Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What are "evolvers" and "soloists"?
A: The evolver rankings are for people who have worked on solutions shared with other people, and improved them. The soloist rankings are for people who have worked on their solutions alone.
Q: What are "global points"?
A: When a puzzle closes, the players will be assigned global points based on their rank in the puzzle. The points you receive for a puzzle will be added to your current global point total. Your global point total will determine your overall rank on the site. Each puzzle is worth up to 100 points, the current formula is: Points = Max(1, RoundUp( 1 - (Rank - 1)/(NumPlayers - 1) )^7 ) * 100). This may change in the future.
Q: Why do some puzzles have "Beginner", or something like "(<150)", in their name?
A: These puzzles are the same as the puzzle with the same name and nothing extra in the name. However, these puzzles can only be played by players with below a certain number of global points.
Q: How do I connect to the global and group chats outside of the game?
A: The chat is actually an IRC server running on game.bakerlab.org. You can join the global chat (#global) without registering for now, but group chats are restricted. To join them, create a new account (a suggested name is myname_irc), join the group with it, and use the IRC nick and IRC key given on your user page. You can find the group channel name on the group page.
To authenticate to the IRC server, once you have joined, send a message to NickServ with the format: identify <irc-key>
Troubleshooting
Q: The game starts but the graphics look incorrect in some way.
A: Reducing hardware acceleration can often fix problems like this. Here's how:
Using Windows XP:
Right click on the desktop and choose the "Properties" menu item.
Choose the "Settings" tab.
Click the "Advanced" button.
Choose the "Troubleshoot" tab.
Drag the "Hardware Acceleration" slider to "Disable all but basic accelerations."
Q: I am unable to log in, I have tried many times and keep getting error messages.
A: Please don't skip client updates, even if you just downloaded the game. Start Foldit and let it update, then try again.
Q: I am unable to log in, I have tried many times and keep getting error messages.
A: You may need to use a proxy. Here's how to check:
Using Firefox:
Click the "Tools" menu.
Select the "Options..." menu item.
Choose the "Advanced" button (the one with a gear by it).
Choose the "Network" tab.
Click the "Settings..." button in the "Connections" box.
See if there is anything in the "Configure Proxies" box.
Using Internet Explorer:
Click the "Tools" button (the one with a gear by it).
Choose "Internet Options" from the menu that comes up.
Click the "Connections" tab.
Click the "LAN settings" button.
See if there's anything in the "Proxy Server" box.
If there is proxy information set, you will need to enter it in the game.
On the login screen, check the "Connect using proxy" box.
Enter the proxy information you found above in the format [url]:[port].
Try to log in.
Q: How do I delete my account?
A: Go to your homepage, click Edit Settings, then scroll down and press Delete.
