From Peragro Tempus Wiki

Tumbler is a minigame that is opened when using the Pick Locks skill.

The player is presented with a set of five or more columns called "tumblers," each of which possesses an unknown value. They also receive an equal number of "tools." When used a tool occupies 3 or more columns, providing a value to each of those columns. If more than one tool occupies the same column the highest value takes precedence. When the current value of the tools in each column equals the actual value in each column the lock can be opened. Tools can "hang" out of only the left end of the "lock."

Contents 1 Example 2 Notes 2.1 Larger games 2.2 Shifting difficulty

Example

• A player is presented with a 5 tumbler minigame. The target values of each tumbler are unknown (to the player).
• the player is also presented with the following tools; 153, 234, 342 412, and 551.
• the player must now arrange some or all of the tools in the tumbler attempting to guess the combination.
• if the combination is >12442> it could be achieved by placing the 551 tool with only the one in the lock, the 234 tool next to it, the 342 tool in the same tumblers as the 234 tool, and the 412 tool in the last three tumblers. This leaves the 153 tool unused. Other combinations would also be possible.

Notes

The game description above does not indicate that the game should indicate correct choices, or remember those choices. If the game does not indicate correct choices it is reduced to brute-force testing of iterations, which is no fun as a game. Remembering the choices is, however, optional. Forcing a player to manually record (or memorize) correct choices may or may not desired. Obviously putting the onus on the player increases the time required and makes it somewhat more difficult.

Larger games

• Max tool size should be 3/4 the number of tumblers.
• Minimum tool size should be about 1/4-1/3 the number of tumblers, but never less than 3.

Shifting difficulty

• Each additional tumblers increases difficulty notably.
• Additional values to the tumblers increases it somewhat.
• Larger tool size generally increases the difficulty significantly.
• Larger numbers of low values on tools reduces the difficulty (low values are easily replaced).
• Larger numbers of high values increases the difficulty.
• Larger numbers of low values in locks may increase the difficulty (unless the tools have low number of high values).
• Larger numbers of high value tumblers should decrease the difficulty.
• Limiting the number of tools that can be in the same tumbler increases difficulty slightly