This was actually intended as a dry run for a later, serious “Solve this or the story ends sadly” puzzle
Given that he was “amazed” at our performance this time, presumably an equivalent performance would pass the future test — but even if that’s true it doesn’t comfort me much.
I humbly beg our author to consider simply withholding updates, rather than issuing an ultimatum that may result in us never getting the “true” ending. “I won’t post any more chapters until you solve this,” rather than “I’m going to torch the last few years of your life if you’re not smart enough.”
I agree, this is a bad idea. I didn’t figure out the answer when it was just for fun; my performance will probably only get worse under stress (and there’s not much farther to fall from “uh… well, maybe it has to do with destroying Dementors, I give up”).
I know this shows no confidence in my own rationality, or that of the other readers, but can we please just have a normal story?
…did you mean “along with a true ending”? Because “instead of” is precisely what I fear, but your links seem to indicate that we might get both endings? I don’t understand, and Three Worlds Collide predates my awareness of Less Wrong so I don’t have firsthand knowledge of exactly how that went down.
I think he meant that in case of failure, the happy ending will simply become the “false ending” instead of the “true ending”. Since we get both either way, there really isn’t a difference.
With a sudden motion, the Confessor’s arm swept out...
… and anesthetized the Lord Pilot.
… [This option will become the True Ending only if someone suggests it in the comments before the previous ending is posted tomorrow. Otherwise, the first ending is the True one.]
So, after what happened.. turns out I was both wrong and right.
If a viable solution is posted before 12:01AM Pacific Time (8:01AM UTC) on Tuesday, March 3rd, 2015, the story will continue to Ch. 121.
Otherwise you will get a shorter and sadder ending.
So failure would have just meant the end, and yet there was nothing to worry about: the much larger audience managed to figure out a space of much more effective solutions, along with a much more hilarious space of failures.
I wish to register my alarm at this:
Given that he was “amazed” at our performance this time, presumably an equivalent performance would pass the future test — but even if that’s true it doesn’t comfort me much.
I humbly beg our author to consider simply withholding updates, rather than issuing an ultimatum that may result in us never getting the “true” ending. “I won’t post any more chapters until you solve this,” rather than “I’m going to torch the last few years of your life if you’re not smart enough.”
I agree, this is a bad idea. I didn’t figure out the answer when it was just for fun; my performance will probably only get worse under stress (and there’s not much farther to fall from “uh… well, maybe it has to do with destroying Dementors, I give up”).
I know this shows no confidence in my own rationality, or that of the other readers, but can we please just have a normal story?
There’s nothing to worry about. We were presented with the same challenge in Three Worlds Collide. If we don’t succeed, we will just get a false ending instead of a true ending.
A always thought the false ending was better.
What can I say? I’m a sucker for stories where everyone lives happily ever after. :-)
I agree. The “false” ending definitely ranks higher in my CEV than the “true” ending.
…did you mean “along with a true ending”? Because “instead of” is precisely what I fear, but your links seem to indicate that we might get both endings? I don’t understand, and Three Worlds Collide predates my awareness of Less Wrong so I don’t have firsthand knowledge of exactly how that went down.
I think he meant that in case of failure, the happy ending will simply become the “false ending” instead of the “true ending”. Since we get both either way, there really isn’t a difference.
Gotcha. As long as we do get to read the full, complete, unbesmirched and unabridged “good” ending, I can live with that.
Yes. The exact phrasing of the challenge was:
So, after what happened.. turns out I was both wrong and right.
So failure would have just meant the end, and yet there was nothing to worry about: the much larger audience managed to figure out a space of much more effective solutions, along with a much more hilarious space of failures.