Very weird game behavior

[groston]

I have a new Pixel 7 phone and two game programs on it are behaving VERY oddly. The games in question are Classic Words (basically Scrabble) and Unscramble Letters (which finds Scrabble words from letters).

The problem with Classic Words is that it is playing combinations of letters which are not words, see http://pairofdocs.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/ClassicWordsErrors.jpg. The five combinations of letters ‘circled’ are not English words. Why the heck is the program playing them?

The problem with Unscramble Letters is that it is completely screwing up the values. In this example http://pairofdocs.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/UnscrambleLettersError.png, the proper values for the words are: redub 8, bedu 7, brede 8, breed 8, burd 7, drub 7, etc. How on earth can it be getting the values wrong?

I am particularly puzzled because both programs ran just fine on my Pixel 3XL. What can I do to make these work properly?

 

[mikedt]

I have a new Pixel 7 phone and two game programs on it are behaving VERY oddly. The games in question are Classic Words (basically Scrabble) and Unscramble Letters (which finds Scrabble words from letters).

The problem with Classic Words is that it is playing combinations of letters which are not words, see http://pairofdocs.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/ClassicWordsErrors.jpg. The five combinations of letters ‘circled’ are not English words. Why the heck is the program playing them?

If you search those words on Google, they seem to be valid English words, e.g. ANOBIIDS are a species of beetle, and WAUGHTS are large draughts of liquid. Although EAUX is a French word, the plural form of EAU, meaning water. But it is used in English, e.g. eau de cologne, a type of perfume.

The problem with Unscramble Letters is that it is completely screwing up the values. In this example http://pairofdocs.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/UnscrambleLettersError.png, the proper values for the words are: redub 8, bedu 7, brede 8, breed 8, burd 7, drub 7, etc. How on earth can it be getting the values wrong?

I am particularly puzzled because both programs ran just fine on my Pixel 3XL. What can I do to make these work properly?

No ideas. I've never used this app. Maybe try enquiring with the devs?

 

[groston]

I searched for the words on dictionary.com, but they were not found. I do wonder how legit they really are...

 

[mikedt]

Because dictionary.com doesn't have every word that's in the English language, Also it might be more focussed towards American English, because when I checked a certain noun, it only gave the offensive American definition, and not the British food item definition. You also have to look at other lexicons, like Collins, Oxford, Mirriam Webster, etc.

FYI the Classic Words app is using Collins Scrabble Words or the NASPA Word List as its authority, and NOT dictionary.com . If you were playing in a Scrabble championship, they'd likely be either using Collins or NASPA(if in America) to determine if a word was allowed or not.

 

[mikedt]

I am particularly puzzled because both programs ran just fine on my Pixel 3XL. What can I do to make these work properly?

I think I know what's happened with your Classic Words on the phones now, and why it seems be playing words you think are not English words. Check you've got your desired word list option selected.

1: SOWPODS, is Collins, which is really for British English.
2: NWL20, is NASPA, which is really for American English.

The fact it shows a UK flag for both, might make it rather ambiguous.

 

[mikedt]

The problem with Unscramble Letters is that it is completely screwing up the values. In this example http://pairofdocs.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/UnscrambleLettersError.png, the proper values for the words are: redub 8, bedu 7, brede 8, breed 8, burd 7, drub 7, etc. How on earth can it be getting the values wrong?

As for Unscramble Letters giving different values to what you're expecting. Check you've got your desired language selected, as various language letter-sets have different points distributions depending on the language.

 

[groston]

As for Unscramble Letters giving different values to what you're expecting. Check you've got your desired language selected, as various language letter-sets have different points distributions depending on the language.

mikedt - Where do I look to make sure the proper language is set? Settings -> System -> Languages & input -> Languages is set to English (United States)

 

[groston]

In a recent game, the phone played the combination of letters: SLIVING. When I tried to find this word, using Scrabble Word Finder | Official Scrabble Players Dictionary, it was not found...

 

[mikedt]

In a recent game, the phone played the combination of letters: SLIVING. When I tried to find this word, using Scrabble Word Finder | Official Scrabble Players Dictionary, it was not found...

SLIVING is valid Scrabble word if using the British English word list, i.e. SOWPODS/CSW Scrabble UK / International.

sliving - Dictionary Checker - Scrabble Word Finder

scrabblewordfinder.org

But it isn't in the American English Merriam-Webster Scrabble word list.

I believe SLIVING is one of those new words that's sometimes added to the Oxford English Dictionary, along with things like GLAMPING or DEEPFAKE

 

[mikedt]

mikedt - Where do I look to make sure the proper language is set? Settings -> System -> Languages & input -> Languages is set to English (United States)

It's in the game itself. In the Classic Words, you tap on the gear icon top right, Solo Mode, word list options, with the various country flags.

Unscramble Letters I don't know for sure, I've never played that one. But it could be it's only using British English word lists.