Sandbagging

[Timmypunk]

Think its funny people are sandbagging to get the highest average score. 8 something points per word. With a average of 2 words a board. Wow you must be proud of your self

[BetsyK]

Maybe these people are enjoying the game as a different challenge and aren't interested in the competition stats at all. They just like seeing how big a word they can find in the boggle board. This is different from boggle (or word twist) but also fun.

[DawnasMom]

I agree with you but they knock the other people out of the top ten in the average scores per word catagory by doing what they do because their average score is computed on that one word or half a word. So you have a person getting an average of .5 words per game (not even one whole word!) and it gives them an average score of 9 points per word, putting them at usually in the top 5. If they play 50 games they are automatically in the competition and they win the most points per word every month. I don't get many words per game because I can't type fast enough but I try to get as many points as I can with those words. If you see the awards for the first three spots you will see that there a big laurel leaf trophy then after that it is just small trophies. I guess we will never get the laurel leaf...

[Chelonia]

I think the fun of having different types of stats available is that you can play the game in different ways.

I will often play the game differently depending on the stats for the game. Most of the time, I'm just trying to get as many points as I can. But if I see that I have a game with some long unclaimed words then I will concentrate on trying to get the longest word in that game, knowing that my score will be lower.

Right now, I'm trying to learn a lot of short high-scoring words with common letters (TES, TAE, SEI, etc.). My score is a little lower as I learn these words, but eventually it will be higher, and my average per word will be higher as well. I like this site because there is lots of potential for "doing it differently".

[mavis moog]

I'm sorry, but although I don't get in the top ten for best score per word, or highest scoring word, I do tend to only enter what I hope will be good scoring words - unless it's a really dry board, and even 4 point words look tantalising.

I read Dawnasmom's comment with interest, but I still don't understand how playing this way hurts anyone else. I don't get peeved about the zippy typists who score over 400 points every game - something I couldn't do, even if I spoke the words into the submit panel.

The actual game of Boggle, on a board, played at home with friends, is designed to reward rare and lengthy words. Someone who entered all the four-letter words would only win if nobody else wrote those words down. After a few games such a player would be sussed by his opponents, and his score would be anihilated. So I will continue to look for good words. Sorry if that annoys anyone, it's not intended to, it's just that I like to train my eye for the game I play with my friends at home.

[AdamsMuse]

I think what Dawnasmom means is that the competition is part of why she's playing and that she will never be able to get into the top 5 although she has a very high points per word ratio because of the way they are playing....getting one word per game as high in points as they can.

I am all for getting high scoring words and am consistantly in the most letters per word and highest points per word and I have seen Dawnasmom in those catagories each month.

I play Scrabble and play against the board, not my opponent and try to get the best words and highest score possible. I don't have anything against the people who are averaging one word per game but I agree with Dawnasmom that it is disappointing that we won't ever be able to finish in the top 3.

I admire their great words and you, Mavismoog...I see you all the time on different boards having the high score or most letters. I wish I could get as many words as some of these people. I will never get the highest score or most words (unless it's a new board!) because I can't type fast enough. My forte' is most points per word or most letters so I will settle for coming in fifth out of 19,000 people. I sure would like to have one of those big laurel leaf trophies though...

[puZZed]

I type 100 words a minutes when the words are written out. Trying to type this fast in boggle is virtualy impossible. I sometimes wonder if some of the highscorers are getting help with a program. They had a problem on Pogo with people using programs playing word whomp which is very similiar to boggle. If not they are indeed geniuses, Eisteins, unfortunately I am not. So I am happy just to try to compete to get the longest most difficult word. Once in a while I will try for the most words. Just have fun playing and challenged yourself whatever way you want.

[ThisIsIt]

"Wow you must be proud of your self"

it seems really odd to be criticizing people who choose to play the game a different way than you do.

i'm one of those people who has a high average score per word, but it's not because i'm "sandbagging".

for me, it's because i've got problems with tendinitis and carpal tunnel inflammation, and playing the game for speed and high score was exacerbating that. so i changed strategy, and now i get my fun by typing less and looking for high-scoring words.

so yeah, i am proud of my self :-)