New puzzle format - looking for feedback

[admin2]

Hi kat -

If you are using Internet Explorer as your browser, you may want to try installing Firefox - its a free download at www.getfirefox.com. In my own testing here the scripts work much better on slower computers using the Firefox browser. (They work great too on Google's new Chrome browser if you want to try that instead).

I'm sure it'll be a bit of a learning process to get the feel for the new system but hopefully it will end up being faster and more fun for everyone.

Cheers!

- Stephen

[imported_kat]

thanks

Thanks Stephen. I've downloaded it and will give it a try. The explorer one was definitely giving me problems. I appreciate your help!

[maradnu]

New format - generally good

It will take some getting used to. In some ways it is harder to spot patterns, with the numbers below the letters, but the numbers can be helpful as well.

It does not always keep up with me very well, and I am not a fast typist. Once I am rolling on a puzzle, it speeds things up considerably. Very nice to have it go back to the start if I've been working in the middle and reach the last, but have some unsolved early letters.

Kind of a nuisance when I get several letters wrong, as I have to click on each, since it wants to skip them.

Good to get it now. Not too much will change in the standings at this point in the month, and we can get the hang of it before next month's competition starts.

[Laura]

Firefox

Stephen:

It's interesting that you mention Firefox. I've been using it for almost a year and love it. Other sites work better with IE (like my school) but for cryptograms on this site I really prefer Firefox. The only problem I've noticed is that it sometimes shuts down unexpectedly. It did that on four occasions this week while I was doing cryptograms and the result was a decrease of .3 seconds on my average time.

But I also noticed that Mozilla has been upgrading this week. Maybe that's why.

[flutefish]

new format

I agree the new format will take some getting used to. I have the impression that my overall time is faster (the highs becoming faster), but I do not seem to have anywhere near the usual amount of really fast times. I agree that the board doesn't keep up with my typing, but it's not acting particularly slow. I just type pretty fast. But it would be nice if it moved to the next letter faster.

I use Safari (I have a Mac, and LOVE it!) and have never once had a problem with the site. Occasionally (and I mean VERY occasionally), there is a site that doesn't work well with Safari, in which case I use Firefox instead. But I've never used Firefox on this site.

Overall, I really like the new board. The cursor jumping to the next open letter is REALLY helpful. I just need to not hit the wrong key so I don't have to go back and correct something...

[Laura]

Letter Frequencies

I'm finally getting to where I'm not distracted by the letter frequencies, and am blown away by how helpful that feature is. Also, having the current letter highlighted in yellow throughout the puzzle is great!

This is awesome.

[maradnu]

New Format

Having the current letter highlighted is great.

Since it always goes to the next unfilled letter, when you have completed a puzzle - nothing is highlighted - that is also good. There have been a few long puzzles, under the old format, where I could not always tell when I had filled everything.

[imported_kat]

agreed!

Definitely liking the highlighted letters! And since downloading firefox, I'm actually setting a couple records here and there. Even topped Bansai once, and we all know that Bansai's the one to beat while we still can....

Thanks to Stephen for the suggestion! And the new format!

[bansaisequoia]

?!agreed?!

I dunno, kat. I'm having a hard time adapting to this just like everyone else. When I sit at the keyboard, I feel like my hands have those spongy #1! gloves you see at football games. Soon I may be supplanted by you or Laura or flutey or ferrymegan or digirl. Right now I feel awkward. We'll see in a little over a month how the results turn out.

[imported_kat]

doubt it...

While I agree that we are ALL adjusting to this new format, I'm sure those who were the quickest ones before will more than likely continue to prevail.

I am fluctuating wildly in my times. I just hit 15 seconds for the first time ever. (something YOU'VE seen quite a bit! ) and I've also been steadily slowing down for the most part. Definitely a big adjustment for me. I agree with Maradnu's previous post that the end of the month was a good time to launch the new format. The scores aren't changing that much and it left time to PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!

[greenjelly]

1. Would be nice if the cursor went to the first box of the new puzzle automatically when it loads.

2. sometimes, the "remaining letters" list doesn't work correctly.

[maradnu]

New format

I found I've gotten a little more consistent since I changed how I did some things.

Obviously each of us is different, but I tended on the old format to keep my left hand on the 'tab' key, while keying letters with my right hand. With the new format, tab is relatively unimportant, but the mouse more so, so I now key letters with my left hand, while using the right hand for the mouse.

If I get letters wrong, it slows me down considerably, even with switching hands. It has not improved my top times or average times yet, but I am getting more 30 second or less times. I used to be 30 or under about 10% of the time, now it is more like 20% of the time.

That seems to be offset by more 60 second or more times, which I am hoping to reduce as I get more used to the format.

[maradnu]

One Snag

Twice now, I've been working puzzles, stopped to check my scores, gone back and loaded and worked another puzzle, then when I hit 'enter' it tells me I'm not authorized to complete the puzzle in competition format.

When I look, I find I'm logged out. When I log back in the completed but unchecked puzzle is in my 'recent' puzzles. I have to reopen it, then click 'check' and I am credited with the completion.

Kinda screws up the time on the puzzle it happens to though.

[bansaisequoia]

Hang Time

My biggest problem is that the letters take too long to load after you've typed them. I'll have the whole solution in my mind, but by the time I've typed all the letters and they have loaded, more time has elapsed than if I had used the old format and had to tab or point and click to get to the next boxes. If I uncheck the "Diplay letter frequencies?" and "Automatically move cursor?" boxes, it doesn't return to the old format. Something must be done to get rid of this lag time.

[admin2]

Hi bansai -

Are you using Internet Explorer? I've been trying like made to reduce lag time on IE, which is notorious for not running web applications as smoothly as other browsers. Anyone who wants to seriously compete for time should probably try using Firefox for now (www.getfirefox.com) while I am working out the kinks, though I've tried Google's new Chrome browser as well and found it to work quite fast there as well.

Let me know if a new browser works better for you. I suspect that of everyone here, you're likely to be the most sensitive to these kinds of lag times since you're so lightning fast in solving these suckers. Which is actually good - if I can make you happy eventually then I'll know things are working properly. :-)