diagonally mirrored

[mrtxmrtx]

Hi Liam, I enjoy playing truncate town daily but for two weeks or so gameplay got worse. Today for example I did not even find the starting field. The tiles are diagonally mirrored, from lower left to upper right, I don't see an advantage of that. Maybe it is a bug?

Best regards m

[bglw]

Hi, I'm not sure what you mean sorry! I have been playing in that time and haven't noticed any issues that sound like that, but it does sound like there might be some bug if so!

Can you provide a screenshot of what you're seeing?

[mrtxmrtx]

Of course, see attached 15 Jun 2025 09:15:22 Liam Bigelow ***@***.***>:

…

[Image]*bglw* left a comment (TruncateGame/Truncate#312)[#312 (comment)] Hi, I'm not sure what you mean sorry! I have been playing in that time and haven't noticed any issues that sound like that, but it does sound like there might be some bug if so! Can you provide a screenshot of what you're seeing? — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub[#312 (comment)], or unsubscribe[https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/ATUWP3QNA35VSPOM6M32QJL3DUMQDAVCNFSM6AAAAAB7K6IVRSVHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43OSLTON2WKQ3PNVWWK3TUHMZDSNZTGU2TIMJQGE]. You are receiving this because you authored the thread. [Tracking image][https://github.com/notifications/beacon/ATUWP3RP37FVDIA3RLQQIGD3DUMQDA5CNFSM6AAAAAB7K6IVRSWGG33NNVSW45C7OR4XAZNMJFZXG5LFINXW23LFNZ2KUY3PNVWWK3TUL5UWJTVRHTK3K.gif]

[bglw]

I don't think that came through as an email attachment sorry — the GitHub issue interface lets you drop an image into the text box, or feel free to email it to the address listed on https://bigelow.io/ :)

[mrtxmrtx]

[bglw]

Interesting! That's certainly a new bug!

I'm not seeing it on my device unfortunately, can I ask what device you're on?

For reference, here is today's board:

[mrtxmrtx]

I just saw it doesn't happen on chrome. I prefer browsers from the Firefox family (water fox and fennec) on my samsung galaxy S22 pro. 15 Jun 2025 09:32:18 Liam Bigelow ***@***.***>:

…

[Image]*bglw* left a comment (TruncateGame/Truncate#312)[#312 (comment)] Interesting! That's certainly a new bug! I'm not seeing it on my device unfortunately, can I ask what device you're on? For reference, here is today's board: image.png (view on web)[https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/f8621d34-e1c0-407e-ab02-d3018b9cb65f] — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub[#312 (comment)], or unsubscribe[https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/ATUWP3RFPVF5AG5ZUFFMGDT3DUOPVAVCNFSM6AAAAAB7K6IVRSVHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43OSLTON2WKQ3PNVWWK3TUHMZDSNZTGU3DCMJVHA]. You are receiving this because you authored the thread. [Tracking image][https://github.com/notifications/beacon/ATUWP3WN2IOD7R6CJSI46OT3DUOPVA5CNFSM6AAAAAB7K6IVRSWGG33NNVSW45C7OR4XAZNMJFZXG5LFINXW23LFNZ2KUY3PNVWWK3TUL5UWJTVRHTYUM.gif]

[bglw]

Thanks! That's helpful to know.

I've just poked a couple of soft spots — if you open the puzzle on https://outpost.truncate.town/ now do you still see the issue?

[mrtxmrtx]

Still the same issue 15 Jun 2025 10:09:46 Liam Bigelow ***@***.***>:

…

[Image]*bglw* left a comment (TruncateGame/Truncate#312)[#312 (comment)] Thanks! That's helpful to know. I've just poked a couple of soft spots — if you open the puzzle on https://outpost.truncate.town/ now do you still see the issue? — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub[#312 (comment)], or unsubscribe[https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/ATUWP3WLY67BB6QYGILX4IT3DUS4DAVCNFSM6AAAAAB7K6IVRSVHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43OSLTON2WKQ3PNVWWK3TUHMZDSNZTGU3TQNJTG4]. You are receiving this because you authored the thread. [Tracking image][https://github.com/notifications/beacon/ATUWP3XB6J7L3BAAVRK5NK33DUS4DA5CNFSM6AAAAAB7K6IVRSWGG33NNVSW45C7OR4XAZNMJFZXG5LFINXW23LFNZ2KUY3PNVWWK3TUL5UWJTVRHU2SS.gif]

[mrtxmrtx]

Maybe these help, too:

[bglw]

Darn! Well that rules one thing out at least, thanks for checking. I'm on a iOS device at the moment, but I have at least one older Android device I can dig up and see about reproducing the issue.

