Last updated 16th April 2017.
If using the Windows operating system on a desktop or laptop, then these notes may be of help. If you are using anything else, then you are on your own. Sorry.
When the page loads you should see this:-
When I started writing this series of puzzles, back in 2007, it was generally the case that java was preloaded on to your machine and all major browsers supported applets (the java name for the code these mazes are written in). Fast forward to today and life has been made much more difficult for you. However, the mazes can still be made to run, albeit only in Internet Explorer (as far as I know).
Note to Windows 10 users. Internet Explorer is still available but a bit hidden away. Left click on the Windows button (where the Start button used to be) and scroll down the list of programs until you get to Windows Accessories. Expand this section and there it is.
First you need to install java. Go to www.java.com and follow the links. The only thing to beware of is that by default it will make Yahoo your browser's home page, so, if you don't want this, untick that option.
Next you need to configure java. In the Java Control Panel, go to the Security tab. Ensure that "Enable Java content in the browser" is ticked. I don't think it matters what your "Security level" is set to but I have mine on "High". Most critically you need to add http://www.15ddv.me.uk to the "Exception Site List". You will almost certainly get a number of warnings that you will need to click through. If your browser is open you will need to close it and open it again for the changes to take effect. It shouldn't be necessary to reboot but it never hurts.
And it needs to be mentioned that every time you run one of these mazes you will get a warning popup to click through, though, I think, only once per session. Also, you will receive multiply warnings when your browser detects that your version of java is out of date, even if only slightly. It is OK to click through these warnings if you don't want to do the upgrade at that time.
Top of pageWith some operating system / browser combinations this can happen if you switch to another application window and then switch back again. E.g. part way through solving a maze you click on the 'Instructions' link which opens up a new window. When you switch back to the maze you may find it no longer responds to key input.
Simply use your mouse pointer to click on the maze.
Note: It is not sufficient to click elsewhere in
the body of the webpage, to be effective the mouse click must be
somewhere on the applet display area.
This has the effect of restoring focus to the applet which allows it to receive key stroke information.
I've had a report that if you use the Google Chrome browser and you zoom in, that extra trolls appear to the right of the maze. I've also received a screen shot that demonstrates this happening. However, I've been unable to replicate the problem and now the reporter also cannot replicate the problem, so we're unclear exactly what the conditions are that manifest this odd behavior.
If this happens to you, would you try and remember exactly what you did and let me know so that I can have a crack at fixing it. In the meantime I would suggest the best solution, should this behavior manifest for you, is to not use Zoom.
However, as Google Chrome has stopped supporting java applets, this is all rather academic.
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