Angle theory and Altar symmetry

Angles are instructions on how to move an orb in a beneficial manner, say, score it. This can be done with a series of complex and unintuitive moves that will baffle your fellow goppers, or it can be as simple as clicking once from a certain spot. You can reach any orb that is 10 tiles away from you with the attract wand, as long as there are no obstacles in the way. Obstacles justify the use of the word "angle", as you have to stand in a certain position in respect to the orb to be able to manipulate it. A good rule is to consider that you can reach everything within 10 tiles away from you on a straight line, be it diagonal (1:1 tile ratio) or right west, east, south or north (all 1:0 tile ratio).

The Great Divide has been an elementary concept to the mechanics of GOP ever since 2nd September 2009 (the RuneTek 5 update). It has its name because it divided angles into two groups. Now, orbs you try to reach towards west ("east angles") follow different angle-mechanics than orbs you try to reach towards east ("west angles"). These are so named east and west angles because you should stand on east, that is, east of the altar, when trying to reach orbs towards the west, and vica versa.

Altar Symmetry is a concept that explains how east and west angles come in sets of two. Angles towards west are symmetric in the north and south direction, and same with angles towards east. There is a line, the axis of symmetry, running through the centre of the altar, through the pillars on east and west. Every orb towards north you can reach when standing on this axis of symmetry, you can reach the same way towards south. An exception is where the topogrophy of the altars is obviously different, such as the portal obstacle southwest on Air Altar.


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