Big changes at Scrabulous/Lexulous

[twickster]

They've completely changed the board at Lexulous -- I guess more fallout from the lawsuit from the Scrabble folks. Bonus squares are completely differently arranged, and go to 4x for letters and 3x for words. You no longer get an automatic DWS for the first move (and there's no way to set yourself up for a DLS on it with a five-letter word).

You also get 8 letters, though apparently you only need 7 for the bingo.

There is a place to play practice games, and I'm definitely going to do so -- I went straight into playing the new version and it's completely disorienting -- all the strategy stuff that has become second nature is completely worthless, because it's not "natural" where the bonus squares are.

I am Not Happy about this.

[MadTheSwine]

Nope,me meither..that stinks on ice.

[twickster]

And, oh shit, they've switched the board on in-progress email games -- like the one I'm currently in the middle of with Asimovian.

[Freudian Slit]

Hate it, too. I mean, I guess I could get used to it, but I've played Scrabble for years and years.

Ugh. UGH UGH UGH. Is there anywhere a girl can get her real Scrabble fix?

[Springtime for Spacers]

I tried a game earlier and got slaughtered. Wtf is up with the letter distribution too. Off to play a practice game or two I guess.

[NinetyWt]

Crikey!!

Wait .. twicks is disoriented ?? You mean I might actually have a CHANCE now ?!!

:p

[Freudian Slit]

I tried a game earlier and got slaughtered. Wtf is up with the letter distribution too. Off to play a practice game or two I guess.

And I really don't get why there are quadruple word scores now. It's easy to score really high but I don't know. It just doesn't feel satisfying.

[twickster]

Hate it, too. I mean, I guess I could get used to it, but I've played Scrabble for years and years.

Ugh. UGH UGH UGH. Is there anywhere a girl can get her real Scrabble fix?

I'm guessing this is about ensuring that all Scrabble action takes place at the (is it even operational yet?) Scrabble site. Effin' killjoys.

[Happy Lendervedder]

Does anybody else play at the Internet Scrabble Club? (www.isc.ro) You have to download an application, but it's just like real Scrabble.

I had an account there a couple years ago, but lost the sign-in info, so I just re-registered, and am currently building my ranking up.

[Omniscient]

I'm guessing this is about ensuring that all Scrabble action takes place at the (is it even operational yet?) Scrabble site. Effin' killjoys.

Do you suppose that the folks at Scrabble wanted to work out a partnership with Scrabulous but they got all stubborn and told them to fuck off, making the conflict necessary?

Seems like the two could have come to a mutually beneficial arrangement.

[twickster]

Do you suppose that the folks at Scrabble wanted to work out a partnership with Scrabulous but they got all stubborn and told them to fuck off, making the conflict necessary?

Seems like the two could have come to a mutually beneficial arrangement.

No, my guess is that the Scrabble people were the hardasses -- it's their trademark and they need to protect it.

I tried to load a practice game there last night and couldn't -- oh well, guess I'll just see if an actual person wants to play an unrated game or two. That will actually be better practice.

[Shirley Ujest]

I haven't played in quite some time and I don't mind the new layout so far.


I ahm Shirley-Ujest there.

[Freudian Slit]

Does anybody else play at the Internet Scrabble Club? (www.isc.ro) You have to download an application, but it's just like real Scrabble.

I had an account there a couple years ago, but lost the sign-in info, so I just re-registered, and am currently building my ranking up.

I've been playing here. Last night both the ppl I was playing disconnected midway through, though...is that common?

[Happy Lendervedder]

I've been playing here. Last night both the ppl I was playing disconnected midway through, though...is that common?


I don't think so. Although, it tracks how many games a player abandons, and you can limit your "game seeking" to people that rarely or never abandon (under Options--> Set Formula).

[Freudian Slit]

I don't think so. Although, it tracks how many games a player abandons, and you can limit your "game seeking" to people that rarely or never abandon (under Options--> Set Formula).

Okay. I'll try it again tonight. I definitely prefer classic Scrabble. I wish the regular Scrabble people would just put up an online version of their game.


Are you Happy Lendervedder over there, too?

