Word Search Puzzle

phrontister · 2010-06-01 02:18:28

Hi, Bobby. I've got the record for v0.63, and you've got it for v0.65.

Yes, I use the post #8 link.

Looks like it's a browser problem: IE8, my usual browser, won't load the current version of the game, but Firefox will.

PS...Both our records might stay, too, if players can only access v0.651 now. Your record may be safer than mine, though, because v0.65 is probably not runable anymore, but IE users may still be able to run v0.63...until the problem's fixed.

Last edited by phrontister (2010-06-01 05:26:17)

MathsIsFun · 2010-06-01 09:12:10

It may be caching the old version, in which case "refresh" may help.

bobbym · 2010-06-01 09:24:25

Hi phrontister;

I was using V.651. I don't predict it will last more than a couple of minutes more.

phrontister · 2010-06-01 14:44:26

Thanks, MathsIsFun...cleaning out the temporary internet files folder fixed the problem.

The custom list option worked well, and is a nice addition to the game.

I have a word search generator game that has a nice option to reveal a mystery word or phrase with the unused letters, using a custom list and a custom mystery word or phrase. The unused letters are in solution order, reading left to right (top to bottom).

bobbym wrote:

I was using V.651.

Your picture says v0.65, and I was quoting that. Your record for that version probably stands for all time!

Here's the result for the v0.651 game I just played...waiting for it to be overrun now:

EDIT: New images (improved my time a bit).

Last edited by phrontister (2010-06-05 14:42:55)

bobbym · 2010-06-01 15:19:53

Hi phrontister;

Yea, it does say .65, that is funny because the game I played before that definitely said V.651. Copy feature didn't work right in .65, so I remarked to my brother when it did .651. Anyway, nice score!

phrontister · 2010-06-02 05:06:45

Hi MathsIsFun,

Here's a puzzle that I generated with my program that I mentioned earlier. It's made up of maths terms from your game, and includes a hidden phrase comprising the unused letters (not scrambled - they're in order from left to right, top to bottom).

Maybe that's an idea for your game. I don't know how easy or hard it would be to add that to your game (seems impossible to me!), but I think it would have good appeal.

EDIT 1: Thinking about that some more, automating the hidden phrase feature would probably be rather tricky. It took a bit of manual juggling to get a successful result that included a good mix of word directions.

I don't want to divert attention away from MathsIsFun's great project, but if anyone would like to try this puzzle, what's the mystery phrase?

I won't do any more of these...I only wanted to demonstrate the idea for this extra feature.

EDIT 2: Added a coloured, differently-arranged option (see posts #47 & #52).

Last edited by phrontister (2010-06-08 11:31:03)

bobbym · 2010-06-04 19:41:46

New score!

Not exactly ready for phrontister yet.

MathsIsFun · 2010-06-04 22:39:19

phrontister wrote:

I have a word search generator game that has a nice option to reveal a mystery word or phrase with the unused letters, using a custom list and a custom mystery word or phrase. The unused letters are in solution order, reading left to right (top to bottom).

Thanks phrontister, that sounds an interesting idea, I will look into it

(And sorry for the late response, I was away for a few days)

bobbym · 2010-06-05 00:32:48

Hi MathsisFun;

How was the trip? Is it possible to copy the wordlist?

quittyqat · 2010-06-05 04:01:16

This is what happens when you close the window for picking the level the first time it appears. Maybe make it so that you can't close it the first time it appears?

MathsIsFun · 2010-06-05 13:33:28

Thanks quittyqat, I will insist on a choice before proceeding.

Regarding "mystery word or phrase": anyone know of any good lists?

bobbym · 2010-06-05 13:56:00

Hi MIF and game designers everywhere;

I just want to say I am agin the phrontister improvement. Maybe when your times are less than 3 minutes that improvement makes sense. How about us older guys whose hands shake and have eyeballs that look in opposite directions, Yes, I have frog vision. It is difficult to focus on the small grid. That is why I beseech you MIF to make the wordlist copyable.

He already has a tremendous advantage because he lives in the land of tomorrow. Must the game be designed to suit him further?

phrontister · 2010-06-05 14:36:26

MathsIsFun wrote:

Regarding "mystery word or phrase": anyone know of any good lists?

Sorry...I don't. For my puzzle in post #31 I just made one up that kept to the maths theme (I'm just waiting now for someone to solve the puzzle and to reveal the mystery phrase).

Mystery text needs to be fairly long (the one in my puzzle has 24 letters), because typically word search puzzles leave quite a few unused letters. The quantity of such letters will depend upon the mix of words and their length, and the cleverness of the program at intertwining those words while incorporating a good balance of word directions.

