Setup and Rule Diagrams

[Administrator]

Setup and Rule Diagram Explanation

This is a Basic Linear: Unbalanced game.

The game scenario establishes that a newsletter has five slots (1 through 5), and at least three features, each of which completely occupies one or more of the slots. The available features are F, I, M, and T. Any slot not containing a feature contains a graphic (G):

June15_game_4_diagram_1.png

This creates a Basic Linear diagram. The game is not Balanced, however, because we do not need to include all four types of features. In fact, we do not even need to include three of them, because there is no indication as to how many different types of features must be included. Just because the newsletter must have at least three features does not mean that it must have at least three different types of features. Read closely! For all you know, an issue can contain, say, four M features without violating any of the rules.

The other bizarre element here is that each feature can occupy more than one of the slots. Again, close reading was key! If you missed the modifier “or more” in the second sentence of the scenario, you might have assumed that each feature would go into a single, separate slot, with multiple features of the same type potentially occupying consecutive slots. This is the case in most linear games, but not in this one. The scenario clearly states that a single feature can occupy more than one of the slots. There just need to be at least three of them (but, as discussed earlier, not necessarily three different types).

To sum up, keep the following in mind as you examine the rules:

• a) A single feature can occupy multiple slots on your diagram.
  b) At least three features must be used, but they do not need to be three different features.
  c) Any slot that does not have a feature must contain a graphic.

The first rule states that any feature occupying more than one slot must occupy consecutively number slots. This rule merely clarifies the earlier suggestion that a single feature can occupy multiple slots: now we know that such a feature (if it exists) would have to occupy consecutively numbered slots:

June15_game_4_diagram_2.png

Note that the newsletter can have multiple features of the same type, and they do not need to be consecutive! It is entirely possible, for instance, that there are three separate M features, each occupying there nonconsecutive slots. But, if a single M feature were to occupy multiple slots, these slots must be consecutive. And, since there must be at least three features in the newsletter, no single feature can occupy more than three slots (or else we would run out of space):

June15_game_4_diagram_3.png

To further clarify the application of this rule, let’s look at a hypothetical solution. For instance, the following solution is possible, where a single Marketing feature occupies slots 1, 2, and 3; an Industry feature occupies slot 4, and a second Marketing feature occupies slot 5:

June15_game_4_diagram_4.png

The second rule states that if an issue has any F or T features, then an F or T feature must occupy slot 1:

June15_game_4_diagram_5.png

Be careful interpreting the exact meaning of this rule! It does not mean that F and T can only occupy slot 1: there could be multiple F or T features in your setup, some of which occupying slots other than, but including, slot 1. The only requirement is that, if there are any F or T features included in the newsletter, then an F or T feature must occupy slot 1.

This rule yields an interesting contrapositive: as long as slot 1 is occupied by a feature other than F or T (i.e. an I or an M feature, or else a graphic), then the newsletter cannot contain any F or T features at all:

• (I/M/G)1 F and T

The last rule states that an issue can have at most one industry feature:

• Max. 1 (I)

As you can see, this game requires—and prohibits—very little. They key is to understand precisely what the rules state, internalize them, and avoid make any unwarranted assumptions about how the rules operate. If you are having trouble understanding this, check out the answers to the List question (Question #19). You would notice, for instance, that multiple features of the same type can be included in the newsletter, and that they do not need to occupy consecutive slots (presumably, because they are different features). You would also notice that a single feature can occupy multiple consecutive slots. The List question can often be used to verify your understanding of the rules.

Though there isn’t much of a setup, here’s what we have so far:

June15_game_4_diagram_6.png

[gweatherall]

Yikes- this is one where I missed two questions simply because I didn't interpret the rules correctly. (I didn't realize that a single I feature can stretch over 3 spaces, for instance- I thought I only got one space because it is only featured once.) There probably isn't an easy solution to this mistake, but is there any practice approach you can suggest for this kind of misinterpretation? The only other time I remember having this rule issue as with the air show game from December 1991 (questions 20-24)- in that one I could not puzzle out what the game was asking, but then once I understood that, the game was actually easy. I'm not sure what to really ask- but might someone know of another confusingly worded game off the top of their head that we could practice with?

[mshaikh]

I was incredibly confused by this game in general and want some clarification on my understanding of the game. So the first rule is saying that if a feature takes up multiple slots those must be consecutive, but that a single feature of that same type could be like in a non-consecutive slot? The first rule made me so confused none of the questions made sense to me.

I am asking for clarification on this part of the setup explanation, "Note that the newsletter can have multiple features of the same type, and they do not need to be consecutive! It is entirely possible, for instance, that there are three separate M features, each occupying there nonconsecutive slots. But, if a single M feature were to occupy multiple slots, these slots must be consecutive."

