It’s A Thrill I Can’t Shake

[Roses and Butterflies – Making April]

I think I’ll try to explain how to play Minesweeper today.

I know you can just google it, but I always thought it would be fun to try to explain something.

Minesweeper isn’t a game of luck (for most parts). It’s a game of simple logic and having a good eye.

It also relies heavily on you being able to count. Can you count? If you can’t count, then don’t try to play this game.

Alright, so what are the numbers and etc for?

Alright, I pretty much set up a custom made field that is very very very easily solved. (I’m using Windows 7, so it looks different.) You see how in the middle there’s a block of 1s surrounding an untouched block?

The numbers indicate how many mines are next to it. IMMEDIATELY next to it. As in top, bottom, left right, or diagonally.

So in this block of 1s, there is only 1 mine in the center.

But look at the bottom of the screen, there is a long block, and amongst the numbers there is a 2.

Now, you’d think that the mines would be…

Right? No. Look at the top cross, it has two 1s, immediately to its right and left.

Because those 1s already have a mine recorded next to it, it can’t have another mine in any of the other 8 directions (top, bottom, left, right, and diagonally etc). Therefore, the bottom cross which would be diagonally down from the 1s on other side of the top cross should NOT be a mine.

So what is it really?

The crosses are where the mines are, the blocks are the safe ones.

That’s a pretty basic and easy way of solving minesweeper. Once you get to bigger numbers, it’s a lot trickier.

That’s intermediate level, and I couldn’t be bothered doing any more.

But as you can see (hopefully) it’s just a matter of counting how many mines are already discovered for a certain number. If there is already 2 mines for a 2, then all the other spaces immediately adjacent to that 2 would be safe.

Start off with easy levels – or make your own custom easy levels – and you’ll get used to counting and looking out for mines.

To answer: no I have yet to finish an expert completely, my best streak ended at 17 mines to go.

Happy mine hunting!

Also, and this is just a funny thing: On Windows 7 there is an option to change it from mines to flowers. Hey, world peace starts with one small game, right?

Alex.

/edit.

P.S., while the concept is the same, the way to win in Minesweeper on MSN games is very different, because it is a turn-based game. So today when I thought I could beat Katherine, I was soundly defeated in the first round, and only managed to scrape by the 2nd round as the victor through sheer luck. I take my hat off to Katherine.

A Footnote In Someone Else’s Happiness

[Does Your Husband Know – Fall Out Boy]

Happy Chinese New Year, and happy Valentines for 2010!

This is YEEEEEEEEEEAR…of the TIIIIGER! (Sing that to Eye Of The Tiger).

I didn’t write about Thursday, so this will be fast, since it’s quite late.

On Thursday I went to Monash Uni to play badminton with Jenny, Lois and He-. It was a very hot day, and so I sweated a LOT. But it was a good feeling to finally do something active again – even though I knew at the time, and surely enough it did happen, my body would pay for it afterwards.

After badminton (in which He- soundly beat me) we went to Maccas (yes the irony isn’t lost on me) for lunch. Just managed to catch the 12 – 2 lunch specials, so got a six-dollar Quarter Pounder meal.

Said bye to Lois and He- after lunch, and went with Jenny to Cold Rock. It started raining by then (just started. Little did we know how bad it would get) so we went into the Glen and hid out in the food court. I left with Mom came to pick me up, and when we were about 2 minutes away from the front door it really broke loose. The 10 second dash from car to door actually soaked me.

And my area had it easy. South Melbourne and Flinders, as reported on the news, were at times knee deep in water.

Jenny told me afterwards that after I left the power went out at the Glen and she was left stranded there in the dark.

I laughed.

Friday was uneventful; took Mom to the doctors for her routine checkup, and bought pizza home because Dad wasn’t going to be home for dinner and obviously she doesn’t trust my cooking.

Today I woke up after having slept 10 hours without realizing it again – seriously, I thought I’d broken the habit! – and went out to finally buy the coleslaw I’ve been craving the entire day prior. I ate coleslaw while watching the Vancouver opening ceremony, but went downstairs to watch Conan movies halfway through.

Got my computer back – as you can see – and now I’m running on Windows 7. The interface is still something I should get used to.

That’s a quick catch up for now. Originally was going to go to St Kilda fest and/or movies with Jenny tomorrow/today (technically today, by now) but she has to stay home to take care of her brother. So postponage!

Alex.