What kind of puzzles do you enjoy? (if any)

[Thingdo]

I'd also really like to see some logic problems in there. You could have some easier ones like:

 

You are an archaeologist that has just unearthed a long-sought triplet of ancient treasure chests. One chest is plated with silver, one with gold, and one with bronze. According to legend, one of the three chests is filled with great treasure, whereas the other two chests both house man-eating pythons that can rip your head off. Faced with a dilemma, you then notice that there are inscriptions on the chests:

 

Silver Chest: Treasure is in this Chest.

Gold Chest: Treasure is not in this Chest.

Bronze Chest : Treasure is not in the Gold Chest.

You know that at least one of the inscriptions is true, and at least one of the inscriptions is false. Which chest do you open?

 

or possibly some slightly harder ones like:

 

There are 12 stones, 11 of equal weight, 1 of unequal weight (either heavier or lighter).

 

Use 3 weighings on a balance scale to tell what stone has a different weight and if it is heavier or lighter.

Edited December 18, 2012 by Thingdo

[aluminiumtrioxid]

or possibly some slightly harder ones like:

 

There are 12 stones, 11 of equal weight, 1 of unequal weight (either heavier or lighter).

 

Use 3 weighings on a balance scale to tell what stone has a different weight and if it is heavier or lighter.

 

Don't make me laugh.

[Zeckul]

CS stands for Computer Science btw...

 

I think the puzzle element should be kept light and easy. Few people play these games for the intellectual challenge. Mathematical enigmas are particularly bad because those with solid algebra will only be slightly annoyed while everyone else will google the solutions. The genie in the Circus of Athkatla (BG2) was an egregious example of this, requiring to solve an equation with two unknowns and an infinity of solutions.

[Thingdo]

or possibly some slightly harder ones like:

 

There are 12 stones, 11 of equal weight, 1 of unequal weight (either heavier or lighter).

 

Use 3 weighings on a balance scale to tell what stone has a different weight and if it is heavier or lighter.

 

Don't make me laugh.

 

I don't understand why that would make you laugh. While it may not be extremely hard, I've never actually seen any non puzzle-based game have anything that difficult. The most difficult ones I've seen in games have been more in line with the first one I posted.

[wanderon]

CS stands for Computer Science btw...

 

I think the puzzle element should be kept light and easy. Few people play these games for the intellectual challenge. Mathematical enigmas are particularly bad because those with solid algebra will only be slightly annoyed while everyone else will google the solutions. The genie in the Circus of Athkatla (BG2) was an egregious example of this, requiring to solve an equation with two unknowns and an infinity of solutions.

 

At least with the circus genie there were multiple choice answers that allowed you a chance to simply guess correctly - which is often my style for solving annoying puzzles (and I find almost all of them annoying) - the bad thing about this is even when I guess correctly I am not usually able to recall what the answer was on the next playthrough -

[kabaliero]

i hate puzzles

i like exploring for secrets

[sparklecat]

I do like puzzles, but at the same time, if I'm in the mood for that I can fire up Portal. Or take an IQ test. When I'm playing an RPG (especially after my first playthrough), I don't want to spend two hours tracking back and forth between rooms, answering the same easy riddles, etc. So at the very least, let me skip them with skill/stat checks if I want.

 

Ones that are based on lore or interacting with NPCs, that's a different matter because it feels like it's my character being tested, not me. The BGII temple in the Umar Hills and the Skinner murders were fine, and something where tossing in a dispel or detect evil is actually useful outside of combat situations is always awesome. Or if I'm being questioned by ghosts/genies/whatever, I'd prefer it if there isn't a "right" answer I need to progress, but rather if my different characters' answers change what I'm confronted with later on. Especially when it gives an additional opportunity for roleplaying.

 

One that I rather liked was in KOTOR, where this one ancient machine was looking for some very specific, pragmatic/selfish responses to its hypotheticals. You could give those responses honestly, be a good Jedi who refused to compromise even in a hypothetical and fight some machines to move forward, or pay attention to the hints it had been giving about what it wanted and lie.

[Amberion]

I like interactive puzzles that use the environment. I don't really enjoy logic puzzles in the games that require me to go out of the game to work out the solution. Any puzzle that takes me too long to figure out is annoying. I do like manipulating things to solve puzzles.

[Sacred_Path]

I think the puzzle element should be kept light and easy. Few people play these games for the intellectual challenge. Mathematical enigmas are particularly bad because those with solid algebra will only be slightly annoyed while everyone else will google the solutions. The genie in the Circus of Athkatla (BG2) was an egregious example of this, requiring to solve an equation with two unknowns and an infinity of solutions.

 

There's also credibility. With the power of magic at their command, would wizards/ dungeon builders rely on mathematics to ward off intruders? That seems more like vanity than a serious attempt to keep things clandestine. Also it clearly breaks the fourth wall, since most fantasy worlds don't exactly feature a public school system.

 

The circus riddles I didn't approach algebraically but it was still easy to figure out, so that one's ok in my book.

[Lephys]

I like interactive puzzles that use the environment. I don't really enjoy logic puzzles in the games that require me to go out of the game to work out the solution. Any puzzle that takes me too long to figure out is annoying. I do like manipulating things to solve puzzles.

 

I definitely think the puzzles should be less logic/math-based and more game-environment-based. This seems to work better for a multitude of players, rather than being okay-to-awesome for the logic/math lovers and frustrating-to-hellish for everyone else. You can use the positioning and/or sequence of symbols/tiles/whathaveyou, and your puzzles are allowed to be decently complex while functioning off of simple concepts (like lining up a picture, etc.) Things that require observation of the specifics presented to figure out how to work towards the solution, then the effort of working toward the solution.

 

I don't think riddles and logic puzzles should be completely absent from the game, or that all puzzles should require hardly any effort (if anything, maybe some alternative way to get past the puzzle, so that your effort can be spent in a way you like more than via puzzle). But, I do think that the solutions to puzzles shouldn't rely too much on outside knowledge or mental prowess. This is akin to having pop trivia in the game, or "twitch-based" precision challenges at which FPS vets would excel and other players would be filled with frust-rage-tion.

[el pinko grande]

My official position is that I hate puzzles. Thinking critically, I should say that I actually like certain reaction-based puzzle mini-games from games like Bioshock, though it seems those are unpopular on here. But seriously, if I have to do another Towers of Hanoi-type puzzle, I'm going to put an axe through my computer and devote my gaming time solely to shooting pre-pubescent idiots in Halo.

[argan]

None.