Subject: level of difficulty (LOD)

Date: Sun Oct 22 06:58:13 2017
User: michaelc
Message:
The level of difficulty (LOD) information (that appears when you start a new game) makes no sense. Surely a game that has been solved in 95% of plays is a level of difficulty of say 1/10. And a game that has only been solved in less than 10% of plays deserves a 10/10 LOD. At the moment it seems to be random what you get, and it seems to show a LOD of 5 for any game that you get, whether it is easy or hard. Seems a bit senseless. Why not start with a level of 1/10 LOD for the first 10 games and then increase it every 10 games. 2/10 are games that have been solved by 80% of players, 3/10 LOD get solved by 70% players etc, until games solved by less than 10% of players get a LOD of 10/10. This might make it less random and frustrating when you encounter a very difficult game in the first 20 or so and go back to 1.

Date: Sun Oct 22 09:22:49 2017
User: The_Interpreter
Message:
"All blame is a waste of time. No matter how much fault you find with another, and regardless of how much you blame him, it will not change you. The only thing blame does is to keep the focus off you when you are looking for... reasons to explain your unhappiness or frustration." Casey Stengel

Date: Sun Oct 22 09:43:58 2017
User: TNmountainman
Message:
"We must let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the one that is waiting for us." -- Joseph Campbell

Date: Sun Oct 22 10:00:46 2017
User: Giampaolo44
Message:
Old debate, isn't it? And one that never goes away. I guess part of the challenge that was never taken away IS the ability to figure out if a game is a difficult one before playing it. Yet I have a question to maintainer/s or other long timers: is there a list of the most difficult games by variant? Say I wanted to play only difficult games, for a while, maybe 8x4 games with a winning rate of <10%. Could I find them, somewhere? Or the only alternative is stick to 8x4 with 12 difficulty? Cheers! And thanks in advance for any tip on the subject.

Date: Sun Oct 22 10:58:48 2017
User: TitanicTony
Message:
If you go to "Scores" (on the left), then "Game Stats" (on the right), then chose your variant & Difficulty level, and then (finally) sort on "Win %", you will see the "least won" (not necessarily the "most difficult") games at the top of the list!!!! .... Good hunting! Here are the 1st five results for 8x4, Difficulty Level 5: Game # ... Plays ..... Wins ... Win % 12839 ..... 13514 ...... 808 ...... 5.98 19486 ..... 13922 ...... 888 ...... 6.38 14112 ..... 13116 ...... 953 ...... 7.27 25624 ..... 13764 ... 1118 ...... 8.12 22523 ..... 11385 ... 1134 ...... 9.96

Date: Sun Oct 22 13:02:32 2017
User: Giampaolo44
Message:
Awesome TitTony, thanks a million! That should give me a bit of fun, for some time to come :) Sweet...

Date: Sun Oct 22 19:01:58 2017
User: Blythe_Yet_Lusty
Message:
It's better to have loved and lost, than to have never lost at all.

Date: Sun Oct 22 21:22:13 2017
User: BuzzClik
Message:
"Have the courage to face a difficulty lest it kick you harder than you bargain for." ---Stanilaus I* *to be read, "Stanilau the First" not "Stanilaus One" ... just in case ;)

Date: Sun Nov 5 09:48:56 2017
User: Denny
Message:
This was such a common topic that I used to have a blurb before posting that tried to explain things. I see I've nixed that. Maybe it needs to come back? Weather vs. climate was what someone suggested as the metaphor. Denny

Date: Sun Nov 5 11:57:43 2017
User: free@last
Message:
I think if you'd just change the word "difficulty" to "adjustment factor" or something that did not imply anything there would be less confusion. I agree with the climate vs. weather thing if you don't care that 30% of people will still not get it. ;-)

Date: Sun Nov 5 17:18:38 2017
User: Snowguy
Message:
Hee Hee Hee. (free@last)