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How much time for more difficult games?
Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 9:26 am
by marsdentromba
How much time do you feel is appropriate for the more difficult games? I seem to average around 4 minutes for most games, but a few games take me 10 minutes to get through, and I feel like I'm diagramming every question, some multiple times. I don't miss very many questions, but I worry a bit about ever spending more than the 8.5 minutes per game. Should any game ever take this long if done reasonably? Do you feel some games and sections are designed with very lopsided difficulties so that the time averages are disparate?
Thanks

Re: How much time for more difficult games?
Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 10:43 am
by tomwatts
If most games take you around 4 minutes, but some take you around 10, then 4 + 4 + 10 + 10 = 28, and you'll finish way early. The only way this could ever be a problem is if those numbers aren't accurate at all.
This may shock you, but I diagram every question, some multiple times, on every game, even the easy ones, and I finish just fine.
Re: How much time for more difficult games?
Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 4:03 pm
by gaud
personally, I don't like the 8.5 minute 'rule'.
more difficult games usually took me around 10 minutes (to finish and be certain I was mistake free) while the easier ones usually took me 5 minutes or less.
don't worry about 'pre-set' times whatsoever.... some games will take you less than 5 minutes and some will take you more than 8.5. just how it is (imho)
Re: How much time for more difficult games?
Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 4:05 pm
by FloridaCoastalorbust
gaud wrote:personally, I don't like the 8.5 minute 'rule'.
more difficult games usually took me around 10 minutes (to finish and be certain I was mistake free) while the easier ones usually took me 5 minutes or less.
don't worry about 'pre-set' times whatsoever.... some games will take you less than 5 minutes and some will take you more than 8.5. just how it is (imho)
This is very true, especially with the modern games. Usually first two are a joke and one of the second will eat your lunch.
Re: How much time for more difficult games?
Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 5:07 pm
by lovejopd
Yeah, I am now doing games with the online stop-watch to keep a record of time. But the amount of time depends on the games. Some needs more than 10 while others need 6-7 minutes. Hopefully, 4 games in one section do not contain 4 difficult ones

Re: How much time for more difficult games?
Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 5:16 pm
by caminante
I found that normally the sections were designed pretty well for me, in that I would get through a couple games very quickly, and a couple of them more slowly.
Many sections for me looked more like 5-5-10-13 than 8-8-8-8.
I worried a lot about not being able to finish the games I found difficult in 8.5 min, but it turned out to be fine. Not all games are written to be finished in the same amount of time.
The real skill to develop is to make sure you're not spending too much time on the games that should be finished quickly. If you finish most in 4 min., you're absolutely fine.
Re: How much time for more difficult games?
Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 5:18 pm
by gaud
caminante wrote:
Many sections for me looked more like 5-5-10-13 than 8-8-8-8.
+1
Re: How much time for more difficult games?
Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2012 12:25 am
by bruss
gaud wrote:caminante wrote:
Many sections for me looked more like 5-5-10-13 than 8-8-8-8.
+1