Personal Best Fastest Solving Times ?

[Spellbinder44]

Is it possible to let us know if we solved a cryptogram in our personal best solving time ?

For example , my personal fastest solving time is 19 secs. So, when I solve a Cryptogram in under 19 secs and see the Solutions page , Puzzle Baron lets you know that this was your personal best fastest solving time.

Or one could just remember one's fastest time and feel all proud and happy....

[LLapp]

Spellbinder, I really like that idea! Most of us compete more with ourselves than with each other, so it makes sense to track our personal bests.

Admin Stephen Ryder:

- Can "personal best" solve times be added to our personal statistics box? It would be great to see best time, what quote it was for and the difficulty rating.

- What Spellbinder said -- Can you add a screen announcement, similar to the New Record screen, when a player achieves a new personal best?

I also compete on Puzzle Baron's Word Twist site, which does track many "personal best" scores, so I know it can be done. The Word Twist site tracks personal stats in 3 boxes. First box shows lifetime stats for most words, highest score, best word found, and longest word found. Second box shows the same stats but just for the current month. And third box lists all current records still held.

Wouldn't it be cool if your cryptograms stats showed how many of your records still stand?

[ddph]

I'd be interested in seeing how many quotes I've solved with 'new record' and how many are still standing (if any). I've had about 20, but don't recall seeing any with my name on later. Perhaps they've all been broken by one or another of our 'Supersolvers'.

As to my personal fastest time, it's seven seconds. I've had about 20 that were sub 10. Interestingly, each time I got below 10, someone else still had a faster time.

[mikehallbackhoe]

it would be nice if our lifetime high scores would also show us our average solve time, like our current monthly puzzle does.

[Queethebean]

I think I only got the fastest time once--and it was probably because it was a new puzzle! I'm sure it was bested very quickly, but it still gave me a thrill.

[TimmyTee]

I'm stunned

Ok, fine. I'm a newbie. I've been doing these for a long time in the newspaper, and usually get them eventually.

But I'm totally blown away by the speed with which you folks do these things!!

Are you all savants? How in god's name do you do a puzzle in less than 10 seconds???

[Lurker]

Auto-fill, good typing skills, and seeing the same quote many times over the years.

There are threads to get you in the groove, like common word groups (there is, some people, consists in, difference between), author styles (Alexander Pope, grrrr), and help with grammar. One thread is devoted to all the words we could think of with the abca pattern. It's a group effort.

Mainly, the point here is to enjoy solving. Speed and solving percentage are secondary. If you like solving the quotes, stick around. Welcome!

[TimmyTee]

Thanks! That all makes sense. I've only done less than twenty so far, and I have noticed that when I get lucky and hit a good word or two right off the bat, my speed sometimes comes almost up to average!

To do one in less than 10 seconds seems like would require recognizing the whole thing immediately and then typing it in rapidly.

[munchlet]

Welcome, Timmy!

What LurkerSmurf said, but don't worry about speed.

I was S-L-O-W as molasses when I started, many years ago.

Then I decided to solve them ALL for a while, as many folks do, most of them better solvers than I'll ever be. Several months ago, I dropped the 100 percent thing and went for speed, practicing obsessively. A few people think I live here these days.

So, like anything else -- practice. Same way you get to Carnegie Hall.

Also, Timmy, spot on about recognizing the quotation. To be super fast, you need to recognize either the entire quote or the word patterns -- then type like hell. Lots of times, I haven't the foggiest notion what it says until it's completed. Looking for patterns, not meaning.. Also when typing quickly, you run into booby traps, like entering letters into a previous square (not sure how that happens, but it does, and too often).

So enjoy yourself, and stick around!

[damsel22]

TimmyTee, I used to be a newspaper solver as well. I only wish I had stumbled upon this site when my dad was alive. He got me into the puzzles in the papers and would have really enjoyed this. Anyway, I think you'll eventually find this very different from the paper-if I try to do one in the paper now, it feels like it takes forever! Just don't worry about your time. It will come. I was also slow as molasses when I started. In fact, I practiced as a guest for a long time before I ever started competing. Just have fun, and everything will come together. Focus on your times from month to month, and you will see your improvement.

[celticbum]

Not fastest, but...

Accidentally left a puzzle up overnight. Personal worst time: 64382 seconds.

[TimmyTee]

Thank you all for your hospitality! This feels like a more friendly place than the average InterWebs site. Do you get trolls nonetheless?

I think I've already seen some improvement. I even got an "above average" once yesterday!

But beyond all that, I just really like it. The way the software works is really slick.

[wvwoman]

Thank you all for your hospitality! This feels like a more friendly place than the average InterWebs site. Do you get trolls nonetheless?

I think I've already seen some improvement. I even got an "above average" once yesterday!

But beyond all that, I just really like it. The way the software works is really slick.

it's good to hear that you feel that way--it really is a friendly place most of the time!
yes, we do get an occasional troll--usually they show up anonymously in the chat area, as that's the only place one can post comments without being a signed-in member.

welcome, and i hope you continue to enjoy the site.

[damsel22]

I find doing cryptograms very relaxing. This site is a place I can come to focus my brain on something fun and relieve my stress.

[gryhnd51]

Hi Timmy....welcome aboard! Sure hope you continue to enjoy the site.