Tips on writing a solution please

Games for Spectrum, C64, Amstrad, Amiga, Apple ][ and the rest of the 8-bit and 16-bit platforms. Pleas for help, puzzles, bug reports etc.

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zenobifan
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Joined: Thu Mar 12, 2009 4:52 pm

Tips on writing a solution please

#1 Post by zenobifan »

Hello, this is my first post.

I have a Zenobi collection CD and have been very slowly working my way through them all with help from the solutions and hints on this website and www.the-tipshop.co.uk.

I checked a while ago and think I have completed the following that don't have solutions/hints already posted:

Corporal Stone
Project Nova
Twelve Days of Christmas
Thirty-nine Steps
Case of the Beheaded Smuggler

I use Microsoft Excel to map and keep notes but these are very scatty. If I were to attempt to write a solution would someone be willing to review it? Or alternatively, I wouldn't mind waiting for someone to try these games themselves and I could provide my notes or just give hints instead if any are needed.

I think you can download some from www.worldofspectrum.org

Thanks,
Zenobifan
:)
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Gunness
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#2 Post by Gunness »

Hi there,
welcome to the forum!
Yes, sure I'll review your solutions for you :)

There are no "right ways" of writing these things, but it's always helpful to a) add comments to crucial steps (i.e.: When you pass the guard, make a note in the solution that this is only possible because you're wearing the uniform - often the game will not tell you this and people can easily get stuck at such points) and b) test your solution after you've written (I know, I should be better at this myself!)

Good luck

All the best,
Jacob
dave
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#3 Post by dave »

As Jacob says - it's all up to your personal style - I'm more verbose than most people, but for the basics, all you need is a set of commands.

It's a good idea to do a map, and everybody has their own favourite mapping tool (I use GUEmap, some people use ifmapper, some people just draw it).

One point I will say is play through your solution after you submit it, it's easy to miss one minor thing that will make it hard to finish (I too have fallen foul of forgetting to do this)!
terri
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#4 Post by terri »

Absolutely - check, check and double-check yet again. We have an "image" to maintain on this site, i.e for accuracy.

Re: 39 steps. I have a solution that I found out there, somewhere. So I suppose, you can write yours as well, as I never forwarded this one to Jacob.

If possible, write up your solution in .txt format, in Courier 10 font, and that will make life easier for Jacob.
terri
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#5 Post by terri »

I too, have completed a solution for Corporal Stone. I suppose it may depend on who sends the solution to Jacob first, as to which one he posts. If yours is beter than mine, I don't mind if yours supercedes mine.

Terri
Mark
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#6 Post by Mark »

Sort of old topic, I know, but one comment on drawing maps:

I use Corel Draw. Doesn't make a beauty of a map, but sure is effective and quick. With a few tiny tricks, you can make your life very easy, and have a map with like 30 locations, descriptions included, ready in 20 minutes.

Oh, this goes for the final version only, of course. While playing, it's pen and paper :wink:
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Gunness
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#7 Post by Gunness »

Actually, I'm a lazy lad, so I tend to map directly into Visio. I really love watching the map grow and grow and knowing that I won't have to transfer it from paper afterwards :)

Corel is another option, but if people want to go with open source, Open Office Draw is actually pretty good for maps.
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