XWord Muggles Forum

Behme me up.

Question - this is my first week submitting to MGWCC - I am 99.9% sure I have the correct answer, but don't see my name on the leaderboard. How often does the board update?

varies widely, MamaE. He has a new baby, so I think it's between naps right now. ( :

ahhh - good to know! i remember those days well.....

MamaE wrote: ↑Fri Apr 02, 2021 1:46 pm Question - this is my first week submitting to MGWCC - I am 99.9% sure I have the correct answer, but don't see my name on the leaderboard. How often does the board update?

Yes, it varies. But there are two ways to know if your answer was rejected. There is an indication at the bottom of the This Week list of the time it was last updated. And every solver who submits an answer that has been evaluated for correctness appears on the Overall list (that's how we know that e.a. submitted an incorrect guess today).

Are you MamaEllen? If so, you're #188 on the This Week leaderboard. Be sure to refresh the page; I don't think it automatically updates in your browser.

OK you smart and fast people

1) I got my notification from Patreon at 12:03

2) Two people posted that their answer was received at 12:01.

3) Twenty had posted the right answer by 12:07

I assume that they system sends out the contest in some order that takes time but how do you guys solve the contest that fast.

Bob cruise director wrote: ↑Fri Apr 02, 2021 1:58 pm OK you smart and fast people

1) I got my notification from Patreon at 12:03

2) Two people posted that their answer was received at 12:01.

3) Twenty had posted the right answer by 12:07

I assume that they system sends out the contest in some order that takes time but how do you guys solve the contest that fast.

viewtopic.php?p=50516#p50516

Hector wrote: ↑Fri Apr 02, 2021 1:17 pm

Andrew Bradburn wrote: ↑Fri Apr 02, 2021 12:37 pm When people are on the board before the puzzle has even found its way to my email inbox, I know I am not ever going to be first to solve! This happens quite frequently.

Leaderboard racing is an utterly silly and completely pointless game. Here are some tips.

• The meta title and prompt are available on xwordcontest.com before the puzzle is published. In this case, we had a good 15 minutes to assemble info about the directors. Given that and the title, I'm actually surprised that e.a.'s guess (without solving the grid) was incorrect this week, and I suspect some of the earliest solvers today also skipped the grid.

• Soon before the puzzle comes out, the submit form is also available on that page. Enter your personal info and keep the tab open.

• The puzzle appears on patreon.com well before it makes it to your inbox.

• Usually on a week 1, and sometimes on a week 2, all you need for the meta is one or more themers. And to get these sometimes google beats finding crossing entries.

• There often is a hint in the first or last across clue, or in a central across entry.

Thanks for the tips. I did not know that one could download the puzzle directly from the site. I think I attempted to do so once and failed, so did not pursue it further. The only reason I would be interested in finishing first is to achieve the badge, for completion's sake. Otherwise, I would always rather be correct than first, so I don't plan on ever indulging in preemptive educated guessing. I think I was once 4th on a difficult week 5 puzzle, when my first idea of what to do just happened to be correct. It was nice though to see that last week's first solver was someone who I have not seen at the top of the board before.

Bob cruise director wrote: ↑Fri Apr 02, 2021 1:58 pm OK you smart and fast people

1) I got my notification from Patreon at 12:03

2) Two people posted that their answer was received at 12:01.

3) Twenty had posted the right answer by 12:07

I assume that they system sends out the contest in some order that takes time but how do you guys solve the contest that fast.

Don't think I qualify in either category, but as one who posted a 12:07 time my process was:
(1) get buzz on my watch that puzzle was posted on Patreon
(2) download puzzle from Patreon (saved ~2 min here vs. waiting for email)
(3) solve puzzle
(4) fix significant typo in puzzle, slap forehead
(5) figure out mechanism
(6) google current Best Director nominees
(7) submit

Beam me up. Got to it late because, well, life!

Beam me up. Not really interested in being first. I’m just glad I can make it on the board from time to time!

I'm with the landing party that intended to wait until Sunday to get that Egg-cellent Achievement but then forgot all about it and requested beam up. Maybe next year.

Talk is cheap, but I think I could have been up near the top of the leaderboard this week if I'd started right at noon and been brave enough to submit without full confirmation. When I read the prompt, I googled the list of director nominees and made a guess about which would make a good meta answer. When I opened the puzzle, I looked at the potential theme answers and knew one of them right away and that seemed to confirm my guess. So woulda, coulda, and maybe even shoulda, but didn't. Some year after I miss 5 and am out of medal contention, perhaps I'll actually try it.

Beamed up! Now back to the WSJCC!

BarbaraK wrote: ↑Fri Apr 02, 2021 2:45 pm I'm with the landing party that intended to wait until Sunday to get that Egg-cellent Achievement but then forgot all about it and requested beam up. Maybe next year.

Oh darn! I forgot about that too! I had reminded myself last week (when I was struggling to solve). Oh well, at least I’m finished with metas for the weekend.

Beam me up! Thanks for the suggestion to wait for Easter!

sharkicicles wrote: ↑Fri Apr 02, 2021 1:22 pm

JordanianTomlinson wrote: ↑Fri Apr 02, 2021 12:33 pm I guess my answer of Señor Spielbergo's "A Burns for all Seasons" was incorrect. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

They're saying "BOO-URNS..."

Week 0.5? Energize.

Beam me up. Set a timer and got it in 6 min. (which is about 5 hours and 54 minutes less than last week)

Energize! The only red shirts I want to hang with this weekend are THE ANGELS!!

Good reason to review Oscar nominees
Might as well wait 'til Sunday to submit (good practice on not jumping the gun, which was downfall last week).
Still lost at sea on the WSJ...