Older cubers discussions

[Old Tom]

I used to play in chess tourneys. Not a pblm being deaf, an advantage in fact. But once saw a fellow who was both deaf and blind. There's a "touch-move" rule in chess - if you touch a piece you must move it or capture it - but this was waived for him, a special set with pegged pieces that he was allowed to touch. He was a pretty good player.

 

[newtonbase]

7/9 MBLD in last practice before the weekend. Took 52:31 with very solid memo. Both errors were execution. Might be tempted to try 10 if I get to compete.

 

[40yearstosolve]

Is it an age thing or does everyone find that when they try/buy a new cube it’s like you are solving a different puzzle when you first move to it from your favourite cube?

I have experienced this between the three different models of cube I have now, but I felt it more so with the new magnetic cube I just bought, a MoYu WeiLong GTS 2M.

Going for my first solve is like driving under the influence! It is familiar but laboured and unfamiliar at the same time.

—btw my first taste of a magnetic cube is very positive, the WeiLong GTS 2M is lovely to use. I love my AeLong for its smoothness. The GTS 2M shares the same ‘scratchy’ movement that it’s twin sister the non-magnetic GTS2 has. The magnetic version must be a lot better than the non-magnetic because I previously returned it favouring the AeLong! This one is a keeper! It’s the non-sticker version so perhaps that contributes towards a better experience?

I’d have to say that between a non-magnetic AeLong and the magnetic non-sticker WeiLong, the latter wins!

Anyone else find this weirdness when using a new cube. Also be interested if you use MoYu?

 

[pglewis]

Woke up pretty early today. Took advantage of that time to drill M2 edges... set the scramble to edges only. Didn’t work memo too much, although a few I did try to memo the entire edge memo. However, most of it was just in pairs to practice execution of the edges and smooth out the set-up/return to reduce pauses. Did mostly 2 pairs at a time (i.e. 4 targets) so I could try to keep it smooth for 4 targets at a time. Then, look for the next 4, etc...

I feel like that actually helps, but we shall see...

Now is probably a good time to decide if you want to use an x' rotation for the "inside targets", to avoid B face turns in favor of U face turns. N/H have an ergonomic 3 move setup using wide U turns but I have switched to using an x' rotation for M/O/P, E/F/G. This took me a little while to get used to and introduced a brand new way to make mistakes but it's fairly natural for me at this point and I definitely prefer it. Sighted, edge-only scrambles is a perfect way to work on it.

 

[mark49152]

N/H have an ergonomic 3 move setup using wide U turns but I have switched to using an x' rotation for M/O/P, E/F/G.

Don't forget you can set up N and H to A with a B/B' move. Also of you have two of these targets adjacent you can save rotating by setting up to the I sticker instead. Like [U L U: M'] [U' R U: M]

 

[pglewis]

Is it an age thing or does everyone find that when they try/buy a new cube it’s like you are solving a different puzzle when you first move to it from your favourite cube?

I have experienced this between the three different models of cube I have now, but I felt it more so with the new magnetic cube I just bought, a MoYu WeiLong GTS 2M.

Going for my first solve is like driving under the influence! It is familiar but laboured and unfamiliar at the same time.

—btw my first taste of a magnetic cube is very positive, the WeiLong GTS 2M is lovely to use. I love my AeLong for its smoothness. The GTS 2M shares the same ‘scratchy’ movement that it’s twin sister the non-magnetic GTS2 has. The magnetic version must be a lot better than the non-magnetic because I previously returned it favouring the AeLong! This one is a keeper! It’s the non-sticker version so perhaps that contributes towards a better experience?

I’d have to say that between a non-magnetic AeLong and the magnetic non-sticker WeiLong, the latter wins!

Anyone else find this weirdness when using a new cube. Also be interested if you use MoYu?

