# October Challenge Discussion - Best Diversion



## MrExcel

The October challenge is to create the best diversion or game in Excel.  Something interesting enough to cause other people to waste their time.  Post links to possible answers here, or e-mail to Challenge@MrExcel.com


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## Ivan F Moala

My Friend Colo's Snakes & ladders game 

http://www.interq.or.jp/sun/puremis/colo/


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## XL-Dennis

Hi, 

Could some kindly soul explain for a non-englisher what diversion exactly means in this context 

TIA,
Dennis


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## Mudface

It just means something entertaining to divert or distract oneself from everyday life. Or, as Bill put it- 'Something interesting enough to cause other people to waste their time.'

I did do a version of the old Dopewars game (minus the spyware and advertising) a few months ago in VB, I might convert it to VBA and send it in for a laugh.


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## Corticus

Brilliant idea!

I can't wait to see some of the responses!

-_Corticus_

_________________<font face="Papyrus" color="#765F03"> 


May Each Day Be a Blessing,</p></font><font face="Papyrus">Corticus</font>





This message was edited by  Corticus on 2002-10-07 10:16


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## Mark O'Brien

Hmmm, and how will these be distributed?

e.g. suppose I create a game that relies on VBA, how are other people supposed to get their hands on that workbook?

(Great idea for a challenge though)


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## Cam

I'm sure most of you know about Excel's easter egg race car game, but for those who don't check this out.

http://www.j-walk.com/ss/excel/odd/odd01.htm


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## Corticus

Hmmmm...

Good point, Mark.

Maybe we need some type of general area to upload files....

Now where have I heard this idea, before?

-_Corticus_

edit:
just actually _read_ the OP and I am a moron 
This message was edited by  Corticus on 2002-10-08 14:51


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## Jack in the UK

Hi

Dedicated to my great pal John the captain fire fighter in Baltimore you amased me for years about Viatnam, fond memorys in London very drunk together when i was a lad. Take care mate! Your see my father next year as you do every year!

XL Dennis diversion = little time waster like what i have sent you, OK friend?

''' I have fought: much to my downfall to have non US MVPs now we have wonderful guys all over the world.

I have fought hard to have non US Moderators, now we have.

I have BANGGED (repeatedly posted and go on about] down load areas, in this case you say upload / download///

Lets hope !!!

Im often asked why i dont cover the dowload part myself for this site, all i can answer is i would but thats treading on Bill Jelen toes, and disrespectful, sure my own site is fine, but no for want i would want ie download area of goodies. I also add i play nothing as a part in this site so i feel i am not a part of this site bar a guy who trys to help - i can but hope! Maybe im not wanted, maybe ??? I dont no - lets hope ah!

Sadly Jack plays next to no part in any of this, but my friends know i have done all i have quoted above. And i never ask but sure thse issues have been chatted about via the inner circle, i do not ask and dont really care, a i can do nothing about it. I know i have many guys both on my side and a few aginst who holds the balance of power is them against, so i cant help im not allowed to.

You know im not ant US or any nation as you read my posts i have millions of US friends i only dedicate to special guys and those how are sadly dead now, of casue these guys would help me in any UK US project, i have pals all covered the US, not just on this site and these guys i know real time!

Trouble is security, unless on www.mrexcel or some know ulr its not secure as xls file download might not be that you see, or exe to extract carry ???? unless you open or run it!!!!

Just my input - however i would love guys to post up there wares, as we have wonderful guys who could design awesome goodies.

Take care guys - love the idea thou:


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## Juan Pablo González

> On 2002-10-07 10:39, Mark O'Brien wrote:
> Hmmm, and how will these be distributed?
> 
> e.g. suppose I create a game that relies on VBA, how are other people supposed to get their hands on that workbook?
> 
> (Great idea for a challenge though)



Mark, you're slow  ... look what Bill said here:



> Send a copy of your game to challenge@MrExcel.com and I will post it in a download section of the site so that others may try it out. The sub-challenge is to whoever amasses the highest score in the game which is chosen as the best diversion



From:
http://www.mrexcel.com/challenge.shtml

_________________
Regards,

Juan Pablo G.
MrExcel.com Consulting
This message was edited by  Juan Pablo G. on 2002-10-07 18:26


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## Jack in the UK

Juan 

I get comments to MOB but its not there yet - or nat tha i can find, this board hgas been poor today blank sections of pages and posts with bit missing so excuse if ive missed it!

