New record - 184 seconds!

[bobistheowl]

Yesterday, I completed the Expert level, (99 mines), of the Windows game Minesweeper in 184 seconds, 9 seconds better than my previous best time. It's still a great game, especially when played for fastest time, because it relies on logical decisions and precision with the mouse, but there is also a large element of chance.

The board isn't very big, and the game window can't be maximized, but the game window can be made bigger by lowering the screen area/screen resolution in the Desktop properties. I don't do that, because I have too many desktop icons, and it rearranges them if you change the screen resolution back and forth.

Not all Minesweeper games are equally difficult, but I consider anything under 220 seconds to be very good at the Expert level, and under 200 to be exceptional.

 

[a 1 player]

That is impressive.

 

[thirdtime]

I'm hooked on Minesweeper too.
I play a custom size of 24 x 30 with 185 mines. My best time is 236.
I was so happy, I did a screen capture of it!

 

[bobistheowl]

That is impressive.

In the standard 16x30 array for expert level, there are 480 squares, of which 99 are mines, so there are .206 mines per square. In your custom 24x30 array, there are 720 squares with 185 mines, so there are .257 mines per square, or almost exactly 25% more mines per square.

If my time of 184 seconds is increased by 25%, it would be 230 seconds, but there are many more decisions to be made in the larger grid, and there is greater jeopardy in avoiding any one mine, so the times are very similar, when all things are considered. Well done.

 

[Radio_Shack]

I know exactly how you feel. I remember the days on end I would play Space Assault on my TRS80 Color Computer I with featured 16KB of ram.

http://www.computercloset.org/TRS-80ColorComputer1.htm

Man, those were the days. No blue screens of death and no virus to bug you.

 

[OnTheWayOut]

from the thread's title I thought you set a new record for trying to overcome premature ejaculation or sumthin ...... but I can relate, you bested me by 2 seconds, my best is 186 ..... congrats!

 

[MuffinMuncher]

You guys need to get out more.

They have this new invention.... its called "women".... you should try one.

 

[OnTheWayOut]

You guys need to get out more.

They have this new invention.... its called "women".... you should try one.

why stop at one? there's so many of them! some of us can do both, it's really not too tough

 

[basketcase]

Sadly, I've been able to reach 166. Not much else to do I guess.

(started playing again this month while waiting for slow players on pokerstars)

 

[bobistheowl]

You guys need to get out more.

They have this new invention.... its called "women".... you should try one.

And I'm sure there was a woman on your lap for each of your 3,340 posts.

 

[C Dick]

The thing about minesweeper, is that you can get a really fast time by taking chances. Yes, you might blow up, but then you just play again and take chances again, until you win. I find that 99% of the clicks are obvious, then every so often there is a decision, where you either take the 50/50 chance, or you work it another way, from another place, etc. It would be interesting to know what the percent of games won versus lost for good and fast players is.

 

[British Man]

You guys need to get out more.

They have this new invention.... its called "women".... you should try one.

Could not have said it better. Than again, Muffin Muncher spends about 94% of his life on Terb, but I guess he deems this productive.

 

[spatial_k]

My record for the big minesweeper is 68 seconds. Fuck is that ever sad.

 

[pizzaboo]

I know exactly how you feel. I remember the days on end I would play Space Assault on my TRS80 Color Computer I with featured 16KB of ram.

http://www.computercloset.org/TRS-80ColorComputer1.htm

Man, those were the days. No blue screens of death and no virus to bug you.

I always loved Megabug on my TRS color !

Boo

 

[chica69]

my best time is 111 seconds.
What I do not like about it--and it may blow the theory of Minesweeper being a 'logical' game is that more often than not, you are required to make a 'guess' as to which tile contains the mine or not. To me, this usually happens at the end when I have only 2 tiles left and only 1 mine with either tile a viable option.
In the end, you can try to use logic, determine a pattern or flip a coin but there really is no skill involved in guessing.

 

[bobistheowl]

my best time is 111 seconds.

Is that for Intermediate, (40 mines), or Expert, (99 mines). 111 seconds for 40 mines isn't very fast. 111 for 99 mines would be difficult for Data from Star Trek TNG.

 

[chica69]

Is that for Intermediate, (40 mines), or Expert, (99 mines). 111 seconds for 40 mines isn't very fast. 111 for 99 mines would be difficult for Data from Star Trek TNG.

that would be for 99 mines

my best times were 142 140 138 126 111

closest since then on numerous occasions was 113

 

[bobistheowl]

That's incredible.

 

[C Dick]

That's incredible.

Yes it is. There are about 500 squares, that is almost as fast as I can click, let alone any thinking. I was able to complete less than half the board in 120 seconds, going really fast.

 

[Egor]

I'm addicted to minesweeper as well.

My best score on the big board is 121 seconds, set a year ago in January. I've gotten down to the high 120's since then. I've caught on to a few tricks and "logical moves," but there still seems to be a large element of luck. After playing countless games, I'm still trying to look "deeper" into the board, looking for more tricks that might get me an even lower score.

I'm wondering though if there might be a certain low score where it will be physically impossible to get a lower score. I mean, you can only click a mouse so often within a given length of time, right? At some point, even if you could locate all the mines, you wouldn't be able to go any faster.