Rock Paper Scissors

Advent of Code 2022 Day 2

Part 1

1. It was bound to happen eventually
2. Learning my ABCs and 123s
3. Going from A to Z, so to speak
4. My algorithm in JavaScript

It was bound to happen eventually

"Want to learn programming?" they say.
"Why not build a simple game?" they say.
"How about Rock Paper Scissors?" they say.

AoC has avoided it seven years. Until now.

How exciting!

Learning my ABCs and 123s

• A and X and 1 for Rock
• B and Y and 2 for Paper
• C and Z and 3 for Scissors

Opponent's point of view:

• A beats Z
• C beats Y
• B beats X

Player's point of view:

• X beats C
• Y beats A
• Z beats B

And the formula for a round's score:

• Amount above for what player chose, plus...
• 0 for player loss
• 3 for tie
• 6 for player win

Going from A to Z, so to speak

I need to turn this:

A Y
B X
C Z

Into this:

8
1
6

In order to get 15.

Starting with the first round:

A Y

I could use a few dictionaries to map winners and amounts:

const elf = { A: 'Z', C: 'Y', B: 'X' }
const player = { X: 'C', Y: 'A', Z: 'B' }
const score = { X: 1, Y: 2, Z: 3 }

Three conditions:

if (player[col2] == col1) { 
  // player wins 
} else if (elf[col1] == col2) {
  // elf wins
} else {
  // 'twas a draw
}

Would this work on the first round?

A Y
player[Y] == 'A' // true
player wins: 6
Y = 2
6 + 2 = 8
Success!

Great! Second round?

B X
player[X] == 'C' // false
elf[B] == 'X' // true
player loses: 0
X = 1
1 + 0 = 1
Success!

Great! Third round?

C Z
player[Z] == 'C' // false
elf[C] == 'Z' // false
draw: 3
Z = 3
3 + 3 = 6
Success!

It seems this algorithm and data structure will help me solve Part 1!

My algorithm in JavaScript

const elf = { A: 'Z', C: 'Y', B: 'X' }
const player = { X: 'C', Y: 'A', Z: 'B' }
const score = { X: 1, Y: 2, Z: 3 }
return input
  .split('\n')
  .reduce((total, round) => {
    let [col1, col2] = round.split(' ')
    if (player[col2] == col1) { 
      return total += score[col2] + 6
    } else if (elf[col1] == col2) {
      return total += score[col2]
    } else {
      return total += score[col2] + 3
    }
  }, 0)

Part 2

1. Just what I need
2. My algorithm in JavaScript

Just what I need

An expectedly clever switch of the rules!

• X needs me to lose
• Y needs me to draw
• Z needs me to win

How will I decide what I play?

I'll reference example round one again:

A Y

Y needs me to draw (pick the same thing as my opponent).

What draw's to an A? X

How might I represent that - and losing and winning - as a data structure?

{
  A: { X: 'Z', Y: 'X', Z: 'Y' },
  B: { X: 'X', Y: 'Y', Z: 'Z' },
  C: { X: 'Y', Y: 'Z', Z: 'X' },
}

Here I've mapped the first column to the second column to the player's necessary choice.

Trying round one again:

A Y
A: Y: X
Y is a draw = 3
X = 1
3 + 1 = 4
Success!

Trying round two:

B X
B: X: X
X is a loss = 0
X = 1
0 + 1 = 1
Success!

C Z
C: Z: X
Z is a win = 6
X = 1
6 + 1 = 7
Success!

It seems this algorithm and data structure will help me solve Part 2!

My algorithm in JavaScript

const move = {
  A: { X: 'Z', Y: 'X', Z: 'Y' },
  B: { X: 'X', Y: 'Y', Z: 'Z' },
  C: { X: 'Y', Y: 'Z', Z: 'X' },
}
const score = { X: 1, Y: 2, Z: 3 }
const outcome = { X: 0, Y: 3, Z: 6 }
return input
  .split('\n')
  .reduce((total, round) => {
    let [col1, col2] = round.split(' ')
    return total += score[move[col1][col2]] + outcome[col2]
  }, 0)

I did it!!

• I solved both parts!
• I worked my way toward solutions by writing what I observed and thought, correcting myself along the way!
• I was surprised that my code for Part 2 is shorter than my code for Part 1! I didn't need all the conditions!

This was my funnest time playing Rock Paper Scissors!