My history of "main" 3x3s: Dayan Guhong (was already aged when I purchased it but was my first speedcube), AoLong V2, Thunderclap V1, Valk 3, GTS2M. Around the time I adopted the Valk I switched to stickerless exclusively because, for some weird reason, I feel like I recognize last layer cases better/faster without the sticker gap. The GTS2M was my first magnetic cube and it's still my main today (the new Yuxin HuangLong M is nice and might be my favorite for blindfold solves now but it don't think it will usurp the GTS2M for me on regular 3x3). I really like light and fast puzzles for normal 3x3 but those attributes aren't very stable without the magnets.

Any time I return to my AoLong these days it feels kinda like it's made of stone compared to the modern light puzzle trend. Different feeling puzzles definitely require an adjustment for me but as long as it's not actively fighting me I can usually adjust just fine within a few days of heavy use.

 

[pglewis]

Don't forget you can set up N and H to A with a B/B' move. Also of you have two of these targets adjacent you can save rotating by setting up to the I sticker instead. Like [U L U: M'] [U' R U: M]

I'll have to absorb the 2nd part of that... obviously I can't just use B/B' directly for N/H as it'll disturb the M slice but I think you've given me some 2-target magic that I'll understand once I play with the comms you provided.

 

[SpartanSailor]

Now is probably a good time to decide if you want to use an x' rotation for the "inside targets", to avoid B face turns in favor of U face turns. N/H have an ergonomic 3 move setup using wide U turns but I have switched to using an x' rotation for M/O/P, E/F/G. This took me a little while to get used to and introduced a brand new way to make mistakes but it's fairly natural for me at this point and I definitely prefer it. Sighted, edge-only scrambles is a perfect way to work on it.

I am experimenting with the x’ rotation stuff to see what feels good. I don’t have issues with B moves, but I’m lookin for smoother execution. Slow = smooth, smooth = fast... type thing.

I’m not quite ready to add another complexity, but I like the way I’ve seen pairing the M-slice pieces with an outside target (two for one) and reduce the need for the more cumbersome I/S targets (FU/BD). I’ll add that in soon enuff. I think after that little bit, I’ll settle down and dial in my method. Get real solid and then focus on reducing memo time. I’ll save more advanced stuff for when I feel very good about my memo/tracing and everything else.

But we clearly use the same “standard” letter scheme as well... just for curiosity, what is the orientation you solve with? I like white top with green facing me. I realise that’s the “typical” orientation, but I like the green and white from my old Michigan State days.

 

[SpartanSailor]

I'll have to absorb the 2nd part of that... obviously I can't just use B/B' directly for N/H as it'll disturb the M slice but I think you've given me some 2-target magic that I'll understand once I play with the comms you provided.

I think he’s using B/B’ as “notational” rather than Back face turns. Meaning, B is the “set up” and B’ is the “reverse set up”.

This is also what I referred to as 2-for-1 target stuff (my next level). The last bit of that post is notation I’ve noticed for using comes.

Like, do the setup for H, then M’ slice... then Undo the set up for H, then M

Not to be taken as B face turn, then B’ face turn...

You can combine the M slice targets with other non-m slice targets with a slick setup and reverse that uses M and M’ moves and get both the M-slice target and the other simultaneously.

 

[pglewis]

I am experimenting with the x’ rotation stuff to see what feels good. I don’t have issues with B moves, but I’m lookin for smoother execution. Slow = smooth, smooth = fast... type thing.

I'm reasonably comfy with B moves too, I'll even occasionally use 'em in a CFOP solve to do a back slot slegehammer. But for some reason I dislike them enough that I used to avoid inside targets when doing cycle breaks, unless that's all that was left. I'm probably slower with the rotation tbh, but for some weird reason it hurts my brain less.

We cleary the same “standard” letter scheme as well... just for curiosity, what is the orientation you solve with? I like white top with green facing me. I realise that’s the “typical” orientation, but I like the green and white from my old Michigan State days.

Yeah, I went with Speffz because I have no compelling reason to be non standard. For orientation, I'm a z2 away from yours, yellow top, green front. I'm primarily white cross, so yellow top is by far the most intuitive for me and green front because it's only a z2 away from WCA scramble orientation.