And the send to is of cause email not ULR
Jack


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## Jay Petrulis

Hi,

Nico Sterk has a demonstration of the Towers of Hanoi puzzle on his website.  

http://members.lycos.nl/excelsoftware/Default.htm

The puzzle starts out with disks on one of three pegs.  The idea is to move all the disks, one at a time, to another peg and have them in the same order.  The rule is that you cannot place a larger disk (higher number in the workbook) on top of a smaller one.

I think this problem type is found in many challenges of computer science -- the optimum way to solve the puzzle.

Maybe not quite the diversion the challenge expects, but the code is pretty amazing.

I think you need Excel XP for this file, as Nico declares an enum class for the "pegs" in the code.


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## Mark O'Brien

> Mark, you're slow  ... look what Bill said here:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Send a copy of your game to challenge@MrExcel.com and I will post it in a download section of the site so that others may try it out. The sub-challenge is to whoever amasses the highest score in the game which is chosen as the best diversion
> 
> 
> 
> 
> From:
> http://www.mrexcel.com/challenge.shtml
Click to expand...


You assume that I look at other parts of mrexcel.com.   

(I just stick to the MVP forum and the Lounge, and sometimes that section where people post questions about spreadsheets)


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## Juan Pablo González

> On 2002-10-09 20:25, Mark O'Brien wrote:
> ...and sometimes that section where people post questions about spreadsheets)



Where's that forum ? I've got a few of my own !


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## Mark O'Brien

http://www.piersontech.com/oe/forum/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=3


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## IOANNIS

I made two games for the October Challenge 

The first is like the Rubic cube but not 3D, just 2D, the game is like the bonus stage in an old coin up game 15 years ago but i cant remember its name.

The second one it looks like Tetris but it is not Tetris ..

It uses the Tetris Tiles. The idea is to put Tiles together to make "floor" with specific dimentions such as 3x5, 3x20, 4x15 ...
Every "floor" is a level in the game, if you solve one level (level 1 is 3x5)then you go to the next level (unless you want to find another solution to win extra points-score) ..and so on ..until you go to the last level, which is 6x15.

The points-score for each level is equal to its dimentions, 3x5=15 points, 4x10=40 points and so on . 

The tiles are 12, Every tile has 5 cell²

The Levels which the area of floor is equal to 60 are the most difficult, because you must use all the tiles in a spesific order and "shape" (Every tile have mirrors or rotated shapes relative to its self)

The Levels with score-points 60 have a few solutions (but a least one, i think !!) 

If the game won the challenge, as MrExcel said "The sub-challenge is to whoever amasses the highest score ..", you must find all solutions in every board to make the highest score not just to find one solution per level and then go to the next one ...

The first game pass all the test but the tetris one not yet, I will email the games when the testing period is over .. 



_________________
ATHENS 2004
This message was edited by  IOANNIS on 2002-11-03 04:06


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## white6174

3D tic-tac-toe

check out this game I've been making 
not finished yet, just wanted to see what people thought of it 


click on the link to download 







<a href="http://home.earthlink.net/~white6174/WEB%20PAGE/TICTACTOE.xls">
TICTACTOE</a></p>


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## MrExcel

We are coming down to the final 2 weeks of the challenge. I have 10 entries in my inbox right now. I've uploaded the screen shots and a zip file of each entry to the original challenge page.

Bill



_________________
MrExcel.com Consulting
This message was edited by  MrExcel on 2002-11-04 10:22


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## Mark O'Brien

I haven't played any of the games except the football manager game.  That was great.  I sat for 8 hours playing it one day.  (no no, I mean I sat for just a lunchtime playing it  )


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## Von Pookie

Your lunchtime is 8 hours long?

And people were throwing fits over _my_ lunch starting at 11:30! :wink:


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## Jay Petrulis

Hi All,

I just wandered over to the Challenge of the Month part of the site and can't wait to download the files when they become available.

I'll reserve judgment until I get a chance to play with them all, but I would like to pre-announce that I am incredibly impressed with all of them!  

If these work as advertised, one helluva a lot of creativity and formidable Excel skills went into creating them.  Major kudos.

Tres bien!


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## NateO

> Tres bien!



Sacré merde!! Tu parles français Monsieur Petrulis. Who knew?!

I'll have to get in on some of these games myself. Bon soir,

Nate
This message was edited by  NateO on 2002-11-20 23:31


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## brepsenkamp

Maybe I am late but my vote is for:

footymanager!!!!!!!!

Regards,

Robert


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## IOANNIS

This message was edited by  IOANNIS on 2002-12-16 12:30


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## MrExcel

Thanks to Juan Pablo for pointing out that I missed three entries posted here in the lounge.  I have added those entries and we now have a total of 18 entries.

The entries have been moved to: 
http://www.mrexcel.com/pc10.php

I am going to ask some impartial judges from the MVP's to nominate the top 5 games and then we will let every one vote.

