03-21-2011, 07:37 PM
I saw a good treatise on time. If you have a time limit, it doesn't change the difficulty at all.
For example, say I can solve the puzzle in two minutes. If there's a 3 minute timer, I'll always win. If it's 2 Minutes and 5 seconds, I'll still always win, doing the same thing. No change. If it's 1 minute 55, I'll always lose...
It didn't make the puzzle any harder. Just cut me off. And it can be very frustrating for someone who could solve it slower and get better to just be cut off. They never learn the endgame.
Better is to have time going up, and have a "best time at this difficulty" so quicker thinking leads to a higher score. See?
Higher difficulty should make the puzzle actually harder...
More pieces against you....
Or worse...they get to move occasionally as well
For example, say I can solve the puzzle in two minutes. If there's a 3 minute timer, I'll always win. If it's 2 Minutes and 5 seconds, I'll still always win, doing the same thing. No change. If it's 1 minute 55, I'll always lose...
It didn't make the puzzle any harder. Just cut me off. And it can be very frustrating for someone who could solve it slower and get better to just be cut off. They never learn the endgame.
Better is to have time going up, and have a "best time at this difficulty" so quicker thinking leads to a higher score. See?
Higher difficulty should make the puzzle actually harder...
More pieces against you....
Or worse...they get to move occasionally as well