Riddling Gnome

Encounter Trigger

Location:

• Forest event hook
• Event weight: 100 (always triggers when selected from event pool)
• Random forest encounter (no player control over appearance)

Encounter Text:

"A short little gnome with leaves in his hair squats beside a small tree. He smirks, giggling behind one of his fatty hands. For a moment, it looks like he might scramble off into the trees, but after a moment smirks and looks at you.

"I'll give you a boon," he says, "if you can think and answer my riddle!"

He loses himself momentarily in a fit of giggling, then contains his excitement for a moment and continues.

"But if ere long your guess is wrong, then my boon it will be!"

Do you accept his challenge?"

Initial Choice:

• Yes: Accept riddle challenge (proceed to riddle)
• No: Decline challenge (gnome leaves, no reward/penalty)

Declining the Challenge

If You Choose "No":

"Afraid to look the fool, you decline his challenge. He was a little bit creepy anyway.

The strange gnome giggles hysterically as he disappears into the forest."

Effects:

• No reward
• No penalty
• Encounter ends
• Safe exit (risk-averse option)

Why Decline:

• Low on gold (can't afford loss)
• Low on turns (can't afford turn loss)
• Don't know riddles (expect failure)
• Risk-averse playstyle (avoid gambling)

The Riddle Challenge

If You Choose "Yes":

• Gnome asks riddle from database (random selection)
• Riddle displayed with formatting
• Text input box for answer
• "Guess" submit button

Riddle Text:

"Giggling with glee, he asks his riddle:

"[Riddle text from database]"

What is your guess?"

Answering:

• Type answer in text box
• Click "Guess" button
• Answer processed with fuzzy matching (see below)
• Result: correct or wrong

Answer Matching System

Filtering Process

Step 1: Remove Non-Alphanumeric

• Both player answer and correct answer: preg_replace("/[^[:alnum:]]/", " ", $answer)
• Removes punctuation, special chars
• Spaces replace removed chars

Step 2: Filter Common Words (Beginning)

• Removed from start of answer: "a", "an", "and", "the", "my", "your", "someones", "someone's", "someone", "his", "her", "s"
• Example: "the answer" → "answer"
• Example: "a river" → "river"

Step 3: Filter Common Suffixes (End)

• Removed from end of answer (if word long enough): "s", "ing", "ed"
• Example: "rivers" → "river"
• Example: "running" → "runn"
• Example: "walked" → "walk"

Step 4: Convert to Lowercase

• All text lowercased
• Case-insensitive matching

Fuzzy Matching Logic

Short Words (≤2 letters):

• Must match exactly (after filtering)
• No levenshtein tolerance
• Example: "it" must be exactly "it"

Long Words (>2 letters):

• Levenshtein distance ≤ 2 allowed
• Up to 2 letter differences acceptable
• Examples:
  • "river" matches "rivre" (1 letter swap)
  • "mountain" matches "mountin" (1 letter missing)
  • "shadow" matches "shadw" (1 letter missing)
  • "dragon" does NOT match "dargon" if >2 differences

Multiple Correct Answers:

• Database stores multiple answers separated by semicolons (;)
• Example: "river;stream;water"
• Player answer checked against ALL possible answers
• Match any = correct

Empty Answer Handling:

• Empty/blank submission = always wrong
• No accidental correct via empty string

Rewards (Correct Answer)

Success Text:

"Lizards and pollywogs!!" he blusters, "You got it!"

"Oh very well. Here's your stupid prize."

