We received a total of 124 solutions to our first puzzle. All of them were formally correct due to the rigid checking of the result file during upload.
Apparently, most players realized that the puzzle can be won against the computer AI because we received only two solution with a negative point difference (i.e. a lost game for player 1). Almost all solutions were different. The few identical solutions from different players had identical result files suggesting that players had formed teams to find the best solution - something which is not forbidden.
Already nine days after the start of the puzzle did we receive the first almost perfect solution, which headed the list for two weeks, only to be beaten by another solution just one point better. The last three days before the deadline saw a run of solutions, which to our surprise were all only in mid-field.
We would like to thank all participants of this first puzzle and hope that you enjoyed it a lot.
The "trick" was to put the program's AI off balance with the two observatories by not buying one of them. In mid-game mainly high value buildings and only a few profitable nobels were bought. Profitable noble upgraders were bought early, the others were taken into the hand.
In the last round it was taken care of that a lot of nobles became available. This way ten different nobles could be acquired, getting the maximum bonus for them!
No need to mention that the weaknesses of the AI were exploited without mercy...
You can explore the full solution by downloading the result file of the winner; you can use the UNDO/REDO buttons to scroll backward/forward to exactly examine each move played!
The second winner was drawn from a hat by Walter on March 2nd, 2005 near the Munich Westpark!
The winners of the 1st WPG Sankt Petersburg Puzzle are:
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Jürgen Eberhardt from Germany (best result) and Teis Jacobsen from Denmark (lucky draw) |
Congratulations to both of you from all the Westpark Gamers and the crew from Hans im Glück!
