https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/api.php?action=feedcontributions&user=108.162.210.233&feedformat=atomexplain xkcd - User contributions [en]2024-03-28T15:14:58ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.30.0https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:2669:_Things_You_Should_Not_Do&diff=294434Talk:2669: Things You Should Not Do2022-09-07T21:49:20Z<p>108.162.210.233: List of possible references</p>
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<div><!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom.--><br />
Seems like this could become a series. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.210.31|172.68.210.31]] 20:42, 7 September 2022 (UTC)<br />
:Maybe. But I don't think it will be.<br />
:What I was thinking was that there are clearly, on average, around 43 <!-- (!) miscalculated. Not as significant as I thought. --> items per 'page', up to this point. This page shows only 19 items (both pre-New and New, or 20 if the "New" line counts as one, don't know if multilines reduce the number of numbered items ler page), so either it's been{{Citation needed}} manually split/new-paged (for changing aesthetics) or else it is highly varying according to the font-height/multiline-wrappings in use beforehand. Or perhaps we should expect around the same number of 'newer New' items to complete this page before the next page number is automatically started to be populated. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.86.8|172.70.86.8]] 20:53, 7 September 2022 (UTC)<br />
#156,819 looks like a reference to the Phineas and Ferb title sequence, and the episode Oil on Candace and probably more relevant here, What If 84. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.210.233|108.162.210.233]] 21:49, 7 September 2022 (UTC)</div>108.162.210.233https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1608:_Hoverboard&diff=1062321608: Hoverboard2015-12-02T05:47:22Z<p>108.162.210.233: /* Messages in the starting area */ typo</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1608<br />
| date = November 24, 2015<br />
| title = Hoverboard<br />
| image = hoverboard.png<br />
<!--DO NOT ADD the title text: Return to the play area. This is not shown in the comic. See trivia--><br />
}}<br />
*To experience the interactivity, visit the [http://xkcd.com/1608/ original comic].<br />
*For a really good zoom-able map see this:<br />
**[http://1101b.com/xkcd1608/ fully zoomable map w/ toggleable coins and passages] - courtesy of [https://www.reddit.com/user/lanzaa lanzaa] on the same reddit [https://www.reddit.com/r/xkcd/comments/3u4sy1/xkcd_1608_hoverboard/cxbyn86 thread]<br />
<br />
{{TOC}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Layout of this explanation needs revision. Expanation of all items of interest with pictures like in [[1110]].}}<br />
The "comic" is actually a {{w|browser game}} made to celebrate the release of [[Randall|Randall's]] new book, ''[[Thing Explainer]]'', which was released on the same day as this comic (November 24th 2015). The comic appeared on a Tuesday, replacing that week's normal Wednesday release.<br />
<br />
The game features [[Cueball]] riding on a {{w|hoverboard}}. The only controls are the left, up, and right arrows. Alternatively you can use the A, W, and D keys or the H, K, and L keys, corresponding to left, jump, and right, respectively. On mobile the controls are replaced by tilting the phone left and right to move and tapping the screen to jump.. The player can jump repeatedly mid-jump to reach increasing heights. The player begins in a line-drawing maze with 17 gold coins located throughout and a "deposit" station. The ostensible goal of the game is to collect as many coins as possible and return them to the deposit in the fastest possible time, which returns a text message describing the result. Players consumed with obtaining the best possible time result for collecting the coins may not realize there is anything more to the game.<br />
<br />
Beyond the maze on either side (just far enough that players who remain within the maze will not see) are tall walls seemingly designed to contain the player. However, the walls have a finite height and, combined with the ability to multi-jump, the player can leave the purported "play area" either to the sides or above the initial maze. This returns a flashing red error message "return to play area".<br />
<br />
Outside the play area is an entire world to explore including numerous points of interest and {{w|Easter egg (media)|Easter eggs}} similar in style to comic [[1110: Click and Drag]]. There are even more coins to collect. The larger game world is physically bounded in the left, right, and up directions, with invisible walls on all three sides. The upwards invisible wall is tough to pinpoint; although [[Cueball]] appears to continue upwards, once the jump button is released, he will continue to look upwards as if continuously jumping; in addition, the longer the up arrow is pressed repeatedly, the longer it will take for [[Cueball]] to fall down again once the button is depressed. In principle it may also be unbounded in the downwards direction, but there are only a few places you can "sink" into the ground/water/lava, and here you cannot go down indefinitely. It could be possible that there could be some unexplored parts of the map, but given the map is already made this seems unlikely. There are 152 more coins outside the initial "play area" for a total of 169 in the entire game.<br />
<br />
===Messages in the starting area===<br />
*Different amounts of coins collected in the play area, will give different messages in yellow on the black part at the bottom of the screen when delivered to the coin collector.<br />
*Below is a table with examples of what may be written depending on the number of coins. The time (and the amount when there is a range with similar rating) is just chosen at random (although in a realistic range). To get above 17 you of course have to leave the play area and come back again... <br />
**In chrome and firefox there is not message for those above 9 coins, except 17, 42 and 169. But in Internet Explorer there is still a message for those cases: "Undefined".<br />
**See [[1608: Hoverboard/Screen-shots#Coin collecting messages|screen-shots]].<br />
<br />
:{| class="wikitable"<br />
!# coins<br />
!Text when depositing this number of coins<br />
"X" is the number of coins collected<br />
|-<br />
|0 coins<br />
|style="background-color:black;"| <font color="yellow">'''You got 0 coins in 1 second'''<br>You successfully avoided all the coins.</font><br />
|-<br />
|1 coin<br />
|style="background-color:black;"| <font color="yellow">'''You got a single coin in 1 second'''<br>It's a start.</font><br />
|-<br />
|2-4 coins<br />
|style="background-color:black;"| <font color="yellow">'''You got X coins in 3 seconds'''<br>Not bad!</font> <br />
|-<br />
|5-9 coins<br />
|style="background-color:black;"| <font color="yellow">'''You got X coins in 12 seconds'''<br>Terrific!</font><br />
|-<br />
|10-16 coins<br />
|style="background-color:black;"| <font color="yellow">'''You got X coins in 10 seconds'''</font><br />
|-<br />
|17 coins<br />
|style="background-color:black;"| <font color="yellow">'''You got 17 coins in 15 seconds'''<br>You found all the coins! Great job!</font><br />
|-<br />
|18-41 coins<br />
|style="background-color:black;"| <font color="yellow">'''You got X coins in 430 seconds'''</font><br />
|-<br />
|42 coins<br />
|style="background-color:black;"| <font color="yellow">'''You got 42 coins in 460 seconds'''<br>No answers here.</font><br />
|-<br />
|43-168 coins<br />
|style="background-color:black;"| <font color="yellow">'''You got X coins in 460 seconds'''</font><br />
|-<br />
|All 169 coins<br />
|style="background-color:black;"| <font color="yellow">'''You got 169 coins in 15000 seconds'''<br>Are you Gandalf?</font><br />
|}\<br />
<br />
*Once you leave the area you get a [[1608:_Hoverboard/Screen-shots#Return_to_the_play_area|flashing warning message]] in red letters at the bottom of the screen:<br />
:{| class="wikitable"<br />
|style="background-color:black;"| <font color="red">'''Return to the play area'''</font><br />
|}<br />
*This message flashes three times over 1.2 seconds (the message only disappears for about 150 ms each time)<br />
*Then there is a pause for about 1.3 seconds and then this repeats for a total of 5 repetitions, a total of 15 flashes in just about 11.3 second seconds. <br />
*The message will stop immediately if you re-enter the play area during this period. <br />
*If you re-enter later it will flash once you leave again.<br />
*For the program the play area is anything within and below the walls just outside the maze you start in. <br />
**More precisely you first leave the play area if you pass over the middle part at the top of the walls<br />
**Or if you make one jump from standing on top of the walls.<br />
<br />
