Difficulty Level and feedback *** SPOILER WARNING ***

[kingsley]

I was at an advantage over most people, with giraffe at home she could help me if I got stuck. I mostly used her for help, and PMd Gill if I was doing a puzzle while she was out. I know that quite a lot of people use PMs to work together on a puzzle, while I can use fernando to work together with, I PMd him when I couldn't be bothered to go upstairs and speak to him personally!

The hints were fine, but I thought it was a bit annoying if the second hint said exactly the same as the first (not sure which puzzle that was the case on).

[Scurra]

The hints were fine, but I thought it was a bit annoying if the second hint said exactly the same as the first (not sure which puzzle that was the case on).

I did go back and change the second hint in that particular case very slightly because I'd had some comments about that. However, I didn't actually mention to anyone that I had done that.

[MBH]

I PMd him when I couldn't be bothered to go upstairs and speak to him personally!

Thank you pet - that made me smile

[katsmom]

There seems to be a bit of a learning curve with these. They get um... more doable by simple minded folk as we go along. Issue two was a bear for me because I'd never done an alphactor before and it took a very patient giraffe and a very nice Fernando to help me through that one. By the time I had it worked out, book 3 was in the mailbox so I just gave up. Something to go back to.

[Laura]

There's a second set of hints????? Where??????

(it's not in the hints thread is it? Why haven't I managed to notice if it is?????)

[Bunnylump]

SEE. It was a good thing to open this discussion up, wasn't it. For those of you who are mystified about this you need to go back a page.

[kingsley]

Yes, I think there might be a third set of hints too!

They're somewhere on here:

Issue three hints

[Laura]

okay. I've actually already read those, and am still getting no-where, and seeing no sense in them, except for the puzzles I've already done, but then that's usually the way with me!

[Bunnylump]

So, going back to my original set of questions, what would you like to see happen to remedy your "stuckness"?

[giraffe]

Kingsley makes it sound as if I've been helpful. I think my help has largely been limited to crossing out wrong answers on Corwallis, (but Looby and I collaborated on that and I couldn't have got them alll alone.) I did give a nudge on Quintus, but mainly points as to which sites were good for reference.

I usually just tell them to see if anyone is online

[Laura]

So, going back to my original set of questions, what would you like to see happen to remedy your "stuckness"?

Brain transplant? Me working out what I actually need to know, in order that I could cheat and PM someone? I don't know really. When it was other people asking for help openly, that helped me more, because I could see vaguely where they were going, and it often didn't tell me what to do, but gave me enough of an idea to actually develop some ideas of my own. Does that make sense?

[Bunnylump]

I can vouch for that. I just got
"Mum's just going out. She said -Look Bunnylump's on line, go and pester her"!!

Not that I mind at all. And actually I haven't needed to do any hinting. You are SOOOO nearly there.

Laura - yes, I know exactly what you mean. I'm not sure what the best remedy would be. How about pming Gill with what you've got and asking for a pointer to get you going again?

[brian]

I admit it -- I do not know what the h... is going on in the centre pages.
I could manage DVP (was in from issue one) even though I wasn't always right, but I hate to say it Scurra my mind does NOT work the same way as yours. I miss the 'hints' you could earn in DVP and I regret these.
I don't like pm ing for clues as I feel that any puzzle is me against the setter and not a group of us in unison - though I obviously am a lone voice in this respect.
I know from attending the three 'meets' that we are not a serious minded bunch (quite the opposite in fact) and just wonder how I seem to be so far out of sinc with everyone else who has posted on this topic.
Doom Gloom Doom Gloom
Anyway my Pay Pal account is in credit enough to treat me to the next issue -- maybe, just maybe, there is a chink of light at the end of the tunnel. (That isnt an express train coming the other way!)

[Scurra]

I miss the 'hints' you could earn in DVP and I regret these.

Can you explain that a bit more? How are the hints in DVP any different to the ones posted publicly in here (apart from the "decoding" system - which I confess that I usually decoded by hand rather than actually getting the code...)

I don't like pm ing for clues as I feel that any puzzle is me against the setter and not a group of us in unison - though I obviously am a lone voice in this respect.

Well, apart from me. As Gill and Bunny will tell you. These puzzles should be solvable single-handed (well, perhaps with the assistance of Google.) I consider that they are, but apparently others disagree...

[Bunnylump]

MMMMMNMPH mmmnhmph mnnmmmnph

(Sound of exasperated gagged rabbit)

[Cenwulf]

I personally think that a puzzle should be a bit like a maze: there should be a way in, a route to the answer, a clear indication you have arrived at the goal - and some choices of direction where going the wrong way takes you to a dead end.
But on some of these puzzles I reach a junction (sometimes via the hint) and don't know if I can get any further on my own as none of the paths look promising. Occasionally I can't even find the entrance.
That is when I need to get guidance of How To Start - not a complete walkthrough, but an indication of which way to turn.

[Scurra]

I hope you would agree that you are always sure when you have found the right answer though? For me that's quite important. There may well be alternate routes that lead to dead ends on the way, but the exit should be completely obvious.

[Cenwulf]

Yes, I always know when I get the solution - even though I may not immediately recognise it.
I had a problem with Lord Nelson, as I didn't understand what I'd got until I googled it.
As getting the solution is one thing, but you may have to hunt for the answer...

[giraffe]

I did half of this issue really quickly (I think I had Scurra worried, as I had a pm asking me if the puzzles were getting easier) and the other half pretty slowly (another pm asking what had happened!)

But the meta I just couldn't see the wood for the trees. Looking back I don't think it was hard as such, just my brain doesn't naturally work that way. Each step I needed a prod to have any idea what to do, but doing it wasn't a problem. (Does that make sense?). Kingsley's brain clearly does work that way as she just knew what to do. (Even if she didn't know she knew)

[MBH]

I had a problem with Lord Nelson, as I didn't understand what I'd got until I googled it.

I don't think that word is part of many people's vocabulary That was my "You learn something new...." for that day.


An interesting MIX of puzzles for different knowledges and abilities. Things involving paper and scissors were quite do'able for me, others I'm hitting my head off brick walls for the odd 'vital' clue, while one... Cornwallis... If I get the rest sorted out I'll ask someone for the answer to give me a crack at the Traitor [I'm 99% certain I know what it does, and what to look for - and what sort of thing I'll find at the end - but I'll NEVER have the time to do it]