| Author |
Message |
Jeff Dunn (Jdunnpm)
Solitaire Player
Username: Jdunnpm
Post Number: 13
Registered: 5-2007
| | Posted on Friday, June 08, 2007 - 2:04 pm: | |
Maybe I'm totally off-base here, but it seems to me that solitare players prefer games that are hard to win. There seem to be two kinds of hard-to-win games: the luck-dependent kind where a sizable percentage of the hands are unwinnable, and the 40-Thieves kind where winning involves a lot of trial and error to achieve.
So are many solitare players masochists? I don't feel so myself, because my favorite games are often games like Altares, which involves some skill, but after some pracice can fairly easily be won 100% of the time. How many others are "softies" like myself? |
Richard Mechen (Richardscotland)
Master Solitaire Player
Username: Richardscotland
Post Number: 809
Registered: 9-2006
| | Posted on Friday, June 08, 2007 - 3:06 pm: | |
Games that depend almost entirely on luck don't interest me at all. I find games with a very high win percentage a bit pointless. Those with a very low win percentage can become tedious and frustrating. Despite that,I jump about into all of those categories. I find games of reasonable difficulty that involve a decent amount of skill, are the ones I play most regularly. Self inflicted masochistic challenges are rarely off the menu however. One small step for man, etc. |
Ken Millar (Tpa_ken)
Master Solitaire Player
Username: Tpa_ken
Post Number: 220
Registered: 2-2006
| | Posted on Friday, June 08, 2007 - 4:46 pm: | |
Ditto! (I waited for Richard to post because I know he would say it more eloquently than I.) |
Frances Cammisa (Yankeegal)
Master Solitaire Player
Username: Yankeegal
Post Number: 205
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Friday, June 08, 2007 - 5:19 pm: | |
Hi Jeff--I wouldn't consider myself a masochist, but I like a challenge so I'm one of the players who prefers the more difficult games---I like "skill"-ful games--and the ones that are quasi-impossible---- |
Patricia Traynier (Trisha)
Junior Solitaire Player
Username: Trisha
Post Number: 8
Registered: 3-2007
| | Posted on Friday, June 08, 2007 - 5:48 pm: | |
That goes for me too. |
Jeff Dunn (Jdunnpm)
Solitaire Player
Username: Jdunnpm
Post Number: 16
Registered: 5-2007
| | Posted on Friday, June 08, 2007 - 7:20 pm: | |
Antares for me, easy as it has become, I find to be very relaxing at the end of the day, to take my mind off of work. Otherwise I enjoy difficult games, as long as they're winnable--even though they may involve a lot of trial and error.
Luck, on the other hand, is for Vegas! |
Richard Mechen (Richardscotland)
Master Solitaire Player
Username: Richardscotland
Post Number: 813
Registered: 9-2006
| | Posted on Saturday, June 09, 2007 - 4:23 am: | |
It all depends on my frame of mind at any particular time what game I select. I absolutely love Eighty Thieves, but it's not one I play on a daily basis. Each game takes a long time to play, so I have to be in the mood. I've lost track of how many times I've replayed the few games I've won, and it amazes me how extremely dificult it is to re-win them, and the wide range of scores I sometimes achieve. |
Jeralyn Taylor (Annika)
Advanced Solitaire Player
Username: Annika
Post Number: 96
Registered: 4-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, June 09, 2007 - 8:40 am: | |
I really like the games that require a strategy, and enjoy developing a way to make the most of any layout. Trying to achieve a long, unbroken string of wins, if possible to post a 100% score of 50+ games, is fun, but often frustrating. Using snapshot and undo to find the winning play is part of the fun. Some games are always winnable, and are more fun in Action Sol, such as Spider Web. Right now, I am playing a lot of Zeus and How They Run. |
Thomas Warfield (Support)
Moderator
Username: Support
Post Number: 1146
Registered: 12-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, June 09, 2007 - 3:19 pm: | |
It seems that there are multiple types of solitaire players. There are the players that like to play games that are hard to win (that you can win only rarely), and you can see that these types of games tend to be popular. And then there are players who like to play games that you can win all the time, such as FreeCell. Note that these games aren't necessary easy to win, they often take a lot of work. In fact, of the games that have high winning percentages, it is the ones that are the most difficult to win that are the most popular. Easy games that present no challenge don't get played as much.
Games that are middle of the road (have winning percentages around 50%) don't seem to generate much interest.
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Kjell Petterson (Kjell)
Intermediate Solitaire Player
Username: Kjell
Post Number: 49
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 12, 2007 - 1:27 pm: | |
An interestng discussion. I agree with Jeff that Antares represents a category of games that are a little 'different', fun to play, even if practically always winnable.
Virginia Reel is 'different', but very hard to win. I play it daly, enjoy it very much even after playing it more than 4000 times - and struggling to get over 4% wins!
Penguin and Repair are two solid friends, winnable most of the time, but many times after a pretty tough struggle.
With Cleopatra I have set up a challenge for myself: to have no losses in the last 100 games played. Even though 'Cleo' is entertaining and mostly not hard to win, you sometimes meet hands which seem impossible. Sometimes, you can beat those hands with some very unconventional tactics, like waiting until late in the game to make your move and trust some luck in 'backpeddling'.
Finally, I have a morbid interest in playing Malmaison. The first portion of that game is just luck; you play the cards as they come up, hoping that one of the tableau piles gets empty. Then, the 'skill' portion of the game starts, because now you can start moving cards around. You may still have 50 cards left in the stock, and think that you have a good shot at winning - but most of the times it ends up in frustration! I did say 'morbid'....
Anyway, Thomas should change the name of PGS to DGS for Darn Good Solitaire! |
Rachel Cohen (Rachel)
Master Solitaire Player
Username: Rachel
Post Number: 493
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, July 07, 2007 - 4:11 am: | |
I think that this is like a telephone poll, where you may not get the real common opinion, because you get answers only from those who agree to answer.
It could be that those who prefer the more difficult games are also those who post more in the forum. They like the challenge of the game just as they like the challenge of the e-conversation.
PGS can be played and enjoyed by people who just want to do something easy, maybe like to see the 100% with their names, maybe have no interest of posting their scores, and maybe don't know enough English to offer their opinions.
I use the easy games often to show my grandchildren or guests that they can play PGS without being able to read help and instructions. If they get started, and get bored by always winning, they can advance.
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Richard Mechen (Richardscotland)
Master Solitaire Player
Username: Richardscotland
Post Number: 926
Registered: 9-2006
| | Posted on Saturday, July 07, 2007 - 5:18 am: | |
That's as good an answer as there's been Rachel. Something for everyone, no matter what you're looking for. |
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