===List of details and references===<br />
{{incomplete|Help needed migrating the info into a table with pictures like in [[1110:_Click_and_Drag#List_of_details_and_references_.28with_transcript.29|here in 1110]]...}}<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
! Coordinates || Description<br />
|-<br />
| x: 483735, y: -551990 || "What news of the world above? Please tell me - what's hot and viral? What's trending on twitter?"<br />
|-<br />
| x: 509587, y: -554621 || Washington Monument<br />
|-<br />
| x: 509587, y: -554621 || Captain's log<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Technical aspects===<br />
As previously noted, the comic bears considerable resemblance to [[1110: Click and Drag]]. The comic is made in much the same way, with 'drawn' images "glued" together to form a large "map", with the illusion of infinite bounds made possible through space saving techniques where blank tiles are not stored and are instead painted white. The boundary between blank squares and 'drawn' squares is made clear as any white space in the normal images has a very slight grey tint. Thus, seams between images and blank spaces can be discerned.<br />
<br />
The tiles for the map are stored as simple PNG files in the naming scheme: X:Y+s.png. An example can be seen here: http://xkcd.com/1608/1013:-1096+s.png Each file is 513x513 pixels in size, one pixel is reserved as overlap to ensure seamless joining of images. So far, through experimentation, tiles in the range 928 to 1108 X and -1112 to -928 Y have been discovered, internally, the position of the player is divided by 512 and rounded down to give the position of the tile.<br />
<br />
The collision map is encoded in the darkness of the black. Using an image manipulation program, one can easily find the secret pathways even in the zoomed out maps provided below by enhancing the contrast of the dark areas. On a slow connection, it's possible to move into an 'open' area and then the black image loads in and (probably permanently, without tricks) traps you immobile.<br />
<br />
The game was made by [http://chromakode.com Max Goodman] who has previously worked on [[1416: Pixels]]. The source code for the game can be found [https://xkcd.com/1608/tigl.js here].<br />
<br />
===Areas===<br />
Starting area - (x: 512187, y: -549668)<br />
<br />
====West / Left====<br />
*{{w|Washington Monument}} - (x: 509864, y: -549746)<br />
**Invisible entrance through the Monument, indicated by arrow sign<br />
**Secret entrance into the inside of the Monument, right side, about halfway up - (x: 509815, y: -552614)<br />
***From there you can fall down to the fault line shown in about the middle of the monument. You cannot see Cueball while he is in the monument in either entrance.<br />
*Girl in a hamster ball - (x: 505790, y: -549905)<br />
* Straight up, a giant floating rock island in the sky (x: 507163, y: -567537)<br />
*Yet [[1504|another dig]] at the Lion King and the lands touched by shadow - (x: 504998, y: -550676)<br />
*An {{w|X-Wing}} at a gas station, with coin accessible from the left - (x: 503253, y: -551129)<br />
**Go straight up from the cockpit for a coin, carried by african swallows (non-migratory)<br />
*A well with a girl at the bottom of it (and one of the yellow game coins), claiming to not be a ghost. A possible reference to {{w|Sadako Yamamura|Sadako}}/{{w|Sadako Yamamura#Samara Morgan|Samara}} from Ring ({{w|Ring (Suzuki novel)|novel}},{{w|Ring (film)|film}},{{w|The Ring (2002 film)|remake}}) - (x: 501998, y: -551030)<br />
*Landing re-entry capsule with parachutes. Bird on top: "I don't remember laying these but ''wow'' they're already flying. Gonna be awesome when they hatch." In capsule: "Yes! My phone has a signal!" "How many new likes did we get during reentry?" "I'm checking!" - (x: 500040, y: -552369)<br />
*Local Mom discovering This One Weird Bug - (x: 497994, y: -551334)<br />
*Someone flying a kite, with a coin beside the kite.<br />
*"The earth is [http://www.vapersoul.com/what-is-vaping/ vaping]"<br />
*Climbing the right hand side of the volcano<br />
** "'The time has come', the walrus said, and put on Sauron's ring" (Lord of the rings/Lewis Carroll reference)<br />
** "This is currently a V2 but it becomes a V7 if the volcano erupts" ([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grade_(bouldering) grades] of bouldering difficulty, V7 being fairly difficult."<br />
** "If I don't make it back...tell my wife...where I am...and why you left me there" (reference to lyrics from [http://genius.com/1451499/David-bowie-space-oddity/Tell-my-wife-i-love-her-very-much Space Oddity] "Tell my wife I love her very much")<br />
**Ponytail riding a cycle (a reference to [http://canvasrider.com/ canvas rider]?)? (x: 490610 y: -554364)<br />
**LOTR Eagles - (x: 489661 y: -556811)<br />
* Right-hand rim of the volcano<br />
**A periscope peeking out of a shallow lava pool near two people playing "the lava is a floor". Reference to a common child's imagine game where the floor is lava - (x: 488573 y: -556337)<br />
** "One of these is probably a ring of power or whatever" - throwing some things, possibly rings, off the edge of the volcano, in anti-climactic reference to climax of Lord of the Rings series.<br />
*Lava in the centre of the volcano<br />
**A dark grey ocean that isn't noticeable until you fall in<br />
** "Remember: there's no such thing as good volcano footage taken by a quadcopter that survived", quadcopters inverting the typical safety warning for camera operators - (x: 486640, y: -554838)<br />
**{{w|Elon Musk}}'s Volcano Lair - (x: 484167, y: -549462)<br />
***entrance hidden under volcano lava, before reaching Artex - (x: 483791, y: -551292)<br />
*** "What news of the world above? Please, tell me - what's hot and viral? What's trending on Twitter?!!" - a person in cave being very non-hermit like.<br />
*** "I always assumed Elon Musk's volcano lair would be, like ... tropical. And ... well, pleasant." - "Back to your desks, swine". Strange dystopian scene in cave.<br />
*** "So this is where it is", an electronics "ground" symbol, that presumably all grounded electronics are connected to - (x: 485125, y: -549062)<br />
** "Artex!", a horse stuck in the lava (a reference to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_The_Neverending_Story_characters Artax], the horse in Neverending Story) - (x: 483715, y: -554354)<br />
** A wizard, Gandalf?<br />
*Climbing out of volcano<br />
** A cave, with a crouched figure, saying "Goooooold! Goold!" with money bags around. (reference to the 1982 video game {{w|The_Hobbit_(1982_video_game)}})<br />
y: -554877)<br />
*Descending far side of volcano<br />
**Basketball hoop, with coin. One player says "Ok, as soon as it erupts, go for the dunk. Our sweet moves will be preserved for all eternity", possibly a reference to preserved lavafied bodies in Pompeii - (x: 479523, <br />
* *"In the sky, beyond the mountain, I saw a starship" - reference to?<br />
*?Hat underground<br />
*?A hole which traps(?) the player unless noclip mode is used<br />
<br />
====East / Right====<br />
*People holding anchor lines to the Tantive IV (Star Wars: A New Hope), being attacked by an Imperial Star Destroyer - (the people: x: 518954, y: -549056)<br />
*Desert with dunes - (x: 520000, y: -549114)<br />
*Ocean Yelper (giving only 2.5/5 stars) - x: 522015, y: -549015<br />
*Talking Rogue Wave - (x: 523460, y: -549013)<br />
*Wedding - (x: 531558, y: -549386)<br />
*Graveyard - (x: 534140, y: -549546)<br />
*Remains of {{w|Ozymandias}}' Statue - (x: 535927, y: -549666)<br />
*Huge pyramid - (x: 538167, y: -550906)<br />
*Blackhat's hat on a stick - (x: 549997, y: -549777)<br />
*Whitehat's head in the grass? - (x: 559826, y: -549847)<br />
*Giant bird nest - (x: 567123, y; -550417)<br />
*Beret Guy riding a torpedo ([http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RidingTheBomb Dr. Strangelove]) - (x: 522754, y: -554342)<br />
<br />
====Rebel Blockade Runner====<br />
Up in the air is the CR90 Corvette, Tantive IV aka Rebel Blockade Runner with Princess Leia from the start of the original Star Wars movie.<br />
<br />
*Coordinates:<br />
**??<br />
*Cueball is standing at a ledge with a fishing rod with something on the hook somewhere below the spaceship. Two birds are circling the line.<br />
<br />
====Imperial Star Destroyer====<br />
High up in the air there's a huge spaceship.<br />
<br />
*Coordinates:<br />
**top left at (513072, -560660)<br />
**bottom left at (513080, -559470)<br />
**top at (552154, -569022)<br />
**top right at (556557, -567711)<br />
**bottom right at (558244, -556542)<br />
*Entrances (from bottom left clockwise):<br />
