Editing 2852: Parameterball

{{comic
| number    = 2852
| date      = November 8, 2023
| title     = Parameterball
| image     = parameterball_2x.png
| imagesize = 518x371px
| noexpand  = true
| titletext = The ball's density also varies, but players don't learn the value until after choosing their raquets. The infamous 'bowling ball table tennis' region of the parameter space often leads to equipment damage.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BALL THE SIZE OF 3.14 BEACH BALLS, HEAVIER THAN A CUBIC METER OF CONCRETE, FLYING OVER A NET SHORTER THAN AN ANT, ON A FIELD THE SIZE OF NEW JERSEY - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

A racquet (misspelled as "raquet" in the comic) game is a 2 player point game, with a net, ball, 2 racquets, and a court. The objective of the game is, usually, to hit the ball in a way that it bounces on your opponent's side in a way that it hits the floor before they can hit it onto your side. The two most notable examples of this kind of game are {{w|Tennis}} and {{w|Table Tennis}} (also known as Ping-Pong).

In this comic, a game called "Parameterball" is proposed, where net size, ball size, and court size are randomized. There are 4 different instances of Megan and Cueball playing this game, each in one corner.

In the top left, the court is small while the ball is massive, about half the size of a person. This would be very hard to play, since hitting the net would be easy and the ball would be hard to move.

In the top right, Megan and Cueball are essentially just playing tennis, with a court, net, and ball sized about the same as it.

In the bottom left, Megan and Cueball are essentially just playing ping pong, much like the top right.

In the bottom right, Cueball is struggling to keep the ball from hitting the ground, as it is much bigger than him and the net is basically impossible to hit over due to being taller than Cueball and the ball combined.

The title text mentions that the ball's density is also randomized, and that an infamous incident where the net size, ball size, and court size were similar to that of a Ping-pong match, but with a ball as dense as a {{w|Bowling ball|bowling ball}}, not only led to equipment damage, but does so on several occasions. Despite this, the participants ''do not'' learn the density until ''after'' the racquet is chosen, meaning that they have no way of determining whether the racquet they chose is durable enough or not until it's already too late.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

:[Megan and Cueball are playing a game that looks similar to tennis. There are courts, but on each multiple parts of the game are different. On each, Cueball is on the right and Megan is on the left.]
:[Top left: The court is small, each half slightly wider and deeper than a person is tall, and the ball is extremely large, about twice the height as the players' heads. The ball has just bounced on Cueball's side very slowly, and he is about to hit it.]
:[Top right: The court, ball, and net closely match a regular tennis game, albeit perhaps a slightly more ground area than a doubles'-court. Cueball has just hit the ball, and it is currently flying towards Megan's side.]
:[Bottom left: The ball, and net are much as with table tennis, but the 'court' is a much smaller tabletop. The ball has just hit Megan's side, and she is about to hit it.]
:[Bottom right: The court is slightly larger than the top left, while the net and ball are massive, with the ball at least double the radius and the net significantly over twice the height of the players. Cueball is apparently fighting to push the huge ball high enough to get over the net, indicated by movement lines in which he is barely manage to keep the ball up, never mind the extra amount necessary to be above the net top.]

:[Caption below the panel:]
:Parameterball is a raquet game divided into four quarters, with ball size, court size, and net height randomized each quarter.

{{comic discussion}}