Curiosity – What's Inside the Cube?

[Forbin]

Honestly, you could make it real time without that much trouble if you focused on that happening at the lower levels, and batch syncs at the higher levels.

But right now, I'd settle for the game loading without instantly crashing. I don't know what's changed, if it's some server error that's being returned on the socket that's causing a crash to home screen, but I can't launch this game any more. I played quite a bit before it started happening, and now I can't play at all.

Apparently there are more mechanics than just chipping away single blocks at a time, but if it did continue at this rate, I was wondering how long we could project till it's open. Given that the cube has ~ 100 mil cubes on it's outmost layer, and that it took about a day for people to chip that away, can anyone predict how many layers there are or how long it'll take to clear them? That would also assume a consistent level of player activity, and server stability, both of which will just not happen.

EDIT: Seems like it's better this morning, no crashes so far.

[melmer]

100,000,000 / 6 = 1666666 on one side

square route of 1666666 is 1290

1290 / 2 = 645 layers

i'm guess like 300+ days then if it stays at the same rate.....?

because if the first layer took a day.... then the 2nd layer + the 2nd to last layer would = 1 day, 3rd layer + 3rd from last = 1 day etc...... no wait thats bullshit : /

i can't figure out the diminishing cube part.... probably more like 100 days

i have a D in a-level Maths (which was one mark off a C)

[Thrik]

Variables to consider:

• Players can unlock the ability to chip away faster with coins they earn from chipping
  
• Players can (or will be able to) spend up to £50,000 for significantly faster chipping
  
• Deeper layers could be very different, whether it be bigger blocks or whatever (I'd expect surprises like this from Molyneux)
  

Whatever the case, I can't deny that this whole thing is an intriguing experiment. So many people have been motivated to do something that is essentially the shittiest thing you could possibly have as a gameplay mechanic with the allure of pretty much nothing. Hope the other 21 experiments are just as interesting!

[toblix]

Did anyone notice if they're handling the volume properly? If you pick an edge cube, does it disappear on both sides of the edge? How about corner cubes? When the first layer was cleared, did each face shrink correspondingly?

[toblix]

  On 11/8/2012 at 1:11 PM, Thrik said:

Deeper layers could be very different, whether it be bigger blocks or whatever (I'd expect surprises like this from Molyneux)

It says exactly this in the "about" text. «Don't think every layer will just be about picking» or something like that. Still, I was more excited about the potential of this before I got to play it. Actually experiencing the game and all its technical issues made me adjust my expectations for how fantastical any layer can possibly be.

Of course, we might all be playing Molyneux' little game just as he always intended. «Okay, synchronise that part of the cube! There, yes. Now, crash all the iPhone clients.»

[melmer]

perhaps like a month then, maybe it'll coincide with Christmas. Maybe it'll reveal the second coming of our lord Jesus

[Thrik]

I tried to give this a quick go while I was having a shit earlier. I just kept getting connection errors so that's pretty much that.

[youmeyou]

"are you curious"

"error accessing server"

"retry"

"are you curious"

"error accessing server"

"retry"

"are you curious"

"error accessing server"

"retry"

[brkl]

For me, the tag line has the same tone as "Why so serious?"

[jeremywc]

  On 11/8/2012 at 10:53 PM, brkl said:

For me, the tag line has the same tone as "Why so serious?"

For me, the tag line sounds like something from a bad porno. :-P

[Kolzig]

  On 11/8/2012 at 9:38 PM, youmeyou said:

"are you curious"

"error accessing server"

"retry"

"are you curious"

"error accessing server"

"retry"

"are you curious"

"error accessing server"

"retry"

This is exactly what is happening every day that I've tried in random to see this Molyneux hype engine extreme social experience extravaganza test.

Got to admit, if the game is *really* being played by so many people like dear old Peter is hyping since the release, then people truly are monkeys I suppose.

And I also have to admit that I am kind of curious to hear what is in the end. I'm sure it will be something that will be a huge letdown, like a picture of dog having a shit break or a text saying "Congrats, you made it to the center of the cube, now try my next awesome incredible test game when It's released on 1.3.2013. It will change your world"

But I wouldn't pay for this and from the looks of what I've seen in screenshots I would test this only once if it would actually even start beyond the intro hype texts without crashing the connection. Also if you need to connect some Facebook account or something to this, I'm deleting it immediately.

[Roderick]

Inside the cube: Paul McCartney giving a flailing, endless rendition of Hey Jude.

[miffy495]

So, any rendition of Hey Jude?

[Roderick]

Any rendition, of Hey Jude.

[melmer]

  On 11/9/2012 at 9:54 AM, Rodi said:

Inside the cube: Paul McCartney giving a flailing, endless rendition of Hey Jude.

thats hilarious you win the internets

hey Judy, judy judy judy Juday

[SiN]

  On 11/8/2012 at 9:51 AM, toblix said:

If they had managed to make this real-time, and you could pan around this huge cube watching tens of thousands of people chipping away, some systematically clearing out neat columns, some following weird patterns, some writing messages, etc., it would be incredible. Currently it's synchronising state with minutes delay, if at all, which only emphasises the pointlessness.

This is, in theory, what's suppose to happen. I started playing really early (twitter told me), so I was the 600-and-something-th person in, and it worked as advertised. Hopefully they'll get these server issues sorted soon.

As for the game, it's not the deepest thing ever, but it's a fun little creative toy. I don't even care about What's In The Cube^TM, it's just fun to doodle things and play around with whatever is on the cube.

[ThunderPeel2001]

  On 11/8/2012 at 9:38 PM, youmeyou said:

"are you curious"

"error accessing server"

"retry"

"are you curious"

"error accessing server"

"retry"

"are you curious"

"error accessing server"

"retry"

Same here! Lots of fun...

[ThunderPeel2001]

Holy shit, it finally almost worked.

So only one person will get to see the contents of the cube. Ha! Genuis. I think it's a study of selfish behaviour than it is on curiosity.

[ThunderPeel2001]

[Dethgar]

A key for Far Cry 2 is at the center.

[Kolzig]

In the center of the cube is the true Secret of the Monkey Island.

[Orv]

  On 11/10/2012 at 5:35 PM, Kolzig said:

In the center of the cube is the true Secret of the Monkey Island.

The mustard was actually century old glue.

[miffy495]

Peter Molyneux sends you a puppy.

[toblix]

This article pretty much confirms my worst fears about this game. Sounds like no amount of donations can save this.

[Erkki]

  On 11/14/2012 at 9:09 AM, toblix said:

This article pretty much confirms my worst fears about this game. Sounds like no amount of donations can save this.

That was a good read. I've no interest in playing the game, but the technical problems described are somewhat interesting. It's baffling that 22cans didn't really solve those problems at all.