Olympia Times v3n2 From: skrenta@blekko.rt.com (Rich Skrenta) Date: Sat, 04 Apr 1992 13:14:45 +0000 +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | The Olympia Times times@olympia.rt.com | | April 3, 1992 v3n2 | | | | Turn 17 Circulation 98 "I.K.B." | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ Orders due: Tuesday, April 7, 1992 Questions, comments, bug reports, to play: olympia@rt.com I can't decide between running turns once per week and twice per week. Once per week seems too long to wait, but twice comes too fast! Ah well, let's have another one quickly. Note the order due date! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Welcome to all of the new players added to Olympia this turn! I have been impressed with the sophistication of many of the new players' orders, and with their _Times_ entries. Hopefully they will finds lots of bugs and make many fine suggestions, as well as enjoying themselves in Olympia. Reminder: Put your unit's number on the Subject: line for _Times_ submissions, to assure proper crediting of the 25 gold. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Guild Elections! Guild Elections! I will experiment with a guildmaster election system over the next few turns. Each of your units belonging to a guild may issue the order: SET 0 PROXY <who> to cast a standing vote for <who> as the guildmaster of their guild. Guild elections will take place, progamming permitting, next turn, and on yearly dates specific to each guild. During a guild election, the guild members' set proxy votes will be scanned to determine the most favored candidate. This unit will be elected guild master. Ties with incumbents will favor the incumbent. Ties among other candidates will favor the more skilled unit. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ashen-Shugar breifly glaces at this months riddle... Last month's being too simple to bother with, this one is slightly more stimulating... "Hmm... Perhaps, pour #1 into #2, #2 into #3, #3 into #1, #2 into #3, #1 into #2, and #2 into #3, leaving bottle #2 with 4 units. Sigh." Ashen-Shugar yawns, tosses his answer to Drizzt for deliverly, and returns to his magical studies... Tutoring is also availible in combat from Drizzt Do'Urden, right hand of Ashen-Shugar. Contact as666@cleveland.freenet.edu" for details! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Protectorate now, is it? Mark my words, Pelenth will next be claiming us as his "empire." =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= The young mage looked up from his studies at the paper, brought by one of his newly persuaded friends. "Well, I might as well try one of these idiotic riddles, mabye it will distract me from this sword thing I found. Math, is it? Easy, except that the infamous riddler got it wrong, since the minimal answer is six rather than the seven he proposes. 3-1 2-3 3-1 2-3 1-2 2-3. And, just to make it a correct answer, rather than a good one, 3-1 to make it seven (not to meantion that I get to keep both bottles). =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= At last, the riddler was posing real problems, none of the curator nonsence about crawling about and walking sticks. The first obvious thing was that the riddler wasn't that good at posing problems exactly, for instance where did he say that you couldn't just pour half the liquid onto the 2nd bottle? Well, supposing that you could only pour full bottles of liquid, then where was He? What about extra bottles? He always carried some around with Him, but again He supposed that that was really a little against the spirit of the problem. Scratching His head, He set to work, and in a little time had proved that the problem was unsolvable (the editors are busy discussing whether or not its ethical to include a page from His workbook as an appendix to the times this month). Wandering through His lab in the tower of magicians He spied a barrel and two flasks (of five and three units sizes respectivly). Coincidently the barrel held exactly eight unit measures of Ethenol. Firstly He filled the quint flask. With a deft second action He poured as much as could fit from the quint into the trebble. In a clumsy third movement He tipped the quint flask over. A cleaver fourth movement saw Him pouring the trebble flask back into the barrel. Fifthly he once more filled the quint flask, and in a quick sixth movement once more tipped as much as would fit from the quint flask into the trebble. With a last seventh movement He emptied the trebble back into the barrel. How He hated insolvable problems... =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= *** GREETINGS FELLOW CITIZENS! *** Being a member in good standing of the Acadamy of Engineers, I hereby offer to take up the mantle of GuildMasterShip of said Acadamy. I have much experience in the field that the Acadamy covers, and shall provide every benefit to said Acadamy, to the limit of my power. Engineers are perhaps not a major part of the world, but I feel it SHOULD be, and will devote my attention to that