Random Reward Table (e_rand 1-10):

Roll 1-4 (40%): One Gem

• Text: "He gives you a gem!"
• Reward: +1 gem
• Logged: "gained 1 gem from the riddle master"

Roll 5-7 (30%): Two Gems

• Text: "He gives you two gems!"
• Reward: +2 gems
• Logged: "gained 2 gems from the riddle master"

Roll 8-9 (20%): Extra Turn

• Text: "He does the hokey pokey, and turns himself around. After that display, you feel ready for battle! You gain a forest fight!"
• Reward: +1 forest turn
• No log entry
• Hokey pokey = motivational dance apparently

Roll 10 (10%): Specialty Point OR Experience

• Text: "He looks deep in your eyes, then whacks you hard across the side of your head. When you come to, you feel a little bit smarter."
• If you have specialty:
  • Reward: +1 specialty point (increment_specialty)
  • Text color: green ("`3")
• If you have NO specialty:
  • Reward: experience = level × 10
  • Text: "That was a fun lesson. You gain some experience!"
• Educational violence (head whack = learning tool)

Expected Reward Value:

• Gem average: (40% × 1) + (30% × 2) = 1.0 gem expected
• Turn chance: 20% for +1 turn
• Specialty/XP chance: 10%
• Best possible: 2 gems (30% chance)

Penalties (Wrong Answer)

Failure Text:

"The strange gnome cackles with glee and dances around you. You feel very silly standing there with a crazy gnome prancing around like a fairy, so you quietly make your exit while he's distracted. Somehow you feel like less of a hero with his mocking laughter echoing in your ears."

Random Penalty Table (e_rand 1-6):

Roll 1-3 (50%): Lose Gold

• Text: "It's not until much later that you also notice some of your gold is missing. You lost [amount] gold!"
• Amount: random(1, level × 10)
• Capped at current gold (can't go negative)
• Examples:
  • Level 5: lose 1-50 gold
  • Level 10: lose 1-100 gold
  • Level 20: lose 1-200 gold
• Logged: "lost [amount] gold to the riddlemaster"
• Pickpocket gnome (mocking laughter = distraction)

Roll 4-5 (33%): Lose Turn or Charm

• Text: "You don't think you can face another opponent right away."
• If turns > 0:
  • Penalty: -1 forest turn
  • Text: "You lose a forest fight!"
• If turns = 0:
  • Penalty: -1 charm (if charm > 0)
  • Text: "You lose a charm point due to despair."
• Conditional penalty (worse if out of turns)

Roll 6 (17%): Lose Charm

• Text: "What would [partner] think? You lose a charm point!"
• Penalty: -1 charm (if charm > 0)
• Partner name displayed (from get_partner())
• Shame mechanism (partner disappointment)

Expected Penalty:

• 50% chance: lose 1 to (level×10) gold
• 33% chance: lose 1 turn or 1 charm
• 17% chance: lose 1 charm
• Total charm loss chance: 50% (if turns=0) or 17% (if turns>0)
• Worst case: level 20 loses 200 gold

Risk/Reward Analysis

Correct Answer (Win)

• Best: +2 gems (30%)
• Good: +1 gem (40%)
• Decent: +1 turn (20%)
• Variable: specialty point or exp (10%)
• Average: ~1 gem worth

Wrong Answer (Loss)

• Worst: -(level×1-10) gold (50%, scales with level)
• Bad: -1 turn or -1 charm (33%)
• Minor: -1 charm (17%)
• Average at level 10: ~25-50 gold loss

Expected Value (If 50% Correct Rate)

• 50% chance: +1 gem average (~1000 gold value?)
• 50% chance: -(level×5) gold average OR -1 turn/charm
• Break-even if gem worth > level×10 gold
• Low-level players: profitable (gems > gold loss)
• High-level players: risky (gold loss scales up)

Optimal Strategy

• Accept if: You know riddles well, low level, high gold
• Decline if: Don't know answer, high level, low gold
• Can't preview riddle before accepting (gamble)
• Fuzzy matching helps (2-letter tolerance)

Riddle Database

How Riddles Are Stored:

• Database table: "riddles"
• Columns: id, riddle (text), answer (text), author (login)
• Random selection: ORDER BY rand()
• One riddle per encounter (selected when you accept challenge)

Answer Format:

• Single answer: "river"
• Multiple answers: "river;stream;water" (semicolon-separated)
• All alternatives checked
• Case-insensitive, filtered, fuzzy-matched

Default Riddles:

• Module comes with install script (riddles_install.php)
• Pre-loaded riddles on installation
• Admin can add more via Riddle Editor

