XWord Muggles Forum

Saw a possibility and submitted...

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EDIT: Almost immediately after submitting, I realized that my mechanism couldn't possibly be right - for reasons TBA post-deadline. So I was fairly surprised and mortified to find myself on the leaderboard!
I decided I had to go back to the puzzle and find the right path to the answer in order to earn that spot this week. I finally came up with "something". I'm not sure it's the route Matt intended, but it's a lot better than my first doozy.

Got it with a confirmation I was on the right track and a nudge. If that was a week 3, i'm not looking forward to week 4.

What is protocol on streaks? If you are usually a solo solver (as am I), a) do nudges immediately from solo to joint solving and b) does that reset your own streak if you declare that you did a pair solve?

I play by the rules, haha, so I just want to make sure! I'm literally at a dead end, though, I have nothing.

MikeyG wrote: ↑Tue Feb 23, 2021 4:09 pm What is protocol on streaks? If you are usually a solo solver (as am I), a) do nudges immediately from solo to joint solving and b) does that reset your own streak if you declare that you did a pair solve?

I play by the rules, haha, so I just want to make sure! I'm literally at a dead end, though, I have nothing.

I solve some metas alone and some with friends. My streak hasn’t changed. The difference is what level of swag you’re eligible for at the end of the year

Meg wrote: ↑Tue Feb 23, 2021 4:16 pm

MikeyG wrote: ↑Tue Feb 23, 2021 4:09 pm What is protocol on streaks? If you are usually a solo solver (as am I), a) do nudges immediately from solo to joint solving and b) does that reset your own streak if you declare that you did a pair solve?

I play by the rules, haha, so I just want to make sure! I'm literally at a dead end, though, I have nothing.

I solve some metas alone and some with friends. My streak hasn’t changed. The difference is what level of swag you’re eligible for at the end of the year

GIMME MY SWAG

Meg wrote: ↑Tue Feb 23, 2021 4:16 pm

MikeyG wrote: ↑Tue Feb 23, 2021 4:09 pm What is protocol on streaks? If you are usually a solo solver (as am I), a) do nudges immediately from solo to joint solving and b) does that reset your own streak if you declare that you did a pair solve?

I play by the rules, haha, so I just want to make sure! I'm literally at a dead end, though, I have nothing.

I solve some metas alone and some with friends. My streak hasn’t changed. The difference is what level of swag you’re eligible for at the end of the year

Is there a clear statement somewhere about the swag drawings? My approach has been to not take hints for Matt's puzzles, because I like for my streak to reflect my actual streak. I guess I also would like to see a leaderboard of just solo solves, because I feel weird being on there when I didn't solve by myself. BUT...I also cannot express how much I love swag. That poll that was up a while back about whether we'd be into metas as much without the prizes? I was in the minority. I love metas, but all things being equal, I will totally spend my time on the swaggier ones. I know there's no way I'll be in the running for any solo swag, and if that means my only way to get a trinket is to ask for help....well, start checking your inboxes, folks!

MikeyG wrote: ↑Tue Feb 23, 2021 4:09 pm What is protocol on streaks? If you are usually a solo solver (as am I), a) do nudges immediately from solo to joint solving and b) does that reset your own streak if you declare that you did a pair solve?

I play by the rules, haha, so I just want to make sure! I'm literally at a dead end, though, I have nothing.

I gave up my streak (I think around 74 or 79) a few weeks ago with the authors one... I had told myself that the streak wasn't all mine since I had gotten nudges for a couple along the way. In my opinion, if it was a team solve from the get-go, I would continue to count it as part of a streak; of course, checking that it wasn't a solo solve. Similarly, when I got help by someone's saying that I was on the right track or to abandon a rabbit hole, that could count (and also not a solo solve). But there were a couple times during that streak that the nudge was way more than I was looking at, and even though I took the nudge and solved it, I felt sick about continuing the streak, so I resolved that the next time I was really stuck, I would either figure it out myself or surrender. I surrendered last month, and it was surprising how good I felt that I had done the right thing.

FrankieHeck wrote: ↑Tue Feb 23, 2021 4:27 pm Is there a clear statement somewhere about the swag drawings? My approach has been to not take hints for Matt's puzzles, because I like for my streak to reflect my actual streak. I guess I also would like to see a leaderboard of just solo solves, because I feel weird being on there when I didn't solve by myself. BUT...I also cannot express how much I love swag. That poll that was up a while back about whether we'd be into metas as much without the prizes? I was in the minority. I love metas, but all things being equal, I will totally spend my time on the swaggier ones. I know there's no way I'll be in the running for any solo swag, and if that means my only way to get a trinket is to ask for help....well, start checking your inboxes, folks!

