Mahjongg Toy Chest

[brenfore]

I was doing really well with this game up until the last two or three weeks but now I can't seem to clear a board to save my life. Has anyone else noticed this being more difficult or is it just me, have I just lost my touch?

[gestawoman]

You are right Mahjongg Toy Chest really has become more difficult. Like you, I used to clear the board. Now, I try and try and it just never happens. I think that as we grow better in a game, the program automatically becomes harder. If you look at WorldWinner they try to "match" you with others of your skill levels. That sounds fair, but it gets more complicated since you may decide upon easy, medium, or hard games. I don't get it. I used to love to play Zuma, but after I got really good at it, I can't win even the "easy competitions"...seems like a trick and it's sure not a treat to play anymore.

[squishmar]

I don't know... I think I just go through bad patches of getting "dealt" unlucky boards. I play Toy Chest but with that it really depends on what configuration you get... I do great with Snake and Twin Peaks and one other one but there are four or five that I'm just awful at. But besides the set-up, you sometimes aren't dealt a winning board anyway. My main game is Mahjongg Alchemy and I place in the Top 7 on the leaderboard every day.... it has five different "levels" or set-ups that you go through for each game. Some games are just set-up to score high. Some aren't. I can clear a board but get a low score depending on what tiles are available to remove. Some days I secure my spot in the top 3 for the day with one game... other days, I have to really work at it and play over and over again.

In other words, no matter how skilled you are in a game, there's an element of luck (and patience) with them all too. With Alchemy, it's no problem because if I know I've been "dealt" a low-scoring game, I discard it and start again. With Toy Chest, it's not quite that simple since it costs 10 oodles. With that one, I just make sure I have enough to rank on the leaderboard and then hope for a Crazy Eight spot!

[brenfore]

I never considered the rank issue but I think you may be right Gestawoman. I just know that I would consistently get 10100 to 10500 every day and now am lucky to get 8500 to 9500. I also agree with you Squish that what boards you get is key. I've noticed that I'm given more unlucky boards, oftentimes getting the same "bad" board two or three times in a row. There are some boards I have never done well on, know I'm not going to have a good score, and discard it which does get pricy with each game costing 10 oodles. Even though I'm not doing as well as I was before, I still like the game. I wish I could get into some of the other Mahjongg games but I just don't do well at them at all; I don't seem to do very well with symbols. That's why I like Toy Chest, it's pictures instead of symbols and I'm able to pick up the matches much easier and quicker.

[squishmar]

Maybe pratice on Alchemy and try to get better... they aren't nearly as "symbol"-like as regular Mahjongg. And some of them are pictures of moons and suns and dragons... And with the symbols... well, I associate them with things and call them that in my mind... there's one that reminds me of a menorrah and there's another that's a straight-up heart and so on. A few of the levels in Alchemy are similar to some of the boards in Toy Chest. Level three is very much like the Snake in Toy Chest... all spread out (and easy!). Then there's another that's almost identical to Twin Peaks. Two separate blocks of tiles built up the same way. There are others too. Those are the ones I do well at because I'm used to those strategies from playing Alchemy. Just try a few games a night and with practice, you can get good I'm sure. And they're free!

[gestawoman]

Sqishmar, Do you have a leader board for alchemy? I thought it was only on the paid games, but sure you can still play for free. I just wondered if you see anything different when you sign in, that's all. One player said that he had a "regional" game and was able to get on the leaderboards because it wasn't available to everyone. Brenfore, have you heard of these "regional" games. I always thought we all signed into the same gsn, but I tried his link, and it worked. I was able to grab some oodles on that leaderboard. Doesn't seem quite fair though, does it. If gsn allows regional sponsors for local players only, that really limits our oddling....well, it does give some a better advantage. I never see any of these "regional" games when I sign in to gsn. Does anyone else? I have more fun with the games on MSN, but I guess I like the oodles. I do not like it that we don't have more "buy it now" prizes. I don't think any player does. We used to have such better choices. I don't think they will come back since Sony, (I hear) now has control of MSN. They certainly have better markets in PS3 and other electronics. Their site is fun, but it works much better if you get their credit card... NOT!

[squishmar]

Oh yes... there's a leaderboard on Alchemy. It's how I get the majority of my oodles. I've been playing that game for years. Actually, I played for a long while and didn't do the oodles thing for several months at first and missed out on a lot of oodles. I just didn't realize what it was. I always place in the top 8 and usually in the top 5. I don't keep playing after I know I'm set for at least the top 5 because the oodles aren't worth as much anymore so I don't kill myself to get the extra 100 or so oodles for the top spot. I used to play and play and play and would always get in the top three spots. I'm just not as motivated now as I used to be.

