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How do you know whether it is more convenient setting up a game horizontally or vertically? My testmasters instructor brushed off this question during a lesson and left me not knowing what the hell to do in advanced linear games. Any tips would be appreciated

mbkc03 wrote:How do you know whether it is more convenient setting up a game horizontally or vertically? My testmasters instructor brushed off this question during a lesson and left me not knowing what the hell to do in advanced linear games. Any tips would be appreciated

Always horizontal except when naturally vertical.

You'll usually get a large group, a sub group, and then the ordering of your sequence.

When you have that, you make two sets of parallel vertical dashes.

I personally prefer to have the large group at the top (ie: firefighters) and the subgroup at the bottom (the color of their hats) but some people like it the other way around.

There is not only one correct way of diagramming the games; you can diagram them however you feel most comfortable. In the LGB it tells you to diagram games vertically when they would appear vertically in the real world. For example, the floors on a building would stack up vertically, so it would make sense to diagram a game like this vertically, with floors stacking on top of eachother. On the other hand, if you had a scenario which asked you to identify which lane each runner in a given race occupies, it would make most sense to diagram the lanes horizontally. In the real world, runners would be next to eachother, not on top of eachother. In the end, I think it's more important to diagram them however you are most comfortable. You can diagram the floors on a building horizontally, or the running lanes vertically if you want to. Just make sure you get the questions right!

Depends on the question, I usually go with whichever way makes the most sense to me

The amount of available free space on the page to diagram your set-up as well as trial and error hypos for questions should be the main factor you use in deciding whether to go vertical or horizontal. Meaning that it is mainly a matter of practical convenience so you can get it all to fit and make the action work, kinda like the difference between having sex in a broom closet vs. in the backseat of an economy car that doesn't have a sunroof.

Some games leave up to the bottom 1/4 - 3rd of the page below the questions blank that you can easily use for a horizontal set-up while others do not. Some games have really long winded question stems and answer choices that end up not leaving a nice big block of free space at the bottom or free space to the right of the answer choices for the questions. On those you have to improvise so that you can fit your notes and diagrams in the margins or in whatever space is available.

When space permits, horizontal set-ups are the standard go-to method, but it is also a matter of personal preference.

With advanced linear games you need to make multiple columns and rows in the set-up, organize the different variable sets next to the proper row or above/below the proper column, have available space to make 'NOT' deductions/notations below/next to the corresponding spaces in the sequence as well as space to diagram the rules by the set-up for easy access. Space permitting, horizontal set-ups are more conducive for organization and are also intuitively easier to use on the fly than vertical ones out of habit since that is the way people are taught to and do diagram most linear games.

Not so wild guess, did you get confused when faced with the Dr. Yamata game in class and wonder why the instructor wrote out the set-up vertical rather than horizontal?

Jeffort wrote:The amount of available free space on the page to diagram your set-up as well as trial and error hypos for questions should be the main factor you use in deciding whether to go vertical or horizontal. Meaning that it is mainly a matter of practical convenience so you can get it all to fit and make the action work, kinda like the difference between having sex in a broom closet vs. in the backseat of an economy car that doesn't have a sunroof.

Some games leave up to the bottom 1/4 - 3rd of the page below the questions blank that you can easily use for a horizontal set-up while others do not. Some games have really long winded question stems and answer choices that end up not leaving a nice big block of free space at the bottom or free space to the right of the answer choices for the questions. On those you have to improvise so that you can fit your notes and diagrams in the margins or in whatever space is available.

When space permits, horizontal set-ups are the standard go-to method, but it is also a matter of personal preference.

With advanced linear games you need to make multiple columns and rows in the set-up, organize the different variable sets next to the proper row or above/below the proper column, have available space to make 'NOT' deductions/notations below/next to the corresponding spaces in the sequence as well as space to diagram the rules by the set-up for easy access. Space permitting, horizontal set-ups are more conducive for organization and are also intuitively easier to use on the fly than vertical ones out of habit since that is the way people are taught to and do diagram most linear games.

Not so wild guess, did you get confused when faced with the Dr. Yamata game in class and wonder why the instructor wrote out the set-up vertical rather than horizontal?

The game i had trouble with was the Nikki and Otto game and 5 sports that could be played in the spring fall summer and winter

mbkc03 wrote:

Jeffort wrote:The amount of available free space on the page to diagram your set-up as well as trial and error hypos for questions should be the main factor you use in deciding whether to go vertical or horizontal. Meaning that it is mainly a matter of practical convenience so you can get it all to fit and make the action work, kinda like the difference between having sex in a broom closet vs. in the backseat of an economy car that doesn't have a sunroof.

Some games leave up to the bottom 1/4 - 3rd of the page below the questions blank that you can easily use for a horizontal set-up while others do not. Some games have really long winded question stems and answer choices that end up not leaving a nice big block of free space at the bottom or free space to the right of the answer choices for the questions. On those you have to improvise so that you can fit your notes and diagrams in the margins or in whatever space is available.

When space permits, horizontal set-ups are the standard go-to method, but it is also a matter of personal preference.

With advanced linear games you need to make multiple columns and rows in the set-up, organize the different variable sets next to the proper row or above/below the proper column, have available space to make 'NOT' deductions/notations below/next to the corresponding spaces in the sequence as well as space to diagram the rules by the set-up for easy access. Space permitting, horizontal set-ups are more conducive for organization and are also intuitively easier to use on the fly than vertical ones out of habit since that is the way people are taught to and do diagram most linear games.

Not so wild guess, did you get confused when faced with the Dr. Yamata game in class and wonder why the instructor wrote out the set-up vertical rather than horizontal?

The game i had trouble with was the Nikki and Otto game and 5 sports that could be played in the spring fall summer and winter

There is plenty of space at the bottom of the page with that one (PT14 - Feb 95 game #4) to write it out horizontal and the linear base is seasons of the year rather than a topic that is naturally vertical. Just lay out the seasons as the base left to right and build on that since there is no compelling reason to break habit and suddenly go vertical.

What caused you to get tripped up on that game and consider vertical? Horizontal works fine, just like with most advanced linear games.

I assume you're only talking about basic linear games. I've always just decided intuitively. If its ordering items in a row, horizontal. If its something like floors in a building I'd do it vertically. I'd say I do it horizontally 95% of the time (thats what she said).

My strategy is to determine the dimensions of the setup, determine the orientation that will best fit the setup in addition to extra space for rules, not-laws, and other items, and just go with it. If it could fit either way, I'll do the orientation that makes more intuitive sense (e.g. days of the week are horizontal because that's how they are on the calendar), but I don't get stressed out over it if I end up choosing an orientation that doesn't make intuitive sense.

One tip is to sneak a peek at the 1st question. That question is something I call the Grab-A-Rule. It appears first. It lists all (or implies) where all the elements go. And it uses the words "complete and accurate" or "acceeptable order".

Set up your diagram in the same way as it's set up in this question.

I think the important part is being consistent with whatever setup you choose from game to game (for similar types of games), if circumstances allow. constantly switching from one to another throws me a off a little, so I like use certain setups for certain types of games, ie. for advanced linear I will almost always use a horizontal setup, games with an undefined number of slots I'll use vertical (food trucks serving office buildings), but always take into account the natural order that some games can have (visuals - seats on a bus, arrangement in a canoe, etc.)