#1: Amy Can (hannahkin) on Oct 29, 2010

For me, it's because my puzzles consistently get below-average marks. I generally make smaller, b&w puzzles because that's what I like to solve, but it seems that people like the bigger ones. So, I guess I figure, what's the use if people don't really enjoy solving my puzzles.

Time & energy.

Amy, you should just ignore the quality scores, and pay attention to people's comments. If half the people score it low, but the other half really like them, then make them for those people and ignore the others. :-)

Coming from someone who mostly makes small puzzles, you cannot pay attention to the scores. In general for some reason, small puzzles always score lower - no matter how good the picture is, no matter how good the solve is. Please do not let the scores prevent you from creating puzzles.

Some of my favorite puzzles are small puzzles. I score those higher if they are a really ingenious use of the space or extremely fun to solve, but otherwise, I'm probably guilty of scoring them a little lower than the big puzzles on quality and difficulty.

I like creating puzzles that please me. If that coincides with others liking them, great! I tend to enjoy creating larger puzzles with interesting images, but those take a lot of time to create and turn into a good solve (I can easily waste 3 or more hours on some of the WCP puzzles), so that's why I don't do more.

I make few puzzles mostly because I can't think of what I'd want to make a puzzle of, most of the time. Occasionally I start one and give up in frustration because I can't make it solvable while still looking okay.

I have created quite a few already, more than my fair share in the relative spectrum of puzzle creatordom, and I am basically out of ideas for good puzzles. There are still plenty of you out there that continue, however, to produce plenty of puzzles for us to solve: a smattering of excellent ones (for which I personally thank you immensely), quite a few pathetic ones, several good ones (which also merit my thanks), with the majority being fair.

adam we do miss your creation

by the way with this week theme and your expertise in the matter you should enter the wcp (this time only).....

I'm daring you my old friend ;-)

My theory goes like this: big puzzles are only solved by people who love big puzzles. small puzzles are solved by everyone, including people who aren't particularly impressed by them but just want to kill a few minutes.

If we counted all the people who said "That puzzle is too danged big to bother with" as bad ratings, then the big puzzle ratings wouldn't be so great.

I've got limited time/energy for creative endeavors these days. Mostly I'm directing my efforts in other directions. But I'll likely get back to it eventually.

I prefer smaller puzzles that don't take eons to solve. I use a netbook computer with a 10-inch screen, so puzzles more than 30 cells high and/or 50 cells wide are very problematic and generally not worth the effort of constantly scrolling.

I create a puzzle when I get an idea that I think might be interesting to other solvers. Sometimes they are very easy because I only make smaller puzzles, but I don't think I'd ever put one up that did not have a unique solution. Sometimes it takes extra effort to get there.

Thanks to everyone that creates puzzles!

Twin boys!

Goto next topic

You must register and log in to be able to participate in this discussion.