Talk:Mastermind (board game)

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IMAGE PROBLEM: did anyone look at the fourth guess and see how it was scored? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.110.165.21 (talk) 03:01, 14 August 2008 (UTC)

Contradiction: So exactly how old is Bulls and Cows? Compare top mention with later mention. Was Master Mind "invented" or "designed"? Surely a plastic rendering of a classic pencil and paper game is "innovation" at best, not invention. Master Mind was no more invented than a plastic rendering of "battleships" ever was/is!! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.110.165.21 (talk) 02:56, 14 August 2008 (UTC)

I'm sure this is needlessly pedantic, but ... the picture on this page shows red and white pegs used to communicate the results of guesses, whereas the text talks about black and white pegs. Which is the original / the most common? Should the text or the picture be changed?

Pedantry is good! I changed "black" to "colored" in the text. (Speaking of pedantry, it is helpful when making comments in Talk pages to include a signature with ~~~~ (four tildes), because it includes the date and time stamp. That way, if somebody comes across this page in a month or a year, they'll know that it's an old comment that doesn't need to be immediately addressed) DavidWBrooks 16:38, 21 Jun 2005 (UTC)

I always played this game using five pegs rather than four. Presumably this was a mark II version. The rules given in the article refer consistently to four pegs and I don't know when the five peg version came about, so I'm not sure how to edit it in order to include this. Shantavira 07:24, 22 July 2005 (UTC)

Game time about 20 minutes? Last two games I played each were over 2 hours!!!!! Lochok 00:02, 9 January 2006 (UTC)

Algorithm

The algorithm provided is really extremely unhelpful and does not specifically relate to Mastermind in any way. Removing. -Fuzzy (Sorry... forgot to sign it a few edits back)

I prefer the Super Mastermind, and still do it in less than 10 minutes. A more challenging game is played with the 5 holes, using a blank hole as a "color" for a total of 9 colors, and allowing doubles. - 163.238.45.107

Piker! I play Super-Extra-Special Mastermind, with 127 colors including two in the ultraviolet spectrum, and do it in less time than it takes to say "ultraviolet spectrum." - DavidWBrooks 20:02, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

count_removals

What does count_removals() do? Can somebody clarify this? --Peni (talk) 16:47, 9 August 2008 (UTC)

Name and variants

Why does the article give "Mastermind" only as one word? In the Invicta editions at least, it was always "Master Mind", and this suggests that it was the original name. There was:

• Master Mind (code length 4, 6 colours, 10 guesses)
• Mini Master Mind (travel version, code length 4, 6 colours, 6 guesses)
• New Original Master Mind (code length 4, 8 colours, 10 (?) guesses)
• Super Master Mind (code length 5, 8 colours, 12 guesses)
• Word Master Mind (code length 4, 26 letters, 10 guesses)
• Number Master Mind (code length 4, 6 digits, 10 guesses)
• Grand Master Mind (which I've never seen)
• Master Mind for the Blind (which I've never seen, nor experienced by whichever sense that game relies on :-) )

And I just noticed "Duplicates are allowed, empty allowed". Allowing empty holes has never been part of the standard game IMX, although the rulebook for Super Master Mind suggests it as a more challenging variation. -- Smjg 11:01, 27 February 2006 (UTC)

But wait—there's more, at least according to a search of boardgamegeek.com:

• Supersonic Electronic Mastermind (no clue what this is)
• Mastermind for Kids (code length 3, 6 colors)
• Mastermind Secret Search (sounds similar to Word Mastermind but with up/down instead of correct/incorrect location)
• Royale Mastermind (code length 3, 5 colors × 5 shapes)
• Zoom Street: Mastermind Junior (code length 4, 6 colors)
• Mastermind44 (code length 4?, 6 colors, 4 players)

Okay, I admit I've played none of those variants—or even heard of them until just now (but I have played about three or four from Smjg's list). Still, what do people think about adding a list of variants to the Mastermind page? Good idea? Bad idea? I see there's already a Variations section with not much content in it; that's probably a decent place for such a list. Spakin (talk) 04:25, 13 October 2009 (UTC)

Heck, I just went ahead and added a table of variants taken from the above lists. I generally excluded variants that merely replace colors with automobiles, animals, etc. unless they also alter the number of colors, peg positions, or some other aspect of game play. Spakin (talk) 21:32, 18 October 2009 (UTC)

Moo

I moved the "moo" reference to the bottom, and I'm not sure it belongs at all. We can't just imply that Mastermind was somehow influenced by moo, as we did - we need to supply some backing evidence. - DavidWBrooks 18:04, 7 May 2006 (UTC)

Magnus Magnuson/John Humphries?