matter. Thank you for your support. Thorfield Larsen [1199] =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= [Letters to the Editor] Dear sirs, It has come to my attention that several guilds have been formed recently, and also that most of these do not have guildmasters. It is my formulated opinion that the Shipwright, Thorfield Larsen, is most suited for GuildMastership of the Acadamy of Engineers. Many thanks, Gabriel Synthon =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= SINCE the wilderness surrounding the fair burgh of Caburh is unknown and of myterious portent, and the threats of bandits and such present possiblle danger to solitary travellers unskilled in the arts of war, WE propose that all those interested in undertaking a most arduous journey to Summerbridge under our aegis, for the advantage of safety in numbers, meet in the town square of Caburh on the morn of the first day of Snowmelt and JOIN 815. The Brothers Hecatoncheires =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= The answer to last weeks riddle about the druid and his life-restoring liquid and all the restrictions is as follows: Remember we had three bottles: No.1 with 8 (or more if you wish) units, No.2 with 5 units and No.3 with 3 units. And finally we were only allowed to poor seven times. This is how you pour: This is the situation you get: ---------------------------------------------------------- Start 8 0 0 No.1 in No.3 5 0 3 (first time) No.3 in No.2 5 3 0 (second time) No.1 in No.3 2 3 3 (third time) No.3 in No.2 2 5 1 (fourth time) No.2 in No.1 7 0 1 (fifth time) No.3 in No.2 7 1 0 (sixth time) No.1 in No.3 4 1 3 and voila, 4 units in the first bottle! Well "elder" wizard, did you crack this one? If you did, you can be very proud of yourself! Well, do you? O.K. then, here's this weeks riddle! The Sherrif and his sibling Faldred have been challenged to race eachother. The race is as follows: The one who's horse reaches Drassa second will receive a prize of 1000 gold. You understand that neither the Sherrif nor Faldred want to move a foot. Can you help this poor soul and his sprout? The answer, once again in the next edition of this fabulous, free-distributed chronicle. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Soon the secret of these spells will be known and I will have all power within my grasp. These other fools run around complaining about this and that, always finding excuses for their lack of commitment to excellence. Soon they will realise their mistake. Very soon... =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= The Quick Olympia Crossword (3) =============================== The one with the most answers correct gets 5 gold from Kaspar [581]. If you get the whole thing correct, he'll give you 10 gold. In the case of ties, the money is divided between the winners. Send entries to "Rob@ccc.govt.nz" ____________________________________ |1 | |2 | |##|3 |4 | | |5 |##|6 | Clues Across |__|__|__|__|##|__|__|__|__|__|##|__| ============ | |##| |##|7 |##| |##|##|8 | | | 1) & 3) Location of second Beastmaster's |__|##|__|##|__|##|__|##|##|__|__|__| Tower (3310) |9 | | | | | | | |##| |##| | 8) Remains from burning paper etc |__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|##|__|##|__| 9) Accessible via 1036 or 1077 | |##| |##| |##| |##|10|##|##| | 11) To forget or leave out |__|##|__|##|__|##|__|##|__|##|##|__| 13) Began, commenced |11| | |12|##|13| |14| |15| | | 16) Therefore, hence |__|__|__|__|##|__|__|__|__|__|__|__| 17) Neither | |##|16| |##| |##|17| | |##| | 18) Just South of 9) across |__|##|__|__|##|__|##|__|__|__|##|__| 20) Method for sending Olympia moves | |##|##| |##|18| | | | |19| | 22) To perform or accomplish |__|##|##|__|##|__|__|__|__|__|__|__| 23) Virus or Fever |20| |21| |##|##|##| |##|22| |##| 25) South of Nallos |__|__|__|__|##|##|##|__|##|__|__|##| 27) The Aceum ______ | |##| |##|##|23| | | | | |24| 28) Colour or shade |__|##|__|##|##|__|__|__|__|__|__|__| 29) Thus, accordingly |25|26| | | | |##| |##|27| | | 31) Adjacent to Mt. Norgar, via 1017 |__|__|__|__|__|__|##|__|##|__|__|__| |28| | |##|##|##|##|29|30|##|##| | Clues Down |__|__|__|##|##|##|##|__|__|##|##|__| ========== |##| |##|##|##|31| | | | | | | 1) One who studies 117 |##|__|##|##|##|__|__|__|__|__|__|__| 2) Sea SE of Drassa 4) River flowing through Drassa etc 5) A snooze or short sleep 6) SE of West Habyn 7) also, as well as 10) Speed of moving horse 12) To work 13) A small drink 14) Scribe, one who keeps the archives 15) What a person trained in [111] does to earn his living 19) A thorned flower 21) What Merinth is on 23) Exists 24) A large bag, or to plunder and loot 26) Yours and mine 31) A choice, either Quick Olympian Crossword Answers (2) ===================================== Across ====== 1) Pactra 6) Magic 9) Ode 10) At 11) List 13) Pal 14) Trespass 16) Fun 17) On 18) A 19) Attacked 23) Lie 25) Hi 26) Voted 27) Re 28) Shit 31) Echaliatic 33) Owl 35) Ere 36) Sallen 37) Gird Down ==== 1) & 19) Port Aurnos 2) Ad 3) Celenth 4) Rasp 5) Attack 6) Maps 7) Gulf 