the money cards work on the two sides, aka why they are not just random, so "anyone" can get 6-8 entries on the board. But it's about the last few/couple that prove to be really tough because that asks you to get some 10-30% chance the final number will work. (Edited to include that a nasty run of numbers will bust you out!)

Yay. Game. But assuming no comp generator cheating, what ARE the actual odds? What is in fact the "optimal" strategy, and how often will it in fact fail?

I have NO idea how to frame that. But someone does, and I think it's a single equation (sufficiently long!). And Someone in this crazy wild world knows how to write that!

(This goes back to my old love of Solitaire, same meta genre. Notice the "Helps". So you/whoever make sure the equation covers the help resources!)

Enjoy!

--Tao

[Vurbal]

This post and related is about the cases in RPG dealing with what is the perfect right curve to level up, monster stats, gold/weapons/magic/___/___ goodies ratios both layout and realtime speed, character vs combat, and more.

-TaoPhoenix (September 30, 2013, 07:09 PM)

The correct answer is to switch to Hero System to expand the possibilities and accomplish most of it during character generation. Both simpler and more complex, but that's what happens when your game is designed by an engineer. 

[Renegade]

This post and related is about the cases in RPG dealing with what is the perfect right curve to level up, monster stats, gold/weapons/magic/___/___ goodies ratios both layout and realtime speed, character vs combat, and more.

-TaoPhoenix (September 30, 2013, 07:09 PM)

The correct answer is to switch to Hero System to expand the possibilities and accomplish most of it during character generation. Both simpler and more complex, but that's what happens when your game is designed by an engineer. 

-Vurbal (September 30, 2013, 10:05 PM)

Hahaha! 

The Hero System is excellent! Takes forever, but give you the best fine-grained control of just about any RPG system out there.

[app103]

* app103 backs her dyscalculic butt back out of here. 

[Deozaan]

* app103 backs her dyscalculic butt back out of here. 

-app103 (October 01, 2013, 06:30 PM)

Is it abnormal to have a dyscalculic rear end? I'm pretty sure my bottom never learned any mathematics. . .

[tomos]

* app103 backs her dyscalculic butt back out of here.  

-app103 (October 01, 2013, 06:30 PM)

Is it abnormal to have a dyscalculic rear end? I'm pretty sure my bottom never learned any mathematics. . .

-Deozaan (October 04, 2013, 02:18 PM)

where I come from, we call it getting things arseways

[app103]

Is it abnormal to have a dyscalculic rear end? I'm pretty sure my bottom never learned any mathematics. . .

-Deozaan (October 04, 2013, 02:18 PM)

Well, that depends...

Do you know your left cheek from your right? Or do you have to think about it?