Simplified game board

[admin]

With the addition of many new longer puzzles I thought it might make sense to offer users a simpler game board that removes box identifiers (numbers and letters) which in an online environment, where transpositions are handled automatically, are not as useful as in pencil-and-paper acrostics. This allows us to make the boxes a bit smaller and fit more of them in per line, so that there's a bit less vertical scrolling required.

You can try out the new simplified game board here:

https://acrostics.puzzlebaron.com/init2020.php

Please let me know if you find it useful or if you prefer the current version - or if you have any other ideas on how the playing board can be improved.

Thanks!
Stephen

[lemon99]

I very much prefer the current version. Please keep it available. Thanks.

[waldo]

Leave it the old way.

[redpicker]

I find the new board difficult to use. I don't think it is an improvement. At least, leave the old board available. An improvement you might consider a hint option that would tell the player how many errors are in the solution. It can be frustrating when you think you have completed the puzzle, but it tells you it is not correct. You look over every single answer and the quote and it all looks fine. About the 5th time you recheck everything, you fine a "on" in the quote that should be "in". Thinking you had it, you hit solve, and it says it is not correct. You are out of hints and you're stuck. If you could get it to tell you how many errors were in your solution, it could be a big help.

[k4knee]

Maybe I've been doing acrostics too long (and, at 64 that's certainly possible), but I also greatly prefer the traditional board. I can imagine it might be a bit of a maintenance hassle, but could we have both as options. On the new board, if I need to find where the current letter in the quote fits in the clues (or vice versa), I have to seatch all of the clues, which slows things down cosiderably. I do agree with redpicker's idea of an error count, either as a default or as an option. Having everything filled in and searching for an unknown numbers of errors (most often typos, in my case) is a frustrating experience, especially when I find one, only to diecover there are more.

[waldo]

I can't figure out how knowing the number of errors helps in solving the puzzle. Correct the one(s) you can find and hit submit. If it clears, you're done. If not, there are still more errors (or an error) to correct. Continue until solution is accepted

[DogMa]

Well, at first glance I thought I'd hate it, but I'm pretty sure the new board cut my time by quite a bit. I set a new record! (I realize that maybe only five other people have solved it.)

[canswp1]

I don't mind the new board. I do wish the colours that highlight where you are in the puzzle were brighter or darker, somehow more noticeable.

[sodemmclit]

I love the new puzzle key, displaying the author / source as you fill in the letters, but I wish you could type directly in it, rather than scrolling down to fill in the first letters of individual clues.

[redpicker]

I can't figure out how knowing the number of errors helps in solving the puzzle. Correct the one(s) you can find and hit submit. If it clears, you're done. If not, there are still more errors (or an error) to correct. Continue until solution is accepted

It's not so much helping to solve the puzzle, but, for me at least, it would help reduce my frustration.

[LorenaBobbitt]

I too prefer the original board.

[DogMa]

No one hates change more than I do, but I prefer the simplified board, and I think others will come around if they use it for a while. Silly me, I did not realize before today that the try-out puzzle URL (https://acrostics.puzzlebaron.com/init2020.php) generates a new puzzle every time it is used. I had thought there was one example puzzle (duh). So, fellow Acrostic fans, please give it a good try before casting your vote!

[christinedux]

My vote is for the traditional board, the better to toggle between quote and clues.

[BUTTERWAFFLE]

I love the new puzzle key, displaying the author / source as you fill in the letters, but I wish you could type directly in it, rather than scrolling down to fill in the first letters of individual clues.

me to its very nice

[KeepItGoing]

I've been doing acrostics for a long time, too, and I find the simplified version very nice. I certainly appreciate having less scrolling.

I agree with canswp1, who said that it would be nice if the highlighting colors were more obvious, since there are no other clues to help us out.