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daj95376
Joined: 23 Aug 2008
Posts: 3854
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 Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 3:42 am Post subject: Grading a Puzzle |
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| DailySudoku wrote: | Q7. How are the puzzles graded?/Why did I find today's very hard puzzle easy?
The grading is based on the logic steps required to solve the puzzle. The requirement to use any of a number of pre-defined logic steps makes a puzzle hard, and needing "hard" logic more than a few times makes a puzzle very hard. Of course, difficulty is subjective. One person may find a particular type of logic easy, while another finds it really difficult. There are often only a relatively small number of "choke" points in even a very hard puzzle. If you happen to spot the "hard" steps quickly, then you'll fly through!
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Am I the only one who thinks the above is so much BS 
My Question: What constitutes a VH puzzle ... and ... How many "choke" points are too many?
I'm asking this so that I can provide puzzles more challenging than the VH from DailySudoku while not making them too difficult. |
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Marty R.
Joined: 12 Feb 2006
Posts: 5770
Location: Rochester, NY, USA
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| Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 4:53 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | I'm asking this so that I can provide puzzles more challenging than the VH from DailySudoku while not making them too difficult. |
Well, the VHs here are all supposed to be solvable with the use of X-, XY- and XYZ-Wings.
I would think knowing that would help you devise puzzles that are more challenging.
But without knowing anything about grading puzzles, I suspect it's a thankless task. I just did an Outlaw from Paul's Pages that required one easy-to-spot W-Wing and it took 10-15 minutes. Other puzzles of that rating are extremely difficult.
Of course, I've had the same experience with puzzles from every source I've used. Apparently it's something that goes with the territory. |
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daj95376
Joined: 23 Aug 2008
Posts: 3854
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| Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 7:12 am Post subject: |
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| Marty R. wrote: | Well, the VHs here are all supposed to be solvable with the use of X-, XY- and XYZ-Wings.
I would think knowing that would help you devise puzzles that are more challenging.
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Many of my original puzzle submissions were solvable with 3-4 of the techniques you listed. What I recall getting for solutions were: chains, M-Wings, W-Wings, extended W-Wings, extended XY-Wings, transported wings, and URs beyond Type 1. I don't recall getting many replies saying that anyone had solved them using VH techniques. So, I started creating harder puzzles to reduce the number of single-stepper solutions.
Recently, I did an about-face and created the Set M series of puzzles that could be solved with basics or basics+ techniques. That set didn't get much interest, so I abandoned it.
I'm taking a break and rethinking where to go from here. |
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Marty R.
Joined: 12 Feb 2006
Posts: 5770
Location: Rochester, NY, USA
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| Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 4:50 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | I'm taking a break and rethinking where to go from here. |
I guess, then, it's back to Menneske, Vanhegan, et al., who I've been neglecting while you've been churning out puzzles.  |
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ttt
Joined: 06 Dec 2008
Posts: 42
Location: vietnam
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| Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2009 4:23 pm Post subject: |
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Hi Danny,
Your puzzles..., I think that it should be more... about SE 8.0 to 9.0...
BTW, the presenting by Eureka!/AIC notations sometimes is better...?
ttt |
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daj95376
Joined: 23 Aug 2008
Posts: 3854
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| Posted: Mon Jan 05, 2009 12:38 am Post subject: |
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Basics: Naked/Hidden Single, Naked Pair/Triple, Locked Candidate 1/2
Basics+: Naked Quad, Hidden Pair/Triple/Quad
VH: BUG+1, UR Type 1, X-Wing, XY-Wing
Advanced: 2-String Kite, Empty Rectangle, Skyscraper, UR Type 2, XYZ-Wing
Extreme: finned X-Wing, M-Wing, W-Wing, XY-Chain
Extreme+: Swordfish, Jellyfish, (but mostly) Chain |
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