**Tunnel at (513080, -559680)<br />
**Tunnel at (513166, -560434)<br />
**Shaft at (516560, -560912)<br />
**Shaft at (519200, -561108)<br />
**Shaft at (525255, -561527)<br />
**Shaft at (527990, -561844)<br />
**Shaft at (533087, -562298)<br />
**Shaft at (539637, -563233)<br />
**Tunnel at (540958, -563721)<br />
**Shaft at (543789, -564670)<br />
**Stairwell down at (547438, -565058)<br />
**Tunnel at (552319, -566184)<br />
**Tunnel to an isolated small room at (557774, -562042)<br />
**Shaft at (556350, -556720)<br />
**Glitchfloor at (547890, -556779)<br />
**Shaft at (543850, -557500)<br />
**Main ramp at (537260, -557969)<br />
**Tunnel at (531840, -558547)<br />
**Parachutists' ramp at (526624, -558664)<br />
**Ramp at (525300, -558747)<br />
**Shaft at (520440, -559100)<br />
**Shaft at (516825, -559300)<br />
*Interesting objects and places inside:<br />
**Steven Universe and the Crystal Gems - (x: 551664, y: -567383)<br />
**A nearly complete depiction of Level 1 of {{w|Prince of Persia (1989 video game)|Prince of Persia}} - (x: 551532, y: -563512)<br />
**Emperor Palpatine Park and Gazebo - (x: 546819, y: -559584)<br />
**Dancers (possibly [[162|spinning counter-clockwise]]) dancing to piano music - (x: 547536, y: -563301)<br />
**Octopus guarding two coins - (x: 531646, y: -559663)<br />
**A sign saying "Caution GlitchFloor" (falling straight down through it nets you a coin someway down) - (x: 547898, y: -556784)<br />
**A huge light bulb - (x: 555405, y: -557769)<br />
**The Emperor [[1596|birdwatching]] - (x: 554777, y: -567346)<br />
**Ponytail recreating ''{{w|Joust (video game)|Joust}}'' on an ostrich - (x: 552048, y: -568045)<br />
**A party on the ceiling (negative gravity?) - (x: 550350, y: -564354)<br />
**A huge ant - (x: 552309, y: -560208)<br />
**Tube slide - (x: 541813, y: -563721)<br />
**A reservoir (?) with hidden passages - (x: 541300, y: -560330)<br />
**A huge spark gap (?) - (x: 541900, y: -558110)<br />
**Torpedo launcher room - (x: 529627, y: -558481)<br />
**A {{w|Tetris}} block falling - (x: 529414, y: -529220)<br />
**Lightsaber Piñata party - (x: 515353, y: -560329)<br />
**Swimming pool - (x: 517346, y: -559831)<br />
**Children's swimming pool (ball pit?) - (x: 514500, y: -560436)<br />
**A crocodile - (x: 553623, -568091)<br />
**Spiral tunnel - (x: 543320, y: -558314)<br />
**A car - (x: 537750, y: -557937)<br />
<br />
===Maps===<br />
*[http://codepen.io/KyleDavidE/full/605dc87b614ff6b2bd716f4c6f640203/ Quickly hacked overview] - courtesy of [https://www.reddit.com/user/kyledavide kyledavide] on [https://www.reddit.com/r/xkcd/comments/3u4sy1/xkcd_1608_hoverboard/cxbyn86 reddit].<br />
*[http://1101b.com/xkcd1608/ fully zoomable map w/ toggleable coins and passages] - courtesy of [https://www.reddit.com/user/lanzaa lanzaa] on the same reddit [https://www.reddit.com/r/xkcd/comments/3u4sy1/xkcd_1608_hoverboard/cxbyn86 thread]<br />
*[https://i.imgur.com/uYryxss.png png-map] - courtesy of [https://www.reddit.com/user/luke_in_the_sky luke_in_the_sky] on the same reddit [https://www.reddit.com/r/xkcd/comments/3u4sy1/xkcd_1608_hoverboard/cxbyn86 thread]<br />
*[http://paste.click/DsPuSL png-full-size-map] - might take a few minutes to download -> do not open directly in the browser! - courtesy of [https://www.reddit.com/user/0x90-0x90 0x90-0x90] on the same reddit [https://www.reddit.com/r/xkcd/comments/3u4sy1/xkcd_1608_hoverboard/cxbyn86 thread]<br />
*An [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/9/92/thumb_1608.jpg incomplete compilation] of the entire game area (note the missing pinnacle of the Washington Monument. It also missed the floating island above the monument).<br />
<br />
===Controls===<br />
The keyboard controls are as follows:<br />
<br />
*'''Go Left''' - Left arrow key, a or h<br />
*'''Go Right''' - Right arrow key, d or l<br />
*'''Go Up (jump or hover)''' - Up arrow key, w, or k<br />
*'''Go Down (if gravity disabled)''' - Down arrow key, s, or j<br />
<br />
This control scheme covers the three commonly used directional key sets: WASD a set of keys commonly used by modern games; HJKL a set of movement keys used by vi and applications which attempt to mimic vi key controls (vim); and the arrow keys, the most generic set of keys which is usually accepted by most applications which take movement as input, these were commonly used in older games.<br />
<br />
On devices which have a touch screen and tilt sensor (portable devices like mobile phones and tablets) the controls are as follows:<br />
*'''Go Left''' - Roll the device anticlockwise<br />
*'''Go Right''' - Roll the device clockwise<br />
*'''Go Up (jump or hover)''' - Tap the screen<br />
<br />
After inspecting the source code, there appears to be no way to move down on a portable device, this is only relevant if gravity is disabled.<br />
<br />
<br />
===Functionality===<br />
By observing page code while playing, the game grabs and displays images based on location, and subsequently clears all non-visible images. The game uses what seems to be a position syntax to retrieve the intended images live, and returns an error if such an image does not exist, such as a blank area. This technically means things could be added to the world and updated live. If the player is moving sufficiently fast or if the internet connection is slow, this means that the player can get stuck in a black area that does not load in time.<br />
<br />
This also means that the game does not have coded top or bottom limits, so any attempt to find the ''ceiling'' of the game will be futile unless the game is tweaked. The game does however have side limits.<br />
<br />
Opening the console will display the text: what? hoverboard not enough for you!? in the log. Activating goggles mode will cause the text 'B-)' to appear in the log.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
<br />
''This is the official transcript from [https://xkcd.com/1608/info.0.json xkcd]. A full transcript of the entire comic will be listed on a [[1608: Hoverboard/Transcript|separate page]].''<br />
<br />
: My new book, Thing Explainer, comes out today! To celebrate, here's a small game.<br />
<br />
: [A stick figure on a hoverboard can navigate around a field with platforms and barriers, reminiscent of a pinball machine, from top to bottom and left to right. Along the way it can collect coins, and then deposit them in a little terminal down at the center of the bottom. When you do, a message reads, "You got X coins in Y seconds!" and a secondary message depending on how well you did. <br />
: X=0 "You successfully avoided all the coins!"<br />
: X=1 "It's a start."<br />
: X=2-4 "Not bad."<br />
: X=5-9 "Terrific!"<br />
: X=10-16 (No message.)<br />
: X=17 "You found all the coins! Great job!"<br />
<br />
: However, if you leave the bounds of the playing field in either direction, a message in large red letters will flash:<br />
: RETURN TO THE PLAY AREA<br />
<br />
: When you keep going, you discover a vast world with grassy fields, caverns, mountains, volcanoes, and buildings. There are many little vignettes hidden everywhere, along with more coins.]<br />
<br />
''For the full transcript of the entire comic see [[1608: Hoverboard/Transcript]].''<br />
<br />
==Trivia==<br />
*There is as usual [[:Category:No title text|no title text]] for these interactive comics. But there is actually one listed in the [http://xkcd.com/1608/info.0.json info page] on xkcd. But this text: "Return to the play area", is never shown as a normal title text. But it will erroneously be shown in the unofficial mobile versions of the site. <br />
**This is actually the text that is shown blinking red at the buttom of the screen when leaving the starting area.<br />
*If the focus switches from the game to the page, the cueball can freeze in midair. The same thing can happen if the window border overlaps the play area.<br />
*The Washington monument has an invisible floor next to the visible bricks which you can enter from further up the monument.<br />
**You can also just walk through the monument at its base as shown by the sign.<br />
<br />
===Cheats and Exploits===<br />
Aside from the obvious ability to move out of bounds in the game, there are some more obscure hidden features which can't be enabled through normal gameplay, the ones found so far are as follows:<br />
<br />
'''Modes''' are activated by opening the Javascript Console (F12 [Or Command-Alt-I in most browsers under Mac OS X] to open Developer Tools, then Console tab) and writing corresponding commands. Click to expand:<br />
<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed leftAlign" style="width:100%"><br />
<br><br />
*'''Gandalf Mode:''' ''i.am.gandalf = true'' - jumps and runs further. displays a white gandalf hat that works well in places where the avatar can't be seen.<br />
*'''Speedhack:''' ''explorer.opts.speed= *Value*'' - Speed hacking, with 1 = normal speed<br />
*'''Jump Hack:''' '' explorer.opts.jumpForce= -*Value*'' - Jump hacking, with -1 = normal jump (positive values cause the hoverboard guy to move down when jumping)<br />
