###
#
# this sub was originally separated out so i could try averages vs. 
# weighting the averages toward the most recent game.
# i chose to weight them because it won't allow any one game to be too hard.

sub game {
  my $historic = shift;

  my $game = score;

  return (($historic+$game)/2);
}

###  the meta game itself.
#
# basically, each round you are trying to keep your (weighted) average score above 
# the target (set at the start of the metagame, and incremented with each game).
# $spares is the number of games you can "do over";
# pretend that didn't happen and play that game again.

sub meta {
  my ($historic, $target, $spares) = @_;
  my $games = 0;
  my $archive = 0;

  do {
    {
      $archive = $historic;
      ($historic) = game($historic);
      if ($historic < $target and $spares) {
        --$spares;
        $historic = $archive;
        redo;
        }
      }
    } while (++$games and $historic > $target and ++$target);

  return ($archive, --$target, $games);
}