# What was that one game Dopers found that had the computer guessing who they were? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [April 25, 2011, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-one-game-dopers-found-that-had-the-computer-guessing-who-they-were/579627 "2011-04-25T06:53:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![Caveat\_lector\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea5d25/32.png) [@Caveat\_lector\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caveat_lector_1)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-one-game-dopers-found-that-had-the-computer-guessing-who-they-were/579627/181 "2011-05-19T23:29:22Z")
Stumped it with John Bullard. Though he is from 1950’s Y.A. science fiction so I was not surprised. ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2011, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-one-game-dopers-found-that-had-the-computer-guessing-who-they-were/579627/182 "2011-05-20T01:33:37Z")
Got Baal from Diablo 2. And the Blob monster. Had pictures for both too. Stumped it with Lex Murphy from Jurassic Park, but she was in the check boxes at the end so does that still count? I don’t know what her family life was like. Answered yes that she had a special power but it asked about magic or fighting instead of computer hacking. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2011, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-one-game-dopers-found-that-had-the-computer-guessing-who-they-were/579627/183 "2011-05-20T19:52:22Z")
It has a real blind spot for law-related movies. I just stumped it for five in a row, only the first of which it had in its database at all: Judge Chamberlain Haller (Fred Gwynne), _My Cousin Vinny_ Rusty Sabich (Harrison Ford), _Presumed Innocent_ Major J.F. Thomas (Jack Thompson), _Breaker Morant_ Henry Drummond (Spencer Tracy), _Inherit the Wind_ Wendell Rohr (Dustin Hoffman), _Runaway Jury_ Sometimes I wondered if it’s really processing my answers. I was asked the same question twice several times for the same individual; once I was asked if the character was white, and answered “yes,” and later was asked if the character was black. Odd. ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2011, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-one-game-dopers-found-that-had-the-computer-guessing-who-they-were/579627/184 "2011-05-20T20:47:32Z")
Stumped it with Rex Stout. It got Harold Pinter in 40. ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2011, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-one-game-dopers-found-that-had-the-computer-guessing-who-they-were/579627/185 "2011-05-20T21:50:47Z")
I stumped it with Patricia Churchland, David Reuben, and Daisy from Body Harvest 64 (really obscure game, although it had the main character). It got Johnny 5 from Short Circuit, but the last question (after asking if he’s made of metal, is he a robot, etc.) was if he’s a porn actor. WTF? Am I missing out on hot robot on robot action? Sometimes it scares me. Like when I was thinking Jessica Rabbit and its 2nd question was if the character is a cartoon. It got Norman Borlaug, Stanislav Petrov, Doris Burke, Ksharp (guessed Frod first though), and Hannah Arendt. I don’t understand how it got Petrov with this: Has your character really existed? Yes Yes Is your character a woman ? No No Is your character white? Yes Yes Does your character play in movies? No No Is your character currently more than 50 years old? Yes Yes Is your character still alive? Yes Yes Is your character American ? No No Is your character a politician? No No Is your character a singer, or does he work with a singer (as a songwriter, producer, musician…)? No No Is your character linked with sports? No No Is your character internationally famous? Don’t know No Is your character currently working on television? No No Is your character famous? Don’t know Probably Has your character ever been married? Don’t know Don’t know Did your character have trouble with the law? No No Is your character European? No Yes Is your character of Arabic origins? No No Is your character Australian? No No Does your character wear glasses? Don’t know No Is your character a writer? No No Is your character the boss of an important company? No No Is your character Russian? Yes Yes Has your character invented something important? No No Is your character a military man? Yes Yes Has your character been into space? No No Is your character a sniper? No No Has your character played a role in the politics of his country? Yes Yes Does your character come from the Internet? No No Is your character an Army General? No No Does your character live in your country? ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2011, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-one-game-dopers-found-that-had-the-computer-guessing-who-they-were/579627/186 "2011-05-20T22:56:21Z")
It guess John Cusak’s character from 2012 in something like 15 guesses but didn’t even have Roy Dillon (his character from “The Grifters”) in its database. Punk genie. It also took 40 questions to reach Casimir Pulaski and couldn’t figure out Pelayo (of Spanish _Reconquista_ fame). Maybe I need to stick with fantasy novel characters 😃 ---
**Author:** ![booklover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@booklover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/booklover)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-one-game-dopers-found-that-had-the-computer-guessing-who-they-were/579627/187 "2011-05-25T01:30:39Z")
Very cool–it got Nadia Comaneci in 20. Didn’t guess Dmitry Bilozerchev (Soviet gymnast) but got pretty damn close by suggesting Bela Karolyi. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-one-game-dopers-found-that-had-the-computer-guessing-who-they-were/579627/188 "2011-05-25T16:17:28Z")
What is up with the “Does your character use a cellphone?” question? Hard to see how that is helpful or why it is asked so often. Many times it gets close on the first guess, then acts like it forgets half of what it knew. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-one-game-dopers-found-that-had-the-computer-guessing-who-they-were/579627/189 "2011-05-25T16:41:49Z")
A cellphone indicates the character has only been around for 10 years or so. ---
