c4countdown

Down again *sob sob*

What am I supposed to do now?

I'm busting my balls to get it back up. Seems like the router has exploded or something. Will keep y'all updated.

Thanks. I take it that this thread is still the primary notification method?

Ian Volante wrote:Thanks. I take it that this thread is still the primary notification method?

Yup. Every post in here causes an electric current to pass through my balls, which tends to focus the mind.

And we're back! The uninterruptable power supply melted down, rather in contravention to its own designation. We're running on normal power for now so let's hope for no power cuts til a replacement arrives!

The website is up but the game appears to be down. I'm trying to log in but I just get the ascending numbers of doom.

Edit: it's up again. I thought it was going to get to 500. I've always wondered what happens when it does that.

Graeme Cole wrote:The website is up but the game appears to be down. I'm trying to log in but I just get the ascending numbers of doom.

Edit: it's up again. I thought it was going to get to 500. I've always wondered what happens when it does that.

I've got to 500 many a time. It simply gives up trying.

Charlie, we've got a 404 situation!

Clicking on http://www.apterous.org/ gives this message:

apterous will be back shortly. Sorry for the delay, the new setup is having some teething problems.

Ben Wilson wrote:Clicking on http://www.apterous.org/ gives this message:

apterous will be back shortly. Sorry for the delay, the new setup is having some teething problems.

That's an improvement from 404, file not found

Ben Wilson wrote:Clicking on http://www.apterous.org/ gives this message:

apterous will be back shortly. Sorry for the delay, the new setup is having some teething problems.

apterous is going to be unavailable for a few days. We've had a serious hardware failure that we're wrestling to fix. Obviously subscriptions will be extended to cover any downtime, and a bit more as well. We're really sorry.

Thomas Carey wrote:

Ben Wilson wrote:Clicking on http://www.apterous.org/ gives this message:

apterous will be back shortly. Sorry for the delay, the new setup is having some teething problems.

apterous is going to be unavailable for a few days. We've had a serious hardware failure that we're wrestling to fix. Obviously subscriptions will be extended to cover any downtime, and a bit more as well. We're really sorry.

Sob sob sob sob sob sob sob sob sob sob sob sob, anyone know any good websites apart from Kountdown.co.uk as that offers up dodgy words and I don't want to learn those

Any idea when apterous is going to be back up again?

While apterous is down, I'll do something to give you all a little practice. This is a numbers attack generated randomly through the Crossword tools number solver. 20 rounds, 4 of 1 large, 4 of 2 large, 4 of 3 large, 4 of 4 large, and 4 of 6 small. Only rule I'll put for this is that I will make sure that all of the numbers game have at least two steps (for instance, no 150 with a 100 and 50 in the selection, or 400 with a 50 and an 8), otherwise it will be completely random. See how you do.

1. 25 9 6 10 8 7 Target: 276
2. 75 10 9 2 1 3 Target: 849
3. 50 7 10 5 6 2 Target: 451
4. 50 9 2 7 2 6 Target: 292
5. 100 25 8 8 7 10 Target: 420
6. 50 25 3 9 8 5 Target: 245
7. 25 50 4 2 3 7 Target: 293
8. 75 50 8 10 1 3 Target: 302
9. 25 50 100 3 6 10 Target: 107
10. 100 25 50 3 7 4 Target: 280
11. 25 100 75 9 6 1 Target: 766
12. 25 75 100 2 10 5 Target: 232
13. 100 75 25 50 1 7 Target: 417
14. 75 50 100 25 7 1 Target: 752
15. 50 100 75 25 6 8 Target: 217
16. 75 100 50 25 9 10 Target: 723
17. 5 10 2 1 3 8 Target: 875
18. 7 7 5 9 6 10 Target: 774
19. 2 3 1 5 3 7 Target: 741
20. 5 9 2 10 1 6 Target: 613

Jordan F wrote:While apterous is down, I'll do something to give you all a little practice. This is a numbers attack generated randomly through the Crossword tools number solver. 20 rounds, 4 of 1 large, 4 of 2 large, 4 of 3 large, 4 of 4 large, and 4 of 6 small. Only rule I'll put for this is that I will make sure that all of the numbers game have at least two steps (for instance, no 150 with a 100 and 50 in the selection, or 400 with a 50 and an 8), otherwise it will be completely random. See how you do.

