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 fewer puzzles? 
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Posted on: Sat Jul 21, 2012 8:19 am




Posts: 13
Joined: Fri May 13, 2011 2:58 pm
Post Re: fewer puzzles?
sneaklyfox wrote:
Can we have fewer normal daily puzzles? I sort of want to spend less time doing calcudokus everyday. (Of course, I could just not do them all.)


Excuse me, but isn't the longing to appear in the top-10 of whatever list (last 7 days, last 30 days, all time, last-n-days-on-specific-part) getting out of hand?

For quite a while, the die-hards on this site could easily be recognized in the top-10 of 'last 7 days'. Occassionally, someone else put in 12-point book puzzles for a while, or made a strategic move with the bonus puzzle points, but that was it.

Now, we are getting more puzzles - at least the ones who pay for it. And that also means a fresh amount of 8-point book puzzles. Some do not like them, others (like me) may still have a reservoir of older book puzzles at hand, AND there now is the possibility for subscribers to save up to 8*30=240 points by waiting to submit the extra puzzles - for whatever reason.

I have been cut from the Internet by an 11-day camp holiday and yesterday I secured 148 points (including 2 bonus puzzles unlocked only yesterday). With my long-term average of about 40 points a day and limited time & capabilities (I can't solve every puzzle, although I finished the 15x15 book puzzle long ago in less than 3 hours), I won't reach the #1 position - don't be afraid. But why would it be wrong if I did? Or someone else? 'Last 7 days' is just a matter of how many points someone secured in that period.

On the long run (= 'all time rankings') it comes down to endurance. Now with an abundance of daily puzzles, it is not only day-by-day endurance (and having access to the Internet), but also 'intraday-endurance'. Of course, those who have been around longer have an advantage. So what? By now, anyone can surpass people like munters (10000 points), hopingcc (19999 points) or mpopeskov (into 32,000 points and very high on the list while still active). And chase mparisi... (forever, I'm afraid)

Patrick's site is just great for fun - don't make the ranking-issue too big!
(yet, I'm trying hard to chase sheldolina... But if she simply puts more time into it than me (or less time in the timed puzzles), it's just the way it is.)


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Posted on: Sat Jul 21, 2012 8:49 am




Posts: 246
Location: Lisbon, Portugal
Joined: Sun Sep 18, 2011 5:40 pm
Post Re: fewer puzzles?
ark5731 wrote:
For quite a while


As far as possible, Patrick must find a solution to satisfy all most of the puzzlers. One solution is his idea of limit points but simultaneously to create more puzzles. People choose to solve the puzzles they prefer till the limit. If anyone wants, they can always solve the remaining puzzles without to count to the ranking. The only inconvenience - the increase of work and spent time for Patrick!

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Posted on: Sat Jul 21, 2012 11:26 pm




Posts: 931
Location: Ladysmith, BC, Canada
Joined: Fri May 13, 2011 1:37 am
Post Re: fewer puzzles?
ark5731: thank you for this as I was thinking of posting something very similair
.....I saved a bunch of book puzzles last Feb/Mar and sat down and doggedly solved every puzzle of each day and managed to get to #3 on the 7 day ranking just for the heck of it.......as you can see by my current 7 day ranking I'm not capable of sustaining a #3 ranking......had "my moment in the sun"......I think Patrick has gone out of his way to "gear" this site to some of the things suggested by other users (mainly the ones with the "brain type" to do these types of puzzles).....(by the way the one suggestion that "hurt" me the most was the cages with 5 or 6 cells)......but,still waiting for the "killer" puzzles to be included on the site.


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Posted on: Sun Jul 22, 2012 6:10 am




Posts: 428
Location: Canada
Joined: Fri May 13, 2011 2:43 am
Post Re: fewer puzzles?
ark5731 wrote:
sneaklyfox wrote:
Can we have fewer normal daily puzzles? I sort of want to spend less time doing calcudokus everyday. (Of course, I could just not do them all.)