*'''Mewtwo mode:''' ''mewtwo = true'' - disables gravity<br />
*'''Noclip mode:''' ''noclip = true'' - player is able to move around the map without collision. Combine with Gandalf and Mewtwo modes for free easy map traversal.<br />
*'''Goggles mode:''' ''ze.goggles()'' - displays a small window showing area around the player in a pixelated manner. The goggles indicate collision boundaries (where the player touches the world) in cyan lines. Black pixels that are passable (such as other characters or text) will be highlighted red (allowing secret passages to be discovered).<br />
*'''Position Tracking:''' ''explorer.pos'' - Returns the player location to the console. Can be used to track position and test to ensure you are still moving. Must be re-entered to compare positioning.<br />
*'''Position Setting:''' ''explorer.pos.x = *Value* or explorer.pos.y = *Value*'' - Can be used to manually set a position within the world. The start is at x: 512106, y: -549612. The left terrain bound is at x: 475210, y: -553711. The right terrain bound is at x: 567281, y: -549712. Mewtwo and Noclip modes are a must for exploring in this way.<br />
* '''All the above:''' ''explorer.opts'' - Contains all the game's parameters. You can directly mess with ''gravity'', collision (''disableCollision''), jump force (''jumpForce'') and speed (''maxSpeed''), among others. Run ''Object.keys(explorer.opts)'' to list all available parameters you can tweak.<br />
* '''List all coins:''' ''explorer.objects'' - Array containing the position of the 169 coins of the game.<br />
* '''Disable tilt input:''' ''getEventListeners(window)['deviceorientation'][0].remove()'' - on Macs with motion sensor, disables tilt input which causes problems controlling the avatar<br />
<br />
'''Getting All Coins: ''' To instantly get all coins, input the below into the console window. Does not use standard formatting of [i] to avoid conflicts with i.am.gandalf<br />
<br />
for (var T = 0; T < explorer.objects.length; T++) {<br />
explorer.objects[T].got = true;<br />
}<br />
<br />
To teleport to the next coin every time you press the left or right arrow:<br />
<br />
var T = 0;<br />
document.onkeydown = function(event){<br />
if (event.keyCode == 37) { T = T-1 }<br />
else if (event.keyCode == 39) { T = T+1 }<br />
else { return }<br />
T = T % explorer.objects.length;<br />
var coin = explorer.objects[T];<br />
explorer.pos.x = coin.x1; explorer.pos.y = coin.y1;<br />
}<br />
<br />
For a quick tour of all the coins:<br />
<br />
var delayInMilliseconds = 1000; // 1 second delay between each teleport. feel free to change this.<br />
var index = 0;<br />
explorer.objects.forEach(function(x){<br />
setTimeout(function(){<br />
explorer.pos.x = x.x1;<br />
explorer.pos.y = x.y1;<br />
x.got = true;<br />
explorer.frame(); // forces a redraw<br />
},<br />
(index + 1) * delayInMilliseconds);<br />
index++;<br />
});<br />
<br />
To see a list of coin coordinates you have not yet collected:<br />
<br />
var L = 0;<br />
for (var S = 0; S < explorer.objects.length; S++) {<br />
var I = explorer.objects[S];<br />
if (I.got) {<br />
L++;<br />
} else {<br />
console.log(I.x1.toString() + ", " + I.y1.toString());<br />
}<br />
}<br />
console.log("You've found " + L.toString() + " of 169 coins");<br />
<br />
To display the distance and direction to the closest coin (with inverted colors once you have all the coins):<br />
<br />
function distance(x1, y1, x2, y2) {<br />
var dx = x2 - x1;<br />
var dy = y2 - y1;<br />
return Math.sqrt(dx * dx + dy * dy);<br />
}<br />
<br />
function angle(x1, y1, x2, y2) {<br />
var dx = x2 - x1;<br />
var dy = y2 - y1;<br />
return Math.atan2(dy, dx) * 180 / Math.PI;<br />
}<br />
<br />
function renderRadar() {<br />
var mindist = 10000000000;<br />
var closest = {<br />
x1:512278.0, y1:-549613.0<br />
};<br />
var linecolor = "red";<br />
for (var S = 0; S < explorer.objects.length; S++) {<br />
var I = explorer.objects[S];<br />
if (!I.got) {<br />
var dist = distance(explorer.pos.x, explorer.pos.y, I.x1, I.y1);<br />
if (dist < mindist) {<br />
mindist = dist;<br />
closest = I;<br />
}<br />
}<br />
}<br />
if (mindist == 10000000000) {<br />
mindist = distance(explorer.pos.x, explorer.pos.y, closest.x1, closest.y1);<br />
if (document.getElementById("radar").style.backgroundColor != "red") {<br />
document.getElementById("radar").style.backgroundColor = "red";<br />
}<br />
linecolor = "green";<br />
} else {<br />
if (document.getElementById("radar").style.backgroundColor != "green") {<br />
document.getElementById("radar").style.backgroundColor = "green";<br />
}<br />
}<br />
var ang = angle(explorer.pos.x, explorer.pos.y, closest.x1, closest.y1);<br />
var indicator = "";<br />
if (ang > 112.5 || ang < -112.5) {<br />
indicator += "left";<br />
}<br />
if (ang < 67.5 && ang > -67.5) {<br />
indicator += "right";<br />
}<br />
if (ang > -157.5 && ang < -22.5) {<br />
indicator += " up";<br />
}<br />
if (ang > 22.5 && ang < 157.5) {<br />
indicator += " down";<br />
}<br />
document.getElementById("radar").innerHTML = "Distance: " + mindist.toFixed(1).toString() + "&lt;br/>";<br />
document.getElementById("radar").innerHTML += indicator + " (" + -ang.toFixed(1).toString() + "°)";<br />
document.getElementById("radar").innerHTML += "<div id='circle' style='border: 1px solid black; border-radius: 50px; width: 100px; height: 100px; position:absolute; top:50px; left:25px'/>";<br />
document.getElementById("radar").innerHTML += "<div id='line' style='width: 50px; height: 1px; background-color: " + linecolor + "; position:absolute; top:100px; left:75px; transform:rotate(" + ang + "deg); transform-origin:0% 0%'/>";<br />
}<br />
<br />
var d = document.createElement("div");<br />
d.id = "radar";<br />
d.style.position = "fixed";<br />
d.style.left = "0px";<br />
d.style.top = "0px";<br />
d.style.width = "150px";<br />
d.style.height = "160px";<br />
d.style.border = "1px solid red";<br />
d.style.zIndex = "2";<br />
d.style.backgroundColor = "green";<br />
d.style.color = "#8f8";<br />
document.body.appendChild(d);<br />
<br />
setInterval(renderRadar, 100);<br />
<br />
To display your current coordinates:<br />
<br />
function renderRadar2() {<br />
document.getElementById("radar2").innerHTML = "x: " + explorer.pos.x.toFixed(1).toString() + "&lt;br>y: " + explorer.pos.y.toFixed(1).toString()<br />
}<br />
<br />
var d = document.createElement("div")<br />
d.id = "radar2"<br />
d.style.position = "fixed"<br />
d.style.left = "150px"<br />
d.style.top = "0px"<br />
d.style.width = "150px"<br />
d.style.height = "35px"<br />
d.style.border = "1px solid red"<br />
d.style.zIndex = "2"<br />
d.style.backgroundColor = "green"<br />
d.style.color = "#8f8"<br />
document.body.appendChild(d)<br />
<br />
setInterval(renderRadar2, 1000)<br />
</div><br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:No title text]]<br />
[[Category:Comics with color]]<br />
[[Category:Large drawings]]<br />
[[Category:Comics with animation]]<br />
[[Category:Dynamic comics]]<br />
[[Category:Interactive comics]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Hair Bun Girl]]<br />
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]<br />
[[Category:Philosophy]]<br />
[[Category:Video games]]<br />
[[Category:Star Wars]]<br />
[[Category:LOTR]]<br />
[[Category:Animals]]<br />
[[Category:Hamster Ball]]<br />
[[Category:Playpen balls]]</div>108.162.210.233https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1608:_Hoverboard&diff=1062291608: Hoverboard2015-12-02T05:19:35Z<p>108.162.210.233: /* Messages in the starting area */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1608<br />
| date = November 24, 2015<br />
| title = Hoverboard<br />
| image = hoverboard.png<br />
<!--DO NOT ADD the title text: Return to the play area. This is not shown in the comic. See trivia--><br />
}}<br />
*To experience the interactivity, visit the [http://xkcd.com/1608/ original comic].<br />
*For a really good zoom-able map see this:<br />
**[http://1101b.com/xkcd1608/ fully zoomable map w/ toggleable coins and passages] - courtesy of [https://www.reddit.com/user/lanzaa lanzaa] on the same reddit [https://www.reddit.com/r/xkcd/comments/3u4sy1/xkcd_1608_hoverboard/cxbyn86 thread]<br />
<br />
{{TOC}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Layout of this explanation needs revision. Expanation of all items of interest with pictures like in [[1110]].}}<br />
The "comic" is actually a {{w|browser game}} made to celebrate the release of [[Randall|Randall's]] new book, ''[[Thing Explainer]]'', which was released on the same day as this comic (November 24th 2015). The comic appeared on a Tuesday, replacing that week's normal Wednesday release.<br />
<br />