1. 25 9 6 10 8 7 Target: 276
2. 75 10 9 2 1 3 Target: 849
3. 50 7 10 5 6 2 Target: 451
4. 50 9 2 7 2 6 Target: 292
5. 100 25 8 8 7 10 Target: 420
6. 50 25 3 9 8 5 Target: 245
7. 25 50 4 2 3 7 Target: 293
8. 75 50 8 10 1 3 Target: 302
9. 25 50 100 3 6 10 Target: 107
10. 100 25 50 3 7 4 Target: 280
11. 25 100 75 9 6 1 Target: 766
12. 25 75 100 2 10 5 Target: 232
13. 100 75 25 50 1 7 Target: 417
14. 75 50 100 25 7 1 Target: 752
15. 50 100 75 25 6 8 Target: 217
16. 75 100 50 25 9 10 Target: 723
17. 5 10 2 1 3 8 Target: 875
18. 7 7 5 9 6 10 Target: 774
19. 2 3 1 5 3 7 Target: 741
20. 5 9 2 10 1 6 Target: 613

Are they all solvable?

Not sure that 13 is. (done the first 16 apart from that)

EDIT: I HATE 6 SMALL WITH A BURNING PASSION

I don't think rounds 17 and 19 are not solvable. Think 872 is the closest to the target possible for round 17 whilst only 735 is possible for round 19. And I got 418 for round 13.

The rest are definitely possible as I got all of them.

David Barnard wrote:Any idea when apterous is going to be back up again?

Thomas Carey wrote: apterous is going to be unavailable for a few days. We've had a serious hardware failure that we're wrestling to fix. Obviously subscriptions will be extended to cover any downtime, and a bit more as well. We're really sorry.

I was the same as Martin, 418 on round 13 and 872 on round 17, I got all the other ones though, I'll put some different puzzles on here in an hour or so for you all to attempt

Ok here are a few puzzles which are a bit tougher than standard numbers, There is 13 puzzles so 10 minutes is the target time to do all these (accounting for extra time given with hyper and writing down), tot up your scores and share them if you want.

HYPER
4,8,10,9,4,10,3,2 (2088)
200,2,3,6,4,8,9,4 (3685)
150,75,5,1,9,7,8,4,6 (2671)
50,100,200,3,2,9,4,6 (9320)
100,75,25,150,8,1,5,2 (7190)
200,100,50,25,75,1,2,8 (8835)
200,50,150,25,100,75,6,5 (9485)

OCTOROCK
10,20,4,3,8, (366)
10,5,1,8,3, (745)
5,1,8,7,9 (267)

SPOILAGE (please dont hate me for this )

452,212,111,694, 4,6,10 (1203)
241,651,227,503,218,10,6 (9179)
780,203,567,881,265,693,8 (5838)

Hopefully this will keep the people who like the slightly more obscure formats amused for a bit

To give you all something to do/a clarification:

13 and 19 are impossible, and as said, the best solutions are 418 and 735. 17 is also impossible. However 872 is not the best solution. And I do apologize for those impossible games, as I said all of these games are determined at random.

Jordan F wrote:To give you all something to do/a clarification:

13 and 19 are impossible, and as said, the best solutions are 418 and 735. 17 is also impossible. However 872 is not the best solution. And I do apologize for those impossible games, as I said all of these games are determined at random.

