I keep wondering about this..

[pajarito7]

Empirical Data or a Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

[montyb]

Parajito7's graph

If I may add some detail to that wonderful graph, please note how the raw times (jagged line) vary around the mean (smooth curve). As time goes on, this variation lessens as the subject gets more practice, which is exactly what is shown. This phenomena is not unique to Bansai. Anybody will show the same pattern given enough experience.

I will never set a record unless I get first crack at a brand new puzzle (Stephen?), but I privately celebrate if I come within 30 seconds of the record.

[maggiemouse]

Although it appears that we ALL started playing in 2008, if you look at our stats.... that really isn't true! The truth is that the whole site completely crashed shortly before that time, and EVERYONE was set back to zero. However, MANY of us have been playing a lot longer than that....a fact that ADMIN can verify if you're doubtful. Which means that some players have been playing a LOT more YEARS than it would appear.

Also, as you will notice, my speed time has decreased by a LOT this month....'cause I'm trying like crazy to get to 100%.....it's really much faster to solve just the crypto's that come easily to you, and over time, it becomes easier to recognize the word cadences or the author, or both. That being said, it takes being almost obsessive about playing. Whether you play to compete with just yourself, or with the world, is up to you.

IF... there's a way to cheat, I sure wish someone would clue me in on how it's done! Nah, I don't really mean that.....what would be the fun of playing if it was just EASY????

You youngun's need to be as dedicated as Bansai if you wanna beat him, but that won't be easy! Heck, I've been trying for years, and every great once-in-a-while I manage to get it right faster, but that's a rarity.....and NOT why I play. It's fun when it happens, but I always know that my time won't stand forever.

You need to face the fact that Bansai is just a really smart guy who can "sequence" much faster than most of the world.....and keep on playing to have FUN

maggiemouse adds: Bansaisequoia is also a speedy touch-typist. My hunt-and-peck typing method guarantees that I'll never EVER beat bansai, so I won't try. Having fun is enough.

[gryhnd51]

What I should have said was that my time INCREASED by trying to get 100%. Sorry for the misinformation. I played for a really long time just doing the quotes that came easiest for me...until last Fall actually...when I got the "bug" to do better.

[bansaisequoia]

Why would you want your time to increase???

[fredsevent]

Why would you want your time to increase???

I don't care so much one way or the other, but the ladies seem to approve.

[iltquilt]

Too funny!

Fred, that was hilarious! So true, but still funny.

[pootie49]

L M A O ...wtg fred

[abra]

When I first came here, I thought there HAD to be a trick, something, someway that people could be that fast. After a week or so, it dawns on you that there is no trick (except for that one unfortunate incident ) . These people are REALLY just that fast. That's the whole reason I posted this topic way back when.

If I remember correctly, even in that one case, the person wasn't as fast as the top scorers.

Beth, I don't think that there's a way to cheat, how could there be? Why would anyone want to? We're just surrounded by very clever and gifted people. I sit at their feet in awe.

[maggiemouse]

I keep wondering ....

Pootie: Why are you called "Chief Complainer"?

or you can just type the text and enter it into an online program that will flip the text backwards and even upside down, moving on....
Abra, I dont consider myself amongst the elite, those six or seven that consistently perform under thirty seconds.
I type one handed, with my non-dominant hand, my left hand with right hand on mouse.
My left hand hovers above the keyboard as I hit play I dont usually even set it on the 'home keys" and I just look, and find words I recognize instantly, usually the, or and, or but...from there its just a matter of typing the additional twenty odd letters ..remember we only have to type them once, and not all puzzles use all the letters of the alphabet.
Gryhnd is right some have been playing for years and years, Im approaching three years.
I was slow forever, until one day it just all made sense. I just recognized letter patterns I remembered the authors and I recalled some of the quotes themselves.
If there were a way to cheat believe me as I have stated before I would have found it.
And there is just no fun in cheating. Wheres the challenge.
So if you want a logical answer, those that use the tab/shift tab method and use two hands on the keyboard will solve faster, in my opinion, than those of us one-handing and mousing.
How do they/we do it? Practice, these quotes do appear often in rotation, they become known, recognizable. We have 26 letters max to enter and rarely do we use all of them.
I dont think that the really fast solvers are smarter per se, I think they have visual acuity and excellent eye hand coordination. Add to that as Lurker stated some use Mac's with much better browsers and for sure that will take a couple of seconds off.
Anyway thats sort of my practical theory on how the fasties do it.
And we all started slowly and our rate of progession is determinate on the amount we can play and our ability to process and retain information.
um what were we talking about? LOL
jk

to BETHWHITE...Yes its discouraging to struggle along and get thru a quote and see the same batch
of names or name appear as the record holder.
I understand that. I still grr from time to time when I think hey I just solved it really fast, hit enter hoping to see
the infamous plane only to find out my 8 or 7 seconds was eclipsed by someone else.
However when you play more and more, and suddenly you hit enter (again its faster than hitting check it) and congratulations you have set a new record and the plane shows up...thats a great feeling!!!!
Our records are displayed now, but before the site change it was a more private celebration,
or we would enter into the chatbox Hey I just got a record, yayyy.
I still feel that way each and every time that plane shows up. Im more chuffed however that my solve rate remains at a hundred percent.
But thats just me.
Instant gratification is the bane of the new world order. Anything worth having is worth working for.
Just keep playing and learning and reading and asking valid questions and you will get faster.
Please don't make accusations unless you have empirical data to support them... that just makes some of us oldies a bit miffed.
And you did post in the forum as opposed to some who just leave snarky little Bansai cheats comments in the comment section so I have to give you kudos for that.

I was a bit harsh I admit it in my response, but as you can see we are a close bunch, and yep I consider him my little annoying brick taking brother, but I would stand up just as loud for any of the players here if they were accused or besmirched.
That again is just me. I love this game.

[pootie49]

Senior Complainer

When you have premium membership you have the option of
changing your title from Member to anything you want.

I felt Senior Complainer to be most fitting.
And its just stuck.

Ps empirical evidence is provided in the quote you copied.

[fishbum]

Ratings/Rankings

I am wondering howw awards are arrived at. For solve rate, is there a minimum number of success' required? I assume there must be or one could solve 10 'grams and then quit for the rest of the month. I made top 20 once with less than 100%. What is there that I don't understand?

[imported_Lurker]

It actually does say the requirements on the top of each competition page, but here goes.

The top 100 point-getters for each month are on the "monthly competitions" page for high-scoring. (Number of puzzles started or completed is irrelevant.)

For percentage, the top 50 of that get rearranged by best percentage solved, and ties are broken by higher number of points. Generally, the top 16 to 18 are 100% people, followed by a couple who are only missing a game or two.

For speed, that top 50 gets rearranged by average speed, minus anyone who has solved less than 75% of the puzzles they have started. There are usually about 45 people on that list by the end of the month.

Does that answer your question, fishbum?

[abra]

I came to the forum, with a question about the Success Rate. This thread came up, in the search. It didn't have the answer to my question, but I enjoyed reading it again.

The last post by Lurker was interesting information, and new to me. Thanks, Lurker.

[imported_acrostic]

Success Times

The fastest success times are total frauds. The players that post them are idiots and ruining it for legitimate players.Don't ever bother playing in the competitive mode.