The game features [[Cueball]] riding on a {{w|hoverboard}}. The only controls are the arrow keys (or, on mobile, tilting to move left and right and tapping to jump). The player can jump repeatedly mid-jump to reach increasing heights. The player begins in a line-drawing maze with 17 gold coins located throughout and a "deposit" station. The ostensible goal of the game is to collect as many coins as possible and return them to the deposit in the fastest possible time, which returns a text message describing the result. Players consumed with obtaining the best possible time result for collecting the coins may not realize there is anything more to the game.<br />
<br />
Beyond the maze on either side (just far enough that players who remain within the maze will not see) are tall walls seemingly designed to contain the player. However, the walls have a finite height and, combined with the ability to multi-jump, the player can leave the purported "play area" either to the sides or above the initial maze. This returns a flashing red error message "return to play area".<br />
<br />
Outside the play area is an entire world to explore including numerous points of interest and {{w|Easter egg (media)|Easter eggs}} similar in style to comic [[1110: Click and Drag]]. There are even more coins to collect. The larger game world is physically bounded in the left, right, and up directions, with invisible walls on all three sides. The upwards invisible wall is tough to pinpoint; although [[Cueball]] appears to continue upwards, once the jump button is released, he will continue to look upwards as if continuously jumping; in addition, the longer the up arrow is pressed repeatedly, the longer it will take for [[Cueball]] to fall down again once the button is depressed. In principle it may also be unbounded in the downwards direction, but there are only a few places you can "sink" into the ground/water/lava, and here you cannot go down indefinitely. It could be possible that there could be some unexplored parts of the map, but given the map is already made this seems unlikely. There are 152 more coins outside the initial "play area" for a total of 169 in the entire game.<br />
<br />
===Messages in the starting area===<br />
*Different amounts of coins collected in the play area, will give different messages in yellow on the black part at the bottom of the screen when delivered to the coin collector.<br />
*Below is a table with examples of what may be written depending on the number of coins. The time (and the amount when there is a range with similar rating) is just chosen at random (although in a realistic range). To get above 17 you of course have to leave the play area and come back again... <br />
**In chrome and firegfox there is not message for those above 9 coins, except 17, 42 and 169. But in Internet Explorer there is still a message for those cases: "Undefined".<br />
**See [[1608: Hoverboard/Screen-shots#Coin collecting messages|screen-shots]].<br />
<br />
:{| class="wikitable"<br />
!# coins<br />
!Text when depositing this number of coins<br />
"X" is the number of coins collected<br />
|-<br />
|0 coins<br />
|style="background-color:black;"| <font color="yellow">'''You got 0 coins in 1 second'''<br>You successfully avoided all the coins.</font><br />
|-<br />
|1 coin<br />
|style="background-color:black;"| <font color="yellow">'''You got a single coin in 1 second'''<br>It's a start.</font><br />
|-<br />
|2-4 coins<br />
|style="background-color:black;"| <font color="yellow">'''You got X coins in 3 seconds'''<br>Not bad!</font> <br />
|-<br />
|5-9 coins<br />
|style="background-color:black;"| <font color="yellow">'''You got X coins in 12 seconds'''<br>Terrific!</font><br />
|-<br />
|10-16 coins<br />
|style="background-color:black;"| <font color="yellow">'''You got X coins in 10 seconds'''</font><br />
|-<br />
|17 coins<br />
|style="background-color:black;"| <font color="yellow">'''You got 17 coins in 15 seconds'''<br>You found all the coins! Great job!</font><br />
|-<br />
|18-41 coins<br />
|style="background-color:black;"| <font color="yellow">'''You got X coins in 430 seconds'''</font><br />
|-<br />
|42 coins<br />
|style="background-color:black;"| <font color="yellow">'''You got 42 coins in 460 seconds'''<br>No answers here.</font><br />
|-<br />
|43-168 coins<br />
|style="background-color:black;"| <font color="yellow">'''You got X coins in 460 seconds'''</font><br />
|-<br />
|All 169 coins<br />
|style="background-color:black;"| <font color="yellow">'''You got 169 coins in 15000 seconds'''<br>Are you Gandalf?</font><br />
|}\<br />
<br />
*Once you leave the area you get a [[1608:_Hoverboard/Screen-shots#Return_to_the_play_area|flashing warning message]] in red letters at the bottom of the screen:<br />
:{| class="wikitable"<br />
|style="background-color:black;"| <font color="red">'''Return to the play area'''</font><br />
|}<br />
*This message flashes three times over 1.2 seconds (the message only disappears for about 150 ms each time)<br />
*Then there is a pause for about 1.3 seconds and then this repeats for a total of 5 repetitions, a total of 15 flashes in just about 11.3 second seconds. <br />
*The message will stop immediately if you re-enter the play area during this period. <br />
*If you re-enter later it will flash once you leave again.<br />
*For the program the play area is anything within and below the walls just outside the maze you start in. <br />
**More precisely you first leave the play area if you pass over the middle part at the top of the walls<br />
**Or if you make one jump from standing on top of the walls.<br />
<br />
===List of details and references===<br />
{{incomplete|Help needed migrating the info into a table with pictures like in [[1110:_Click_and_Drag#List_of_details_and_references_.28with_transcript.29|here in 1110]]...}}<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
! Coordinates || Description<br />
|-<br />
| x: 483735, y: -551990 || "What news of the world above? Please tell me - what's hot and viral? What's trending on twitter?"<br />
|-<br />
| x: 509587, y: -554621 || Washington Monument<br />
|-<br />
| x: 509587, y: -554621 || Captain's log<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Technical aspects===<br />
As previously noted, the comic bears considerable resemblance to [[1110: Click and Drag]]. The comic is made in much the same way, with 'drawn' images "glued" together to form a large "map", with the illusion of infinite bounds made possible through space saving techniques where blank tiles are not stored and are instead painted white. The boundary between blank squares and 'drawn' squares is made clear as any white space in the normal images has a very slight grey tint. Thus, seams between images and blank spaces can be discerned.<br />
<br />
The tiles for the map are stored as simple PNG files in the naming scheme: X:Y+s.png. An example can be seen here: http://xkcd.com/1608/1013:-1096+s.png Each file is 513x513 pixels in size, one pixel is reserved as overlap to ensure seamless joining of images. So far, through experimentation, tiles in the range 928 to 1108 X and -1112 to -928 Y have been discovered, internally, the position of the player is divided by 512 and rounded down to give the position of the tile.<br />
<br />
The collision map is encoded in the darkness of the black. Using an image manipulation program, one can easily find the secret pathways even in the zoomed out maps provided below by enhancing the contrast of the dark areas. On a slow connection, it's possible to move into an 'open' area and then the black image loads in and (probably permanently, without tricks) traps you immobile.<br />
<br />
The game was made by [http://chromakode.com Max Goodman] who has previously worked on [[1416: Pixels]]. The source code for the game can be found [https://xkcd.com/1608/tigl.js here].<br />
<br />
===Areas===<br />
Starting area - (x: 512187, y: -549668)<br />
<br />
====West / Left====<br />
*{{w|Washington Monument}} - (x: 509864, y: -549746)<br />
**Invisible entrance through the Monument, indicated by arrow sign<br />
**Secret entrance into the inside of the Monument, right side, about halfway up - (x: 509815, y: -552614)<br />
***From there you can fall down to the fault line shown in about the middle of the monument. You cannot see Cueball while he is in the monument in either entrance.<br />
*Girl in a hamster ball - (x: 505790, y: -549905)<br />
* Straight up, a giant floating rock island in the sky (x: 507163, y: -567537)<br />
*Yet [[1504|another dig]] at the Lion King and the lands touched by shadow - (x: 504998, y: -550676)<br />
*An {{w|X-Wing}} at a gas station, with coin accessible from the left - (x: 503253, y: -551129)<br />
**Go straight up from the cockpit for a coin, carried by african swallows (non-migratory)<br />
*A well with a girl at the bottom of it (and one of the yellow game coins), claiming to not be a ghost. A possible reference to {{w|Sadako Yamamura|Sadako}}/{{w|Sadako Yamamura#Samara Morgan|Samara}} from Ring ({{w|Ring (Suzuki novel)|novel}},{{w|Ring (film)|film}},{{w|The Ring (2002 film)|remake}}) - (x: 501998, y: -551030)<br />