Thanks for these, gave myself 15 mins (which is of course much easier than a strict 30 seconds on each) and think I found the best solutions if 877 is the best on 17. Nearly missed 16. Don't apologize for the impossible targets, the game is about getting as close as possible rather than necessarily getting it exact. On apterous I tend to be more impressed by a sub-200 max game than a 200.

I hope Charlie's disconnected the electrodes for the moment.

Matthew Tassier wrote:

Jordan F wrote:To give you all something to do/a clarification:

13 and 19 are impossible, and as said, the best solutions are 418 and 735. 17 is also impossible. However 872 is not the best solution. And I do apologize for those impossible games, as I said all of these games are determined at random.

Thanks for these, gave myself 15 mins (which is of course much easier than a strict 30 seconds on each) and think I found the best solutions if 877 is the best on 17. Nearly missed 16. Don't apologize for the impossible targets, the game is about getting as close as possible rather than necessarily getting it exact. On apterous I tend to be more impressed by a sub-200 max game than a 200.

Just checked round 17 with a solver and 874 is the best solution but I would definitely have only got 872 in the 30-second time limit of a Countdown game. In fact, I looked at it for five minutes afterwards and still couldn't get any closer.

Those look interesting David, doubt I will get the Spoilage ones but I'll give them a go.

On Octorock, I got the first one spot on but only managed 720 in second one (impossible?) and 266 in the third one.

POST CONTAINS SPOILERS, DO NOT READ IF YOU WANT TO WORK OUT DAVID'S HYPER SOLUTIONS!



Got first five rounds on the hyper one. The 8-small one works like this:

((10-3)*8*10-(9*4)-2)*4

With two fours in the selection, I thought the best way to solve this one would be to use the 4 as a multiple and find the 522 from using the other numbers. I worked out an easy 560 then took off 38 for the 522.

Also got the last solution with the six large (wouldn't have got this in a normal hyper round):

(75*25*5)+100+6+(200/50)

