[Scummvm-tracker] [ScummVM :: Bugs] #15225: SCI: PEPPER: Franklin's puzzle box doesn't appear to be solvable (bug or feature?)

[ScummVM :: Bugs]

#15225: SCI: PEPPER: Franklin's puzzle box doesn't appear to be solvable (bug or
feature?)
-------------------------+------------------------------------------
Reporter:  eriktorbjorn  |       Owner:  (none)
    Type:  defect        |      Status:  new
Priority:  normal        |   Component:  Engine: SCI
 Version:                |  Resolution:
Keywords:                |        Game:  Pepper's Adventures in Time
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Description changed by eriktorbjorn:

Old description:

> In Act 4 of the game, you will come across Benjamin Franklin's puzzle
> box, which is just a fancy 15 puzzle. The initial scramble appears to be
> non-random, because it always looks like this:
>
> It also matches this YouTube playthrough, which appears to have been made
> with DOSBox:
> https://youtu.be/CpASiXJhrcM?list=PLwprFgobvKXbqEr9DSq0TNSnfT5Tu9YZU&t=635
>
> Turning this into a traditional 15 puzzle, this is what it would look
> like:
>
> {{{
> 10  7 15  5
>  9 12  4  2
> 13  8  6 14
>  1  3 11
> }}}
>
> This seems consistent with https://github.com/sluicebox/sci-
> scripts/blob/65c4100d1ba073e89290554f51acbe78777e3c95/pepper-
> dos-1.000/src/rm116.sc#L225
>
> Unfortunately, this is not a solvable 15 puzzle, unless you use the
> "Help" button. Is that really the solution, or is there more to this than
> meets the eye? If it is an original bug, should ScummVM (perhaps
> optionally) do something about it?

New description:

 In Act 4 of the game, you will come across Benjamin Franklin's puzzle box,
 which is just a fancy 15 puzzle. The initial scramble appears to be non-
 random, because it always looks like this:

 [[Image(scummvm-pepper-00022.png)]]

 It matches this YouTube playthrough, which appears to have been made with
 DOSBox:
 https://youtu.be/CpASiXJhrcM?list=PLwprFgobvKXbqEr9DSq0TNSnfT5Tu9YZU&t=635

 So ScummVM is probably doing it correctly. Turning this into a traditional
 15 puzzle, this is what it would look like:

 {{{
 10  7 15  5
  9 12  4  2
 13  8  6 14
  1  3 11
 }}}

 This also seems consistent with https://github.com/sluicebox/sci-
 scripts/blob/65c4100d1ba073e89290554f51acbe78777e3c95/pepper-
 dos-1.000/src/rm116.sc#L225

 Unfortunately, this is not a solvable 15 puzzle, unless you use the "Help"
 button. Is that really the solution, or is there more to this than meets
 the eye? If it is an original bug, should ScummVM (perhaps optionally) do
 something about it?

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Ticket URL: <https://bugs.scummvm.org/ticket/15225#comment:1>
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