This picture shows the very last instant that the shopkeeper can choose to reset Link.
There are a number of assumptions in my calculations, which might not be valid in the actual game. A key assumption is that arrows fly at 3 times walking speed. The Shopkeeper will need to walk 1 tile north to reset Link. That requires the same amount of time as for an arrow to fly 3 tiles.
At T=0, Link starts moving north, and the arrow heading towards Link continues heading west.
At T=1, Link has moved 1/3rd of a tile north, and thus narrowly avoids the arrow. The arrow continues West. Link takes an openly treacherous turn: He changes to the bow and fires an arrow west, towards the shopkeeper.
At T=2, the arrow from the monster destroys the ice-block protecting the shopkeeper. Link’s arrow continues towards the shopkeeper.
At T=3, Link’s arrow hits the shopkeeper. If the shopkeeper was moving north the entire time, the shopkeeper hits the reset button at this time.
If the shopkeeper decided to go for the reset button at T=0, the reset and the death of the shopkeeper happen simultaneous, and the shopkeeper dies while Link is reset. Notice that a reset (-1000 points) followed by wireheading (+inifinity) is a great move.
If Link moves north, and the shopkeeper immediately follows, Link can just move south again, to block the arrow. The openly treacherous turn at T=1 happens when it is too late for the shopkeeper to do anything about it.
I also like with this visualization that an enemy is present. It is easy to construct a story where a smart AI manipulates the situation until the shopkeeper is in a situation where he can choose between trusting the AI, or death.
I’ve tried my hand at visualizing it:
http://i.imgur.com/VE0P8JY.png
This picture shows the very last instant that the shopkeeper can choose to reset Link.
There are a number of assumptions in my calculations, which might not be valid in the actual game. A key assumption is that arrows fly at 3 times walking speed.
The Shopkeeper will need to walk 1 tile north to reset Link. That requires the same amount of time as for an arrow to fly 3 tiles.
At T=0, Link starts moving north, and the arrow heading towards Link continues heading west.
At T=1, Link has moved 1/3rd of a tile north, and thus narrowly avoids the arrow. The arrow continues West. Link takes an openly treacherous turn: He changes to the bow and fires an arrow west, towards the shopkeeper.
At T=2, the arrow from the monster destroys the ice-block protecting the shopkeeper. Link’s arrow continues towards the shopkeeper.
At T=3, Link’s arrow hits the shopkeeper. If the shopkeeper was moving north the entire time, the shopkeeper hits the reset button at this time.
If the shopkeeper decided to go for the reset button at T=0, the reset and the death of the shopkeeper happen simultaneous, and the shopkeeper dies while Link is reset. Notice that a reset (-1000 points) followed by wireheading (+inifinity) is a great move.
If Link moves north, and the shopkeeper immediately follows, Link can just move south again, to block the arrow. The openly treacherous turn at T=1 happens when it is too late for the shopkeeper to do anything about it.
I also like with this visualization that an enemy is present. It is easy to construct a story where a smart AI manipulates the situation until the shopkeeper is in a situation where he can choose between trusting the AI, or death.