Excuse me, but isn't the longing to appear in the top-10 of whatever list (last 7 days, last 30 days, all time, last-n-days-on-specific-part) getting out of hand?

For quite a while, the die-hards on this site could easily be recognized in the top-10 of 'last 7 days'. Occassionally, someone else put in 12-point book puzzles for a while, or made a strategic move with the bonus puzzle points, but that was it.

Now, we are getting more puzzles - at least the ones who pay for it. And that also means a fresh amount of 8-point book puzzles. Some do not like them, others (like me) may still have a reservoir of older book puzzles at hand, AND there now is the possibility for subscribers to save up to 8*30=240 points by waiting to submit the extra puzzles - for whatever reason.

I have been cut from the Internet by an 11-day camp holiday and yesterday I secured 148 points (including 2 bonus puzzles unlocked only yesterday). With my long-term average of about 40 points a day and limited time & capabilities (I can't solve every puzzle, although I finished the 15x15 book puzzle long ago in less than 3 hours), I won't reach the #1 position - don't be afraid. But why would it be wrong if I did? Or someone else? 'Last 7 days' is just a matter of how many points someone secured in that period.

On the long run (= 'all time rankings') it comes down to endurance. Now with an abundance of daily puzzles, it is not only day-by-day endurance (and having access to the Internet), but also 'intraday-endurance'. Of course, those who have been around longer have an advantage. So what? By now, anyone can surpass people like munters (10000 points), hopingcc (19999 points) or mpopeskov (into 32,000 points and very high on the list while still active). And chase mparisi... (forever, I'm afraid)

Patrick's site is just great for fun - don't make the ranking-issue too big!
(yet, I'm trying hard to chase sheldolina... But if she simply puts more time into it than me (or less time in the timed puzzles), it's just the way it is.)


I hope the fact that you quoted me doesn't mean that you think I'm somehow getting out of hand. I'm the kind of person who doesn't like to pass up a challenge so I just naturally would try to do all the daily puzzles. I also like to complete my puzzles even if they don't count for anything (like even if I am very slow on a timed puzzle I don't quit it but always finish it).

And I think the reason for saving up 30 days worth of extra puzzles is rather obvious. When you say, "... for whatever reason," it sounds like either you either don't understand at all or you think it's a stupid idea. On my part, it's fun to be #1 in the world for days in a row for as long as I can hold it. Of course, it also means that for the time that I'm saving up puzzles I appear with quite a low ranking but that is ok. That is my fun. You have your fun and I have mine.

Btw, I don't believe mpopeskov is still active.


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Posted on: Sun Jul 22, 2012 9:42 am




Posts: 246
Location: Lisbon, Portugal
Joined: Sun Sep 18, 2011 5:40 pm
Post Re: fewer puzzles?
ark5731 wrote:
munters (10000 points), hopingcc (19999 points) or mpopeskov


I consulted my dictionary and I didn't find any references to the words above. Can anyone explain me what's their meaning?
And please don't make fun of my ignorance [sad] .

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Posted on: Sun Jul 22, 2012 11:14 am




Posts: 855
Joined: Fri May 13, 2011 6:51 pm
Post Re: fewer puzzles?
jomapil wrote:
ark5731 wrote:
munters (10000 points), hopingcc (19999 points) or mpopeskov


I consulted my dictionary and I didn't find any references to the words above. Can anyone explain me what's their meaning?
And please don't make fun of my ignorance [sad] .


Munters is an extraordinary player from Netherlands, same country than ark5731, right? (I remember the "terrible" race I had with munters when above 1,000 points in the "7-Day" ranking, at that time there was not a limitation to the book solutions sent per day, BTW by that time I had a similar race with mparisi and mordi :-) ); hopingcc is fm Hong Kong and mpopeskov fm Canada (you can find them in the "all time" rankings). For some reason munters "dissapeared" when reached exactly 10,000 points and something similar has happened with the other two "classic" and great players, mpopeskov (stop at 32,438 points) and possibly with hopingcc (at 19,999 points).

