I don't remember who suggested we try Freecell game #617...

[driver8]

but I am cursing you.

I finally got it!! It only took me two days and about 4 hours...I tried everything I could think of!

I think the game finally felt sorry for me and let me win. :argh:

[pinniped]

1. It was me.

:hi:

I finished it twice earlier today.

Did you attack the right column first?

[hfojvt]

2. it's winnable?

What a cop-out. There are several which are not winnable at all. At least there used to be. They might have gotten rid of them when they upgraded. My brother met this old guy who was part of this group of retired guys who were trying to play and win every game of freecell. They could not win this one, and my brother, bless him, thought I could. I tried for an hour or so before figuring it was hopeless.

I quit playing freecell though when I found spider. I was winning 92% of my games and it was kinda boring.

[pinniped]

3. I read that #11982 is impossible and only a computer can solve it.

Here's my #617 screen cap:

[hfojvt]

5. only a computer?

I refuse to accept that. If it is winnable, I should be able to win it too. A computer would solve it faster no doubt, but I should be able to do it.
#617 took me five tries partly because I was lured in by your advice of running the right column. I ran the diamonds instead and it was a cakewalk. Then I started to play my game of 'put as many cards up as I can before the computer finishes the game.'
That's another thing I never liked about freecell. I want to finish the games I have won. That's my victory lap and the computer takes it away. It's like hitting a grand slam and just going back to the dugout and sitting down. Screw that. I wanna run the bases - and slowly.

[driver8]

10. You are absolutely right about the diamonds -- once I had those going

the rest of the game "fell into place."

Five tries?? I am impressed!!

I hate that the computer finishes the game for you, also. I wonder why they did that?

[EvolveOrConvolve]

8. Game #11982 is statistically impossible

Even for a computer.

[Rabrrrrrr]

12. Ahhh, it's not impossible. I used to bullseye womp rats in my T16 back home.

They're not much bigger than 2 meters.

[crispini]

18. .

:spray:

[RevCheesehead]

19. And that was before you found The Force.

:rofl:

[Rabrrrrrr]

21. AND I did it with my head up my ass!

[RevCheesehead]

23. Sadly, you often do things that way.

:P

:hide:

[Rabrrrrrr]

24. At least I'm not Methodist.

:eyes:



:hide:

[Goblinmonger]

25. Oh, SNAP n/t

[Rabrrrrrr]

26. I toasted her! I toasted her good!!

[RevCheesehead]

27. Big deal.

EVERYONE has had a toasted cheese sandwich. :eyes:

[Blue_Tires]

28. i'm so sorry i read that one line

i've been trying for an hour so far

[redqueen]

13. spider medium or spider hard?

or is it called 'difficult'?

i forget, but it's too frustrating for me that's for sure, whatever it's called.

[hfojvt]

16. I got hooked on Spider difficult for a while

I was determined to win a game. It took me 80 some tries, but I finally did, and the time I spent playing difficult seemed to make medium a little easier. My winning percentage in difficult is now 33% (only because I lost my hard drive I have won one out of 3 games. I don't play any more though. Don't wanna bring my percentage down.) Easy, otoh, is too easy. My record there is about 8-0.

[redqueen]

17. yeah, easy is way too easy

medium is just right. i gave up difficult after some 50 odd tries.

impressive that you actually won!

[driver8]

4. I attacked EVERY column first.

The thing is, I don't even remember how I finally finished it.

That is a tough one.

[jobycom]

14. I don't remember exactly what I did, but

I know I went after the left first, then began as many counter-intuitive methods as a could, including stacking everything on the Diamond Ace and working the black aces first. That's what worked, though I couldn't tell you the exact order. When I get stuck in the game, I start trying to stack cards instead of lay down aces. Usually shakes something loose.

[TOhioLiberal]

6. 11982 is impossible.

...I have a freecell game that has a 'show me how to win/is it winnable?' option. You can have it tell you step by step how to win it, or just whether it's winnable or not. 11982 is not winnable.

[Zavulon]

34. It's actually impossible even if you have a fifth free cell, too. (NT)

[azmouse]

7. And here I thought I was the only one addicted to that silly game!

:woohoo: I'm not alone!!

[EvolveOrConvolve]

9. If you want a real challenge

try game #-1 (yes, negative one).

[Rabrrrrrr]

11. Cool! There is a -1!

Took me almost a minute to solve it.




:P

[Ikonoklast]

20. Or -2

Just looked, there is a negative 2, too.

[EvolveOrConvolve]

30. I think they go up to -32,500 (or thereabouts)

All that the "game number" is used for is as a random number seed, and the developers of the original Windows Freecell used a 16 bit integer which allows for about 65 thousand possibilities. Some of those possibilities are negative numbers. Over half the games were "hidden" because Freecell asks for a positive number.

[Ikonoklast]

31. Nope

Haven't found any past -2. Doesn't mean they aren't there somewhere, I just can't find any more with a random search.

[EvolveOrConvolve]

33. Damn, you're right

I was just reading about this on another message board, and didn't think to test it. The thing is, these games are available, but Freecell won't let them be played.

[Blue_Tires]

29. wow....just wow

[Left Is Write]

15. I think I'm going to have to play that one.

[hyphenate]

22. Which version?

The freecell that comes with windows? I'm a master at freecell with 100% wins.

[RebelOne]

32. Go to Pogo.com and you can play Freecell for a cash prize. n/t