Puzzle Difficulty

Selecting Difficulty for Built-in Puzzles

Use Menu/Puzzle/Select Difficulty to limit which built-in puzzles are used. This brings up a window with many options to select from.

At the top are two sliders for setting the maximum and minimum difficulty. You can manipulate the sliders with the mouse, or type a number directly in the box. You will not be allowed to set a maximum that is less than the minimum or vice versa.

There is a list of strategies. You can specify to select only puzzles where the strategy is:

• Not Required (puzzle can be solved using other strategies)
• Possible (this strategy can be used somewhere along the line to help solve the puzzle)
• Whatever (no restriction on selecting puzzles)

The first option is useful if you want to avoid certain strategies, for example strategies that you havent learned yet. Or if you simply dont like puzzles that require you to pick trial numbers at some point to find the solution, then you can make sure they dont come up.

The second option is useful if you are learning a new strategy and want more experience with it. For example, selecting puzzles where N-tuplets can be used at least once will ensure you will always have a chance to practice that strategy.

Note that it is possible that no built-in puzzles match your criteria, in which case you are not allowed to save the new settings.

Normally the difficulty selections only apply until the program exits. If you want the new settings to remain the next time you start the program, then click on the box marked "Remember these settings the next time the program starts".

There are several command buttons at the bottom of the window:

• Select All Puzzles: Maximum is set to 100, Minimum is set to 0, and all strategies are set to "Whatever".
• Reset to Program Start Values: all settings are changed to the same value they had when the program was started.
• Done Apply Settings and Exit: the currently entered settings will be used for selecting built-in puzzles
• Cancel Exit Without Changes: close the window without saving any changes. All settings remain the same as they were before the "Select Difficulty" menu item was chosen.

Next: Menu Descriptions