[twickster]

Just played a solitaire game over there -- scored 879 points. Since I played all the tiles, we can cut it in half -- 440. Hm. Seems a bit high, eh?

The strategy changes are interesting -- because all the big multipliers are around the edges, it makes sense to hold on to the high-scorers for a long time. I can see that that could easily get you in trouble against a good player.

Still want to find "real" Scrabble, though. Do they maintain ratings at ISC?

[carnivorousplant]

Mrs. Plant and I played a game. Things didn't seem much different save for higher scores.
Death to Twickster!
:)

[Happy Lendervedder]

Okay. I'll try it again tonight. I definitely prefer classic Scrabble. I wish the regular Scrabble people would just put up an online version of their game.


Are you Happy Lendervedder over there, too?

No, I'm oldstyle.

Still want to find "real" Scrabble, though. Do they maintain ratings at ISC?

Yep.

[twickster]

Okay, I'm reaching the pink-elephants level of withdrawal -- I'll check it out later. Will register as twickster unless someone has the name already.

[Freudian Slit]

Okay, I'm reaching the pink-elephants level of withdrawal -- I'll check it out later. Will register as twickster unless someone has the name already.

I'm really enjoying it. The set up isn't as good as with Lexulous...but it's real Scrabble, with all the trimmings.

[carnivorousplant]

Does anybody else play at the Internet Scrabble Club? (www.isc.ro) You have to download an application, but it's just like real Scrabble.
What's this "interface" they want me to install? Are they selling me to White Slavers? Will my PC become a zombie pawn to spammers?
:)

[twickster]

Okay, I'm there as twickster and have played two games. It's going to take me a while to get used to having to avoid illegal moves myself, rather than relying on the computer to do it!

[carnivorousplant]

It's going to take me a while to get used to having to avoid illegal moves myself, rather than relying on the computer to do it!

What does it mean, "illegal moves"?
Mrs. Plant is quite fond of cheating...err, having the game determine if a word is legit.
It is much more difficult with the new Lex board to make an extra word score yet prevent my opponent from doing so.

About that "Death to Twickster" thing...I don't tease people unless I like them.

[twickster]

Yeah, I figured. It will just add a little more pleasure the next time I squash you like a bug. :p

Illegal moves -- at Lexulous, it won't let you make them, just dumps the tiles back on your rack so you can try again. At the new place, it won't let you make them -- it dumps the tiles back on your rack and counts it as a "pass." Harrumph. I'd gotten super lazy about letting the computer keep me legal.

And, yeah, the proximity of the big multipliers to each other on the new Lexulous board calls for a very different strategy -- one I'm not sure I want to devote the time to developing.

[carnivorousplant]

Yeah, I figured. It will just add a little more pleasure the next time I squash you like a bug. :p



I hardly think that winning by 300 points qualifies as "squashing me like a bug".
:sniff:

[Freudian Slit]

Yeah, I figured. It will just add a little more pleasure the next time I squash you like a bug. :p

Illegal moves -- at Lexulous, it won't let you make them, just dumps the tiles back on your rack so you can try again. At the new place, it won't let you make them -- it dumps the tiles back on your rack and counts it as a "pass." Harrumph. I'd gotten super lazy about letting the computer keep me legal.


Actually there's a way of doing that here, too. If you specify, I think it is, "no void" it will tell you if you've made an illegal move.

[twickster]

Cool -- thanks! As I said, I'm still figuring out how the "standard" features work -- it wasn't till the end of the second game that I figured out that there is a point-counter gizmo that you can see before you hit enter so you can evaluate moves (lower right corner, if anyone is still looking for it). That's helpful for me because I'm number dyslexic, and counting points to choose between two moves can take me for-freaking-ever.

[Freudian Slit]

Is there some bug here? I sought out a 5/10 game, and suddenly the times have gone up to where they're like 85 minutes on each side.

[Happy Lendervedder]

You can adjust your settings to add increments of time after each play. (1 minute, 2 minutes, 5 minutes, etc.) So you could start off with a 1-minute game, but after each turn you add 2 minutes or whatever, and you could wind up with 20+ minutes on your side.