The number of letters in the mystery text should equal that of the unused letters, but if that's too difficult to automate maybe blanks could be used in the grid to help out. I've not seen that done before, but it might be an idea.

Last edited by phrontister (2010-06-05 15:28:43)

phrontister · 2010-06-05 14:42:25

Hi Bobby,

I included the second image in post #29 tomorrow morning to give you a clue as to how I achieved my short times.

bobbym · 2010-06-05 14:45:51

Yikes, Is that a real time?

phrontister · 2010-06-05 14:50:50

Yes...no tricks. It would have been quicker if my hand wasn't shaking so much at the prospect of getting under 2 minutes!

bobbym · 2010-06-05 15:13:10

Nice score! Congratulations!

MathsIsFun · 2010-06-05 15:37:16

bobbym wrote:

... to make the wordlist copyable.

The "copy" function gives the grid, followed by the words. Is that what you want?

bobbym · 2010-06-05 15:41:02

Hi Maths;

I need the list ( on the right ) that contains the 20 words you are searching for. Presently I can't copy them. The copy function just gives me the grid. Unless I am missing something.

MathsIsFun · 2010-06-05 16:06:00

Click in the box and drag down. Or right-click and Select All.

If it is a matter of text size, you can use the Zoom function in your browser.

bobbym · 2010-06-05 16:09:48

Hi Maths;

That gets the grid letters that are inside the box but the 20 words (average, binomial, classify, cone, decade ...) in the column on the right I can't copy.

Firefox is not doing a very good job, I am bringing the grid over to an interface that is easier for my eyes. The switching of the monitor back and forth for the words consumes about 75 to 100 seconds, which I could eliminate if I could copy them once.

It is not a big deal, implement it if it is easy.

quittyqat · 2010-06-06 11:16:06

phrontister wrote:

MathsIsFun wrote:
Regarding "mystery word or phrase": anyone know of any good lists?
Sorry...I don't. For my puzzle in post #31 I just made one up that kept to the maths theme (I'm just waiting now for someone to solve the puzzle and to reveal the mystery phrase).
Mystery text needs to be fairly long (the one in my puzzle has 24 letters), because typically word search puzzles leave quite a few unused letters. The quantity of such letters will depend upon the mix of words and their length, and the cleverness of the program at intertwining those words while incorporating a good balance of word directions.
The number of letters in the mystery text should equal that of the unused letters, but if that's too difficult to automate maybe blanks could be used in the grid to help out. I've not seen that done before, but it might be an idea.

If anyone wants to solve it in a smaller version, here. It's not perfectly readable, but I partially fixed it.

P.S. The second image's fun. Just enter one "word" made of the same letter repeated in the "Load Words" Then you win easily.

P.P.S. The images were switched, the one mentioned in P.S. is the first one.

Last edited by quittyqat (2010-06-06 11:24:10)

MathsIsFun · 2010-06-06 16:53:14

Version 0.653 posted.

It defaults to a small game (in case user closes options screen).

And hopefully copy works for bobbym

bobbym · 2010-06-06 17:06:31

Hi MathsisFun;

Thanks so much. Nice touch putting commas between the words. Makes it very easy to put them into some programming statement. Excellent work! Appreciate the effort.

Phrontister beware! Now I am just a few measly minutes behind thee.

bobbym · 2010-06-07 20:42:55

New record! For me at least.

Math Is Fun Forum

#26 2010-06-01 02:18:28

Re: Word Search Puzzle

#27 2010-06-01 09:12:10

Re: Word Search Puzzle

#28 2010-06-01 09:24:25

Re: Word Search Puzzle

#29 2010-06-01 14:44:26

Re: Word Search Puzzle

#30 2010-06-01 15:19:53

Re: Word Search Puzzle

#31 2010-06-02 05:06:45

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#32 2010-06-04 19:41:46

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#33 2010-06-04 22:39:19

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#34 2010-06-05 00:32:48

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#35 2010-06-05 04:01:16

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#36 2010-06-05 13:33:28

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#37 2010-06-05 13:56:00

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#38 2010-06-05 14:36:26

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#39 2010-06-05 14:42:25

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#40 2010-06-05 14:45:51

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#41 2010-06-05 14:50:50

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#42 2010-06-05 15:13:10

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#43 2010-06-05 15:37:16

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#44 2010-06-05 15:41:02

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#45 2010-06-05 16:06:00

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#46 2010-06-05 16:09:48

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#47 2010-06-06 11:16:06

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#48 2010-06-06 16:53:14

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#49 2010-06-06 17:06:31

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#50 2010-06-07 20:42:55

Re: Word Search Puzzle

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