Totally ignored (/didn't see) the bit about taking 10 minutes to do all of them. Having said that, I was only trying the Spoilage ones anyway and several of those took over 10 minutes to get within 10 for them! That said, I'm not very good at maths so I'm quite pleased to get within touching distance of the targets for some of them. I'll leave the exact solutions to the maths geniuses!


~~~SPOILAGE SPOILERRRZ~~~
*
*
*
*
*

452,212,111,694, 4,6,10 (1203): 694 + 452 + (212/4) + 10 - 6 = 1203
241,651,227,503,218,10,6 (9179): ((651 + 503 - 241 + 6) x 10) - 227 + 218 = 9181 [2 away]
780,203,567,881,265,693,8 (5838): (567 x 8) + 881 + 693 - 265 = 5845 [7 away]

I randomly selected the numbers so some may be impossible, I'm sure all the spoilage ones are possible as I rarely see an impossible one

For those people who hate numbers (me), I created I a program that picked letters according to the Countdown distribution and the made 3 rounds for each variant (except Dogfight, Blind and Goatblind), randomly selected using it.I have no idea what the maxes are but some of you should get most of these with ease. Feel free to answer below or say how long your words were or something.

Standard:

RASENAPIB
XALGEPNEL
OGELENOKA

Hyper:

MIDIDTOSINIT
WEJLASCOCDIB
KABEPENOSAGO

Goatdown:

RUTUROKA?
KIPVELLU?
ESEWARAG?

Hypergoat:

RASASNUDANE?
HIMBETNORTE?
CAPEFUTORAT?

Unlimited:

TOSAREF
SLETAGC
ANEDIFU

Hyperunlimited:

RISAPADET
BEFCOSRIH
EDETUNUDU

Junior:

SACEPAT
TPUCERF
IROCEDA

Goat Jnr.:

BEREPO?
JFACAL?
ELEPOH?

Unlimited Jnr.:

SETEV
QDISR
OFETO

Touchdown:

FACEBOHIS
TONRISSAT
IMATENIMU

Hypertouch:

TONIGGUVEMOD
PONMETRIWMAP
QUSUCISOFEPI

Touch Jnr.:

PADAFEJ
DTANORL
IFITEVE

Omelette:

SEH
RUSE
GUHUS

Nasty:

PARIFOJIP
RONSIKVIS
AKIWIYORA

Aegilops:

JA
WOS
ZACE

Spoilage:

FA
FOM
SALU

Lockdown:

NEQABEVAM
LASTUGGAG
REOMITUNI

Hyperlock:

RITATTAPOMEN
WUSPAGZIXPON
LAGOTODUTEBE

Lock Jnr.:

GUSAPAG
LCENIWD
TAEMOME

Octorock:

SAREMEDE
TOTSEHON
ASALEDES

Octolock:

NEPOSOSE
DAJHEXER
TEIDABIW

Duckdown:

REMEG
NWIGIJD
CDENNERRED

Nice:

NOLESENOR
TINPENTOS
ATARISISO

A real pity Apterous is unavailable. For those who would like to try something else, I started to write a book with the help of Charlie's website and practised. found it a great help, it contain pages with the scrambled word and the correct ones on the same page. Great practice to cover up the answers and see how long it takes before you can do each page without error or missing a word. Just though it might help in the meantime but there will be no offence taken if you think it's rubbish. The Stemmers are incomplete at the moment !
Web address is
http://www.mathsireland.com/Countdown/Black_Book.htm

Well, it wasn't down as long as I feared it might be so thank you Charlie!!! Your efforts are appreciated!

While we're here... Conundrums, anyone?

MMACARENA
ILLGETHIM
STEAMBREW
ZAGTEETER
CLEANHOME
HARDWATER
GREATFISH
UREALGIRL
UGETACOLA
IDONTCARE

Johnny Canuck wrote:While we're here... Conundrums, anyone?

MMACARENA
ILLGETHIM
STEAMBREW
ZAGTEETER
CLEANHOME
HARDWATER
GREATFISH
UREALGIRL
UGETACOLA
IDONTCARE

If GREATFISH is what I think it is, then it's not in ODE. Also, shouldn't all of these teasers be in another thread so Charlie doesn't get too many electric shocks?

Johnny Canuck wrote: UGETACOLA

Two solutions.

Thomas Carey wrote:

Johnny Canuck wrote: UGETACOLA

Two solutions.

Very good. Just testing to see if anybody was awake.

Yes.

Most of the site's fine, it's just the game page that isn't working. Chat logs aren't showing the mass exit from the page, they've just kind of... frozen.

Edit: The whole damn thing's down now.

peter lee wrote:A real pity Apterous is unavailable. For those who would like to try something else, I started to write a book with the help of Charlie's website and practised. found it a great help, it contain pages with the scrambled word and the correct ones on the same page. Great practice to cover up the answers and see how long it takes before you can do each page without error or missing a word. Just though it might help in the meantime but there will be no offence taken if you think it's rubbish. The Stemmers are incomplete at the moment !
