KoP's Screenies & Random Rambling

[KingOfPain]

MAPHACK IN YOUR MIND



Gung Hay Fat Choy! God Speed to all your Meph Runs in the Year Of The Tiger!!!







So I have just wasted an hour watching [Guide] D2 Resurrected MAP TRICKS TO KNOW! - MAPHACK IN YOUR MIND by MrLlamaSC in the hope that I might improve my MF efficiency. If you haven't watched it, don't waste your time. It is a whole lot of theory crafting, even tho some of it might be based on certain facts, it didn't improve my path finding at all.



The problem is that (for what matters, lets just focus on large maps such as Dur 2 and the Act 5 areas such as Crystalline Passage etc.) the maps are so large that the paths wrap around themselves in many multiple layers it really doesn't matter which direction you start off from. It's like heading North to the North Pole but soon you would be heading South without changing directions.








He suggested to always exit left. Nice example like the first screen in this post. But maps like the ones below are just as commonplace. I would challenge anyone to give relevant directions to D3 from the WP, even with the advantage of explored maps like the ones below.
























Charis and I used to put forth our own theories (back when the maps are smaller). The general gist is that he says to go clockwise while I say to go counter clockwise. In the end, we just have to agree we were probably talking about the same thing.





I used to study hundreds of maps like this to try and find a pattern to the pathing, and hoped there is certain recognizable geometric patterns. The only conclusion I can draw is that the wp, entrance and exit always forms a triangle.  That is more accurate than the MapHack video with less confusion.....










In the end, you can see him using MapHack in his subsequent vids 

[T-hawk]

I'll disagree with your skepticism here. The clockwise effect is real and more predictable than not.

If the incoming stairs on Durance 2 are in a room that extends northeast from its entrance, then the waypoint room will extend southeast from its entrance, and the exit stairs will be in a room that extends southwest from its entrance. This is inviolate, I've never seen any counterexamples in thousands of maps.

The clockwise effect defines the direction that each room attaches to its neighboring room. This doesn't guarantee anything about the location of the desired room, but does indicate a tendency, that there are more ways for the room to be on that side of the map than in one of the twisted-around locations, and thus more likely. There's no guarantee of any individual case, but on the aggregate, going clockwise in the Durance will save you time more often than not.

There's also an effect of perception bias. Your perception is skewed towards the worse cases because you spend more time in them. Suppose you play 5 maps and find the exit quickly on 4 of them, then spend 5x as long on the fifth map. Then you spent 50% of your total time on only 20% of the cases. This is the same effect that your supermarket checkout line always seems to go slower than the others. It doesn't, you're equally likely to pick a lane of any speed - but you only spend time perceiving it when you get stuck in a slow one, you don't notice when you speed through.

[T-hawk]

Think about Arcane Sanctuary to clearly illustrate that last point. Suppose it takes you one minute to reach the end of a quadrant and determine if it's the Summoner.

25% of the time, you spend 1 minute traversing 1 quadrant.
25% of the time, you spend 2 minutes traversing 2 quadrants.
25% of the time, you spend 3 minutes traversing 3 quadrants.
25% of the time, you spend 4 minutes traversing 4 quadrants.

Suppose you play four maps and experience each case once. You spent 1+2+3+4=10 total minutes. 10% of your time was spent on the 1-quadrant case, 40% of it was spent on the 4-quadrant case. That's why it always feels like it takes longer - your feel is skewed towards only noticing the cases that take longer.

[KingOfPain]

Think about Arcane Sanctuary to clearly illustrate that last point. Suppose it takes you one minute to reach the end of a quadrant and determine if it's the Summoner.

25% of the time, you spend 1 minute traversing 1 quadrant.
25% of the time, you spend 2 minutes traversing 2 quadrants.
25% of the time, you spend 3 minutes traversing 3 quadrants.
25% of the time, you spend 4 minutes traversing 4 quadrants.

Suppose you play four maps and experience each case once. You spent 1+2+3+4=10 total minutes. 10% of your time was spent on the 1-quadrant case, 40% of it was spent on the 4-quadrant case. That's why it always feels like it takes longer - your feel is skewed towards only noticing the cases that take longer.

I know there are algorithm governing the layout of the map so there should be some consistence, however, the algorithm also include random seeds. And, when you expand the map to wrap around itself many layers all your theories goes out the window. Like saying the WP, Exit and Entrance always form a triangle - That's a fact, but as useless as his predictions.

Yes, about perception bias, you forgot that the opposite is also true. I could have just as well say turning left is the right choice because I was just ecstatic seeing a quick run to Mephy (like the first map I posted). We can argue until we turn green and I can brag about how many thousands of runs I have done.....

And until Mr himself stop using MapHack to show his methods are useful.....

[KingOfPain]

I'll disagree with your skepticism here.  The clockwise effect is real and more predictable than not.

That, you will have to take it up with MrLlama. He proposed to go Left, counterclockwise.

[T-hawk]

Left is clockwise. Follow your character's left hand, along the wall on that side, and you'll be going clockwise around the perimeter.

[Charr Babies]

Left is clockwise.  Follow your character's left hand, along the wall on that side, and you'll be going clockwise around the perimeter.

IIRC, he is talking about Exit Left. Have your back to the wall facing the exit and go left, [edited] and keep turning left. That would be counterclockwise.

[KingOfPain]

TooThrow with Iceblink and Howltusk


TooThrow, the Double Thrower, not the armor ;p

[KingOfPain]

D2R On Dual Screen With One Monitor In Portrait Orientation

[T-hawk]

I know RB loves us a wacky variant, but that's a bit ridiculous