Scoring

[Feanor]

I can't make any sense of the scoring system for these puzzles. I sometimes get a higher score for a puzzle solved in below average time than for one I solve well above average. Anybody know how it works?

[PatienceCrabstick]

Scoring has nothing to do with the puzzle you’ve completed, or how well you’ve done compared to average times for that puzzle. Scoring is based only on your total solving time. Solve in 500 seconds a really long and difficult puzzle? That’s X points. Solve a really short and easy puzzle in 500 seconds? It’s still X points. It’s counterintuitive (and counterproductive) but is unlikely to change. If you’re still interested, check the other recent threads — there’s full explication of the details there.

[graymatters]

The bell curve on the acrostic puzzles has an above average, average, below average and slow sections. Yet if you make it into the average section, you are still considered below average unless you are past the middle of the curve. Average is average. Why not change everything in the average section to average?