Bill

_________________
MrExcel.com Consulting
This message was edited by  MrExcel on 2002-11-25 07:34


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## MrExcel

Thanks to everyone who sent in a game. They were all excellent. I had to narrow down the field, so I asked MVP's from 3 continents to select their favorites.

You can view the 9 finalists and cast your vote at http://www.mrexcel.com/pc10.php

Bill


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## Jack in the UK

Hi Bill

I must take the credit for the FootyManager i released it, from London, first i stole it from a secret web site early this year, and sent to MVP and members on this board, you know fun of the share kinda of thing, im sure. A few Moderaters and MVP will secretly admit i do sent goodies to them, excel and flash files.

Tetris is the gurus game, which i have and also one armed bandit [slot machine] i also have, i send these off time to time, all stolen from secret web sites around the world, as are my flash games.

The footymanager you will see is made in the UK by a guy from Brighton, heavens help us, but there is a fault in the workbook, so be careful.

As a freak of very small games I like these. Can i request that the games be made available to all that you have been send to we can all download them and share the fun, rather than just see splash screens and not be able to play.

In return i will release 6 guru games to the MrExcel members - a fair trade i feel.

I offer 

Bowling [Flash]
Elves Bowling [Flash] Christmas themed!
Darts [Flash]
Slot Machine [Excel]
Othello [Excel]
Marbles [Excel]

And even some Java guru games i have if any inters.

Space invaders with sound. [Java - HTLM]
Missile command with sound [Java - HTML]
Asteroids with sound i think ?? [Java - HTML]

Of cause i might have more if the interest is there on this front 
I also have other really nice stuff some friends [Moderators and MVP] have seen.

Bill everyone loves games like these nice time wasters, so the offers there, EVERY SINGLE member can have such fun, i offer this if together we can get this off the ground.

Jack


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## russell_piper

Jack,

I do beleive that you are incorrect in stating that you "released" the footy manager game.


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## Jack in the UK

Fair enough then, i didn’t!!

I did not write it or claim credit of it, but i assure you i released it to the US and around the world as has been documented on this site some time back, and i was the one who sent to MVP and Moderators on this site, who in turn passed it on - so yes i *JackintheUK* released / introduced this to the board, my comments are local to MrExcel in all my conversations, out side this box is a very different matter i admit and agree.

I not stupid, most members know I know I have buddy’s MVP and moderators, im hardly going to say such, as a MVP / Moderator can post – no you did not, but I did not send to all, only my trusted buddy’s, well you read into that yourself.
Fair enough then, i didn’t

I did not write it or claim credit of it, but i assure you i released it to the US and around the world as has been documented on this site some time back, and i was the one who sent to MVP and Moderators on this site, who in turn passed it on - so yes i *JackintheUK* released / introduced this to the board, my comments are local to MrExcel in all my conversations, out side this box is a very different matter i admit and agree.

I do get a massive amount of stuff regular supply thus my kind offer to distribute via Bill Jelen, i just don’t have the spare time to do this to all the guys who will want such goodies, Excel games are open source so wonderful learning of what can be done. I have often fought for download site / area. Bill declines to communicate over this or interact with me on this front, a great shame and loss to everyone.

Can you assist me here?

Do you have goodies, maybe we can chew this over, im very willing to add you to my distribution of hot goodies if your interested.

So what do i want in return, NOTHING.

But ask if you can help someone in the world of Excel if a buddy needs a touch of help, thats payment enough to Jack.

So what do you think?

Jack
I do get a massive amount of stuff regular supply thus my kind offer to distribute via Bill Jelen, i just don’t have the spare time to do this to all the guys who will want such goodies, Excel games are open source so wonderful learning of what can be done. I have often fought for download site / area. Bill declines to communicate over this or interact with me on this front, a great shame and loss to everyone.

Can you assist me here?

Do you have goodies, maybe we can chew this over, im very willing to add you to my distribution of hot goodies if you’re interested. Maybe we can exchange?? Maybe you don’t want to? I don’t know, but the offer is there, let me know, you see the list, I hope you have such fun as I have and all those I have given this fun to. If we swoop ill bounce those around so even more guys can enjoy the fun, all from your good self of cause.

So what do i want in return, Nothing.

But ask if you can help someone in the world of Excel if a buddy needs a touch of help, that’s payment enough to Jack.

So what do you think?

Jack


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## russell_piper

Your full of yourself Jack, I am not 100 % sure what you are going on about either. Oh by the way do you really come up with this stuff or do you have a random babble generator which you simply cut and paste into your posts ?