*Landing re-entry capsule with parachutes. Bird on top: "I don't remember laying these but ''wow'' they're already flying. Gonna be awesome when they hatch." In capsule: "Yes! My phone has a signal!" "How many new likes did we get during reentry?" "I'm checking!" - (x: 500040, y: -552369)<br />
*Local Mom discovering This One Weird Bug - (x: 497994, y: -551334)<br />
*Someone flying a kite, with a coin beside the kite.<br />
*"The earth is [http://www.vapersoul.com/what-is-vaping/ vaping]"<br />
*Climbing the right hand side of the volcano<br />
** "'The time has come', the walrus said, and put on Sauron's ring" (Lord of the rings/Lewis Carroll reference)<br />
** "This is currently a V2 but it becomes a V7 if the volcano erupts" ([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grade_(bouldering) grades] of bouldering difficulty, V7 being fairly difficult."<br />
** "If I don't make it back...tell my wife...where I am...and why you left me there" (reference to lyrics from [http://genius.com/1451499/David-bowie-space-oddity/Tell-my-wife-i-love-her-very-much Space Oddity] "Tell my wife I love her very much")<br />
**Ponytail riding a cycle (a reference to [http://canvasrider.com/ canvas rider]?)? (x: 490610 y: -554364)<br />
**LOTR Eagles - (x: 489661 y: -556811)<br />
* Right-hand rim of the volcano<br />
**A periscope peeking out of a shallow lava pool near two people playing "the lava is a floor". Reference to a common child's imagine game where the floor is lava - (x: 488573 y: -556337)<br />
** "One of these is probably a ring of power or whatever" - throwing some things, possibly rings, off the edge of the volcano, in anti-climactic reference to climax of Lord of the Rings series.<br />
*Lava in the centre of the volcano<br />
**A dark grey ocean that isn't noticeable until you fall in<br />
** "Remember: there's no such thing as good volcano footage taken by a quadcopter that survived", quadcopters inverting the typical safety warning for camera operators - (x: 486640, y: -554838)<br />
**{{w|Elon Musk}}'s Volcano Lair - (x: 484167, y: -549462)<br />
***entrance hidden under volcano lava, before reaching Artex - (x: 483791, y: -551292)<br />
*** "What news of the world above? Please, tell me - what's hot and viral? What's trending on Twitter?!!" - a person in cave being very non-hermit like.<br />
*** "I always assumed Elon Musk's volcano lair would be, like ... tropical. And ... well, pleasant." - "Back to your desks, swine". Strange dystopian scene in cave.<br />
*** "So this is where it is", an electronics "ground" symbol, that presumably all grounded electronics are connected to - (x: 485125, y: -549062)<br />
** "Artex!", a horse stuck in the lava (a reference to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_The_Neverending_Story_characters Artax], the horse in Neverending Story) - (x: 483715, y: -554354)<br />
** A wizard, Gandalf?<br />
*Climbing out of volcano<br />
** A cave, with a crouched figure, saying "Goooooold! Goold!" with money bags around. (reference to the 1982 video game {{w|The_Hobbit_(1982_video_game)}})<br />
y: -554877)<br />
*Descending far side of volcano<br />
**Basketball hoop, with coin. One player says "Ok, as soon as it erupts, go for the dunk. Our sweet moves will be preserved for all eternity", possibly a reference to preserved lavafied bodies in Pompeii - (x: 479523, <br />
* *"In the sky, beyond the mountain, I saw a starship" - reference to?<br />
*?Hat underground<br />
*?A hole which traps(?) the player unless noclip mode is used<br />
<br />
====East / Right====<br />
*People holding anchor lines to the Tantive IV (Star Wars: A New Hope), being attacked by an Imperial Star Destroyer - (the people: x: 518954, y: -549056)<br />
*Desert with dunes - (x: 520000, y: -549114)<br />
*Ocean Yelper (giving only 2.5/5 stars) - x: 522015, y: -549015<br />
*Talking Rogue Wave - (x: 523460, y: -549013)<br />
*Wedding - (x: 531558, y: -549386)<br />
*Graveyard - (x: 534140, y: -549546)<br />
*Remains of {{w|Ozymandias}}' Statue - (x: 535927, y: -549666)<br />
*Huge pyramid - (x: 538167, y: -550906)<br />
*Blackhat's hat on a stick - (x: 549997, y: -549777)<br />
*Whitehat's head in the grass? - (x: 559826, y: -549847)<br />
*Giant bird nest - (x: 567123, y; -550417)<br />
*Beret Guy riding a torpedo ([http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RidingTheBomb Dr. Strangelove]) - (x: 522754, y: -554342)<br />
<br />
====Rebel Blockade Runner====<br />
Up in the air is the CR90 Corvette, Tantive IV aka Rebel Blockade Runner with Princess Leia from the start of the original Star Wars movie.<br />
<br />
*Coordinates:<br />
**??<br />
*Cueball is standing at a ledge with a fishing rod with something on the hook somewhere below the spaceship. Two birds are circling the line.<br />
<br />
====Imperial Star Destroyer====<br />
High up in the air there's a huge spaceship.<br />
<br />
*Coordinates:<br />
**top left at (513072, -560660)<br />
**bottom left at (513080, -559470)<br />
**top at (552154, -569022)<br />
**top right at (556557, -567711)<br />
**bottom right at (558244, -556542)<br />
*Entrances (from bottom left clockwise):<br />
**Tunnel at (513080, -559680)<br />
**Tunnel at (513166, -560434)<br />
**Shaft at (516560, -560912)<br />
**Shaft at (519200, -561108)<br />
**Shaft at (525255, -561527)<br />
**Shaft at (527990, -561844)<br />
**Shaft at (533087, -562298)<br />
**Shaft at (539637, -563233)<br />
**Tunnel at (540958, -563721)<br />
**Shaft at (543789, -564670)<br />
**Stairwell down at (547438, -565058)<br />
**Tunnel at (552319, -566184)<br />
**Tunnel to an isolated small room at (557774, -562042)<br />
**Shaft at (556350, -556720)<br />
**Glitchfloor at (547890, -556779)<br />
**Shaft at (543850, -557500)<br />
**Main ramp at (537260, -557969)<br />
**Tunnel at (531840, -558547)<br />
**Parachutists' ramp at (526624, -558664)<br />
**Ramp at (525300, -558747)<br />
**Shaft at (520440, -559100)<br />
**Shaft at (516825, -559300)<br />
*Interesting objects and places inside:<br />
**Steven Universe and the Crystal Gems - (x: 551664, y: -567383)<br />
**A nearly complete depiction of Level 1 of {{w|Prince of Persia (1989 video game)|Prince of Persia}} - (x: 551532, y: -563512)<br />
**Emperor Palpatine Park and Gazebo - (x: 546819, y: -559584)<br />
**Dancers (possibly [[162|spinning counter-clockwise]]) dancing to piano music - (x: 547536, y: -563301)<br />
**Octopus guarding two coins - (x: 531646, y: -559663)<br />
**A sign saying "Caution GlitchFloor" (falling straight down through it nets you a coin someway down) - (x: 547898, y: -556784)<br />
**A huge light bulb - (x: 555405, y: -557769)<br />
**The Emperor [[1596|birdwatching]] - (x: 554777, y: -567346)<br />
**Ponytail recreating ''{{w|Joust (video game)|Joust}}'' on an ostrich - (x: 552048, y: -568045)<br />
**A party on the ceiling (negative gravity?) - (x: 550350, y: -564354)<br />
**A huge ant - (x: 552309, y: -560208)<br />
**Tube slide - (x: 541813, y: -563721)<br />
**A reservoir (?) with hidden passages - (x: 541300, y: -560330)<br />
**A huge spark gap (?) - (x: 541900, y: -558110)<br />
**Torpedo launcher room - (x: 529627, y: -558481)<br />
**A {{w|Tetris}} block falling - (x: 529414, y: -529220)<br />
**Lightsaber Piñata party - (x: 515353, y: -560329)<br />
**Swimming pool - (x: 517346, y: -559831)<br />
**Children's swimming pool (ball pit?) - (x: 514500, y: -560436)<br />
**A crocodile - (x: 553623, -568091)<br />
**Spiral tunnel - (x: 543320, y: -558314)<br />
**A car - (x: 537750, y: -557937)<br />
<br />
===Maps===<br />
*[http://codepen.io/KyleDavidE/full/605dc87b614ff6b2bd716f4c6f640203/ Quickly hacked overview] - courtesy of [https://www.reddit.com/user/kyledavide kyledavide] on [https://www.reddit.com/r/xkcd/comments/3u4sy1/xkcd_1608_hoverboard/cxbyn86 reddit].<br />
*[http://1101b.com/xkcd1608/ fully zoomable map w/ toggleable coins and passages] - courtesy of [https://www.reddit.com/user/lanzaa lanzaa] on the same reddit [https://www.reddit.com/r/xkcd/comments/3u4sy1/xkcd_1608_hoverboard/cxbyn86 thread]<br />
*[https://i.imgur.com/uYryxss.png png-map] - courtesy of [https://www.reddit.com/user/luke_in_the_sky luke_in_the_sky] on the same reddit [https://www.reddit.com/r/xkcd/comments/3u4sy1/xkcd_1608_hoverboard/cxbyn86 thread]<br />
*[http://paste.click/DsPuSL png-full-size-map] - might take a few minutes to download -> do not open directly in the browser! - courtesy of [https://www.reddit.com/user/0x90-0x90 0x90-0x90] on the same reddit [https://www.reddit.com/r/xkcd/comments/3u4sy1/xkcd_1608_hoverboard/cxbyn86 thread]<br />
*An [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/9/92/thumb_1608.jpg incomplete compilation] of the entire game area (note the missing pinnacle of the Washington Monument. It also missed the floating island above the monument).<br />