Riddle Editor (Admin Tool)

Access:

• Superuser menu (SU_EDIT_RIDDLES permission)
• OR user pref "canedit" = 1
• Link: "Riddle Editor" in Module Configurations

Editor Features:

• View all riddles (table format)
• Add new riddle (riddle text + answer + author)
• Edit existing riddle
• Delete riddle (with confirmation)
• Author field: auto-filled with admin login

Answer Guidelines:

• Separate multiple answers with semicolons
• Example: "fire;flame;flames"
• Ignored at start: a, an, and, the, my, your, someones, someone's, someone, his, her, s
• Ignored at end: s, ing, ed
• Design answers accounting for filtering

Localization Note:

• Riddles stored in database language
• Answers expected in database language
• No automatic translation

Strategy & Tips

For Players

When to Accept Challenge:

• High gold reserves (can afford loss)
• Low level (gold penalty smaller)
• Know riddles well (high success rate)
• Want gems (best reward = 2 gems)
• Risk-tolerant playstyle

When to Decline:

• Low gold (can't afford level×10 loss)
• High level (penalty scales up)
• Don't know riddles (low success rate)
• Out of turns + low charm (double penalty risk)
• Risk-averse playstyle

Answering Tips:

• Don't overthink (simple answers often correct)
• Spelling tolerance: 2 letters off OK (for long words)
• Plurals work (suffix filtering removes "s")
• Skip articles (a/an/the filtered automatically)
• Common riddle categories: body parts, natural elements, objects, concepts

For High-Level Players

Scaling Penalty Problem:

• Level 1: lose 1-10 gold (manageable)
• Level 10: lose 1-100 gold (significant)
• Level 20: lose 1-200 gold (painful)
• Reward doesn't scale (still 1-2 gems)
• Conclusion: Less favorable at higher levels

Break-Even Analysis:

• If gem worth ~1000 gold: profitable until level ~20 (assuming 50% success)
• If gem worth ~500 gold: profitable until level ~10
• Adjust risk tolerance based on gem value on your server

Common Questions

Q: What happens if I answer wrong?
A: Random penalty (50% lose gold scaling with level, 33% lose 1 turn or charm, 17% lose 1 charm). Gnome mocks you.

Q: Can I see the riddle before accepting?
A: No. Riddle only appears after you click "Yes." Initial decision is blind.

Q: How exact does my answer need to be?
A: Fuzzy matching allows 2-letter differences for words >2 letters. Short words must match exactly. Case-insensitive.

Q: What if there are multiple correct answers?
A: Database supports semicolon-separated answers. Matching any = correct.

Q: Can I encounter the same riddle twice?
A: Yes. Random selection from database each time. No tracking of seen riddles.

Q: What's the best reward?
A: 2 gems (30% chance if correct). Or specialty point if you value that highly.

Q: What's the worst penalty?
A: Losing gold (50% penalty chance, amount = level×1-10). High-level players can lose 100-200 gold.

Q: Can I die from this encounter?
A: No. Penalties are gold/turns/charm only. No HP damage or death.

Q: Is declining considered cowardly?
A: Text says "afraid to look the fool" but no mechanical consequence. Smart risk management = not cowardice.

Q: Can I add my own riddles?
A: Only if admin gives you "canedit" pref. Default: superuser only.

Example Riddles (Typical)

Classic Riddle Formats:

• "What has hands but cannot clap?" → clock
• "What gets wet while drying?" → towel
• "What has a head and tail but no body?" → coin
• "The more you take, the more you leave behind. What am I?" → footsteps
• "I have cities but no houses, forests but no trees, water but no fish. What am I?" → map

Answer Filtering Examples:

• Player types: "a clock" → filtered to "clock" → correct
• Player types: "the towel" → filtered to "towel" → correct
• Player types: "footstep" → filtered to "footstep" → matches "footsteps" (suffix removed)
• Player types: "mapp" (typo) → levenshtein(mapp, map) = 1 → correct