A ride that takes 10^20k years to complete in Roller Coaster Tycoon 2 [video] (youtube.com)

Article summary

A video showcases a ride in Roller Coaster Tycoon 2 that takes an extremely long time to complete due to its maze design. The ride's pathfinding algorithm can be exploited to create travel asymmetries. The discussion revolves around the time complexity of the maze solver, with some arguing it is exponential. The game's developers have since updated the pathfinding algorithm to remove biases.

Main themes

• Roller Coaster Tycoon 2
• maze solver time complexity
• pathfinding algorithms
• big O notation
• game development
• exploit hunting
• QA and testing
• maze solving algorithms

What commenters say

• The maze solver in Roller Coaster Tycoon 2 has a time complexity of O(2^N) due to its random walk nature.
• The time complexity of the maze solver is not accurately represented by big O notation, which is typically used for deterministic algorithms.
• The use of big O notation to describe the maze solver's time complexity is acceptable when considering the expected runtime.
• The maze solver's algorithm can be improved by assigning a strategy to each player, such as following the wall with a specific hand.
• The updated pathfinding algorithm removes the clockwise bias, making the game more realistic.
• The interaction between developers and 'exploit hunters' is positive and wholesome, with both parties showing appreciation for the game's details.
• The 'exploit hunters' are essentially doing QA for the developers, helping to identify and fix issues.
• The wall-following algorithm is a popular and effective method for solving mazes, but it has limitations and can be improved with random handedness changes.