Editing 2916: Machine
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==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
− | {{incomplete|Created by a | + | {{incomplete|Created by a WELL OILED ROBOT. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}} |
This interactive game is the 14th [[:Category:April fools' comics|April fools' comic]] released by [[Randall]]. The previous April fools' comic was [[2765: Escape Speed]] from 2023, which was released on Wednesday, April 19, 2023. "Machine" has been updated multiple times in the weeks following its release, adding the following features: | This interactive game is the 14th [[:Category:April fools' comics|April fools' comic]] released by [[Randall]]. The previous April fools' comic was [[2765: Escape Speed]] from 2023, which was released on Wednesday, April 19, 2023. "Machine" has been updated multiple times in the weeks following its release, adding the following features: | ||
* the trophy and shot glass props | * the trophy and shot glass props | ||
* the cat, which swats balls in front of it | * the cat, which swats balls in front of it | ||
− | * the inanimate | + | * the inanimate cat and bunny decorations |
* a system of links, which encodes the XY coordinates of the currently viewed cell, and the time (i.e. the entire machine's state after a certain moderation action) | * a system of links, which encodes the XY coordinates of the currently viewed cell, and the time (i.e. the entire machine's state after a certain moderation action) | ||
* a button to follow a nearby ball as it traverses through the machine, also preventing it from despawning | * a button to follow a nearby ball as it traverses through the machine, also preventing it from despawning | ||
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Under construction cells will feed balls of the appropriate color into neighboring cells so long as you are not looking at them. Once you scroll to look at them, the supply of balls stops and subsequent cells in the chain will not receive any; scroll away from them again and the supply will resume. | Under construction cells will feed balls of the appropriate color into neighboring cells so long as you are not looking at them. Once you scroll to look at them, the supply of balls stops and subsequent cells in the chain will not receive any; scroll away from them again and the supply will resume. | ||
− | The grid is 12 cells wide, and grows in height. The largest size observed so far is | + | The grid is 12 cells wide, and grows in height. The largest size observed so far is 12x103, for a total of 1236 cells. The machine's height is determined by the lowest cell; this can be either your submitted cell, or a cell created by another user. |
Imperfections in the machines (whether accidental or by design) and the impossibility of entirely avoiding collisions when crossing streams inevitably lead to significant levels of losses and pollution with the wrong color balls. Indeed, using the follow ball function appears to demonstrate that it is quite rare for a ball to survive more than several machines without getting stuck somewhere. This should mean that effectively no balls would reach the lower layers. This implies that there is some 'creative accounting' going on to ensure that cells lower in the grid still have balls to process - simulating flow only for a few nearby cells, while assuming that those cells themselves have pure, steady inputs. | Imperfections in the machines (whether accidental or by design) and the impossibility of entirely avoiding collisions when crossing streams inevitably lead to significant levels of losses and pollution with the wrong color balls. Indeed, using the follow ball function appears to demonstrate that it is quite rare for a ball to survive more than several machines without getting stuck somewhere. This should mean that effectively no balls would reach the lower layers. This implies that there is some 'creative accounting' going on to ensure that cells lower in the grid still have balls to process - simulating flow only for a few nearby cells, while assuming that those cells themselves have pure, steady inputs. | ||
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:[The placeholder image shows four balls, colored red, green, yellow and blue, bouncing on top of three white blocks. Text in the center: "[visit xkcd.com to view]"] | :[The placeholder image shows four balls, colored red, green, yellow and blue, bouncing on top of three white blocks. Text in the center: "[visit xkcd.com to view]"] | ||
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:[Cueball with lab coat, intro popup] | :[Cueball with lab coat, intro popup] | ||
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**It just came out 4 days late. This has also happened several times since [[Garden]]. | **It just came out 4 days late. This has also happened several times since [[Garden]]. | ||
[[File:2916 Machine Facebook April fools' confirmation.png]] | [[File:2916 Machine Facebook April fools' confirmation.png]] | ||
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{{comic discussion}} | {{comic discussion}} |