Bemerkungen & Anleitung
There have been many code breaking games around. This is based on
one by a M.D.Langley as originating from around the time of the second
world war, and played by him and friends from the Fifties onwards. You
have to guess a code of digits, five in this case, for which are judged
correct by the number of digits in the guess which are present (ie have
a pairing) in the code (paired digits in the code are only counted
once), and the number of correct digits in the guess which also occur
in the same position in the code.
Thus suppose the CODE is 23678, and the guess is 13245; then this is
calculated 2 digits present (2 & 3), and 1 in the right place (the
3), or "2 and 1" or "2,1"
In the case of duplicated digits: Suppose the CODE is 26667, and the
guess is 61234; then this is calculated as 1 digit (in the guess) can
be paired with a digit in the CODE (the 6), and 0 in the right place -
so reports "1,0"
Suppose the CODE is 12345. The guess is 12244, which calculates as 1
digit in the guess can be paired with a digit in the CODE (the 2), and
1 digit is in the right place (the 2 in second place) - so reports
"1, 1".
From a series of reports a player infers the correct CODE. This is
Mastermind, but played with numbers on paper. Now here's the twist
(Turing's Twist) in Enigma Mastermind developed from the original by
J.Langley, before reporting, the two numbers in the report are added
before responding: thus instead of reporting "1,1" reports
"2", instead of "3,1" reports "4" and so
on! Obviously a report of "10" can only mean "5, 5"
- game over, but a report of "4" could mean "3,1",
"4,0" or "2,0"!
Playing the Java Applet
To play the game. You press the start game to 'start', and then enter
the code guesses using the keypad in the applet. Each complete guess is
then reported back. The top right box tells you when you have, won,
failed or given up.
Improvements
There are some option buttons added to the game to make it more
adaptable (see why). These can only be toggled when the game is not running, i.e.
when the applet is first loaded, or you have just quit or lost a game.
The label will change when you click on the button, to tell you which
option you have.
-
5 digits / 4 digits
This option allows you to choose whether the code is comprised of five
or four digits, and here's why.
-
Include Zero / No Zero
This option allows you to choose whether the code can contain the zero digit,
and here's why.
-
Duplicates / Unique
This option allows you to choose whether each number in the code should
be unique (all different), or whether the same digit can appear more
than once i.e. '12342'
-
Turings Twixt ON / OFF
This option allows you toggle the Turings Twixt option. When Turings
Twixt option is OFF then the answers to your guesses are given as
the Number Right, Number In the Right Place
What is with these Option Buttons
Enigma Mastermind is quite different to the original MD Langley version, and
so the option buttons allow the original (which did not allow 0 and allowed
only 4 digits) to be played. This is only one reason, the rest is to allow
younger players to work up to the full glory of 5 digit Enigma Mastermind
(Turing's Twist variant) with duplicates and zeros allowed.
The options gives people a bit of a boost to realise that
1 2 3 4 (2, 0)
5 6 7 8 (1, 0)
implies 9 is in the Code.
Also (in 5 digit 'straight' Enigma with no '0')
leaves the player with a difficulty - which digit to repeat? So No
Zero 5 Digit No Duplicates No Twist, is harder than the '0' Included
version.
Players could be informed of the levels of difficulty e.g. :
- 4 digit, no dups, no Twist, 1 - 9 - Beginner's level
- 4 digit, no dups, no Twist, 0 - 9 - Novice Code Breaker
- 4 digit, dups no Twist - Assistant Code Breaker
- 5 digit, no dups - Assistant Code Breaker
- 4 digit, dups and Twist - Senior Cryptographer
- 5 digit, dups - Senior Cryptographer
- 5 digit, dups, Twist - Head of Cyptography
(or whatever). Also I need to do a lot of trials before I am sure of
the average number of guesses needed to crack it at the different
levels, so don't take the above as Gospel yet.
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