Lunar Ball has this interesting feature, that on the configuration screen, its
friction setting can be arbitrarily selected from integer values 0 to 255.
The default value is 32.
The value 0 in particular is very interesting: It literally means
"no friction whatsoever".
[img_right]
http://bisqwit.iki.fi/kala/snap/newtoncradle.gif[/img_right] A pool game played in completely frictionless setup is a very different game from a normal pool game. In a frictionless game, it is more than possible, that a careless shot makes the game completely unwinnable. Indeed, it is
easy to demonstrate such a shot that will leave the game into an infinite loop, much resembling the effect that happens in the popular gadget, "Newton's cradle". In such a loop, there is no choice but to reset the console, terminating the game.
From a computer player's viewpoint, this means that the searching space for valid moves is drastically smaller than it is for a regular game: most shots produce either an infinite loop, or they result in the eventual demise of the cue ball. Due to the law of conservation of energy, so called "preparation shots" simply cannot be done, either. This also means that unless you "suicide" once in a while (intentionally pocket the cue ball), you get a "PERFECT" message in
all boards, and that the scores skyrocket. Also, the timeout for shots should be set considerably longer than in a default-friction game, because the balls can be gliding for a long time before they eventually find a pocket.
The question is... Would this be interesting to see?
