Is this a good puzzle type?

[rhu]

I had an idea for a word/logic puzzle. I don't trust my judgment as to whether it's reasonable or waaay too hard. If only I had friends who love hard puzzles who could try it out and tell me what they think....

So we're all familiar with word ladders; in particular I'm thinking of the restricted kind where all the words are the same length and the only legal operation is to replace one letter with another; what in the Enigma would be tagged a PROGRESSIVE LETTER CHANGE. A classic example:

   1. L E S S
   2. L O S S
   3. L O S E
   4. L O V E
   5. M O V E
   6. M O R E

So what I'm wondering is: given only the list of letters that change in each step, can you reconstruct the start and end words? (For the above example, you'd be given (4) OEVMR) I think the end would be moderately easy but the start would be somewhat hard.

Here are two samples. Please give them a try if you feel like it and share your thoughts on whether, as a puzzle, it's (a) reasonably solvable, and (b) fun. And if I'm reinventing the wheel, please tell me!

Puzzle 1: (4 letters) FRMAW [one step is a proper noun]
Puzzle 2: (5 letters) LASRPSOBD

Comments

[cramerica.livejournal.com]

I solved puzzle 1 but not puzzle 2.

I made a couple of assumptions. 1) The list of letters will contain all letters of the end word. 2) The start word is the opposite in meaning of the end word, or otherwise known as its partner.

If these assumptions were to break down, and/or if the ladder were to meander beyond a certain level, then the puzzle would be a lot harder for me.

[530nm330hz.livejournal.com]

Your assumptions are correct.

I'm curious what candidates you considered for the final word in #2.

[(Anonymous)]

I found a solution for the first one, but it doesn't involve a proper noun. So one potential problem is that there are multiple valid solutions.

It did take a few minutes to plan my approach, but the 4-letter puzzle seemed easy. I haven't tried the 5-letter one yet.

So, yes, it seems solvable and yes, it was fun. And no, I haven't seen this type of puzzle before.

JCBC

[cramerica.livejournal.com]

I tried BROAD, BOARD, DROPS, and DROSS but couldn't make it back up the ladder.

[rubrick.livejournal.com]

I also solved the first one without any proper nouns (though the third step is used more often as a proper noun than a common one).

I found the instructions a little confusing; "list of letters that change" sounds like the list of "before" letters, not "after" letters (if you change an A to an E, it's the A that changes). The example set me straight.

[(Anonymous)]

The opposites thing made it a bit more difficult and the proper noun would have been frustrating if you hadn't mentioned it.

Still haven't tried the 5-letter one yet.

JCBC

[danchall.myvidoop.com (from livejournal.com)]

I think I found the same solution, because I thought I would not have identified the third word as a proper noun because it's also a common noun.

[tinhorn2.livejournal.com]

Got the second one in about 8 minutes (after spending a few minutes understanding the task). The first word [ROT13] jura pbzovarq jvgu gur frpbaq vf n cuenfr qrabgvat fbzrguvat ba juvpu lbh pna jevgr naq renfr.

Overall it's a cute enough idea, but it felt a bit more like work than play to me.

[cramerica.livejournal.com]

Kudos!

V jbhyqa'g unir pbzr hc jvgu gur svefg jbeq tvira zl nffhzcgvbaf (naq va snpg nonaqbarq gur svany jbeq pnaqvqngr orpnhfr vg qvqa'g frrz gb unir n fvatyr cnegare).

[dougo.livejournal.com]

+1

[abbasegal.livejournal.com]

Interesting idea. I got the first one after reading cramerica's assumptions, but struggled a bit with the second one. (After reading tinhorn's spoiler I have a ladder which works but has one word that seems a bit iffy, so I don't know if I got it or not). The 5 letter one did seem to have a high work/fun ratio... Other variants might work a bit better -- e.g. one where you are given the letter pairs (i.e. the replaced letter along with the replacement letter), though it might take some "titration" to get the challenge/playability right (and it may depend on your audience -- hardened puzzlers might find that variant too easy, but casual puzzlers might find the initial formulation too hard).

[bookishfellow.livejournal.com]

Likewise.

[ertchin.livejournal.com]

Coming in very late, but I figure late feedback is still feedback. I solved the first, and only got the second after Tinhorn's hint.

Was trying to think of a way to make it easier without making it too easy. Perhaps A) alphabetize the "after" letters and B) provide a grid that shows which letter changes at each step? So, for instance, for puzzle 2:

ABDLOPRSS

_ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ * _
_ _ * _ _
* _ _ _ _
_ _ _ * _
_ * _ _ _
_ _ _ _ *
_ * _ _ _
* _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ *

(Of course, since I already solved it, I can't tell if that's actually any easier.)