8) Change 12) Is 15) Rot 18) A 19) Aurnos 20) AI 21) Evil 22) Doting 23) Letter 24) Id 28) Shoe 29) Ha 30) Ace 31) Ell 32) IRD 34) WA =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Fellow Mages, Come share your research with me, and we may all grow together. Already several of you have come forwards and our tome grows heavy with your efforts. Currently I know of the following incantations: [ Here Merlinium attempts to give away the some of the Great Secrets of Olympia. This information is far too hard to get to just let new players read it in the _Times_, so I have thoughtfully censored it. -- Skrenta ] Now you may be thinking that there is nothing you know that I want, this is not so. Even if you already know the words of power that I have placed before you, I can learn much. Write to me,l tell me of the paths you know, and how long you trod them before comming unto enlightenment [editors note: here we expect Merlinium means how long you took to learn the spell in question, along with the level of magical research you possessed at the time]. I am composing a guide for those who follow in my footsteps, and thus while knowledge the time taken is of no use to me, (for I already know the incantations) I seek to gather the information for those who come after. For those of you who know other incantations, I am willing to share further information. For those of you who wish to know more about the above magic, then simply inform me of what it is you wish to know, the sharing of information makes us both the richer. Once more, for those of you who like the material world, I am prepared to pay CASH, twenty coins of gold per spell that is not listed above. But remember, this information is for the good of our guild as a whole, so I'd much rather share existing information that pay. And remember come election time: Vote Merlinium [537]. >< M >< =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= My name is Gertan Dryder [816] and I believe that I can solve your riddle. Pour #1 into #2. Pour #2 into #3. Pour #3 into #1. Pour #2 into #3. Pour #1 into #2. Pour #2 into #3. Administer #2 to the victim. Here is a table illustrating the contents of each jug after steps one through six. Step seven is to administer the potion. Step 8 gal. 5 gal. 3 gal. -------------------------------------- 0 8 0 0 1 3 5 0 2 3 2 3 3 6 2 0 4 6 0 2 5 1 5 2 6 1 4* 3 - Gertan =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= The fastest !! The biggest !! and the most beautiful ships in Drassa !!! by Zafol, of course. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Surely, band together... send to this noble and altruistic person a copy of all turn reports; with 'personal' information removed of course. What praytell is entailed by 'personal' information? Merely name and actions, or does this include the results of actions, plans, and goals in progress? Perhaps a better phrasing would be: Please send to me your turn reports, as I would like to reap the benefits of your efforts and use you as lackeys to explore the land. Btw, I hardly think that the 'Elders' will wish to remove newcomers from the game; perhaps you would care to explain what on earth newcomers could have that experienced players (and characters) would want? Even so, let us assume that they would wish to take our few paltry possessions; how can a band of inexperienced and weak characters hold off an experienced character more easily than one newcomer alone? A hundred gnats against a giant is just as uneffective as one, just slightly more annoying. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Roving Reporter's Column ======================== New immigrants arriving ======================= As all of the more establised inhabitants may be aware, (or not), a sudden influx of new immigrants has been deposited on the shores of Olympia in several scattered locations. These new inhabitants are, of course, confused and stunned by the sudden shift in their location and must therefore be given time to acclimatise themselves and adjust to the fact they are temporarily homeless and footloose. I request that you do not descend upon them, raping and looting. I realise that they are all extremely rich at this stage, having arrived with 5000 gold coins in each of their bank accounts, but this should be no incentive to even the most depraved amongst you to murder them for profit. And the fact that there are in excess of 40 of them (yes thats 200,000+ gold) should not influence you in any way. Will this sudden influx of gold into this land cause inflation to race out of control ? Who is managing the financial affairs of the world ? What will happen when the different trading worlds meet ? Is this indeed where our brave Sheriff has already gone ? Surely he would not be intending to offer his services elsewhere ? (Even if they can afford to pay for his services - something the inhabitants of Drassa would never do). Indeed, I would encourage these homeless waifs to quickly organise yourselves. Defend yourselves against those who would prey upon your inexperience in this troubled world !! They may be anywhere, and they may be anyone !! The fact that you are temporarily isolated is no defence. Indeed, I have already found a point on my map which looks as though it may match some of those for the new arrivals. Maybe even a roving reporter needs a change of faces..... (in the interests of unbiased reporting only of course !) =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Yo Riddler, Ahh ... a challenge ... but a rather simple one ... 