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Grading a Puzzle

 
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daj95376



Joined: 23 Aug 2008
Posts: 3854

PostPosted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 3:42 am    Post subject: Grading a Puzzle Reply with quote

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!

Am I the only one who thinks the above is so much BS Question

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

PostPosted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 4:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

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

PostPosted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 7:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

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.

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

PostPosted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 4:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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. Wink
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ttt



Joined: 06 Dec 2008
Posts: 42
Location: vietnam

PostPosted: Fri Jan 02, 2009 4:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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

PostPosted: Mon Jan 05, 2009 12:38 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

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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