The regional games are golden. Really, really cool. There was one that I had learned about that was not from my area and it netted me about 1,000 extra oodles a week with barely any effort at all. The leaderboards are just really much easier to place on. But, unfortunately, that one ended this week.

I think ALL areas have them... just different ones. I have a regional game in my area going on right now that I play every day. You may have one too. They are advertised on the main page on a little strip next to where it says "Ways To Win Today". And also, on the side of games I play in the window on the right. You may just think they are advertisements but they say 'Play Now' and it's a real GSN game with a leaderboard.

[Loveless6]

I play toy chest all the time but one thing that I feel is not right is they give you a certain time to play and the time runs out before you even finish even though I still have moves to make. I don't mind when I am out of moves but I have had more move lots of time left and it kicks me off but I still play even when I don't win oodles. I just waant to play until the time is over. thanks

[squishmar]

Loveless, have you not read the tips about stopping the clock? Whenever you get those penguin dolls lined up on the right hand side, you can pass your mouse over one of them and the clock stops! However, if you match two guitars, the clock will start-up and can't be stopped again. This helps tremedously and you should always be able to see the game through to its conclusion (whether you clear the board or not).

[TeriJSmith]

I love Alchemy, but can't get through a game anymore because of the drop down ads from above. They just keep building and building and you can't play. Do they show on your screen? This last week I have been blocked from playing the game and missed a lot of oodles. Can't X them, they just keep multiplying. I am about done with the GSN site if this keeps up. I was going to start the cash competitions, but I won't take a chance now. I was really loving this site, guess its time to do other things.

[brenfore]

Gestawoman, I've only heard of the regional games recently when people mentioned keybank on the message board. Squishmar posted the link and I've been playing it even though I've had trouble with it; I average 30 to 35 oodles a day. I just wish it worked properly cause I think I could do much better at it and place higher on the leaderboard. Squishmar, I was wondering if Alchemy has any scoring bonuses like Toy Chest, i.e. 4 symbols in a row, 4 on the same tower, all the bears in a row, etc. I did play a couple of games and it did feel familiar because the figuration of the boards was the same. The main problem I have with Alchemy is that some of the tiles are very similar, especially the ones that look like a lot of squiggly lines.

[squishmar]

That's really too bad, Teri... I hope they get these problems fixed soon. It's absurd that it's so rampant on so many games! Yeah, not at all a great advertisement for the World Winners site... You definitely wouldn't want problems if you were playing for cash!

brenfore... I'm embarrassed to admit this, but after probably 3 years of playing Alchemy I'm still not 100% positive how it scores precisely. I do know some things though... there are seven different values for the tile types...ranging from 7 points (for the ones with the pink pictures) to 1 point (for the red symbols). I know that the scoring is on a graded scale so you get the most points earliest in the round. Therefore, it's best to knock off the highest valued ones as soon as you can and save the lower ones for later on. I don't even think time is an issue... you have 15 minutes to complete the five levels but I really dont' think speed counts during each round. Not sure about whether clearing many of a group counts for more either. LOL. It's ridiculous that I don't know considering that I do very well at it... I sure do wish GSN would provide more information on all the games regarding HOW to play and scoring rules. Like I said, with the symbols, I just have my own names for them... whatever they resemble to ME. I do understand how they're difficult to distinguish from... I can't play regular Mahjongg well because the Chinese characters are all too similar to me.

[mixter99]

I the same thing has been happening to me, brenfore. Also, when you shuffle the cubes with 2 guitars some of the cubes stay in the same place. I never noticed this before and its the kind of thing I would notice. Oh well, I play it 2 or 3 times every day since it is an "8's" leaderboard game so i might get a maga oodle reward just for placing in any of the 8's positions no matter how badly i do. It's still worth it.

[squishmar]

On Toy Chest, it seems like you get more of the penguin trophies (worth various points) when you are NOT frozen on the clock. Am I imagining this? Also, although it's tempting to wait as long as possible to play the guitars, sometimes I need to sacrifice the time on the clock for strategy purposes because I need the tiles shuffled or I won't be able to complete the board.

I know I'm done for if I get "The Harp" or "Stairmaster". Can't finish those to save my life.

[flora1941]

Squishmar, I know that Mahjohng Alchemy is your favorite game, it literally hurts my eys and I have a lot of problems with it. It gives me a headache, and my eyes start blurring, it is only with Alchemy and Toy Chest. I don't know why this happens, but I shudder when it is the promo game. I make myself play it though, just for the oodles. So, I usually play the other games, and admittedly, I am not doing real well with them. But, they are fun. I am lucky to get through the 3rd level.