What does "Al" mean in the second score?
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I am curious where you see AI? I looked all over.
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@betterlate1 Hi...the section to the right of the board displays the puzzle number at top, and "your puzzle rating/ranking" lower down. In between those there is a list of three lines: "My Score", "Score to Beat", and "Al Score" Although I now know they are probably referring to the robot, I don't know WHY. I've practiced against the robot, and it uses all sorts of illegitimate words, acronyms, proper nouns and abbreviations. I'm not seeing those (so far) on the many puzzle boards I've played, so I don't know what that has to do with the puzzle version. I'd rather they left that out and also cleaned up the allowed vocabulary in "practice", so it would emulate a game users actually play against one another.
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@Sheila-Klein Sure enough AI =artificial intelligence. Thanks for the great directions that sent me to the right place.
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@Sheila-Klein Oh, I am unconfused now. So you are playing the puzzle game not lexulous game? Thank you thank you for your help. Guess I will go there and play a couple games..been a long time. Since you were so helpful, I will try to answer your comments and hope it helps you. First I suggest that you might want to send either send a message to admin@lexulous.com with what you want to see or post it under suggestions. Yes, they are referring to the robot tho that does not always provide the score to beat..it is not necessarily easy to beat it. But, the words used there are legitimate words, the proper nouns and abbreviations have changed with the times and are no longer proper nouns or abbreviations. Hope this helps.
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@betterlate1 Well, you've now clarified something for me, too. I accessed the blog forum through the Puzzle game, not realizing it is for Lexulous in general. But I take a different view from you about the legitimacy of words used in the PRACTICE section against the ROBOT. I do not know if the rules are different when actually playing against another player, since I've not done so in a couple of years. And I don't know what is in use when playing against SELF for practice, as the one time I tried that was quite boring. I'd tried playing a similar word game online, then wrote to Arkadium (the producers) when frustrated with the illegitimate words used. They responded that they were okay in THEIR dictionary, comprised from all over the world. About 1 of every 3 words I looked up turned out to be the name of a company, an acronym, an abbreviation, or some word just plucked from another language (Serbian was one), which we do NOT use in English language, like we might use many from other languages. They were also not somewhat unknown word like monetary values of another country, which I'm used to appearing. They simply are NOT words consistent with US English vocabulary, even if I'm a bit behind the times. I have found the SAME situation in playing the robot (AI) in Lexulous PRACTICE, and I suspect that it reflects what the AI score reflects in the PUZZLES. On the other hand, while a few words/spellings have been new to me in the PUZZLES, - FROM THE "LAST PLAYER" - they do NOT appear to be the ridiculous ones used by the robot here or in other games. I've exceeded scores of the robot's entries frequently, in both Lexulous Practice and other games, so that is not the issue. It is just the frustration of constantly seeing words that I cannot locate in ANY dictionary, -- and they use "Free Dictionary", "Informal" and "Wictionary" as sources of definitions one CAN find, if at all. One example is CRWTH. I cannot find it anywhere. To me, we might as well throw anything on the board to see if it's accepted if we are not using a standard dictionary to guide all entries.....but, as I've shared, I think they DO control more in actual puzzles. "Puzzles" are games from the past, from what they explain, so perhaps that is why I'm finding the vocabulary acceptable. I doubt the AI is being subjected to the same sources that the "last player" was. Thank you for the contact source. If I can get many other more necessary issues addressed, I'll try contacting them about the problem, too. But, I fear I'll get the same response I received from Arkadium about the other game. BTW, in PUZZLES, I think I saw NE listed in the two-letter list. I had selected US English. Till this last week, that was not accepted. Apparently US English suddenly does. For me, personally, this loose set of rules ruins the games.