<br />
===Controls===<br />
The keyboard controls are as follows:<br />
<br />
*'''Go Left''' - Left arrow key, a or h<br />
*'''Go Right''' - Right arrow key, d or l<br />
*'''Go Up (jump or hover)''' - Up arrow key, w, or k<br />
*'''Go Down (if gravity disabled)''' - Down arrow key, s, or j<br />
<br />
This control scheme covers the three commonly used directional key sets: WASD a set of keys commonly used by modern games; HJKL a set of movement keys used by vi and applications which attempt to mimic vi key controls (vim); and the arrow keys, the most generic set of keys which is usually accepted by most applications which take movement as input, these were commonly used in older games.<br />
<br />
On devices which have a touch screen and tilt sensor (portable devices like mobile phones and tablets) the controls are as follows:<br />
*'''Go Left''' - Roll the device anticlockwise<br />
*'''Go Right''' - Roll the device clockwise<br />
*'''Go Up (jump or hover)''' - Tap the screen<br />
<br />
After inspecting the source code, there appears to be no way to move down on a portable device, this is only relevant if gravity is disabled.<br />
<br />
<br />
===Functionality===<br />
By observing page code while playing, the game grabs and displays images based on location, and subsequently clears all non-visible images. The game uses what seems to be a position syntax to retrieve the intended images live, and returns an error if such an image does not exist, such as a blank area. This technically means things could be added to the world and updated live. If the player is moving sufficiently fast or if the internet connection is slow, this means that the player can get stuck in a black area that does not load in time.<br />
<br />
This also means that the game does not have coded top or bottom limits, so any attempt to find the ''ceiling'' of the game will be futile unless the game is tweaked. The game does however have side limits.<br />
<br />
Opening the console will display the text: what? hoverboard not enough for you!? in the log. Activating goggles mode will cause the text 'B-)' to appear in the log.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
<br />
''This is the official transcript from [https://xkcd.com/1608/info.0.json xkcd]. A full transcript of the entire comic will be listed on a [[1608: Hoverboard/Transcript|separate page]].''<br />
<br />
: My new book, Thing Explainer, comes out today! To celebrate, here's a small game.<br />
<br />
: [A stick figure on a hoverboard can navigate around a field with platforms and barriers, reminiscent of a pinball machine, from top to bottom and left to right. Along the way it can collect coins, and then deposit them in a little terminal down at the center of the bottom. When you do, a message reads, "You got X coins in Y seconds!" and a secondary message depending on how well you did. <br />
: X=0 "You successfully avoided all the coins!"<br />
: X=1 "It's a start."<br />
: X=2-4 "Not bad."<br />
: X=5-9 "Terrific!"<br />
: X=10-16 (No message.)<br />
: X=17 "You found all the coins! Great job!"<br />
<br />
: However, if you leave the bounds of the playing field in either direction, a message in large red letters will flash:<br />
: RETURN TO THE PLAY AREA<br />
<br />
: When you keep going, you discover a vast world with grassy fields, caverns, mountains, volcanoes, and buildings. There are many little vignettes hidden everywhere, along with more coins.]<br />
<br />
''For the full transcript of the entire comic see [[1608: Hoverboard/Transcript]].''<br />
<br />
==Trivia==<br />
*There is as usual [[:Category:No title text|no title text]] for these interactive comics. But there is actually one listed in the [http://xkcd.com/1608/info.0.json info page] on xkcd. But this text: "Return to the play area", is never shown as a normal title text. But it will erroneously be shown in the unofficial mobile versions of the site. <br />
**This is actually the text that is shown blinking red at the buttom of the screen when leaving the starting area.<br />
*If the focus switches from the game to the page, the cueball can freeze in midair. The same thing can happen if the window border overlaps the play area.<br />
*The Washington monument has an invisible floor next to the visible bricks which you can enter from further up the monument.<br />
**You can also just walk through the monument at its base as shown by the sign.<br />
<br />
===Cheats and Exploits===<br />
Aside from the obvious ability to move out of bounds in the game, there are some more obscure hidden features which can't be enabled through normal gameplay, the ones found so far are as follows:<br />
<br />
'''Modes''' are activated by opening the Javascript Console (F12 [Or Command-Alt-I in most browsers under Mac OS X] to open Developer Tools, then Console tab) and writing corresponding commands. Click to expand:<br />
<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed leftAlign" style="width:100%"><br />
<br><br />
*'''Gandalf Mode:''' ''i.am.gandalf = true'' - jumps and runs further. displays a white gandalf hat that works well in places where the avatar can't be seen.<br />
*'''Speedhack:''' ''explorer.opts.speed= *Value*'' - Speed hacking, with 1 = normal speed<br />
*'''Jump Hack:''' '' explorer.opts.jumpForce= -*Value*'' - Jump hacking, with -1 = normal jump (positive values cause the hoverboard guy to move down when jumping)<br />
*'''Mewtwo mode:''' ''mewtwo = true'' - disables gravity<br />
*'''Noclip mode:''' ''noclip = true'' - player is able to move around the map without collision. Combine with Gandalf and Mewtwo modes for free easy map traversal.<br />
*'''Goggles mode:''' ''ze.goggles()'' - displays a small window showing area around the player in a pixelated manner. The goggles indicate collision boundaries (where the player touches the world) in cyan lines. Black pixels that are passable (such as other characters or text) will be highlighted red (allowing secret passages to be discovered).<br />
*'''Position Tracking:''' ''explorer.pos'' - Returns the player location to the console. Can be used to track position and test to ensure you are still moving. Must be re-entered to compare positioning.<br />
*'''Position Setting:''' ''explorer.pos.x = *Value* or explorer.pos.y = *Value*'' - Can be used to manually set a position within the world. The start is at x: 512106, y: -549612. The left terrain bound is at x: 475210, y: -553711. The right terrain bound is at x: 567281, y: -549712. Mewtwo and Noclip modes are a must for exploring in this way.<br />
* '''All the above:''' ''explorer.opts'' - Contains all the game's parameters. You can directly mess with ''gravity'', collision (''disableCollision''), jump force (''jumpForce'') and speed (''maxSpeed''), among others. Run ''Object.keys(explorer.opts)'' to list all available parameters you can tweak.<br />
* '''List all coins:''' ''explorer.objects'' - Array containing the position of the 169 coins of the game.<br />
* '''Disable tilt input:''' ''getEventListeners(window)['deviceorientation'][0].remove()'' - on Macs with motion sensor, disables tilt input which causes problems controlling the avatar<br />
<br />
'''Getting All Coins: ''' To instantly get all coins, input the below into the console window. Does not use standard formatting of [i] to avoid conflicts with i.am.gandalf<br />
<br />
for (var T = 0; T < explorer.objects.length; T++) {<br />
explorer.objects[T].got = true;<br />
}<br />
<br />
To teleport to the next coin every time you press the left or right arrow:<br />
<br />
var T = 0;<br />
document.onkeydown = function(event){<br />
if (event.keyCode == 37) { T = T-1 }<br />
else if (event.keyCode == 39) { T = T+1 }<br />
else { return }<br />
T = T % explorer.objects.length;<br />
var coin = explorer.objects[T];<br />
explorer.pos.x = coin.x1; explorer.pos.y = coin.y1;<br />
}<br />
<br />
For a quick tour of all the coins:<br />
<br />
var delayInMilliseconds = 1000; // 1 second delay between each teleport. feel free to change this.<br />
var index = 0;<br />
explorer.objects.forEach(function(x){<br />
setTimeout(function(){<br />
explorer.pos.x = x.x1;<br />
explorer.pos.y = x.y1;<br />
x.got = true;<br />
explorer.frame(); // forces a redraw<br />
},<br />
(index + 1) * delayInMilliseconds);<br />
index++;<br />
});<br />
<br />
To see a list of coin coordinates you have not yet collected:<br />
<br />
var L = 0;<br />
for (var S = 0; S < explorer.objects.length; S++) {<br />
var I = explorer.objects[S];<br />
if (I.got) {<br />
L++;<br />
} else {<br />
console.log(I.x1.toString() + ", " + I.y1.toString());<br />
}<br />
}<br />
console.log("You've found " + L.toString() + " of 169 coins");<br />
<br />
To display the distance and direction to the closest coin (with inverted colors once you have all the coins):<br />
<br />
function distance(x1, y1, x2, y2) {<br />
