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2048 Numberwang

louhuang.com

71–80 of 116 posts

Re: 2048 Numberwang

#71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, "That's numberwang" does not indicate winning nor the end of the game. It just pops up at random throughout the game.

Ah yes - that's true in the BBC 4 version of the rules, introduced in 1968. I think most countries use that now. In Australia we play according to the original rule set, hence the misunderstanding.

Presumably you modify the rules to allow lateral shunts though, as per the the 1963 Davison Reformed Numberwang Rule Set (Version 3)?

Re: 2048 Numberwang

#72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm really interested to know what his process was, since he didn't seem to actually know the product he was subtracting 50 from.

Well it seems that he was always going for 4 from the top row, which reliably gives him 25, 50, 75 and 100 (I think). He then uses the ability to divide by 25 to treat these as an additional 2, 3 and 4. So once he has 318, he does (318 * 3) - 2 to get his 952, except via the 25s; ((318 * 75) - 50)/25. It's a hack; increasing the set of available numbers by guaranteeing the presence of a common divisor.

And that's Numberwang!

Re: 2048 Numberwang

#74
post #28
post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It makes slightly more sense when you understand the context: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfa3MHLLSWI

Carol Vordaman is just brilliant. To tie back full circle [1], if anyone hasn't seen it there's a great UK show called Only Connect. It may appeal to people on here as it's a fiendishly difficult pattern matching game. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AB31ymF8zA [1] The hostess (Victoria Coren) recently married David Mitchell - the co-creator of the numberwang sketch

Flash-based online game version of Only Connect:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00lskhg/features/quiz

edit: which they've massively expanded since I last looked, I think they only had about 14 boards, now they have hundreds and seem to allow you to submit your own.

Re: 2048 Numberwang

#77
post #5

Looks like the internal state of the numbers that actually decide what can be merged is changed when you press a key. Also works if you hold it down, which is a bug I think. Just hold down one direction to observe.

This game does not any have bugs by design. If you discover a bug than it is a feature.

Re: 2048 Numberwang

#78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm really interested to know what his process was, since he didn't seem to actually know the product he was subtracting 50 from.

I'd think of the thought process a bit differently than lclarkmichalek, though of course with the same result. To get close to 952, you can quickly think of 106x9. 106 is easy to obtain and you have a 3. You can get another 3 from 75/25. You're now at 954 with only a 50 left. If you could divide by 25, that would give you the 2 you're missing but you already used the 25, unless you were to divide later. So instead of…

I was wondering how he thought of that. Even though we don't know, this explanation is beautiful and makes a lot of sense. Thanks!

Re: 2048 Numberwang

#79
post #76
post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The pilot debuted on BBC α

Mornington Crescent!

Do HN users outside of the UK get the surreality and humour of this entire conversation?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mornington_Crescent_(game)

You can tell it's currently morning in the UK and night-time in the USA.

Re: 2048 Numberwang

#80
post #48

I think I should have won by now: https://www.dropbox.com/s/2hokoh94hujyf2j/Screenshot%202014-... I thought it played normally, and it does for a while, but it always eventually seems to randomly revert your high tiles (I verified that I had at least 1024 by checking the debugger). [edit:] Ah, I found the code. It's possible to win but you have to survive the small chance that it will perform a random merge and destr…

Hm, the comment is wrong, it's 0.5% chance.

And that's CommentWang..

I'll get my coat

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