One-Answer WCA Competition and Regulations Question Thread

[bobthegiraffemonkey]

The regs seem to suggest this isn't allowed, but I don't see what the issue would be and I would like some advice since it would be useful for finding insertions.

Fewest moves:
E3a) Paper and pens (both supplied by judge).

So, if I bring a stickerless cube and a sharpie pen (which I've tested on the inside of the cube and it seems to wipe off very easily), I wouldn't be allowed to use that pen to write on the cube, since it wasn't supplied by the judge? I get why you might want to enforce the paper being supplied by the judge, but not the pens.

 

[mafergut]

If "oriented" is having U/D colors on U/D corners, the number of clockwise twists minus the number of counterclockwise twists should be divisible by 3.

Well, yeah, I knew it can be determined (even if not exactly how, thanks for that!) but, would you be wasting the 15 seconds inspection time checking corner orientation instead of planning your cross, EOLine or FB?

 

[JustinTimeCuber]

If "oriented" is having U/D colors on U/D corners, the number of clockwise twists minus the number of counterclockwise twists should be divisible by 3.

This is really cool it means I can figure out if an even cube is solvable just by looking at it lol

 

[henrysavich]

Well, yeah, I knew it can be determined (even if not exactly how, thanks for that!) but, would you be wasting the 15 seconds inspection time checking corner orientation instead of planning your cross, EOLine or FB?

I can check in seconds, using a similar method, and I think it is worth it to avoid a ~2 second addition to solve time (In OH)

 

[shadowslice e]

Well, yeah, I knew it can be determined (even if not exactly how, thanks for that!) but, would you be wasting the 15 seconds inspection time checking corner orientation instead of planning your cross, EOLine or FB?

Tbh you can probably check it in ~1 second as there are only 3 sets you have to recognise- standard (CLL case on top and bottom) and the +1 (CLL with a corner twisted clockwise) and the -1 (CLL with anticlockwise twisted corner). You could also use the OBL from 2x2x2 to recognise.

 

[Eleredo]

I bought a stickerless 4x4 and a stickerless 5x5, these are allowed in competitions as stickerless puzzles are now legal, right? But today I also ordered a stickerless MoYu AoShi 6x6 and stickerless MoYu AoFu 7x7, but these come with the color pink instead of red. Is this legal for use in competitions or should the cube use standard color schemes?

 

[Dene]

Any stickerless cubes are fine, and any colour scheme is fine. Feel free to get creative

 

[Goosly]

This is really cool it means I can figure out if an even cube is solvable just by looking at it lol

Why specifically adding an even cube? You can figure out if any cube is solvable by looking at it.

 

[JustinTimeCuber]

Why specifically adding an even cube? You can figure out if any cube is solvable by looking at it.

I could, but it would take much longer. Figure out EO, and also figure out EP/CP parity. For a 4x4, for instance, I only need to look at corner orientation which is easy to see.

 

[TMOY]

II only need to look at corner orientation which is easy to see.

Not that easy for everyone. Once at a comp I noticed during inspection that one of the corners of my cube was twisted and told my judge about it. It was easy for me because, using Guimond, CO is my first step and I instantaneously saw it was an unsolvable case, but my judge couldn't see it and had to start solving the cube until he ran into an impossible OLL, and only then he awarded me an extra solve.

(Note that it happened during a 3^3 event. If it had happened at 4^3, since I start my big cubes solves with two opposite centers I wouldn't have noticed the twist that soon.)

 

[JustinTimeCuber]

Not that easy for everyone. Once at a comp I noticed during inspection that one of the corners of my cube was twisted and told my judge about it. It was easy for me because, using Guimond, CO is my first step and I instantaneously saw it was an unsolvable case, but my judge couldn't see it and had to start solving the cube until he ran into an impossible OLL, and only then he awarded me an extra solve.

(Note that it happened during a 3^3 event. If it had happened at 4^3, since I start my big cubes solves with two opposite centers I wouldn't have noticed the twist that soon.)

but it isn't that hard to learn how to judge CO

 

[Eleredo]

Any stickerless cubes are fine, and any colour scheme is fine. Feel free to get creative

Thanks a lot for the answer! Couldn't wait to get the cubes so I already hit the buy button before even knowing if they were competition legal. I'm sooooo glad to hear they are!!!

 

[EvilGnome6]

Under the section on defects, it says:

5b5b) If one part with one coloured face is affected, the puzzle is considered solved.

So, you could pop a center cap and not have to replace it. Does that also mean you could START the solve with a missing center cap? Section 3 says that a puzzle must be functional but doesn't say it needs to be free of defects.

Simply put: Is a cube with a missing center cap competition legal?

 

[JustinTimeCuber]

Under the section on defects, it says:



So, you could pop a center cap and not have to replace it. Does that also mean you could START the solve with a missing center cap? Section 3 says that a puzzle must be functional but doesn't say it needs to be free of defects.

Simply put: Is a cube with a missing center cap competition legal?

I'm not sure, but this regulation implies that if a center cap pops off, then you can just stop the timer even if the cube isn't finished and it is considered solved.

 

[AlexMaass]

Under the section on defects, it says:



So, you could pop a center cap and not have to replace it. Does that also mean you could START the solve with a missing center cap? Section 3 says that a puzzle must be functional but doesn't say it needs to be free of defects.

Simply put: Is a cube with a missing center cap competition legal?

Don't think so, because of regulation 3j.

 

[YouCubing]

Why does Clock not have a misalignment penalty?

 

[AlexMaass]

Why does Clock not have a misalignment penalty?

Too hard to identify.

 

[Kit Clement]

Why does Clock not have a misalignment penalty?

Why do other puzzles have a misalignment penalty?

 

[JustinTimeCuber]

Why do other puzzles have a misalignment penalty?

I would say it is because it is less of a harsh punishment than DNF, because it's really easy to lock up and DNFing those solves would mess with people's averages way too much, especially for big cubes where the times are more spread out, and +2ing a solve doesn't necessarily make it your worst.

 

[YouCubing]

Too hard to identify.

I don't understand what you mean by this :/