Web address is
http://www.mathsireland.com/Countdown/Black_Book.htm

Yeah, that's kind of the thing I'm taking to doing at the moment, I take my most missed words and make them into teasers for me to do a few days later when I've forgotten the order of the words, I also look for the obscure 9's as well such as MORATORIA or REFUSENIK, which is always a help if they somehow crop up. Also Anahack is a help too.

David Barnard wrote:

peter lee wrote:A real pity Apterous is unavailable. For those who would like to try something else, I started to write a book with the help of Charlie's website and practised. found it a great help, it contain pages with the scrambled word and the correct ones on the same page. Great practice to cover up the answers and see how long it takes before you can do each page without error or missing a word. Just though it might help in the meantime but there will be no offence taken if you think it's rubbish. The Stemmers are incomplete at the moment !
Web address is
http://www.mathsireland.com/Countdown/Black_Book.htm

Yeah, that's kind of the thing I'm taking to doing at the moment, I take my most missed words and make them into teasers for me to do a few days later when I've forgotten the order of the words, I also look for the obscure 9's as well such as MORATORIA or REFUSENIK, which is always a help if they somehow crop up. Also Anahack is a help too.

Where is Anahack available?

Eoin Monaghan wrote:

David Barnard wrote:

peter lee wrote:A real pity Apterous is unavailable. For those who would like to try something else, I started to write a book with the help of Charlie's website and practised. found it a great help, it contain pages with the scrambled word and the correct ones on the same page. Great practice to cover up the answers and see how long it takes before you can do each page without error or missing a word. Just though it might help in the meantime but there will be no offence taken if you think it's rubbish. The Stemmers are incomplete at the moment !
Web address is
http://www.mathsireland.com/Countdown/Black_Book.htm

Yeah, that's kind of the thing I'm taking to doing at the moment, I take my most missed words and make them into teasers for me to do a few days later when I've forgotten the order of the words, I also look for the obscure 9's as well such as MORATORIA or REFUSENIK, which is always a help if they somehow crop up. Also Anahack is a help too.

Where is Anahack available?

Dan McColm sent it to me, you could maybe ask him, it's really good software and there is some really obscure stuff on there, be aware that it is ODE2 words and some are definitely invalid on the ODE3 wordlist

Another little thing to do while the site is down. I'm going to post a 15 round game here. All specific selections were determined at random using Kountdown, except for the conundrum which was determined by me. Letters will alternate a 3 vowel, 4 vowel, 5 vowel format throughout the game. The formats of the numbers game were determined by me using a randomizer to determine how many larges in each selection, only rule is that I want all three number rounds to be different. Post your score of the game after you're done.

1. EOOSQNFPR
2. WERACEDIG
3. EIUUASMTT
4. RLTAIIBRC
5. 2 4 25 50 75 100 Target: 236
6. MESUREJOP
7. IDOTOBIWI
8. SGOTLECPI
9. VSIOBGAIS
10. 1 6 8 25 50 75 Target: 971
11. EAFRIOFME
12. EEAFTMLHM
13. TEDEDONUD
14. 2 2 9 10 25 75 Target: 851
15. Conundrum: ILOGTOOTS

100 I think.

105

David Barnard wrote:105

missed 2 numbers games, I'm sure they're possible somehow

peter lee wrote:A real pity Apterous is unavailable. For those who would like to try something else, I started to write a book with the help of Charlie's website and practised. found it a great help, it contain pages with the scrambled word and the correct ones on the same page. Great practice to cover up the answers and see how long it takes before you can do each page without error or missing a word. Just though it might help in the meantime but there will be no offence taken if you think it's rubbish. The Stemmers are incomplete at the moment !