var dx = x2 - x1;<br />
var dy = y2 - y1;<br />
return Math.sqrt(dx * dx + dy * dy);<br />
}<br />
<br />
function angle(x1, y1, x2, y2) {<br />
var dx = x2 - x1;<br />
var dy = y2 - y1;<br />
return Math.atan2(dy, dx) * 180 / Math.PI;<br />
}<br />
<br />
function renderRadar() {<br />
var mindist = 10000000000;<br />
var closest = {<br />
x1:512278.0, y1:-549613.0<br />
};<br />
var linecolor = "red";<br />
for (var S = 0; S < explorer.objects.length; S++) {<br />
var I = explorer.objects[S];<br />
if (!I.got) {<br />
var dist = distance(explorer.pos.x, explorer.pos.y, I.x1, I.y1);<br />
if (dist < mindist) {<br />
mindist = dist;<br />
closest = I;<br />
}<br />
}<br />
}<br />
if (mindist == 10000000000) {<br />
mindist = distance(explorer.pos.x, explorer.pos.y, closest.x1, closest.y1);<br />
if (document.getElementById("radar").style.backgroundColor != "red") {<br />
document.getElementById("radar").style.backgroundColor = "red";<br />
}<br />
linecolor = "green";<br />
} else {<br />
if (document.getElementById("radar").style.backgroundColor != "green") {<br />
document.getElementById("radar").style.backgroundColor = "green";<br />
}<br />
}<br />
var ang = angle(explorer.pos.x, explorer.pos.y, closest.x1, closest.y1);<br />
var indicator = "";<br />
if (ang > 112.5 || ang < -112.5) {<br />
indicator += "left";<br />
}<br />
if (ang < 67.5 && ang > -67.5) {<br />
indicator += "right";<br />
}<br />
if (ang > -157.5 && ang < -22.5) {<br />
indicator += " up";<br />
}<br />
if (ang > 22.5 && ang < 157.5) {<br />
indicator += " down";<br />
}<br />
document.getElementById("radar").innerHTML = "Distance: " + mindist.toFixed(1).toString() + "&lt;br/>";<br />
document.getElementById("radar").innerHTML += indicator + " (" + -ang.toFixed(1).toString() + "°)";<br />
document.getElementById("radar").innerHTML += "<div id='circle' style='border: 1px solid black; border-radius: 50px; width: 100px; height: 100px; position:absolute; top:50px; left:25px'/>";<br />
document.getElementById("radar").innerHTML += "<div id='line' style='width: 50px; height: 1px; background-color: " + linecolor + "; position:absolute; top:100px; left:75px; transform:rotate(" + ang + "deg); transform-origin:0% 0%'/>";<br />
}<br />
<br />
var d = document.createElement("div");<br />
d.id = "radar";<br />
d.style.position = "fixed";<br />
d.style.left = "0px";<br />
d.style.top = "0px";<br />
d.style.width = "150px";<br />
d.style.height = "160px";<br />
d.style.border = "1px solid red";<br />
d.style.zIndex = "2";<br />
d.style.backgroundColor = "green";<br />
d.style.color = "#8f8";<br />
document.body.appendChild(d);<br />
<br />
setInterval(renderRadar, 100);<br />
<br />
To display your current coordinates:<br />
<br />
function renderRadar2() {<br />
document.getElementById("radar2").innerHTML = "x: " + explorer.pos.x.toFixed(1).toString() + "&lt;br>y: " + explorer.pos.y.toFixed(1).toString()<br />
}<br />
<br />
var d = document.createElement("div")<br />
d.id = "radar2"<br />
d.style.position = "fixed"<br />
d.style.left = "150px"<br />
d.style.top = "0px"<br />
d.style.width = "150px"<br />
d.style.height = "35px"<br />
d.style.border = "1px solid red"<br />
d.style.zIndex = "2"<br />
d.style.backgroundColor = "green"<br />
d.style.color = "#8f8"<br />
document.body.appendChild(d)<br />
<br />
setInterval(renderRadar2, 1000)<br />
</div><br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:No title text]]<br />
[[Category:Comics with color]]<br />
[[Category:Large drawings]]<br />
[[Category:Comics with animation]]<br />
[[Category:Dynamic comics]]<br />
[[Category:Interactive comics]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Hair Bun Girl]]<br />
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]<br />
[[Category:Philosophy]]<br />
[[Category:Video games]]<br />
[[Category:Star Wars]]<br />
[[Category:LOTR]]<br />
[[Category:Animals]]<br />
[[Category:Hamster Ball]]<br />
[[Category:Playpen balls]]</div>108.162.210.233https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1395:_Power_Cord&diff=71939Talk:1395: Power Cord2014-07-18T19:56:54Z<p>108.162.210.233: </p>
<hr />
<div>Is there any reason why you would have to avert your eyes... i would think that it may create a dust cloud from the keyboard... but it is a fictional situations, so there may be other reasons...[[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.218|108.162.249.218]] 06:02, 16 July 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Has anyone noticed Beret's uncanny ability with power cords? [[User:Thendenster|Thendenster]] ([[User talk:Thendenster|talk]]) 06:29, 16 July 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
What a stupid unrealistic comic. Things that are blown up with air don't float! >:-C --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.254.97|108.162.254.97]] 07:26, 16 July 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
You obviously don't know how gross a keyboard can be...<br />
Also, if you think this is unrealistic, you obviously haven't read enough XKCD. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.220|108.162.249.220]] 07:41, 16 July 2014 (UTC)<br />
:Yes and as can be seen someone has already added a link to the previous comic on gross keyboards so... [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 07:45, 16 July 2014 (UTC) And who says that it is not blown up with helium or the like. First of all we would never see if a stick character was inflated - so Beret guy could be big and filled with helium. Or it is just his crazy ability that makes his blow into the socket turn the "air" into helium in the PC - or something much lighter since the shown inflation would never be enough to carry a laptop. In the end the whole comic is just an excuse to make three crazy puns (like them or not, that is up to the reader) and refeer back to [[237]] [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 07:45, 16 July 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:I think 108.162.254.97 is being sarcastic. Pointing out the fact that things filled with air don't float instead of the obvious impossibility of blowing air through an electric wire. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.88|108.162.216.88]] 14:46, 16 July 2014 (UTC)BK<br />
<br />
:An object filled with air wont go up, but may still bounce out of hand and foat. In this case the sudden increase in volume have ejected the inflated laptop. Since an object almost-as-light-as-air is really sensitive to move of air, the laptop could (in the unlikely case of it happening) behave that way.[[Special:Contributions/141.101.70.103|141.101.70.103]] 09:11, 18 July 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Given that Beret Guy often does crazy correctitive things when he perceives something is amiss in his (surreal) visions of the world, I'm wondering if that's a specific protest against having the power chord plugged into the laptop but not the wall (during normal operation, I presume, rather than deliberately depleting the battery of testing the reduced-power settings, or temporarily while other powered devices require the power sockets with more urgency). I don't know whether I personally find this set-up more or less disturbing than a power-chord plugged into the wall but ''not'' plugged into the intended laptop. Although (apart from the risk of leaving residue across the pins), the comic's version is at least safer than the opening text of the explanation would suggest. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.192|141.101.99.192]] 12:11, 16 July 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
...inflation in an xkcd comic? Cue the inflatophobes... [[User:Greyson|Greyson]] ([[User talk:Greyson|talk]]) 13:34, 16 July 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Beret Guy is obviously exhaling a lighter-than-air gas, either by just taking a large breath of helium beforehand or by a very special cellular breathing process. Moreover, it should be noted that one averts one's eyes before something holy. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.220.41|108.162.220.41]] 11:02, 16 July 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Transcript accuracy: is Cueball actually looking up in panel 2? He's still typing after all. (Also, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0f0QzMNk-E&t=17 power chords?]]) --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.87|108.162.221.87]] 00:48, 17 July 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
why are all the ips from cloudfare servers? sockpuppets?[[Special:Contributions/173.245.53.121|173.245.53.121]] 09:08, 18 July 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
My mother once blown a lighter than air balloon, our best guess was that it was hot air from some fever or something. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.210.233|108.162.210.233]] 19:56, 18 July 2014 (UTC)</div>108.162.210.233