Altador Plot Split #17 (Now with 50% more theories!)

[Daze]

I was just going to post about finding extra coordinates on my star_data but it seems dophinling has just posted about them as well.

Edit: Yes, the co-ords do match the Sleeper constellation. I just tried it out.

[Zenyoko]

Looks nice! Think you could make it automatically align it to where it's supposed to be if the person's get_star_data includes that constellation? It should be pretty easy, the format they use is simple to understand.

Also, I'm having a bit of trouble dragging it... sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. You might want to look into it.

The automatic lining up is not as easy as it sounds, it requires finding the pattern to find the pattern you have to for each star search every other star to find the second then to make sure you have the right one you'll have to search every other star again for the third. While programmitcally this isn't as hard (three nested for loops should do it) processing-wise it starts eating. (Ie just looking for the first three star in the the constellation to make sure it really -is- the right one will take approx 280^3 calculations if you have 280 stars.)

Oh yes forgot to add, are you using Firefox? Cause if you are it is have some issues (and the issues vary) with firefox. I am not familiar with firefox so I'm unsure as to how to fix it, but I'm looking into it.

Nono, I don't mean automatically finding the constellation, I just mean automatically aligning it if it's already in the star data. Take a look at the end of mine:

Code:

...:1!37,-212;77,-242#77,-242;117,-272#157,-272;197,-242#197,-242;237,-212

Before the ":" is all the original star data. After it is all the already-found constellations. Constellations are split up by "|" (not shown here, but it's in the code for the telescope). Then, in each constellation, before the "!" is the ID of the constellation: in this case 1, which is the DF. After that are the lines, split up by "#". There's a line between 37,-212 and 77,-242, another between 77,-242 and 117,-272, etc.

So pretty easy to understand.

Wow, I actually understood that. Either I'm spending waaay too much time in front of the computer, or programming is getting a lot easier

[darkfire]

First of all, I feel extremely stupid right now. I spent three hours today trying to find the constellation, except only now when I checked your site and realized I needed to get new data after visiting the Tomb and Archives. Once I got the new data I found the thing right away, and now feel very satisfied.

Gah don't worry I did the same thing, and I've talked to about 30 people in just the last hour who's done the exact same thing.

Nono, I don't mean automatically finding the constellation, I just mean automatically aligning it if it's already in the star data. Take a look at the end of mine:

Code:

...:1!37,-212;77,-242#77,-242;117,-272#157,-272;197,-242#197,-242;237,-212

Before the ":" is all the original star data. After it is all the already-found constellations. Constellations are split up by "|" (not shown here, but it's in the code for the telescope). Then, in each constellation, before the "!" is the ID of the constellation: in this case 1, which is the DF. After that are the lines, split up by "#". There's a line between 37,-212 and 77,-242, another between 77,-242 and 117,-272, etc.

So pretty easy to understand.

Ooooh it changes....obviously Okay I'll look into it.[/quote]

[AngelFoxBlue]

Hey PTP, try using darkfire's updated StarMapper if you haven't already, it really does work wonders.

Failing that, PM me with your star data and I'll try and sort it out for you.

Will give me something to do before lunch.

[Leraje]

Here's a tip: Go to the observatory and get the telescope going BEFORE you collect the star data to put in the mapper.

It generates a new "sky" every time you go to it, only the constillation you already found will still be there, the rest is just random. I don't think the constillations will show up in your "sky" until you've found the hint for it.

Thanks so much! It worked instantly

[farside]

The automatic lining up is not as easy as it sounds, it requires finding the pattern to find the pattern you have to for each star search every other star to find the second then to make sure you have the right one you'll have to search every other star again for the third. While programmitcally this isn't as hard (three nested for loops should do it) processing-wise it starts eating. (Ie just looking for the first three star in the the constellation to make sure it really -is- the right one will take approx 280^3 calculations if you have 280 stars.)

I don't think it would take that many calculations, especially if you use some routines to eliminate bad points quickly so they aren't reiterated, but, even if it did take that many calculations, it would be less than nothing for today's computers.

[Daze]

Just found an insanely funny plot joke:

Q. What did Torakor say when he was taking the dog outside for a walk?

A. Go Altador!

Last edited by Daze on Wed Mar 29, 2006 1:41 am, edited 1 time in total.

