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Scrabble Needs a New Scoring System

Posted by Soulskill on from the and-anagram-generator-detection dept.

innocent_white_lamb writes "A researcher says that some letters are over valued and some are under-valued in Scrabble, due to recent changes to the lists of allowable words. Z and X are now much easier to play and should be worth less, while U, M and G should be worth more than they are now. Joshua Lewis wrote a program to re-calculate the value of each letter to better reflect the current usage. The co-president of the North American Scrabble Players Association says that he often hears criticism of Scrabble's scoring system, but any change would bring about 'catastrophic outrage'. A spokesman for Mattel says that they have no plans to change the game."

7 of 202 comments (clear)

  1. Public Outrage? by ButchDeLoria · · Score: 5, Funny

    What are they gonna do, send them a letter?

  2. It doesn't matter by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It is a game, the iportant thing is that everyone is playing by the same rules. Sure, if you were to develop scrabble today, it might be nice to adjust the values of the letters to reduce the element of chance in the game, but now there is insufficient reason to go and change it. It woudl still have been ok if every letter had the same value.

  3. Re:Why not just version the Rules? by Mike+Buddha · · Score: 5, Funny

    Scrabble: The Collectible Tile Game!

    You bring your own tiles and devise a set that gives you optimal word options. And the loser is banished from the land of Dominaria.

    --
    by Mike Buddha -- Someday the mountain might get him, but the law never will.
  4. Damn.... my bad for not RTFA... by mark-t · · Score: 5, Informative
    Okay, yes. Mattel *DOES* make Scrabble... but only *outside* North America.

    Considering the second-last sentence in the summary just mentioned the "North American Scrabble Players Association" right before Mattel, I trust you can understand my confusion. The article clarifies the point by noting that Mattel make Scrabble in Europe.

    --
    File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'
  5. See these letters as 'bonus' and 'penalty' by G3ckoG33k · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Many games have these, 'bonus' and 'penalty', and Scrabble appears to be one of them.

    It is part of the game and Mattel has no reason to change their rules.

  6. It's a game by Overzeetop · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If you don't like it, go get yourself some wood putty and a sharpie and make the letters whatever value you damned well please.

    --
    Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?
  7. Scrabble...? by snarfies · · Score: 5, Funny

    What is that, some kind of ripoff of Words With Friends?