About two weeks ago we did a release adding a few features, but little to nothing changed in the rendering. Both fennec and water fox also had releases around two weeks ago.

It definitely looks like an issue with the textures and WebGL, but unfortunately it's most likely a bug in the WebGL implementation of those browsers. Especially since the INITIALIZING text has an issue — that is about as bare bones as a rendering test gets.
It's possible for an innocuous change to Truncate to expose an existing bug in a browser, so without reproducing it on my device I won't be able to track down the issue. I'll let you know how that goes!

[bglw]

One last test for now if you have the time — https://outpost.truncate.town/ has been set back to an early May release. I would expect you to not see the issue there.

[mrtxmrtx]

But still it is there.. So it just happened to coincide with your update two weeks ago, apparently. 15 Jun 2025 10:46:38 Liam Bigelow ***@***.***>:

…

[Image]*bglw* left a comment (TruncateGame/Truncate#312)[#312 (comment)] One last test for now if you have the time — https://outpost.truncate.town/ has been set back to an early May release. I would expect you to not see the issue there. — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub[#312 (comment)], or unsubscribe[https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/ATUWP3UKKM2HIDXOQASGQV33DUXF7AVCNFSM6AAAAAB7K6IVRSVHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43OSLTON2WKQ3PNVWWK3TUHMZDSNZTGU4TKNZZGE]. You are receiving this because you authored the thread. [Tracking image][https://github.com/notifications/beacon/ATUWP3WLVXDGH5I4CD23NKL3DUXF7A5CNFSM6AAAAAB7K6IVRSWGG33NNVSW45C7OR4XAZNMJFZXG5LFINXW23LFNZ2KUY3PNVWWK3TUL5UWJTVRHV4I6.gif]

[bglw]

Yes unfortunately I think that rules out anything on this side! That should be an identical release to the game client from May 12, so my guess is that something between your browser and your phone updated and triggered (or revealed) this bug. I'll still see if I can reproduce it with a device of my own, since I'm curious!

[mrtxmrtx]

Hi Liam, trying to play the diagonally broken game every day had a funny side effect: the few times it worked it was more satisfying.

For me TT is quite easy most of the time. It happens very rarely that I need a second attempt.
One time it was incredibly difficult for me as a non native English speaker because there was one non-avoidable possible word to win, the opponent very close and the path so narrow that it was predestined. I believe I have screenshot somewhere if you are interested.

I am also not sure if the rule change from the old version where you needed two letters superiority instead of one improved the game. It made it clearer and more logical, but also easier.

And the ai is not very clever.

However, I had an idea to optionally make the game harder by hiding a part of the playing field. For example you can only see five squares around your starting area and by playing letters you extend your view.

Maybe by espionage you can see the same for your opponent so the area between the players is partially in the fog of war and is uncovered while playing.

So you have an additional incentive and that is to uncover the map to find shortcuts to your enemy.

[bglw]

For me TT is quite easy most of the time. It happens very rarely that I need a second attempt.

Yeah, once you're comfortable the daily puzzle is pretty doable. Though for new players it trends quite challenging, so it's a hard balance! Most people I personally know playing the game will replay to try get the best score. Usually, we're aiming to get every day in the minimum amount of turns (and usually, it's possible!).

I am also not sure if the rule change from the old version where you needed two letters superiority instead of one improved the game. It made it clearer and more logical, but also easier.

Yes, clearer and more logical was really the entire goal. People were finding it too hard to learn initially. As the games get longer and larger though, it's a rule we prefer. On the large boards shown below we were already playing with that rule before we considered also changing it for the puzzles.

And the ai is not very clever.

Agreed!! See: "for new players it trends quite challenging" 😆

On the list is to make a hard bot for people that want a challenge :)

Maybe by espionage you can see the same for your opponent so the area between the players is partially in the fog of war and is uncovered while playing.

Ha! Okay, that is very funny you suggest that. In fact, if you go digging:

Truncate/truncate_core/src/board.rs

Lines 1305 to 1310 in 6cdf847

	pub fn fog_of_war(
	&self,
	player_index: usize,
	visibility: &rules::Visibility,
	seen_tiles: &HashSet<Coordinate>,
	) -> Self {

And here are what some of these games played out on very large boards look like ;) It's exactly as you described, though the rule is that you can see your word's length away from itself. So if you have a valid 9 letter word, you can see 9 letters in every direction from it.

(@BlakeMScurr and I have been playing fog-of-war Truncate in person most weeks for over two years at this point)

---

Also on the list is to properly expose all of these interesting game modes for other people to play :)