Pacman
EntertainmentDiscuss Pacman in the Discussions forums; Disclaimer: My theory has as yet only been tested out on the original pacman, furnished by the DF site. But since all the pacman games were pretty much the same, (...
Disclaimer: My theory has as yet only been tested out on the original pacman, furnished by the DF site. But since all the pacman games were pretty much the same, (cept Pacman Lady) or whatever that absurd game was called... it probably works on all the games.
I have a theory that there is a predictable system governing whether or not a bonus item appears in the level undergoing play. I've narrowed it down to two elements.
Element number 1.
That there are two specific dots which, when eaten, cause the code governing the appearance of the bonus item (cherry, banana, donut, beer, whatever). In order that the game's challenge be maintained, there is a randomizing factor implanted into the code that governs the location of the two specific dots. In other words, eating a certain dot causes the bonus item to appear. The challenge here is finding out which dot governs the appearance of the bonus item. The formula for this theory is as follows.
## Theory number 1.
%Bonus_name==Cherry
Vector1,Vector2==B4,d3
Hexvalue1==4th row horizontal, 3rd pill vertical
## Whereas vector1 and vector2 are the directional co-ordinates and Hex equates to the actual location.
%bonus_name==Cherry
Vector1,Vector2=C5,h3
Hexvalue2==5th row horizontal, 3rd pill vertical
##Shuffle values follows
Shuffle1==8 rows horizontal, 11 pills vertical
Shuffle2==12 rows horizontal, 4 pills vertical
Element number 2.
Element number two is similar, but doesn't hinge upon the eating of a specific dot. My secondary theory concerning how to predict the appearance of the bonus items is that by merely staying alive a specific number of seconds, the time lock on the appearance of the bonus item is unlocked. That is, the code's on/off switch flips from off to on.
Conclusion
In support of element number 1, I have noticed multiple times that eating a specific dot on the screen it causes the bonus item to appear. In support of number two, I have noticed that on specific levels, the bonus item sometimes suddenly appears for no apparent reason. Given that I cannot detect the specific cause of the bonus items appearance in the secondary case, I suspect that it is somehow related to the number of time increments that has passed by.
I haven't quite figured out the mathematical variables that control the movements of the ghosts, but I have figured out certain things.
1. That when Pac gets to close to the ghosts, it causes them to change directions.
2. That they for the most part change directions at right angles.
3. That they for the most part do not co-ordinate their movements.
4. That when pac gets to close to more than one of them, the tumbling selector makes a simultanious choice for the two or more that Pac is closer to.
This means that by moving towards the ghosts, you can cause them to move away from you, rather than towards you. I'll post later on about the specific patterns of inky, blinky, winky, and pinky. Or whatever the fuck their names are. I believe that the specific direction changes are governed by a shifting pattern of right angle calculations which has a tumbling selector. In other words, they only -appear- to be random and are in actuality predictable. Unfortunately, in order to figure out the variables that govern their movement I would need to watch them move through their patterns without pac man on the screen. So for now I'm not quite sure how I'm going to figure out the patterns of the ghosts, but for now I am going to continue to try to figure it out. Number 4 does not necessarily mean that they chose their movements. I just mean that they change movement vectors simultaniously, though it is not usually cordinated towards Pac man.
hey void, do you have a significant other? i'm not offering, but you might want to look into that. wow. mathmatics and pacman... i just play the damn thing.
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If you've done six impossible things this morning,
Why not round it off with breakfast at
Milliway's, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe!
This only applies to the original arcade PacMan as the code may have been changed over the years:
It's a well-known fact that the movements of the ghosts (inky, binky, pinky, and clyde) are governed by a preset system of codes and that they will move the same way every time you play a certain level.
In fact, it is possible to purchase a slim book which shows you the paths of the ghosts and the path to take through the level to ensure the highest score and the lowest likelihood of getting eaten.
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