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The Problem Site - Layout Modifications
Sunday, February 22, 2009
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This has been a very busy year - the addition of a part-time science teacher position to my schedule has meant that I haven't had any time this year to add new games to The Problem Site. However, I did spend some time during February vacation working on some modifications to the site layout.
What you'll notice as the biggest change is that the display has changed to a much wider format. Many schools run a bit "behind" when it comes to technology, and I know that many schools use old monitors with a much lower resolution. This is why, long after most websites have changed to a wider format to match higher resolution monitors, I have kept The Problem Site at a narrower format.
However, the time was finally here to make the change. I think the new format has a much less "claustrophobic" feel to it.
Please feel free to drop me an email commenting on the new format, whether or not you like it!
I've also added a new "High Score" list to both Adders! and Trio Match. This new list is the "Yesterday" list. This way, if you play the game early in the day, and don't get to come back and check the standings later in the day, you can check it the next day to find out how you measured up.
Also, the Entrapment high score list was removed. This list was largely uninteresting to visitors because it was only possible to appear on it by completing every Entrapment puzzle on the site.
I've also added a rudimentary "site search," to help people find the resource they're looking for on The Problem Site. This can be found at the bottom of each page.
Let me know if you have any troubles with any of these new changes!
Thanks,
DougLabels: adders, entrapment, theproblemsite, trio match
posted by Douglas Twitchell at
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Planning Ahead, New Games
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
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Good problem solvers plan ahead, right? They anticipate potential problems and head them off at the pass before they even happen, right?
Yeah. So, when I created the Trio Match, I didn't do that. The game gives the player a series of 25 colored blocks to drop into a well. Under certain circumstances the players can earn "bonus" blocks, and the longer you can keep the game going, the more blocks you earn.
How long can you keep a game going? Well, it never occurred to me that anyone would keep the game going long enough to earn 200 or more blocks - that's a pretty long game! And since I didn't think anyone would keep a game going that long, I didn't allocate enough space in the game for blocks.
Bad Doug!
So, a couple weeks ago MrDuctTape40 emailed me and asked "How come the game stops working after you hit 35 thousand points?"
Well, I had no idea that was happening. So I went back to the drawing board to fix the bug. It appears to be resolved now. If you have any problems with the new version of the game, let me know.
Oh, and I also reset the high score lists...which I felt kind of bad about, since Debby finally hit the top of the high score list, and then I deleted all the scores.
On another subject, there are two new games on the site: The Telephone Game and The BlackBerry GameLabels: trio match, word games
posted by Douglas Twitchell at
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Congratulations, High Scorers
Friday, September 14, 2007
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Well, my congratulations go out to Kaleb and Bryce - the first members at The Problem Site to beat my high score on the Adders! Math Game!
Nice going, guys! (And to the member whose screen name is DouglasIsGoingDown...you're getting close, but not quite there yet! :)
It looks like VICKY is starting to catch up with globuggie in the Entrapment game...
But I'm afraid no one is even in the ballpark to catch DO in the Trio Match game!
For those who are trying to catch DO, be sure to read the hints in the instructions section of the game, because there's no way to catch him without either clearing the board out several times OR creating lots of multiple trios!
Good luck!
DougLabels: adders, entrapment, high scores, theproblemsite, trio match
posted by Douglas Twitchell at
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Trio Match - Version Two!
Saturday, September 1, 2007
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About a month before I began programming Flash games and puzzles, I created a game on The Problem Site called "Trio Match". I was very pleased with the premise of the game, and have had a variety of very positive feedback from people who have played the game - either as part of a classroom activity, or just for fun at home.
But because I hadn't yet started programming Flash, the game structure was quite cumbersome - every player action resulted in the entire page being refreshed. Not a big deal if you're on a high speed connection, but still not a great system.
So, when I started learning Flash, I looked back at Trio Match and shook my head. What was I thinking, trying to program a game as complex as that without using a tool like Flash?
So I started recreating the game as a Flash app. I made good progress on the game, but then got sidetracked by another project which needed my attention.
Today I stumbled across that almost-finished-flash-project, and decided to finish it.
It turns out I was even closer to finished than I realized. The result is a much smoother game, and it should be much more fun to play.
If you experience any difficulties with the new version of the game, please post a comment here, or send me an email!
Trio MatchLabels: theproblemsite, trio match
posted by Douglas Twitchell at
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