**Author:** ![MissTake](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misstake/32/3189_2.png) [@MissTake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissTake)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-one-game-dopers-found-that-had-the-computer-guessing-who-they-were/579627/190 "2011-05-25T16:42:33Z")
It got Daisy Duke and Chester Cheetah fairly quickly. It could not get Eunice (Carol Burnett’s character) It got Gene Hunt (_Life on Mars_) in 27 guesses. ---
**Author:** ![Galwegian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galwegian/32/3426_2.png) [@Galwegian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Galwegian)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-one-game-dopers-found-that-had-the-computer-guessing-who-they-were/579627/191 "2011-05-25T17:28:43Z")
Tried Ed Zotti: Question 18: Has your character tried to introduce lettuce flavoured condoms? Stumped it! ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2011, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-one-game-dopers-found-that-had-the-computer-guessing-who-they-were/579627/192 "2011-06-24T03:32:40Z")
I decided to put Akinator’s Genie through its Tolkien paces. It got them all, but some took longer than others: 20 questions - Frodo 20 questions - Gandalf 30 questions - Feanor 40 questions - Cirdan 40 questions - Morgoth (including the oddball question, “Has your character ever attacked you?” WTF? ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2011, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-one-game-dopers-found-that-had-the-computer-guessing-who-they-were/579627/193 "2011-06-24T14:51:03Z")
I wonder if it remembers your past quizzes, such that it would be more likely to guess a Tolkien character if it knew you tended to quiz him on such in the past. ---
**Author:** ![divemaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/divemaster/32/78_2.png) [@divemaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divemaster)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2011, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-one-game-dopers-found-that-had-the-computer-guessing-who-they-were/579627/194 "2011-06-24T14:51:40Z")
Rather an addicting game. It got Michelle Yeah (first guess); Maggie Cheung (third guess), Ziyi Zhang (first guess), and Shu Qi (first guess–the “nude photo shoots” question was the tip-off). Also got Min-sik Choi (final question: “Is your character famous for his beauty?” NO. Ah, it must be Min-sik Choi!) Never got Do-yeon Jeon, which is a shame b/c she’s one of the finest actresses in the world (that no one’s ever heard of) EDITED TO ADD: also got Song Gang Ho first guess after surprisingly few questions. I could do this all day… ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2011, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-one-game-dopers-found-that-had-the-computer-guessing-who-they-were/579627/195 "2011-06-24T16:48:36Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > I wonder if it remembers your past quizzes, such that it would be more likely to guess a Tolkien character if it knew you tended to quiz him on such in the past. It asked about whether each character was in LOTR relatively early on for most of them, but then after “Yes” answers would later ask if the character ever used a cellphone, or was American, etc. Rather bizarre. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2011, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-one-game-dopers-found-that-had-the-computer-guessing-who-they-were/579627/196 "2011-06-24T22:23:08Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > I decided to put Akinator’s Genie through its Tolkien paces. It got them all, but some took longer than others: > > 20 questions - Frodo > 20 questions - Gandalf > 30 questions - Feanor > 40 questions - Cirdan > 40 questions - Morgoth (including the oddball question, “Has your character ever attacked you?” WTF? I stumped it with Aulë, Yavanna, and Idril Celebrindal. I also stumped it with Qadgop the Mercotan. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2011, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-one-game-dopers-found-that-had-the-computer-guessing-who-they-were/579627/197 "2011-06-24T22:34:11Z")
OK, this one’s wild. It got the right answer after 20 guesses, even with all but 3 of the answers being “no”. Is your character a woman ? No No Has your character ever been married? No No Is your character a human being? No No Does your character have an animal shape? No No Does your character stand on two legs? No No Is your character a genie? No No Have you lived with your character? No No Does your character speak? Yes Yes Is your character made out of metal? No No Is your character white? No No Is your character from a TV series? No No Does your character come from the Internet? No No Has your character ever been in a movie? No No Is your character from a video game? No No Does your character have a face? No No Is your character linked with advertising? No No Is your character a god or a goddess? No No Is your character made out of wood? No No Can your character think? Yes Yes Is your character from outer space? Yes Yes Which of course, means it’s Mogo, the living planet Green Lantern ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2011, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-one-game-dopers-found-that-had-the-computer-guessing-who-they-were/579627/198 "2011-06-24T23:25:47Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > I decided to put Akinator’s Genie through its Tolkien paces. It got them all, but some took longer than others: > > 20 questions - Frodo > 20 questions - Gandalf > 30 questions - Feanor > 40 questions - Cirdan > 40 questions - Morgoth (including the oddball question, “Has your character ever attacked you?” WTF? After you sent the link to me I had tried Glorfindel, it took 40+ questions as I recall. I got Gandalf in less than 20 though which is interesting that is does vary. ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-one-game-dopers-found-that-had-the-computer-guessing-who-they-were/579627/199 "2011-06-25T02:22:23Z")
I tried Casey Anthony the other night and was impressed it got it after 90 percent of the questions seemed to be unrelated. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-one-game-dopers-found-that-had-the-computer-guessing-who-they-were/579627/200 "2011-06-25T02:28:32Z")
It guessed Bard (Slayer of Smaug) in only 29. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-one-game-dopers-found-that-had-the-computer-guessing-who-they-were/579627.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-one-game-dopers-found-that-had-the-computer-guessing-who-they-were/579627.md?page=11)