Web address is
http://www.mathsireland.com/Countdown/Black_Book.htm

Really good site when apterous is down. Just a word of warning, on "missed 7s" page right on the bottom right...STOGEES isn't valid (STOGIES/EGOISTS is)

I got 101, assuming that BIOGAS (which I declared R9) is invalid. If I'd've stuck with a safe 5, I'd've moved up to 106.

My solution to the first numbers was ((100+75)/25 + 2 + 50)) x 4. I couldn't get the second numbers spot on in 30 secs.

Right, that's my Normal 15-rounder for the month of October out the way...

BIOGAS is valid.

Peter: kudos for doing that book. I just looked at a few pages and a lot of those words are fiendish without being obscure.

Jordan: 94.

Everyone: want to practise stemming but apterous is down? I've made this.

Mark Deeks wrote:BIOGAS is valid.

Ooh, result. Ta.

Graeme Cole wrote:Everyone: want to practise stemming but apterous is down? I've made this.

The name of this made me a-lol.

Crapterous is definitely......well, not crap, very useful and thanks Peter and Graeme for putting some useful stuff on here when apterous has been down. I'll definitely use it as much as I can when apterous goes down

Another Kountdown challenge (khallenge?) for y'all. Enjoy.

R01: G E K C M E I U R
R02: S T O E L S I P E
R03: A D P M E U D U N
R04: N U N J E T U R V
R05: 3, 5, 8, 10, 25, 50. Target: 657.
R06: L I S O C B E A M
R07: G L I A C N O F N
R08: L I E A S T R E G
R09: E I A T G F R H S
R10: 2, 4, 5, 9, 9, 25. Target: 473.
R11: M H N A A O W A T
R12: D E O D S L O A B
R13: O Y S O G I R O W
R14: 1, 2, 4, 4, 6, 7. Target: 302.
R15: C H I M A N Z E E (conundrum)

Max is 138 according to Kountdown's word list, but there may be errors. Notably, certain sources have told me that the niner in round 9 is a no-go. Also, who made up this letters distribution?!?!?!?!

Johnny Canuck wrote:Another Kountdown challenge (khallenge?) for y'all. Enjoy.

R01: G E K C M E I U R
R02: S T O E L S I P E
R03: A D P M E U D U N
R04: N U N J E T U R V
R05: 3, 5, 8, 10, 25, 50. Target: 657.
R06: L I S O C B E A M
R07: G L I A C N O F N
R08: L I E A S T R E G
R09: E I A T G F R H S
R10: 2, 4, 5, 9, 9, 25. Target: 473.
R11: M H N A A O W A T
R12: D E O D S L O A B
R13: O Y S O G I R O W
R14: 1, 2, 4, 4, 6, 7. Target: 302.
R15: C H I M A N Z E E (conundrum)

Max is 138 according to Kountdown's word list, but there may be errors. Notably, certain sources have told me that the niner in round 9 is a no-go. Also, who made up this letters distribution?!?!?!?!

Assuming everything I've done is valid, 95 here. Specific answers in the white print below. I'll also put specific methods for the numbers games next to my answers

1. EMIGRE 2. PISTOLES 3. PUDENDA 4. UNTRUE 5. 658 [50 x (10+3) + 8] 6.SOCIABLE 7. LANCING 8.TRAILS 9.FRIGATES 10. 473 [25 x ((5x4) - (9/9)) - 2] 11. MOAT 12. SADDLE 13. GROWS 14. 301 [((7x4)+ 2) x (6+4) + 1] 15. No idea

122, I think? There's probably some awkward max in r3, 11 and maybe 13, plus the first numbers must be doable somehow.

1. MUCKIER (7) 2. PETIOLES (8) 3. UNMADE (6) 4. UNTRUE (6) 5. 658 - (50*(10 + 3) + 8) (7) 6. SOCIABLE (8) 7. CLONING (7) 8. LITREAGES (18) 9. FRIGATES (8) 10. 473 (25*9 + 9)*2 + 5 (10) 11. WOMAN (5) 12. DOODLES (7) 13. GROWS (5) 14. 302 ((6*7 - 4)*4 - 1)*2 (10) 15. MECHANIZE (10)

118 I think, I got 2 niners but blobbed the last numbers game the 2 9's are POLITESSE in round 2 and LITREAGES in round 8

I'm not joking, you may very well be being attacked by Iran. In the days leading up to the Eurovision Song Contest 2012, held in Azerbaijan (one of Iran's friends), Iran accused Azerbaijan of hosting a "gay pride parade" (homosexuality is illegal in Iran). Consequentially, Iran attacked eurovision.tv and esctoday.com. So, you never know.

Is there a post I'm missing that would offer some context?

Something to do with "gay" in the dictionary?

Ian Volante wrote:Is there a post I'm missing that would offer some context?

Something to do with "gay" in the dictionary?

Charlie is a gay.

Johnny Canuck wrote:Another Kountdown challenge (khallenge?) for y'all. Enjoy.

123.