triumph, there was one update where i feel like it changed. a few months ago you would get a two letter word but more recently i don't think that's the case. seems like others might agree in the last few posts.

the problem with using inspirations so late is if u have 3 with 15 seconds, and the first opens your eyes to an entire new chain...you aren't getting optimal value imo. you can easily spend those 15 seconds without using the last 2 inspirations...and if the chain is juicy enough...you shouldn't be using them...but as a result you're obviously not optimizing value.

i don't look for 2 letter words usually - the only time i get them are via misclick or if i am really stuck.

Yeah. I used to get all the 2 letter words first, but I found that's a complete waste of time. Especially since all two letter words are worth 1, unless they are on TW or DW.

a brief overall points lead for me in the tourney since I've played so many more games, sennnnnnnnnnd it!

I think I'm in progress with everyone except wager

You've gotten a ton better since we first started playing dude. No more playing vs you with only 1 power up.

Discovered a solution for grinding when I'm either out of tokens or don't have internet but want to practice - Word Seek. Basically the same thing as Scramble but with a single player mode and a worse multiplayer mode. I used to play it before Scramble came along and then forgot about it. Just played it for hours on a plane which I could never do with Scramble; now I have a layover in Charlotte so I can play the real thing. I need every tool I can get at my disposal to stay sharp in this Scramble arms race.

By the way, I've been meaning to mention that people might want to request for me to share the google spreadsheets with them, that way it willl show up on your own google docs list which might be easier than finding the link in the thread. A few people did this back when I accidentally made it so only people I've shared the document with can edit it, but I figure people might want to do that even though anyone can enter scores.

Thumbs up. I remember dling the old Scramble (not sure if it had a different name or not) to play when I was outta tokens, and it was just so clunky and outdated that you had to decrease your finger sliding speed. Definitely a lot better. Only negative is that it's kinda hard to see what's highlighted.

Looks like Mulls forgot to input one of his opponent's scores.

I know we all use either double freeze or freeze/inspiration, but I was screwing around against a rando the other day and I tried the rotation one. Each rotate power-up has three uses like an inspiration. The interesting thing about it isn't the rotating itself, it's that each time you use it it gives you an extra five seconds. So each threepack of rotates is worth a guaranteed 15 extra seconds, and two threepacks give you 30 seconds.

That's got to be more extra time than the freezes, right? The problem is that I think that the actual rotating might hurt this crowd; everyone in here is pretty great already at snaking their brains backwards and forwards, and to me the rotation itself makes it too easy to start repeating words.

but if you think it might help you see new words, and especially if you want a reliable thirty seconds (ok more like 25 because the act of hitting the button and waiting for it to rotate burns a tiny bit of time) then maybe try out rotate, the forgotten third Olsen sister of scramble power-ups.

not sure how i didn't end up in this, i thought i was on the list but i guess not. can i take wager's spot?

You most certainly can. I think I'm going to finalize the player list by the end of the day. I'll add you in a couple hours, but you can start playing right away.

As for rotations, if it really gives you 5 seconds each that sounds amazing. Does anyone know how long freeze lasts on average? I'd be surprised if it was more than 15 seconds and I hate when it's randomly like 3 seconds. And if the rotations bother you, couldn't you just use all 6 right off the bat and start from there?

I tried rotation the first time I played and then never again.

Confirmed. But you can't just mash the button six times and start with 2:30--there's a delay as the board spins so you have to hit the button in rhythm. I just tried it and started with 2:23. I'm guessing if you get the timing down you could bump it to 2:25.

A reliable ~24 seconds might be better than double freeze? Hard to say, it feels weird hitting the button six times at the start, but it's tough to argue with all those seconds. I still think one inspiration is the way to go until you can avg >90 wpr.

i tried rotation for a while, but realized it just wasn't helping out at all

stunna: you used one powerup against me? i'm hurt.

is it true that freeze tends to be shorter when you're winning and longer when you're not

While having 30 extra seconds locked up sounds really nice I feel like flipping the board would make me do a double take on words I've already inputted. I have a mental checklist going as I am stringing together words that rhyme to make sure I don't waste time doing the same word twice. I feel like flipping the board would throw me off of that rhythm. I haven't tried it yet but I will on some side games.

i feel like it's the opposite, that when i am making words during a freeze, i get infinite time, but if i can't find any, it goes away fast

Someone needs to put two iPhones side by side and time the freeze lengths over a long period of time. First to find out the average freeze length and second to see if both players get the same freeze length.

Why would you be hurt? You've gotten so good that recently I started playing you without my eyes closed and one hand tied behind my back.

I checked that video I posted here a while ago and my first freeze was ~35 seconds and second freeze was ~40 seconds. That makes 23-30 seconds total seem pretty weak. I was winning by a decent margin at that point, by the way.

I'm going to try to e-mail support and see if they say anything. If not it might be time for an experiment.

Edit: Everyone has played a game so far except wager. Going to take him out and put yeti in, and then lock in the field. We're at 28, which is pretty round-ish at least compared to 29 or 27, and top 4 seeds will get byes. If anyone else is interested, check back in a few weeks for Scramble Tourney III.

On the road so can't upload pictures but Game 1 of the finals is complete.

I fell behind early with 131 words and 957 points to pickled's incredible 132 words and 1133 points in round 1. I thought I was in bad shape but he had a bad round 2 and I had 117 words and 1024 points to his 75 words and 758 points. There were only 228 possible words in round 2 so I had an especially good round.

I went into round 3 with a 90 point lead. I locked up round 3 with 111 words and 1987 points to his 96 words and 1746 points.

Final result me 3968, Pickledpapaya 3637.

Game 2 we are neck and neck going into round 3 with me scoring 881 and 1401 to his 860 and 1468.

Game 3 looks pretty ugly I'm down big going into round 3 with me scoring 755 and 869 to his 897 and 1016.

Haha, yeah. Never had enough tokens, plus it kept things more even. Also, you weren't such a beast before.

Where'd your avatar go btw Chronick?

I tried to change it at first and then wanted to change it back. I later realized I don't have the gif file on my computer anymore.

Bacon Sashimi and I are tied 1-1 in the 3rd place game, 4065-3821 for me then 3654-3301 for him.

Also I tried to put gaskellio in and then alphabetize everything but every time I did it kept on screwing up the results, don't understand how. So for now I'm just going to leave it as is, you'll find gaskellio at the end of the list where wager used to be.

This game is so rigged for iphone users. Just timed my freezes with a stopwatch and I got 38 seconds total. Going to do that a couple more times and see what I come up with, but if the difference is really this large we might need a non-iphone bracket

25 seconds total....

This wasn't me. I was in process of moving the first few days of the month and I'm away until the middle of next week, I haven't had access to a computer at all. Whoever did this was my opponent, I screenshots all games so I'll correct when possible.