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@Sheila-Klein Going to try to address this, I know the words are different in many dictionaries..but some are the same..like za (trying to think how best to explain it) or eh...there are no illegitimate words I am thinking, just words you are not used too..more you use them easier they are to use until one day they are natural. Stick with one dictionary and make it easier on yourself. Since you mentioned monetary values there are many words, for example kuru is a coin (do not know the value) but it is also nervous system disease. Just a matter of getting used to the words. Takes time but I think worth the time. Here is a hint to help u get used to the words, I write a new word down..use it 3 times then scratch it off, the word will be in your head and will get natural and replace it with another word. I used to write 3 words down so I would not get confused. BTW, crwth is Welsh musical instrument and there are a lot of words I can't define..but I would not use them in regular conversation so it does not matter. Don't worry about other players, other dictionaries, AI, just worry about beating yourself . That thought works for lexulous and the puzzles
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@betterlate1 I guess I didn't explain well. I don't deliberately go out to different dictionaries to find words. And, like you, I keep a list of those with which I'm not familiar, so I can learn new ones. My point is that I'll set up a search periodically, to look up many at a time, and that is when I find out the words don't exist. I never saw the musical definition you provided as a "dictionary word" -- it was finally seen squished between other things. But many of the results I find are not straight dictionary supports, but bring me to a business, whose acronym or actual name is being used by the robot. "NY", which I only know as a state abbreviation is one. (And, please note, the Lexulous Puzzles dictionary does NOT accept NY, even though the robot was allowed to use it against me in PRACTICE.) Yes, I WANT to use only one dictionary....it is the frustration with being hit with endless crazy words during one practice session with the robot (not during Puzzles play) that is maddening to me. Have you played the robot in Practice? If not, try it and perhaps you will see what I mean. Yes, I agree that there are lots of words to learn. I started playing Lexulous on the fb site about 13 years ago, switching to the email site when I left fb over 4 year ago. I played with people from within and outside the US, so we alternated in dictionary applications to be fair -- eg, using UK one game, US another. So I long ago learned that whereas US uses only (your example of) ZA, the UK also uses ZO. Yes, that is the way it is actually FUN. I already pointed out that things like monetary units in different countries can introduce variety we accept, and I have no problem with that. I don't expect to know the entire legitimate language. It is the words I look up and cannot find definitions for that aggravate me. I had numerous pages full until I finally threw most away and just quit playing against the robot. When I looked up the robot's word VIVACE, I was taken to a restaurant by that name, not to a dictionary. DIQUAT turned out to be a brand name. The Puzzle game accepts them, but does not give a definition (there is a place to ask for one, but it doesn't seem to work).
I mentioned earlier that TE is suddenly appearing as an acceptable 2-letter word. It never was acceptable during the years I played Lexulous. When I look it up, the only definition I get is it is Spanish word for tea. Well, to me it is ridiculous to accept odds and ends words from many languages (like the Serbian I referred to earlier) unless they have actually been adopted into our speech -- such as adios, or ole. To just (inconsistently) grab any old word from any language is not keeping in the spirit of what we used to consider a dictionary. And if the word is looked up online, we shouldn't have to be told it's in wykadictionary or "free dictionary" or some other non-standard reference. I am an older person, and I realize the language changes over time; but then the new words ought to be in an approved dictionary for use in games. Things like CRWTH are a bit trickier, as Welsh and Scot. are treated as subsets of British English. But it gets hairy after that. Back in the dark ages, when I was in HS and preparing to take College Board Entrance Exams, I'd skip lunch to join a group led by teachers, to help us prepare. And I can still see the English teacher stressing the meanings as we went over words. One that stuck is FULSOME. It was pounded into us that it was a NEGATIVE word, not to be fooled by the sound. When I reached early adulthood, I remember an entire article in the NY Times magazine section, written by William Safire, on the word FULSOME! He was obviously frustrated about its misuse. Years later, after an airplane problem, when a pilot safely delivered the plane to the tarmac, CBS TV station was stating how "fulsome" the passengers were in their praise of the pilot. Ouch! I tried calling them to correct them. Well, fast forwarding to more recent times, not only does the regular dictionary now define the word in two OPPOSITE ways, but it also has a third definition of meaning something to the effect of "full of." I'm not bothering to look it up just now, and it may have changed again. So, I hear what you are saying, and I'm glad you can enjoy playing. But I don't enjoy the setup as is -- with words that are truly not "vocabulary" words (like NY), nor foreign words (aside from things like monetary units) that have not really become standard use in the English language. (But I agree with you that just playing to gain my own strength is my goal -- but I have to stick to Puzzles to do that. I can't deal with the idiocy in the robot games.) As I stated, I played Lex for years without this problem. I'd rather stick with "game rules". There are enough REAL words for us to learn by playing others who know them, without having to deal with inaccurate or such obscure use of many that it feels like you're playing in some other language. But.... again... I'm glad you (and, most likely, others) are happy with it as is.