I have a mastermind box somewhere with who I think are the presenters of Mastermind on the BBC. It is a fairly old box, during the Magnus era, but the man on the front looks like Humphries, but he has an assisstant. Can anyone shed any light on this, as to whether the man on the front is Magnusson, Humphries or just an archetypal mastermind evil villain? ~~Lazyguythewerewolf . Rawr. 10:22, 20 October 2007 (UTC)

Knuth algorithm

The first line of the pseudo code for the Knuth algorighm contains an error. Furthermore, IMHO, some of the chosen identifiers are not very clear (eg. maximumGuessScore is not a score but a number of removals). I suggest the following changes:

while coloredScore != 4
   if numberOfTries == 0
       guess("aabb")
   else
       maximumNumberOfRemovals = 0
       maximumGuess = ""
       foreach possibleGuess
           minimumNumberOfRemovals = 9999
           foreach possibleScore
               numberOfRemovals = count_removals(possibleGuess, possibleScore)
               minimumNumberOfRemovals = min(numberOfRemovals, minimumNumberOfRemovals)
           if minimumNumberOfRemovals > maximumNumberOfRemovals
               maximumNumberOfRemovals = minimumNumberOfRemovals
               maximumGuess = possibleGuess
       guess(maximumGuess)  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 80.101.196.183 (talk) 14:12, 17 November 2010 (UTC) 

The first line "correction" above is incorrect. Pricklypeach (talk) 06:42, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

As i've been spending the past long while trying to parse the text given for the Knuth algorithm, i think i can say with confidence that it is supremely nonsensical. Can somebody who understands how the algorithm works better explain? Dreamer.redeemer 06:12, 13 November 2007 (UTC)

It is saying that after the first guess of aabb, you should always pick a guess that will, with the least helpful possible (accurate) response from your opponent, let you eliminate the most possible answers from your current list of possible answers. It is not assuming that you should skip considering obviously incorrect guesses. (This seems like the best strategy for always winning within a certain number of moves, but not the best strategy for winning in the lowest average number of moves over time.) 72.155.97.123 (talk) 21:03, 6 September 2008 (UTC)

It is not necessarily "the best strategy for always winning within a certain number of moves". Pricklypeach (talk) 06:42, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

In the description of Knuth's algorithm, step 3 starts with "For each possible guess (not necessarily one of the remaining possibilities) [...]". I think that the text in parenthesis is wrong, since step 2 removed all possible guesses that could not be remaining possibilities. Can anyone confirm this ? Thanks 82.121.75.8 (talk) 21:13, 6 January 2009 (UTC)chromanin

The point is that you may be able to eliminate more possibilities by guessing an obviously incorrect guess than you would eliminate by guessing a guess that is still possibly accurate. At the beginning of the game, the number of possible guesses you can make and the number of possibly correct answers are the same. As play progresses, the number of possibly correct answers decreases, but the number of possible guesses you can guess remains the same. (E.G., you know there are not four blue pegs--still yet, you are free to guess four blue pegs!) Each time you guess, Knuth says, consider each possible guess, not just the "remaining possibilities"--that is, not just the guesses that could still actually be correct answers. That is because an obviously incorrect guess may help you narrow things down more than a possibly correct guess would. For example: you know after guess #3 that the correct answer is CCC?, with the fourth peg being either E, F, or another C. You could try each of the remaining possibilities in turn, and win in either four, five, or six total guesses, depending on luck. Or, you could make an obviously incorrect guess on your fourth guess and guarantee a win on guess #5. Explanation: Guess #4: EEEF. If the response is one dark peg, then the correct answer is CCCF. If the response is one light peg, then the correct answer is CCCE. If the response is no pegs, then the correct answer is CCCC.Simple314 (talk) 05:04, 24 January 2009 (UTC)

Fair use rationale for Image:Codebreaker widget won.png

Image:Codebreaker widget won.png is being used on this article. I notice the image page specifies that the image is being used under fair use but there is no explanation or rationale as to why its use in this Wikipedia article constitutes fair use. In addition to the boilerplate fair use template, you must also write out on the image description page a specific explanation or rationale for why using this image in each article is consistent with fair use.

Please go to the image description page and edit it to include a fair use rationale. Using one of the templates at Wikipedia:Fair use rationale guideline is an easy way to insure that your image is in compliance with Wikipedia policy, but remember that you must complete the template. Do not simply insert a blank template on an image page.

