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 February changes 
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Posted on: Fri Feb 01, 2013 11:37 am




Posts: 3295
Joined: Thu May 12, 2011 11:58 pm
Post Re: February changes
martini wrote:
[woot] I only do all the puzzles some days and I already spend too much time. I might have subscribed some day when I got better at these puzzles. Today you took away the only 10x10 I can do, plus a medium I always do. Thus my total will be 30 or more down over a week. I will not be forced to subscribe so I might just give up on the competition and maybe the site in general. I have alot of other good comments but feeling pushed out I guess I will never get to post them.

The idea of the 2nd puzzle for subscribers only is to increase the incentive to subscribe.

If you compare it to what's common in the "app world", where typically you get 20 levels for free (for example),
and then 100 if you buy the app, then this is not so bad :-)

Also note that the puzzles that are "subscribers only" change every week (it cycles
through all puzzles)(there is still a bug that prevents this from happening correctly,
will fix..). So next Friday the 10x10 will be there again (it won't be every 4 weeks).

And yes, you don't have to subscribe, you don't even have to log in (about 20%
of puzzles solved are by people without an account (!)). In the end, I think I'm providing
a fun and interesting site, with some extra value for people who think it's worth it,
or who simply want to support the site :)

I must be doing something right, because the number of active users has been growing
steadily the past month or so :-)

And please do post comments, feedback is always welcome.

Patrick


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Posted on: Fri Feb 01, 2013 12:31 pm




Posts: 176
Location: Canada
Joined: Thu Aug 04, 2011 7:40 pm
Post Re: February changes
Thank you Bram for words reflective of the thoughts of many.

Hey, for 5 cents a day, if you visit here one hour a day that's 5 cents an hour......


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Posted on: Fri Feb 01, 2013 4:36 pm




Posts: 253
Joined: Tue May 24, 2011 4:55 pm
Post Re: February changes
rickt wrote:
So Bram - are you Patrick's agent??? Just kidding [drool]
Actually, that's a very nice idea! I picture myself chomping cigars and barking down a phone (I said NO! Mr Min won't touch your pathetic five-figure deal! Goodbye!) :-)


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Posted on: Fri Feb 01, 2013 5:06 pm




Posts: 855
Joined: Fri May 13, 2011 6:51 pm
Post Re: February changes
opacitaviola wrote:
Thank you Bram for words reflective of the thoughts of many.

Hey, for 5 cents a day, if you visit here one hour a day that's 5 cents an hour......


I agree but, in my opinion, it's not only a question of supporting the site (anyway I am sure everybody feel it's wonderful) or a question of friendship with Patrick :-), etc., but a question of simple pragmatism, at least in my case: before discovering this site, 2,5 years ago, I was spending much more money along the year buying magazines with advanced sudokus, kakuros, sudokuros, numerical puzzles, etc., actually I donn't buy any. These things were commented somewhere in the Forum, IIRC, when the subscriptions were introduced. I would happily pay the subscription :-) only for having the possibility of doing the 52 (in the year) 7x7's (-3 to 3) (on thursdays).

However, I am not very sure that the "random" puzzle/s for subscribers is the best way of motivating the calcudokers (it's very hard to lose 14 points in an easy-medium 10x10 on fridays like today's and it can "randomly" suppress the very interesting 7x7 subtractions only, etc., some weeks). Perhaps it would be better to add a second "extra puzzle" (another 8 points) for subscribers only (with more variety of experimental calcudokus) leaving a big pool of puzzles, like in the past, for unregistered and registered non-subscriber users.

Another possibility is this: If you do the extra puzzle today you get the key to enter a second daily extra puzzle.


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Posted on: Fri Feb 01, 2013 5:31 pm




Posts: 3295
Joined: Thu May 12, 2011 11:58 pm
Post Re: February changes
clm wrote:
I agree but, in my opinion, it's not only a question of supporting the site

True, if that were the case, all puzzles would be free, and I'd simply ask for donations [rolleyes]
clm wrote:
Perhaps it would be better to add a second "extra puzzle" (another 8 points) for subscribers only

I'd still like to reduce the "puzzle pressure", so adding puzzles is not really an option I think.

Patrick


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Posted on: Sat Feb 02, 2013 5:36 pm




Posts: 43
Location: Tacoma, WA, USA
Joined: Fri May 13, 2011 4:03 am
Post Re: February changes
Yes on 15 - it's great!


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Posted on: Sat Feb 02, 2013 10:36 pm




Posts: 931
Location: Ladysmith, BC, Canada
Joined: Fri May 13, 2011 1:37 am
Post Re: February changes
rossiniman wrote:
Yes on 15 - it's great!

Glad you think so.....as it "only" took 3hrs 10min to solve.....which is about the same time it took for me to do my 1st 12x12......but Idon't think I'll spend 3 hrs just to get 8 points again! [thumbdn]
Am about to enter solution and am hoping it is the right one!


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Posted on: Sat Feb 02, 2013 10:54 pm




Posts: 3295
Joined: Thu May 12, 2011 11:58 pm
Post Re: February changes
rossiniman wrote:
Yes on 15 - it's great!

Yes, glad you like it :-)

For the record, the first person to solve the first 15x15:
danaburns, at 1:09:19 CET

number 2: bertoldo, at 1:41:06
number 3: eutaxy, at 1:44:24

impressive [thumbup]


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Posted on: Sun Feb 03, 2013 7:59 am




Posts: 43
Location: Tacoma, WA, USA
Joined: Fri May 13, 2011 4:03 am
Post Re: February changes
Speed and points are not everything. I think of ken ken, especially the larger puzzles, as an art form, like solving a mystery. Ask any detective - getting it right and eliminating the other possibilities is much more important than getting it quickly.


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Posted on: Sun Feb 03, 2013 10:14 am




Posts: 49
Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2011 10:58 am
Post Re: February changes
Yeah the 15x15 is great [thumbsup]


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