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"Hugbot Research Lab" by Joshua Bone

added 23 Mar 2005 14:23
Solved7/8
Cooked0/8
Difficulty8.87
Style7.75
Rigidity4.12
Shortest Solution
NameSpeed Record
Length436 moves
ByDave
On22 Nov 2010 22:09

Comments (turn spoilers off)
14854 Hugbot Research Lab Dave (2400) Mon 22 Nov 2010 22:09 SPOILER
  Added speedrun: 436 moves (old: 475).
 
6580 Hugbot Research Lab RC (852) Sun 16 Jul 2006 01:03 SPOILER
  Added speedrun: 475 moves (old: 786).
Finally figured it out.
 
4138 Hugbot Research Lab mjn (118) Tue 30 Aug 2005 15:19  
  All this hugbot practice certainly helps with this level.

P.S. OCTweak, that's a hell of a speedrun on this!
 
2131 Hugbot Research Lab Joshua Bone (257) Sat 23 Apr 2005 17:20  
  Very nice solution! It is fun to see the different ways people solve this. It has proven to be much looser than I originally thought it to be.
 
2130 Hugbot Research Lab OCTweak (404) Sat 23 Apr 2005 17:08 SPOILER
  Added speedrun: 786 moves (old: 882).
Very good puzzle!
 
1570 Hugbot Research Lab Joshua Bone (257) Tue 05 Apr 2005 09:15 SPOILER
  Added solution "Original."
 
1564 Hugbot Research Lab Tom 7 (1) Tue 05 Apr 2005 02:28 SPOILER
  No insert key? Yikes! Well, you'll be able to use ctrl-i too in the next version, but by then solution playback should be done.

All new levels store the original solution, but I don't think that includes this one. They're uploaded as non-speedruns, so they don't get deleted.

Generally, I'd like to keep for each level
(1) the "intended solution"
(2) the fastest known solution (set as speedrun, so it is deleted when a faster one is uploaded)
(3+) any substantially different and interesting cooks

So, if you're uploading an "intended solution" (for an old level) or cook, don't mark it as a speedrun. (But then describe it in the comment field!)
 
1562 Hugbot Research Lab bpotetz (144) Tue 05 Apr 2005 01:54 SPOILER
  I wish I could have seen your original solution. Tom just told me about using insert to see everyone else's solutions. But then I discovered that most of the keyboards I have kicking around don't have insert keys anymore. Go figure. And on top of that, your original solution is gone now since it was only a speed run.
Tom - didn't you mention you had all the original solutions stored someplace? It would be neat if the originals were always available for download. I think that is the coolest use of solution managers, since it helps you decide about cooks and rigidity.
 
1237 Hugbot Research Lab Joshua Bone (257) Fri 01 Apr 2005 09:05 SPOILER
  Holey crap, Brian! I am impressed! Your solution has about twenty times as much style as mine did.
 
1203 Hugbot Research Lab bpotetz (144) Fri 01 Apr 2005 00:31 SPOILER
  Added speedrun: 882 moves (old: 2686).
Bah! Hugbots!
 
817 Hugbot Research Lab Joshua Bone (257) Tue 29 Mar 2005 22:29 SPOILER
  Added speedrun: 2686 moves (old: 999999).
 
740 Hugbot Research Lab Tom 7 (1) Fri 25 Mar 2005 11:23  
  Well, save and restore has been there for a long time, and it's basically just a less-convenient version of undo. In my opinion it makes the game better. For one thing it makes levels like "Level Error" (ugh) trivial, which hopefully is less incentive to make them. Second, it gets rid of some of the frustration in the game (from errant keypresses, or whatever), instead making the solving process a bit more high-level.

That said, it's clearly possible to make levels that are unreasonably difficult, and it's easier to make them with save and restore. But as always the responsibility to make good levels remains with the level authors, not the software itself!

(BTW, I think this is a good level).
 
736 Hugbot Research Lab Joshua Bone (257) Fri 25 Mar 2005 02:28  
  A late night thought:

Are features like save/reload and undo meant to be "extra" features of Escape, or integral parts of the game? Both features started out as luxuries, but with the addition of recent levels such as this one (Grand Prix also comes to mind), they have become necessities. (This level in particular, due to the unpredictability of the behavior of hugbots in groups, is virtually impossible without the undo feature).

I was just noticing how different the game is now than it was three months ago. I think the changes are really great, but I did want to point out the game's growing dependency on what were originally 'bonus' features.
 
703 Hugbot Research Lab Joshua Bone (257) Wed 23 Mar 2005 15:46  
  Tired of the ups and downs of human interaction? Fed up with failing romances? Sounds like YOU need some rest and relaxation! And what better way to relax than hanging out with the ultra-affectionate androids at the Hugbot Research Laboratory? Our ever-loving robotic staff members are positively gurgling with electric delight at the thought of your visit. They are specially programmed to be ready at a moments notice to endlessly soak up your affection like sponges. So next time you feel the need for a little bit of superhuman intimacy, come on down to Hugbot Research Laboratories, Inc., where we put the "bot" in "bottomless love".
 
702 Hugbot Research Lab Tom 7 (1) Wed 23 Mar 2005 15:29  
  More lost sleep, here I come!
 
701 Hugbot Research Lab Joshua Bone (257) Wed 23 Mar 2005 14:24  
  The dreaded sequel...