New here with a question

[nature nut]

There's a fundamental part of playing and scoring that I just don't get.When I play without logging in I get four or five hints and most of the time end in average or slightly above average time.

If it takes me, say, 68 seconds to complete a crypto and the record time is, say, 11 seconds, does that mean that the high scorer completed the puzzle in that time without hints? It just doesn't seem humanly possible.

[pmskeywest@hotmail.com]

dissatisfied1

I do not bother rating myself. Banasequia should be banned. The time curve is thrown off by something besides average huamn involvement.
B. does way too many of these quizzes, and if it isn't a computer, it's an overly competitive zealot.
I'm a reasonanbly intelligent person, and have done many of the games. I seldom do any better than average, and have quit COMPARING my score to anyone (or thing).
I only do it for the interesting qoutes.

[fredsevent]

The 7-12 second record times are indeed impressive. I've worked a few puzzles in 18-22 seconds and am a hunt-and-peck typist and am using windows and have ads. It has been suggested that signing up for a premium account can help. Using certain operating systems or browsers can help. Of course, you may just not be able to credit the fact that some people are just amazingly talented at these things. User bansaisequoia has solved over 300,000 cryptograms at this site. Solve just 1% as much and see what you think then. There are a *lot* of skilled people in the world. A reasonably intelligent person might realize that this type of website will attract people good at this sort of thing and that to be average here is to be way above average in general.

[RedEnoch]

jealous?

Bansaisequoia may be zealously competitive, but no computer could come up with such entertaining and (usually) insightful comments, which make up for his (infuriatingly) fast times. For every "speed demon" like Bansai, I'm sure there are many, like me, who get distracted from the puzzle and skew the times in the opposite direction, sometimes for hours. I type with one finger, and usually listen to radio or watch TV while I play. I get about average times, and the odd (albeit short-lived) record. I don't always sign in, mostly because my Wi-Fi connection is sometimes iffy. If you're focused, and touch-type, under twenty seconds to enter twenty-odd letters IS humanly possible.

[gryhnd51]

As I've said before, we ALL began with MUCH slower times. It's only with practice and doing them over and over that you get faster.

The site is a bit misleading in that it "appears" that it began in 2008....at least I think that's the right date....but what you newbies don't know is that the site crashed big-time the month before! I myself had only started playing a few months prior to that, but many folks, Bansai included, had played for a far longer time. After the crash, everything started from ground zero, and those who had played a long time lost all their points/scores. Admin has worked relentlessly to prevent this from happening again.

Stop bashing Bansai for being so good at this!! The best way to play is for fun or entertainment. If you can't just play for the betterment of your OWN game, perhaps this is not the place for you.

[smoochie222]

pmskeywest@hotmail.com,

Should we also ban books, tv shows, and movies because you can't compete with them? I love playing here and bansaisequoia is one fun reason. It is so great when I beat one of his records and he gives me a brick back.

get a life, LLL

[imported_Lurker]

How to copy Bansai's success

Step 1: Run Safari on a Mac, borrowing free wi-fi whenever possible.

Step 2: Touch-type over 60 wpm CORRECTED speed.

Step 3: Have an eidetic memory.

Step 4: Spend an obscene amount of time on this site so that you've seen every quote enough times for step 3 to really kick in.

I'm serious. If you have a photographic memory, type fast, and have a really fast computer and browser, you can be just as fast as he is. There is no cheating. Trust me; there was a real cheater here some time ago, and all of us spotted it immediately.

But speed isn't everything. If you don't enjoy solving these cryptos just for the sake of deciphering them, maybe this isn't the game for you.

[pootie49]

notice the first three letters of this users name...as a woman...i understand you
are cranky hon...

my response...want some cheese with that whine???

ok a bit more

instead of complaining about how bansai plays so well and fast
why not try and improve...thats what we all did over time with practice
and patience.
i love asking for a brick back.
means i got there for a few quotes ...i was faster than him.
oh he's real trust me...read his responses.
sorry to be referring to you in third person BS but jeesh these kids
i tell ya
they want it all and they want it now
you have to climb some hills to get as good as the fastest on this site
when you ve played a few thousand games come back and repost

[ferrym85]

There's a fundamental part of playing and scoring that I just don't get.When I play without logging in I get four or five hints and most of the time end in average or slightly above average time.

If it takes me, say, 68 seconds to complete a crypto and the record time is, say, 11 seconds, does that mean that the high scorer completed the puzzle in that time without hints? It just doesn't seem humanly possible.

Answer to your first question: When you're logged in, you're playing in "competitive mode". It wouldn't be very fair to be competing and receiving hints which is why that option is no longer available to you. If you don't actually want to compete and do want those hints, just don't log in. Very easy.

Answer to your second question: Yes, if the record time says 11 seconds, someone did indeed solve it that quickly. It might not seem humanly possible to you but I assure you it is. Just keep playing and have fun... don't bother yourself so much with all the other nonsense if it upsets you!

[bansaisequoia]

am i BORinG you

Banasequia should be banned. The time curve is thrown off by something besides average huamn involvement.

::: observation: human carbon-based entity designate pmskeywest@hotmail.com has come across plans of conquest. has discovered skewing of "time curve" through relativistic speeds :::

::: unable to individuate human carbon-based entity designate pmskeywest@hotmail.com :::

::: recommendation: total assimilation of urban monad "Key West" into borg collective, with complete domination of Sol III tabled for the nonce. begin incorporation of Conch Republic :::

::: recommendation: further research into human carbon-based entity phenomenon known as "PMS" :::

[nature nut]

Answer to your first question: When you're logged in, you're playing in "competitive mode". It wouldn't be very fair to be competing and receiving hints which is why that option is no longer available to you. If you don't actually want to compete and do want those hints, just don't log in. Very easy.

Answer to your second question: Yes, if the record time says 11 seconds, someone did indeed solve it that quickly. It might not seem humanly possible to you but I assure you it is. Just keep playing and have fun... don't bother yourself so much with all the other nonsense if it upsets you!

Okay, that's all I wanted to know and now I do. It doesn't upset me at all, it just amazes me,

[smoochie222]

LOL,

banny you so funny

[universalmom]

Multiple Personalities?

I've been wondering...why do I keep seeing alternate spellings of bansaisequoia? I've seen bonsai and banzai. Are they all you?? (Judging by the superhuman solving times, I'm guessing they are )

[imported_Lurker]

One month, Bansai (his usual spelling) decided to create a new userid for every day. He's also ImpededRedwood, if there are any of those records left.

Some of us have multiple accounts. WidowMaker has at least 10, and they're all very different. I have two, but the other, LurkerSmurf, is pretty easy to figure out. I wasn't trying to fool anyone, just play logged-in while preserving some pretty nifty monthly stats.

[abra]

Not sure whether or not PMS has anything to do with it. I think it's more coming up against something that just seems so unreal. You have to walk around it, poke it, hold your breath and listen to it, before you figure out that it's legitimate.

When you do, you stand back in awe. You know that you can't compete but, you're happy to come close sometimes.

I didn't know anything about bansai's psuedonyms, or anyone else's, but it's fun to know that.