Here is an example of what I think the correct interpretation of the rule would be:
1:Finance 2: graphic 3: industry 4 and 5: a single finance

1: Marketing 2:graphic 3: marketing 4:graphic 5: marketing

Is this what you all mean? Are these possible? Please someone help explain this.

[Francis O'Rourke]

that a single feature of that same type could be like in a non-consecutive slot?

This is not allowed according to the rules. We are told that a single feature has to be either in one slot, or in multiple consecutive slots. However, we may have two separate features. For example, we could have a single Manufacturing feature on e.g. auto manufacturing in slots 1 and 2, then another Manufacturing feature on for example manufacturing airplanes in slot 5.

My example was a bit too specific for this game. We do not need to know what each feature is about, but we do need to recognize the difference between a single feature and two features of the same type.

Part of the difficulty of this game is that there can be two separate features of the same type in the issue. So one single feature can not be in non-consecutive slots, but we can have the same type of feature in two non-consecutive slots.

[FK00144]

i'm having trouble figuring out that "..with each feature completely occupying one or more of the slots" to mean a "single" (M/F/I/T) feature, as seen in #19, vs. "one feature", seen in the 3rd rule.


Thanks,
Faith

[Brook Miscoski]

FK,

There are five consecutive slots occupied by at least three features out of the FIMT. Thus, "...with each feature completely occupying one or more of the slots" means (without looking at other rules) a feature could occupy exactly one, exactly two, or exactly 3 slots.

Looking at "an issue can have at most one industry feature," that rule means that you can have either 1 industry feature or none at all. The industry feature (again, without looking at other rules) could take up more than one slot, but you couldn't have two different industry features.

A feature that takes up multiple slots is still a single feature. That is why (D) is correct to #19.

[Nicholas Noyes]

I do not understand why a feature cannot occupy Four consecutive slots? Could you please explain why a feature can occupy up to three consecutive but not four slots? Also can you elaborate on where in the rule it distinguishes where an Issue can occupy 2 spots at once or occupy two single slots that are next to each other?

[Paul Marsh]

Hi Nicholas!

The reason that we can't have one feature in four consecutive is because we don't have enough room! The issue only has five slots. The second sentence of the game tells us that each issue must have at least three features in the issue. So if one feature took up four spots, there would only be one spot remaining. So there wouldn't be room for two other features. For all Linear games, it's important to always keep in mind how many open spots are left for the remaining variables to occupy.

For your last question, I believe what you're asking is how we know that one feature can take up more than one slot? Well, the first listed rule says that "Any feature occupying more than one slot must occupy consecutively numbered slots". That clues us in to the possibility that one feature can take up multiple slots. Hope that helps!

[ncolicci11]

Hi Powerscore,

Two questions regarding the setup of this game. So, is it possible to have all slots filled by features and no graphics? Second, I would appreciate a little more clarification on how we could have MMMI and then M again. I may possibly be overthinking but thank you for the help.

[Adam Tyson]

It is totally possible to have all slots filled with features and no graphics! The graphics are there just as a sort of placeholder, so that there are no empty slots allowed, but they are never required.

MMMIM is a possible solution because it does not break any of the rules. We need at least three features, and that would give us five, so we are covered. If F or T is used, then F or T must be first, but since no F or T is used this rule is never triggered. We can have at most one I, and that is all we have. None of the features is occupying more than one slot, so that rule also isn't triggered. We're good!

But what we diagrammed is not MMMIM. Rather, it is a single M occupying the first three slots. Think of it as a really long article that fills up all the space on three pages - it's still just one feature, one article, about marketing. And it is occupying consecutive slots, so we have complied with the rule about that. That M in slot 5 is a DIFFERENT feature that just happens to have the same topic. Maybe the big long one was all about how to use television and radio to market your product, and the feature in slot five was about innovative new ways to market products through social media? That doesn't break the rule about non-consecutive slots, because those are not the same feature! In other words, we have three features - two on marketing and one on industry. That's fine, because they never said you couldn't have two different features of the same type.

This is a very unusual game, with variables that can stretch across spaces but are still just one variable (I like to compare that to a very large person on an airplane who buys two adjacent seats - they must be adjacent in order for them to use them both at once, but it's still just one passenger sitting in them), and variables that can be left out entirely. I'm not sure when, or if, we will see that particular combination of concepts again, but study it to learn about all the things they did NOT require us to do, and it may help you to get better at avoiding making assumptions that are not necessary according to the rules. What they did NOT tell us is just as important as what they did tell us! Assume nothing!