If there is other fair use media, consider checking that you have specified the fair use rationale on the other images used on this page. Note that any fair use images lacking such an explanation can be deleted one week after being tagged, as described on criteria for speedy deletion. If you have any questions please ask them at the Media copyright questions page. Thank you. BetacommandBot (talk) 19:56, 22 December 2007 (UTC)

Ambiguity about white pegs feedback info

I feel that the role of white pegs as was described:

a white peg indicates the existence of a correct color peg placed in the wrong position

is not really helpful. For example, if the secret code is RBBB and the guess is GRRR, clearly the 2nd, 3rd and 4th R pegs are exaclty in the same situation: there exists a R peg in the secret code, but in another position. But we do not give as feedback 3 white pegs, but one, if I am not wrong. So, I think the role of white pegs should be rephrased, as something like: "The number of white pegs is the extra number of black pegs that it is possible to get using exactly the pegs in your guess". What do you think? User:zeycus 11:34, March 29th, 2008 (UTC)

No feedback in two weeks, so I am going to be bold and make the change in the article. User:zeycus 14:04, April 13th, 2008 (UTC)

First of all, on the early 1970s Super Mastermind game, there are 8 colored "pegs",red blue green black yellow white brown gold & using a blank or empty peg hole/space acting like a 9th color. These are the "coding pegs", such as the "code pegs" under the cover. Then there are the black & white "decoding sticks" that are placed on the left side to help you work your way to the final matching code. There are 4 methods of play that I know of to solve the code. When I purchased the game, there were no rules of play or instructions in the box. On the 12 row by 5 column Super Mastermind game, you should be able to solve the code by the 6th or 7th or 8th or 10th row (employing all 8 colored pegs and the blank space), depending on the chosen method of play. Beware of "pulling" or non-congruency of sticks to pegs, from the other player who is not properly matching the number and/or proper color of the decoding sticks to the coding pegs.(Edited Aug 4, 08) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 65.184.163.219 (talk) 02:11, 5 August 2008 (UTC)

Technical confusion

In the article, it says there are 10 rows, but in the picture, there are 12. I'm going to change it to 12, but if it really is 10, please provide a picture that has 10 rows of spaces in it. ZtObOr 03:31, 4 October 2008 (UTC)

• It's either 10 or 12. I was playing today on a 10-row set, which we've had for at least a couple of decades. Perhaps the 12-row sets are newer. 91.105.22.251 (talk) 20:00, 2 January 2009 (UTC)

Kenji Koyama

was one of those ... subsequent mathematicians ... finding various algorithms...in 1993. The entry linked to this name is about a football player born in 1972, hence an 11 year old pupil. Are you sure, the two are the same person? Note that the cited source names Mami Koyama. ( --217.231.44.120 (talk) 22:21, 25 November 2008 (UTC)

Computer Version

A superb freeware version of Mastermind called Absolute Mastermind by By Peter & Sven Nordstrom exists and can be found here: http://w1.435.telia.com/~u43509647/ DJParker39 (talk) 03:16, 19 December 2008 (UTC)

Variant currently without ref

there is a version of mastermind that I don't yet have a reference for used in competition in the past (late 80s? early 90s). It translates as "absolute mastermind". The code setter never actually marks the code and play continues as normal. Each time the code setter has to give a valid score or else they lose. Play continues until the code is cracked or that the guesser makes a challenge. If a challenge is made then if the setter can make a valid code they win otherwise they lose.Tetron76 (talk) 12:31, 29 April 2011 (UTC)

Mastermind evolution: Code Guess

Dear all,

I am new to Wikipedia, and I hope I am doing the right thing.

I am the author of the new Iphone game Code Guess, which is introducing, to my knowledge, several innovations in the Mastermind game, and as such, I'd like to contribute to this discussion. But I also see a conflict of interest, and I thus do not know how to manage it, and thus require your help.

The main innovation is the "Code Fight" two players mode, where the code setter does not set the code, but where the code is progressively defined based on the answers of the code setter. The game only propose the remaining possible code given the previous answers. There is no more randomness in playing this game, and allows to really develop the associated game strategy aspect.

The other innovation is a contextual help, where the game propose to the code breaker an help like "given the colors already selected and the colors already removed, this line (or these two lines) indicates that you should add this color, or eliminate this color", which is too an innovation to my knowledge.

The other original ideas are the presence of a teacher, indicating possible answer given a guess, or the best guesses using an algorithm similar to Knuth one, and a trashcan to help eliminate a color. The link to the free version of this IPhone game is "http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=431730461&mt=8"

I am sure that among your editor team, one of you will be interested in providing a neutral and external opinion on these evolutions, and take the opportunity to correspondingly improve this Wikipedia article.

Xavier lasne (talk) 21:43, 14 July 2011 (UTC)