I don't think it's published, other than occasional comments in his weekly posts. As I recall, when Matt started the solo yes/no button, he said that only solo solves would qualify for yearly prizes. Apparently he changed his mind on that (or maybe I remember wrong - I'm too lazy to go back through all the old posts and look for it.)

The FAQ on his site currently says that you need 49 solves to get a prize. That is different from previous years, when 52 = gold, 50-51 = silver, and 48-49 = bronze. That may be related to the fact that this is a 53 Friday year, or he may be changing the system.

It was September or thereabouts last year when he announced the 2019 prizes. With a new baby in the house, I won't be surprised if it takes a good while this year too.

I'd also love to see a solos only leaderboard. Or it would be interesting, when he reports the number of solvers each week, to also see how many of them were solos. I don't really expect either though.

Still awaiting confirmation four hours later, but i'm sure I've got it. My original idea for step one had been correct but then I abandoned it because I didn't see what should have been obvious, wound up chasing an idea that was plausible but barely so. Two roads diverged in a Gaffney meta, I needed some advice on which one was betta.

Al Sisti wrote: ↑Tue Feb 23, 2021 4:51 pm I surrendered last month, and it was surprising how good I felt that I had done the right thing.

This one kicked my butt. I'm surrendering this week (after a 60 streak), and I'm looking forward to a week four coming up next week with absolutely no pressure to solve it. The streak angst was getting out of hand, and I feel a huge sense of relief.

TMart wrote: ↑Tue Feb 23, 2021 6:45 pm

Al Sisti wrote: ↑Tue Feb 23, 2021 4:51 pm I surrendered last month, and it was surprising how good I felt that I had done the right thing.

This one kicked my butt. I'm surrendering this week (after a 60 streak), and I'm looking forward to a week four coming up next week with absolutely no pressure to solve it. The streak angst was getting out of hand, and I feel a huge sense of relief.

I definitely hear that. Two things: 1) I now don't mind answering a lot quicker -- I mean I was only beaten by Jangler this week, wow! and 2) next week will almost certainly not be a typical week 4; almost always when he's surprised at how tough a Week 3 is, he eases up a bit on the next Week 4.

I would take a nudge, if someone would be gracious enough to provide one. I've gotten nowhere fast.

Seadub wrote: ↑Tue Feb 23, 2021 3:34 pm Got it with a confirmation I was on the right track and a nudge. If that was a week 3, i'm not looking forward to week 4.

This really played like a week 4 or 5 for me.

Reluctantly declaring myself in TMart's camp. Congrats to the solvers, especially Al!

Well, I’ve requested beam up. Waiting to see if I end up back on the Enterprise or if my atoms get scattered all over space. I’ve been down too many rabbit holes to feel confident even though it seems good.

The submission form was odd. It seemed to take my entry, but then said submissions are closed, but when I tried again said I’d already submitted. Hopefully Matt will update when Ada wakes him up in the middle of the night. If I’m not on either list tomorrow morning, I’ll email him.

Congratulations Al on that #2 spot!

I think I got unstuck! Awaiting confirmation but reasonably confident somehow.

This is demoralizing . . . pretty sure I’m going down the wrong path, but would appreciate if someone could confirm I’m headed in the wrong direction

This streak thing is driving me batty! (Then again, if one your biggest problems is your MGWCC streak, life can't be all that bad.)

I've been feeling guilty about my MGWCC streak for months, since, I don't know, maybe up to 20% of my solves have been with nudges. Maybe even a shove once or thrice. I was lost on MGWCC this week, ready to throw in the towel and end the streak, but I was also intrigued by the puzzle, so I asked a solver for a slight nudge -- then, almost to my surprise, I figured out the puzzle! So I don't feel TOO guilty about this week; it was only a slight nudge. BUT ... for me, the guilt is still sometimes there. So the next time I'm lost ... well, we'll see.

I suppose another way would be to get nowhere, take the nudge, solve the puzzle, feel satisfied -- but don't submit. I'll ponder that.

I'm just happy that Matt is distinguishing solo solves from group solves. I can sleep at night!

Well I couldn't bring myself to ask for a hint. I'll just be glad I got a little Matt swag before he gave up the weekly prizes. The other reason I don't like to get hints is that I always believe I still have a chance for an epiphany, right up to the deadline. Doesn't usually happen, but I've pulled off a couple close ones.

Could use a nudge or at least a "your down the right rabbit hole" please.