[Icehouse] Official Guidance Needed (Was: 30 Pointer Alert)

[Ryan McGuire]

I DO agree with you that Andy is the official source of information on 
pyramid sizes.  He could pick any function he wants for sizes out side of 
the existin 1-3 range.  Heck, he could even just pick just arbitrary values 
and they would, by definition, be correct.

However I disagree with your math.  The angles for one-, two-, and 
three-pointers don't make a linear relationship with the pip count.  (I can 
show my calculations if you'd like.) You COULD say that the angle is a 
binomial or higher polynomial function of the pip count.  You might also go 
with some other function, such as an exponential or maybe some trig 
function.  But if you want to use LINEar interpolation, the only option that 
works with the standard three sizes is height and width.

Now that I've ground away on some detailed little point (no pun intended), 
let me back up a little:
How much does it really matter?  Do we expect anyone to create a game where 
the dimensions for a zero or thirty point pyramid actually make a 
difference?  Even now, how many games rely on the exact dimensions of the 
pieces?  Icehouse, IceTowers, Zendo, CrackeD'Ice, Thin Ice, and the 
ever-popular Spicklehead.  There are a couple that use opaque pieces to hide 
smaller ones, and of course a bunch of games, such as Volcano, that use 
stacked pieces.  As long as a zero point piece can be hidden by a current 
small, I don't see how a 32nd of an inch here or there makes a difference.

Ryan

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Christopher Hickman" <tophu at mac.com>
To: "Icehouse Discussion List" <icehouse at lists.looneylabs.com>
Sent: Sunday, March 04, 2007 11:00 AM
Subject: Re: [Icehouse] Official Guidance Needed (Was: 30 Pointer Alert)


> On Mar 4, 2007, at 10:49 AM, Ryan McGuire wrote:
>
>> How about this page:
>>    http://www.wunderland.com/icehouse/MakingIcehouse.html
>>
>> Granted, that page doesn't extrapolate below one-pointers or above 
>> three-pointers.  However the dimensions for the three sizes shown  DO 
>> form linear relationships, so we might reasonably infer  dimensions for 
>> other sizes.
>
> Right, but there are two different linear relationships that one may 
> extrapolate, the height/width or the angles, and doing so yields 
> different results.  That's what I'm saying.  It's been discussed  several 
> times on this list and we've never heard straight from Andy  what it 
> should be.
>
> _______________________________________________
> Icehouse mailing list
> Icehouse at lists.looneylabs.com
> http://lists.looneylabs.com/mailman/listinfo/icehouse