1) Pour 5 units from original bottle to #2 2) Pour 3 units from #2 to #3 3) Pour 2 units from #2 to #1 4) Pour 3 units from #3 to original bottle repeat steps 1-3, and 7 pours will give you 4 units in bottle #1. "Fools are those who dare to seek the Cup of Truth, for those who find it shall alone savor its bitter juice." - Random Deity - =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ES- I want to say that I look forward to seeing you when I finally finish exploring the North. I've just got a dispatch from our lord E saying that you'll be passing time in D. I hope it is profitable for you. Make sure you shake up that transfer over from LJ's troop. Put him through his paces. I expect to pass through D at some point. Just listen for your favorite song bird and 'twil be me. By the way, how is LJ doing. It's been ages since we've seen each other. I'll try and stop by P or R and see him as well. Good luck on your work. Until next we meet, may you not receive any wooden gold pieces. Later, EE =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Note, I have requested that this be placed last in this weeks times as it is only of interest to those who are keenly interested in the inner workings of magic [maths] (or riddles!) ================================================== A proof of the insolvability of the bottle riddle. ================================================== The problem: We have three bottles, sized Large, 5 and 3 (the large bottle is capable of holding any amount of the liquid). Initially the Large bottle holds 8 units of the liquid, and the other two bottles none. By pouring from one bottle to the other (until either the first bottle is empty, or the 2nd is full), try to seperate 4 units of the liquid. You are allowed up to seven pours [not that this matters]. The pouring lemma: The pouring lemma states that if bottle X has just poured into bottle Y, and bottle Y is not full, then bottle X must be empty. Firstly remember that we can only pour the whole of a bottle into another bottle. Given that only whole bottles can be poured, and that we have not filled up the bottle that we are pouring into, the only possible reason is that we have run out of liquid to pour. Case analysis: There are two possible final conditions, the first is that the four parts are contained in bottle 1, the second is that they are contained in bottle 2. They cannot be in bottle 3, as that has a maximum capacity of 3. Case 1: bottle 1 contains the 4 units: If this is so, then the other four units must be spread amongst bottles 2 & 3. This could be done in various possible ways, as expressed: Case Bottle 2 Bottle 3 1.1 4 0 1.2 3 1 1.3 2 2 1.4 1 3 Case 1.1: If this were so, then either the liquid was poured into bottle 1 from bottle 2 or bottle 3. Case 1.1.1: The liquid was poured from bottle 2. This cannot be so as bottle 2 contains some liquid (the pouring lemma forbids this). Case 1.1.2: This is also not the case. If this were so, then bottle 2 would already have had the four units of liquid in it, and there would have been no point in pouring more liquid into bottle 1 (see case 2.X) Case 1.1 is therefore dismissed. Case 1.2 is impossible also. This is because both bottles 2 and 3 still hold liquid and thus, by the pouring lemma neither could have poured the liquid into bottle 2 Case 1.3 is invalid for the same reason as 1.2 Case 1.4 is invalid for the same reason as 1.2 Case 2: Bottle 2 holds the 4 units. If this is so, then the other four units of liquid must be spread amonst the other two flasks as follows: Case bottle 1 bottle 3 2.1 1 3 2.2 2 2 2.3 3 1 2.4 4 0 Case 2.1 As both bottle 1 and bottle 3 hold some liquid, the pouring lemma assures us that neither could have poured the liquid into bottle 2. Case 2.2 This is invalid for the same reason as 2.1 Case 2.3 This is invalid for the same reason as 2.1 Case 2.4 From the pouring lemma, we know that bottle 2 must have been filled from bottle 3. However if this were so, then bottle 1 would already have had four units of the liquid in it, and we know that this is impossible (from case 1). Thus in conclusion, we can see that the only way that bottle 1 could hold the four units of the liquid is if bottle 2 already contained four units, and the only way that bottle 2 could contain the four units, is if bottle 1 already contained the four units. As initialy bottle 1 contains eight units, and bottle 2 contains 0 units of the liquid, both of these situations are impossible, and the riddle cannot be solved. >< M >< -- 1323 orders queued for 194 units Up