 

[SpartanSailor]

I'm reasonably comfy with B moves too, I'll even occasionally use 'em in a CFOP solve to do a back slot slegehammer. But for some reason I dislike them enough that I used to avoid inside targets when doing cycle breaks, unless that's all that was left. I'm probably slower with the rotation tbh, but for some weird reason it hurts my brain less.



Yeah, I went with Speffz because I have no compelling reason to be non standard. For orientation, I'm a z2 away from yours, yellow top, green front. I'm primarily white cross, so yellow top is by far the most intuitive for me and green front because it's only a z2 away from WCA scramble orientation.

Funny... whatever hurts your brain less is how to go!

I am a white cross solver too. I used to be comparable with yellow cross, but have since moved even away from that. However, blind since I learned my locations with white on top, it is transparent to me during the solve since I can’t see it.

 

[pglewis]

But for some reason I dislike them enough that I used to avoid inside targets when doing cycle breaks, unless that's all that was left.

I'd even forgotten what the actual rub was here... obviously I can always pick the outside sticker during a cycle break but I didn't like the fact that I had a strong preference for X over G, for example, when G may have made for a much better image for me.

 

[newtonbase]

obviously I can't just use B/B' directly for N/H as it'll disturb the M slice

It does disturb the M slice but if you do your next target before undoing the set up then you'll be fine.

 

[newtonbase]

This talk is making me realise I'm using some bad setups. A favourite is setting NQ up to AR with a B move but I should be using a U to set up to NM which is better in every way.

 

[40yearstosolve]

My history of "main" 3x3s: Dayan Guhong (was already aged when I purchased it but was my first speedcube), AoLong V2, Thunderclap V1, Valk 3, GTS2M. Around the time I adopted the Valk I switched to stickerless exclusively because, for some weird reason, I feel like I recognize last layer cases better/faster without the sticker gap. The GTS2M was my first magnetic cube and it's still my main today (the new Yuxin HuangLong M is nice and might be my favorite for blindfold solves now but it don't think it will usurp the GTS2M for me on regular 3x3). I really like light and fast puzzles for normal 3x3 but those attributes aren't very stable without the magnets.

Any time I return to my AoLong these days it feels kinda like it's made of stone compared to the modern light puzzle trend. Different feeling puzzles definitely require an adjustment for me but as long as it's not actively fighting me I can usually adjust just fine within a few days of heavy use.

An odd side effect of the GTS2M is that the colours are harder for me to see - I am colour blind across green/yellow/orange so differentiating between them can be very difficult in most light situations. The AeLong less so but in certain lights I still struggle.

I do remember reading about a custom cube website that allows you to choose he stickers to help colour blind people.

Does anyone know which website it is?

Anyone else afflicted with the same ‘talent’??

PS: pglewis, does your GTS2M make a ‘spring moving’ noise when you turn it? My AeLong is silent, but this GTS2M makes a bit of a metallic noise. Wondering whether to return/replace.

 

[JanW]

PS: pglewis, does your GTS2M make a ‘spring moving’ noise when you turn it? My AeLong is silent, but this GTS2M makes a bit of a metallic noise. Wondering whether to return/replace.

I have two GTS2M and never had any spring noises. But it is a common issue that can happen with any cube. It is usually easy to fix by lubing the core. There are plenty of videos on youtube that show how to do that.

 

[newtonbase]

Does anyone know which website it is?

There's oliverstickers.com and the Cubicle is meant to be good too.

 

[40yearstosolve]

I have two GTS2M and never had any spring noises. But it is a common issue that can happen with any cube. It is usually easy to fix by lubing the core. There are plenty of videos on youtube that show how to do that.

Great I will look although I’ve been scared stiff to take it apart haha.

 

[40yearstosolve]

There's oliverstickers.com and the Cubicle is meant to be good too.

Cheers newtonbase I’ll have a look at those thank you.

 

[mark49152]

I think he’s using B/B’ as “notational” rather than Back face turns. Meaning, B is the “set up” and B’ is the “reverse set up”.

No I did mean back face moves. For example, take HJ speffz.

Plain M2: (L' B L B' M2 B L' B' L) (U R U' M2 U R' U')
Advanced M2: (B' M2 (U R U' M2 U R' U') B)