Proposal: Measures to prevent misscrambles

[xsrvmy]

This is just a proposal for several ideas that may reduce the chance for a misscramble:

• Use two slashes or some other indicator to show that a Square-1 is leaving cube shape. #357
• Show the intermediate state after 3x3 scrambling for 4x4.
• Show intermediate state for clock before y2 and/or highlighting the y2.
• (For reducing incidents:) Indicate that a scramble is very easy (eg. 4 moves for 2x2), possibly on the normal scrambles only.

[dancing-jules]

Anyone who scrambles square-1 on a regular basis can tell you very easily when it leaves cubeshape just by looking at the scramble.

Two slashes in particular are a very bad idea - they might suggest to do undo the slash move.

[J-Rohault-dF]

My thoughts on this:

• Don't use 2 slashes, but maybe a pipe (|)? If not, leave it as it is now.
• That would need to separate the 4x4 scrambles into 2 parts. It could be done for all big cubes. For that, I'd suggest putting 2 scrambles states images, with the 1st one being intermediate (not for 6x6 and 7xè, they are too long but they can be misscrambled without too much problems)
• Intermediate state for clock scrambles could be done the same way
• Why not add the minimum number of moves require to solve the scrambled position (at least for small cubes, not for 6x6, 7x7, MMinx and others big ones)?

[ronaldmansveld]

1) I don't see any added value in encoding when a sq-1 leaves cubeshape. I doubt the algs used in TNoodle will even be able to tell when this happens. 2) What is the benefit of having a second image for 4x4? And when do you consider '3x3 scrambling for 4x4' done? Most if not all scrambles will not have all wide moves just at the end of the scramble. 3) I don't see the added benefit for adding intermediate clock state images 4) I'm very much against adding the optimal movecount for a scramble, as it's too easy for this information to leak out when the scrambles are started being used. Also, what's the added benefit of this? Most puzzles will not be solved in optimal move-count to start with, so not sure what you try to achieve with this. How will this reduce incidents?

[xsrvmy]

@ronaldmensvald

2. The move before the first wide move?
3. Agree for this one
4. There was an incident a while ago where a good pyraminxer got a misscramble when he was supposed to get a 6 mover (1.28 scramble).

[dancing-jules]

The point where square-1 leaves cubeshape is rather easy to tell, it's the second time that one of the numbers is and one isn't divisible by 3 (except for the very rare case where it leaves cubeshape immediately).

Example:

(4,0) / (5,-4) / (1,-2) / (0,-3) / (3,0) / (3,0) / (-4,0) / (-3,-3) / (-2,-1) / (0,-2) / (4,0) / (1,-2)

(4,0) is the beginning of the scramble - 0 is divisible by 3; 4 isn't - this initial AUDF brings the puzzle into a position where cubeshape is preserved - sometimes called "alignment"

For the rest of the first line either both or neither number is divisible by 3.

(-4,0) is the move that brings the puzzle out of alignment: 0 is divisible by 3; -4 isn't. The following / then brings the square-1 out of cubeshape.

[jfly]

If we decide to implement this for sq1 and 444, then I think it would be enough to represent this with a newline between the phases of the scramble.

[ronaldmansveld]

What if 4x4 starts with a wide move?

On Wed, 24 Oct 2018, 1:23 am Jeremy Fleischman, notifications@github.com wrote:

If we decide to implement this for sq1 and 444, then I think it would be enough to represent this with a newline between the phases of the scramble.

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[campos20]

I don't think this is very helpful. If this is trivial to program, then ok. Otherwise, a sq-1 miscramble would add perhaps 1,5 minute in a competition (10s to realize, 40 s for a slow solve, 30s to scramble again). 4x4 would take a bit longer.

[xsrvmy]

What if 4x4 starts with a wide move? … On Wed, 24 Oct 2018, 1:23 am Jeremy Fleischman, @.***> wrote: If we decide to implement this for sq1 and 444, then I think it would be enough to represent this with a newline between the phases of the scramble. — You are receiving this because you commented. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#365 (comment)>, or mute the thread https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AATRSWgUidg4WiWya_yfAT2ESnIxvlO9ks5un7MYgaJpZM4Vy1av .

The 4x4 scrambler reduces to 3x3 so that shouldn't happen.

[xsrvmy]

I don't think this is very helpful. If this is trivial to program, then ok. Otherwise, a sq-1 miscramble would add perhaps 1,5 minute in a competition (10s to realize, 40 s for a slow solve, 30s to scramble again). 4x4 would take a bit longer.

Yeah. It's more useful on 4 just because solving a misscrambled 3x3 stages is a lot faster. Not very helpful for sq1 at all (other than avoiding parity).