Achievements and Accomplishments Thread

[crazykate]

The thing about this game, especially the 5x5 grid, is that it's easier to achieve a high ranking if you focus on just one or two of the categories rather than trying to excel in all of them. There are only a few exceptionally talented players who manage to get an extremely high score while also entering words with 15+ letters. If you try to go for most words played, not filtering by points, your score and average is going to be lowered by the 3pt words you include. If you try to avoid low-scoring words, unless you've gotten extremely good at this, your total word count will suffer. If you go hunting for longest word records, it's unlikely that you'll get the total points and most words records as well. And even if you do manage to get 3 or 4 high scores for every board you play, that automatically takes you out of the running for average points per word, because you haven't been selective enough.
I remember realising this a few years ago and thinking that due to the different possible goals and strategies, it's as if there were 4 or 5 different games rolled into one. I tried switching goals ever so often, which means that even though I sometimes got decent scores and some trophies or records, my player averages are consistently mediocre. I've since embraced mediocre and am currently trying to play boards where the longest word hasn't yet been found, but while I'm hunting for the longest word, I'm also entering other words, competing only against myself for total points and number of words found.

[Naboka]

The thing about this game, especially the 5x5 grid, is that it's easier to achieve a high ranking if you focus on just one or two of the categories rather than trying to excel in all of them. There are only a few exceptionally talented players who manage to get an extremely high score while also entering words with 15+ letters. If you try to go for most words played, not filtering by points, your score and average is going to be lowered by the 3pt words you include. If you try to avoid low-scoring words, unless you've gotten extremely good at this, your total word count will suffer. If you go hunting for longest word records, it's unlikely that you'll get the total points and most words records as well. And even if you do manage to get 3 or 4 high scores for every board you play, that automatically takes you out of the running for average points per word, because you haven't been selective enough.
I remember realising this a few years ago and thinking that due to the different possible goals and strategies, it's as if there were 4 or 5 different games rolled into one. I tried switching goals ever so often, which means that even though I sometimes got decent scores and some trophies or records, my player averages are consistently mediocre. I've since embraced mediocre and am currently trying to play boards where the longest word hasn't yet been found, but while I'm hunting for the longest word, I'm also entering other words, competing only against myself for total points and number of words found.

Crazykate, regardless of scores, you're one of my favorite people here.

And I run across your name on boards enough to groan a bit when you have best word or longest.

Scores here don't mean much in real life. My wife still hasn't scored 400 points on a board, but she's a far better person than I am. Everywhere we go we run across people who know and love her. Being a popular teacher gives you that advantage. Me? Meh.

Unfair advantage becomes part of every contest when enough people are involved.

In Wordtwist, if you're competing against someone with the perfect storm of having an extensive background in science, math, medicine, horticulture and literature; you're gonna come a cropper. It has absolutely nothing to do with your actual Wordtwist ability, it's just a product of unfair advantage.

An average person just isn't going to recognise unusual terms like lithotritise/lithotritize (has to do with breaking up stones in the bladder)--much less conjugate them. Even an exceptionally intelligent person.

And there are thousands of words like that floating around the boards.

"Mediocre" doesn't really apply to you. You're really good. And you're analytical, thus the above post of yours.

Part of analysis is having as much relevant data as possible. And I don't think you've factored the unfair advantage angle into your analysis of your ability.

And "unfair" doesn't mean unjust. It's simply that two people with identical natural abilities will fare differently in a contest depending on training levels. A person who's a trained boxer will knock out an untrained individual, even if the untrained person has far greater natural ability and athleticism.

The same applies to all human endeavor. A person with extensive training/practice will have an advantage over those without that exposure.

But, taking time to train in anything has opportunity costs.

Not training gives you time to do all sorts of wonderful things. Not training allows you to eat cheesecake rather than worry about your weight. Not training gives you time to lie on the couch and just admire your newly polished toenails.

[garetville]

Hi - quick question here for "posting newbie"! I've been playing for years and was always able to use a keyboard shortcut for Rotate of Tab+return. Lately that doesn't work and I need to use my mouse. Any other shortcuts I can use? I feel using the mouse wastes time.

Thanks!

[dannyb]

Hi - quick question here for "posting newbie"! I've been playing for years and was always able to use a keyboard shortcut for Rotate of Tab+return. Lately that doesn't work and I need to use my mouse. Any other shortcuts I can use? I feel using the mouse wastes time.

Thanks!

Use the "control" key to rotate the board,

[garetville]

Thank you - much appreciated, dannyb!

[2cute]

Use the "control" key to rotate the board,

I didn't know that, thanks. I use Command (or Control) R to refresh for a new game (in the beginning to find one not too hard).

[Razorflame]

I've gotten more points this month so far than I have in a long while

[Naboka]

th-1882786990.jpeg

New personal best--and without a k, z, q in sight:

Screen Shot 2022-11-16 at 8.16.20 PM.png


Beat Megaword twice yesterday--or four, or five depending on which categories count for this.

I would like to thank my hairstylist and makeup artist, without whose help none of this would have been possible.

Time to retire.

If it weren't for helping the wife in her kindergarten class tomorrow, it would be time to empty a bottle.

[crazykate]

Wow Naboka, that's really impressive! Big round of applause!

[dannyb]

You don't tug on Superman's cape. You don't spit into the wind. You don't pull the mask of the old Lone Ranger, and you don't mess around with MegaWord.

[Naboka]

You don't tug on Superman's cape. You don't spit into the wind. You don't pull the mask of the old Lone Ranger, and you don't mess around with MegaWord.

Unless you've got a pocket of kryptonite.

Or your name's Willie McCoy.

Looking for a laugh button.

Your comment made me laugh.

We need a laugh button.

While searching for it, noticed you had a green dot in the lower left hand corner under the share/tweet portion of your name. You and Spike have it. Curious what it represents.

ps: months and months ago, studying his boards for new words exposed ... something ... a vulnerability.

[dannyb]

"While searching for it, noticed you had a green dot in the lower left hand corner under the share/tweet portion of your name. You and Spike have it. Curious what it represents."

I have no idea what the green dot represents. If I had to take a wild guess I would think that is because I had two comments "flagged" one comment got flagged after I edited it. I read that that has happened to others. The second flag was for when I supplied a link to a YouTube video. I guess that they thought it was spam.

You have a grey dot. Did you perhaps have one "flagged" comment?

A vulnerability? Hmmm.

[admin]

Green dot = person is currently online
Grey dot = person is currently offline (or has opted to hide their online status)

[dannyb]

Thanks for clearing up the mystery.

[afriend]

congrats Naboka!

I'm still trying to crack 700, but my fingers start turning into spaghetti after the 120+ word mark