This week I make 700 days in the "club" and just today I will pass my 10,000 solutions. When I joined the "club" we were around 175 players in the world (with more than 20 points) while actually we are around 3,300. It's very nice to see everyday so many gold stars, now that probably there are 200 or 300 very good players, but I also remember the "old times", so I have to mention players like salt and pnumbers (USA), Maartenf337 (previously bereklauw) (Netherlands), osama905 (Kuwait), maximshi and ptirex (Russia), amnonvegan (Israel), etc., who apparently have "abandoned" the club. And sure I am forgetting in this moment many more ... [thumbsup]


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Posted on: Sun Jul 22, 2012 12:27 pm




Posts: 13
Joined: Fri May 13, 2011 2:58 pm
Post Re: fewer puzzles?
Hi Sneaklyfox,

I quoted the opening phrase of this thread to make my point(s), not specifically meaning to target you.

Regarding that 'whatever reason' to save puzzles: I think there can be several reasons:
- to hijack the first place in the temporary rankings (apparently the main reason you think of); but also
- being away from the internet for a while (like me, on holiday);
- not having/making time right away to solve a puzzle.
The latter is most important for me, and it is also a reason why I usually complete the Thursday's 12x12 puzzle only on Saturday (if I complete it, or even start on it, at all): normally I don't have time on Thursdays.

Just keep your fun. And btw, I find it quite admiring you are so high in the rankings - e.g. by far the fastest to pass the 40,000 points mark.

And about mpopeskov: I meant to write that he was ranked very high at the time he was still active - now obviously he is not active.


Last edited by ark5731 on Sun Jul 22, 2012 6:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.



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Posted on: Sun Jul 22, 2012 1:29 pm




Posts: 246
Location: Lisbon, Portugal
Joined: Sun Sep 18, 2011 5:40 pm
Post Re: fewer puzzles?
clm wrote:
It's very nice to see everyday so many gold stars


Unlike most of our colleagues ( possibly? ) I'm as you. I like to see more and more golden stars. It's a sign that our club is increasing in number and in quality. Maybe the possible future alterations of the counting of points of Patrick can contribute to that.
( BTW, that's why I provided my little helpful program! )

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Posted on: Mon Jul 23, 2012 3:07 am




Posts: 428
Location: Canada
Joined: Fri May 13, 2011 2:43 am
Post Re: fewer puzzles?
ark5731 wrote:
Hi Sneaklyfox,

I quoted the opening phrase of this thread to make my point(s), not specifically meaning to target you.

Regarding that 'whatever reason' to save puzzles: I think there can be several reasons:
- to hijack the first place in the temporary rankings (apparently the main reason you think of); but also
- being away from the internet for a while (like me, on holiday);
- not having/making time right away to solve a puzzle.
The latter is most important for me, and it is also a reason why I usually complete the Thursday's 12x12 puzzle only on Saturday (if I complete it, or even start on it, at all): normally I don't have time on Thursdays.

Just keep your fun. And btw, I find it quite admiring you are so high in the rankings - e.g. by far the fastest to pass the 40,000 points mark.

And about mpopeskov: I meant to write that he was ranked very high at the time he was still active - now obviously he is not active.


It is ok. I did not take offense. I was just checking. I guess I don't say that someone is saving up puzzles if it's just because they weren't able to access internet. Anyway... I, for one, admire mparisi for his endurance. How long has he done every puzzle everyday now?


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Posted on: Wed Jul 25, 2012 3:25 pm




Posts: 3296
Joined: Thu May 12, 2011 11:58 pm
Post Re: fewer puzzles?
mparisi wrote:
Could you make this granting points for the highest scoring eight or nine puzzles per day as opposed to the first eight or nine? I'd rather not have to do the hardest puzzles first; it would be kind of a letdown to do the easy puzzles at the end of the day.

I think I'll end up implementing it as a points limit for the regular puzzles only
(so you'd still get the extra points of the extra/bonus/timed/book puzzles)

Patrick


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