ops:
perks of being a geek maybe, but words are my job and my hobby especially elegant ones.
there is a maltese word which would score well if it was allowed:
JGHAXXAQ. it means elfin or coquettish
I know this looks unlikely but it really is a word (and yes, the maltese really do have their own language). ops:
anyway back to WU, it is possible that other annoying words which weren't allowed now are, (those which come to mind are CHI, CAH, ROO, CWT, DWT, (which are allowable printed alternatives to hundredweight and pennyweight and not classified as abbvs) AGO or ADO (can't remember which), MOUE, BRR, BRRR, DUI and PSEUDOPSEUDONYMOUSLY.)
but i hope to Heaven that ghastly things like QAT and ZEX are disallowed.
[quote="Demmerz"]
Not that the extra points would be worth a player's while anyway: at 1,420 points for £1 the game can be fairly sure it won]
Saw the new version of WU for the first time today, in Ipswich.
It immediately seems a little 'off', due to a rearrangement of the menu screen's buttons - hi scores being top middle now.
Didn't play it enough to investigate the possibility of new words.
The quid was set at 1670, which is stupidly high. This means that playing the game even for short-term small-time profit is no longer possible.
That is, unless you get an extra grid for clearing, which would lead to low-skill clearance-oriented tile bashing. Does anyone know if this is the case?
Or...the word list is now scrabble-esque (meaning approx. 50,000 more combinations), which would make clearing much easier to do.
Also, bad news for the lexicomaniacal narcissists among us, the high score board no longer accepts VAGINAL
vaginalbob wrote:Also, bad news for the lexicomaniacal narcissists among us, the high score board no longer accepts VAGINAL
Try Vajinal...
Is that the planned rebrand in the Houston wing of VB towers, Ernest?
Can we have the proposed name change confirmed for all new iterations of Word Up, please.
PS - what's the running top score on Word Wall so far? - my best is around 2200; am gradually getting used to it (played about 10 times). Haven't managed to reach six letter words and the possible joys of FAGGOTs yet tho (this applies outside of quizzing, too).
PPS - I remember FAGGOTS as in 'bundles of sticks' turning up in A-Level Eng lit classes, much to our predictable amusement. I think a 'reddleman' was involved somewhere with them (a berouged itinerant merchant of sumthinkdunnowot).
Well if not, then EW QUALITY is unanimously accepted I would think.
I haven'tplayed WW or new WU yet, I just got back to the country.
Are you back in Cambridge yet?
Will update website at next chance.
Faggots I thought would be cigarettes, or sausages.
Had a spare hour so went on a little excursion. Cambridge Arms has a new Itbox, so unfortunately the best scoreboard in existence has been destroyed (and probably, so have the others e.g. DaveJon's words boards at The Rocket, in London, can somebody confirm?).
Thought I'd try all my usual games since there have been so many changes. Lost a pound overall.
Word Up, £1 was at 1450, so had to hack. I got a 1500+ on the first go (don't usually clear on the first board). £2 was only at 1650-ish though, so it seems to me that the 'free' money has gone, but the clearing money is still there, and even doubles for a decent clearance. Although maybe they have removed the possibility of winning money every time (the previous £1 bar never went higher than 1520).
Word Wall, gash. I can see why they made it though. Their problem is that they have players who range in skill from absolute tubes to quiz/Scrabble genii. To make a game that allows the former some optimism that they might win, while stopping the latter from totally clearing up, and also possesses the ability to make things arbitrarily hard suddenly, seems to be the object here. First two times, cruised to 1200 easily, then as I approached the £1, suddenly was asked for several five letter words in a row, walls moved much faster, and shuffle kept producing consonants. First time I panicked, second time I managed to get the pound but was then killed. Third time got 1800 with no prize. So basically, behaves like a typical quiz game.
Haunted Hangman, much tighter than before, though questions seemed generally easier. Tip for the fannies that program the hangman phrases: there are two Es in WEMBLEY... with the aid of a "Go for it", got to 700, and was doing OK on the next phrase before suddenly the spoilers kicked in (e.g. what is the combined length of X and Y), etc. Died. No money. Seems the game still follows the same pattern but with more extreme mood swings than before.
The alternative view is that the game has become easier to survive on (until you near the money), but harder to win on, thus appealing more to people who play for playing, not winning.
Finally, Cryptic Clues. Won £2, seemed nothing had changed with this one.
Popped into The Station Hotel pub, opposite Ipswich train station. Word Up has been updated, but scoreboards are still intact (including the VB-NATHAN one-two that is now about 8 mths old).
Played Word Wall and got a non-quid-winning 2610, which is the highest I've seen so far (of not many boards). The dictionary it uses seems to be slightly larger than the old WU one. There are definitely tactical considerations to be kept in mind while playing, which means it should become more interesting as I play it more. I hope there are even more word games in the pipeline...
A clearance-orientated quid-giver on WU with bonuses for good non-stabbed efforts should result in greater competition for our national board.
unknownpseudonym wrote:the new word up recognises over 10million words (none of which is VEXILLOLOGY) and there are a couple of QwithoutU words. Mercifully QAT is not there.
ops: 