I'll just leave one more thought to ponder -- why is it that I'm seeing so FEW unfamiliar words when playing Puzzles than the bombardment of them I get from the robot in Practice? Perhaps, as I noted about "ny", the different playing areas are being subjected to different rules. -
@Sheila-Klein I too am older and have played scrabble for about 60 years or longer. Words do change but this is a great way to learn and have fun. Incidentally before I forget, DIQUAT is a herbicide Might I suggest for now just stick with OSPD and do not rush or you just drive yourself nuts.. I have never seen NY as a word..but I know SOW has so many words in countries that are used across the ocean. .I would suggest just stick to OSPD for now-it is less confusing.
I don't know what I play there is someones score to beat and the AI score. Do not know if practice setting. I will look and try it if it is different. I just concern myself with beating scores.I am confused so must admit I need to get familiar with what you are talking about. I always play solitaire and I thought that was all there is. It is fun.
Now I wonder if you are talking about puzzles and playing Lex? I am going to sleep now but..going to look tomorrow at the puzzles and see what I have been missing. I will also pay more attention to what you are typing about .Have a goodnight I will finish this tomorrow.
Hope some of what I said made sense but if not I will see it tomorrow. Long day here today.
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@betterlate1 Well, at least you made me laugh! NOW I don't know what OSPD is, so you'll have to explain. Since AARP tells us we are to keep our brains sharp, and I'm quite isolated, I try to find things to do independently online. So I want them to be challenging and fun, not add annoyance (for me).
To guide you about what I'm doing: I use the "Lexulous" in the email setting, not at facebook. Here is a link, just in case you are somewhere else: https://www.lexulous.com/email/
At that site, there's a horizontal list of what's offered. You can choose to play with someone listed, or a friend who's in your friend listing. You can also choose to "Practice"; and if you do so, you then state whether you want to play against a robot or yourself. Then there is the choice of "Puzzles", which I just very recently realized, and which has been my primary focus in these chats.
It seems to be in a development/test stage. They state you are playing some game that actually is in their files from the past. I don't know at what stage they post it, so I don't know if the "last player" is from back then, or it is someone who just played in the Puzzles setup. I've played so many now, I think I'm getting the same ones back -- maybe not too many people play in Puzzles. You ARE playing Lexulous, but you only take one crack at the game they give you, trying to beat the score of the last player. (This is why I don't understand the posting for "AI") You may have a full rack or very few letters. The game is usually well along. You're given your actual score for that round. Also, in green you see how many points above the "last player" you scored, or in red you see 0 if you tied and a negative amount if you lost. You then ask for the next "puzzle." So you're playing Lexulous, but (unless they pass the same game back later) you only do that one action for each game presented. You can also choose "give up." But I found out today, the hard way, that you should only do that if you can't play for at least SOME points. The previous player must have had a bingo, as the score was very high. Don't know why I hit "give up" -- probably focusing on how many points I was going to lose -- but I did, and they subtracted the whole 60+ points from my running totals, thus also lowering my standing. I learned! As for DIQUAT, yes, when I looked it up I saw it was an herbicide; but it looked like it was the name of the brand. Perhaps I got that one confused. But there was no "normal" dictionary reference to it, only a Wikipedia explanation. Sorry I wore you out, lol. I've had a very difficult day, too, but have trouble falling asleep, so push myself at night. Maybe at some point, if we both wind up at the same site, we can set up a real Lexulous game and see how the rules work there now. -
@Sheila-Klein Hello again. First things first I went and played puzzle saw nothing about playing with other players. Saw it same as always and like it that way. Saw no practice . Only playing self and AI 1. I think I first learned CRWTH in the British dictionary think Cambridge Dic tionary do not remember..OSPD is Official Scrabble Players Dictionary . think latest is 5 or 6 edition I am not even sure though I just know any edition is some really fun words. Face it, words are just not what your used too..when I first came online in 1995, I thought I was pretty good then I saw all these new words..not the same as playing at home and I learned how little I knew. Been learning ever since Just takes getting used to whichever game it is.
Don't give up just hang in there 
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I think you missed what I said. I started out from the point of signing into the Lex email site. It is at THAT point that there is a horizontal list of what you can do. That list shows: Play Live -- Email Version -- Practice -- Puzzles -- Stats -- Archives.
What I described in my last note relates to THESE selections, at the original site.....NOT after you have already selected one of them, such as Puzzles. -
@Sheila-Klein Guess I missed it and am now befuddled. I do not befuddle easily. Anyway hope you find an answer to the issues that are upsetting you. Perhaps admin@lexulous.com? I think I finally realized what you meant. The main page where you choose what you want to do is where your issue is?.
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S sakamvari locked this topic on