[Freudian Slit]

You can adjust your settings to add increments of time after each play. (1 minute, 2 minutes, 5 minutes, etc.) So you could start off with a 1-minute game, but after each turn you add 2 minutes or whatever, and you could wind up with 20+ minutes on your side.

Ah, apparently it was minutes when I wanted seconds. Damnit...

[twickster]

Yet another setting there that seems totally bass-ackwards when you're used to Lexulous. I'm still not entirely sure how to get the unplayed-letters chart to display, though it always seems to appear by halfway through the game.

[Freudian Slit]

Yet another setting there that seems totally bass-ackwards when you're used to Lexulous. I'm still not entirely sure how to get the unplayed-letters chart to display, though it always seems to appear by halfway through the game.

Yeah...I was wondering about that, too. I guess after 40 or 50 letters, it appears?

Oh well. I preferred the lexulous set up but this is better than the new lexulous.

[Freudian Slit]

ICS scrabble isn't letting me connect tonight. Anyone else experiencing this?

[Freudian Slit]

Can log on now, and based on conversation in the room, apparently WordBiz was just down.

Does anyone else know how to chat in the lobby room? I can chat with individuals I'm playing with, but no one else.

[twickster]

Update: They've gotten rid of the horrendously obnoxious version, but there are still enough differences from the "real" game to keep the Hasbro people happy. "Four times" squares are gone and the TWSs have moved back towards the corners (though the diagonals of DWSs aren't there) -- but you're still playing with eight letters.

Meh.

[Freudian Slit]

How are you liking WordBiz, twickster? I think I'm going to stick with it, since it is scrabble. No eight letters for me! Can you even get bingos with this new Lexulous?

[carnivorousplant]

Mrs. Plant has me playing on Facebook. Anyone tried it?

[twickster]

How are you liking WordBiz, twickster? I think I'm going to stick with it, since it is scrabble. No eight letters for me! Can you even get bingos with this new Lexulous?

Apparently you get a regular bingo if you use 7 letters, and a super bingo if you use 8 -- dunno what the respective points are.

I haven't been playing Scrabble at all over the last few weeks -- been busy with other things. Need to get back to it.

[criminey.jicket]

I'm happier now that the 4x squares are gone. I don't mind that there's 8 tiles. I've been managing 7 and 8 letter bingos with my usual frequency--one every three games.

[MaxTheVool]

I tried to play one game, and got very irritated when I realized, after the fact, that "swap tiles" and "submit" are buttons of the same size and general appearance and are right next to each other and both start with S and there's no confirming involved.

[carnivorousplant]

I haven't been playing Scrabble at all over the last few weeks

Note to self: twickster is out of practice and vulnerable...

[Freudian Slit]

Apparently you get a regular bingo if you use 7 letters, and a super bingo if you use 8 -- dunno what the respective points are.

I haven't been playing Scrabble at all over the last few weeks -- been busy with other things. Need to get back to it.

Hmmm. Cool.

One thing I hate about the WordBiz one is that you can do increments, but only in minutes, no seconds. So most ppl play without increments and ppl tend to run out of time way more often.

[Eureka]

It was interesting hearing about the whole situation (Hasbro/Scrabulous/Lexulous) on NPR this evening at dinner. I don't know that anything profound was said--given that we were eating dinner and chatting a bit as well--but it was interesting hearing discussion about how people react to changes from "real" Scrabble.

[carnivorousplant]

NPR this evening at dinner.

Mrs. Plant listened to that; they said that humans (not, of course, criminey.jicket) can't deal with eight tiles.

[criminey.jicket]

Mrs. Plant listened to that; they said that humans (not, of course, criminey.jicket) can't deal with eight tiles.

Hey, I could have told them plenty of players have bingoed my butt with 8 tiles. :p

I started "anagramming" way back in the day by doing Word Bowls in the Dell puzzle books. You unscrambled 10 letters to make a 10 letter word, plus make 2 shorter words using the same letters only once.

Maybe it's my building style. I set aside the longest ending I can see, like -IER, -ATE or -IEST, then I'm only dealing with building a 4 or 5 letter root word.

[twickster]

Note to self: twickster is out of practice and vulnerable...

Sweetie, "vulnerable" is a relative thing when it comes to me and Scrabble. :p