[Mxytdvc]

Hello *waves* me again. Just dropping in to tell you that I've added a nifty (read "not really but just pretend it is") feature to the mapper. That is correct folks you heard correct!

Now if you click the "Show Guide" checkbox a bunch of circle will appear that you can drag over your map until you find some little dots that fit exactly into the little circles and there you have you're constellation. See? Told you it's nifty!

Good solution. I was going to start writing a program that, when given the coordinates data, would load all the coordinates into an array or linked list (depending on the programming language) and then mathematically calculate and compare between datapoints until a solution set was found, which would then be output to user. But I think that would have made it way too easy for the kiddies. At least, with this solution, they still have to do a little something themselves.

Or you could do a tree...and generate a spiffy line for every possible link from each star. Wouldn't that be fun? Oooo, so much easier then a compiler assignment!


Anyways, I do like the drag and drop thing. It took me forever to find mine, after about a dozen false starts I did get it right . I'm going to try to do it the hard way first, but I give myself a 20 minute time limit before resorting to the less complicated way of doing things .....unless I'm at work, in which case, I take all the time I want.

Anyhoo, I did notice something interesting. You can't connect to a star that's already in the constellation. Which means, if we have to get 12 constellations, it's probably going to get a bit crowded....

[farside]

Anyhoo, I did notice something interesting. You can't connect to a star that's already in the constellation. Which means, if we have to get 12 constellations, it's probably going to get a bit crowded....

Yup, and that's a good thing. By the 12th constellation, there'll be so little open space left on the map, it should be blatantly obvious.

[PTP]

Okay AngelFoxBlue, I pm'ed you. Thanks for the help, I'm just about ready to rip this map up.

And I have been using the guide. I printed it off and am playing more connect the stars again .. though its more like connect what you think are the right dots.

[ziggystarx0]

Someone on the boards on neopets found something rather interesting that may play a part in the future plot.
The user marak the wave has some rather interesting things in his shop and pet's webpage. The most interesting involving a link at the bottom of the poem on his pet's page which leads to the Hall of Heros and something about a second stone. The link doesn't work yet but I figure it's worth mentioning.
In case you're curious here's the link to his lookup:
http://www.neopets.com/randomfriend.pht ... rakthewave

Okay, I'm slightly more of a believer now. He has a shopkeeper that's apparently not available to regular users and now the link to this "second stone" is gone and has been replaced with a picture of the statue in Maraqua. There's also been more poems/riddles discovered...
More info here:
http://www.neopets.com/neoboards/topic. ... 258&next=1

EDIT: Okay, I'm an idiot. That's what I get for trusting the people on neoboards.

Last edited by ziggystarx0 on Wed Mar 29, 2006 2:40 am, edited 1 time in total.

[crystallinewings7]

Okay, I'm slightly more of a believer now. He has a shopkeeper that's apparently not available to regular users and now the link to this "second stone" is gone and has been replaced with a picture of the statue in Maraqua. There's also been more poems/riddles discovered...
More info here:
http://www.neopets.com/neoboards/topic. ... 258&next=1

Sorry to break it to you, but that shopkeeper is available to us. It is peophin - in armor. I am pretty sure that this is just one of those accounts like any other that pops up around the time of a plot to mislead those that do not know any better.

[WockyChocky]

WARNING about the star mappers: Be real careful with what you are doing. It would be very easy to slip over the line where you have a program solve your puzzle instead of doing it yourself.

DarkFire, you have done great stuff here, please don't get frozen for going too far with it - or what TNT thinks is too far.

[PTP]

Wewt I found it.

Apparently I read the directions wrong so people who are like me.

*Do the stuff with the tomb and archives BEFORE searching for the constellation.

Lol, I feel like the biggest moron wasting so much time. No wonder I couldn't find it .. it wasn't there to begin with.

[only_shades_of_grey]

Okay, I'm slightly more of a believer now. He has a shopkeeper that's apparently not available to regular users and now the link to this "second stone" is gone and has been replaced with a picture of the statue in Maraqua. There's also been more poems/riddles discovered...
More info here:
http://www.neopets.com/neoboards/topic. ... 258&next=1

If you know HTML it's fairly easy to make a shopkeeper of your own the evilpet12 pet page has specially made shopkeepers of the darkest faeries.