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## Corticus

> On 2002-12-12 09:25, russell_piper wrote:
> Your full of yourself Jack, I am not 100 % sure what you are going on about either. Oh by the way do you really come up with this stuff or do you have a random babble generator which you simply cut and paste into your posts ?



Where's the love, man?

Didn't your mama tell you if you don't have something nice to say...

Corticus


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## russell_piper

Plenty of love to give Corticus.

Just curious as to what he's actually saying maybe I worded my last post wrong ?.

Do you understand him ? and if so please translate.


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## Corticus

Oh, I'm just playin around,



I guess if someone could make a macro to decypher "Jack-O-Nese", that wouldn't hurt!  I'm versed in this language, so I guess I take it for granted!

cya,
Corticus


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## Jack in the UK

Thank you Corticus my friend
As you know i hated for my education, hardly my fault, i have little, but guys expect everyone expects each to have education the same as them

jack_O_sence is easy as you know !!


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## James

Hey mucker, when you first started posting i always thought you were half in the bottle. Soon after i realized that not to be true at all and learned "Jack -O- Nese". I have enjoyed reading your post ever since. Now i notice you have changed your language what i named "Jack -O- Nese" to "Jack_O_Sence
If that's the way you want to be, so be it.
YOU GOTTA LOVE JACK !!!
James


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## IOANNIS

To Jack in the UK

You say ...

"Tetris is the gurus game, which i have and also one armed bandit [slot machine] i also have, i send these off time to time, all stolen from secret web sites around the world, as are my flash games"

You Mean That my "Tiles" game (Tetris) is stolen from secret web site ???

Or I did not understand what you say  ????
This message was edited by  IOANNIS on 2002-12-15 08:00


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## Jack in the UK

No not your i get sent them from guys all over the place darn if i know all they have said is secret www sites.

To be honest ive never seen your game out there - never seen it before, there are many tetris games all are very good.

Remember i work in a software development company and they are a bizzar bunch, thing like this they love, you can tell when a new ones out as TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP all arround the office


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## InaCell

Any chance the page with the games is still floating around. The links are dead.

Cheers, InaCell.


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## hiker95

Parth123,



> Maybe we need some type of general area to upload files.



The following is a free site:

*You can upload your workbook to (the BLUE link-->)  Box Net ,*
sensitive data changed
*mark the workbook for sharing*
and provide us with a *link* to your workbook.


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## InaCell

Bump

MrExcel ?


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## InaCell

Whose the "webmaster"? Hardly a master if the links don't work!

Has it become a closed shop and no sharing of information?


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## Darren Bartrup

It is a 13 year old thread - I'd be amazed if the links still worked. :D


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## Scott Huish

This is the post in question October Challenge Discussion - Best Diversion, but I have to agree that to expect all links from a post that is 13 years old to still be functional is a bit much.


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## InaCell

Let's just accept it hey. The apathy in society today leaks into the everyday things we do. Little wonder the world is like it is.

This is a  site that portrays a "professional" image. There are ways to ensure a website does not have dead links. I do expect a website to be maintained, no matter how long ago it was constructed. They were files held on the same server, so not hard. 

Hardly expecting too much!


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## Richard Schollar

InaCell said:


> Let's just accept it hey. The apathy in society today leaks into the everyday things we do. Little wonder the world is like it is.
> 
> This is a  site that portrays a "professional" image. There are ways to ensure a website does not have dead links. I do expect a website to be maintained, no matter how long ago it was constructed. They were files held on the same server, so not hard.
> 
> Hardly expecting too much!



I agree - I would demand a full refund of your membership fees! Oh, wait...


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## Jon von der Heyden

InaCell said:


> Little wonder the world is like it is.


Let's not rule out rudeness, ingratitude, entitlement and sarcasm


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## Zack Barresse

Was that a volunteer to maintain the site links and download files? <blush><hands slap face><ensue sarcasm> We wouldn't expect much, just thousands of hours going unrecognized, unpaid, with a$sh0les telling you how you should be spending your free time, telling you that you're doing it wrong - but you'd be doing the world such a favor and surely we wouldn't complain, because it would be rude to complain to a volunteer. Only a$$holes would do something like that, of which we are not. <kind of ending sarcasm... kind of>

Since it's abundantly clear InaCell knows perfectly how to maintain a website and keep links rolling on a decade and a half of a forum (assuming they know the intricacies of php/html/javascript/whateverelseIcanthinkof/blahblahblah), and on top of that is qualified to judge others they hold in such contempt, I'll just defer to their expert judgement.

#wasteoftime #trollsaresolastyear #hashtagcauseIcanbiotch #boomdropthemic


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