Should stickerless cubes be allowed in WCA competition?

[elrog]

Personally, the only thing I can say good about stickerless cubes is that you don't have to worry about the upkeep of stickers. Everything else I like better about normal cubes. Normal cubes look better due to having the background color between stickers/tiles, have more color/texture options, better plastic quality, do not require corners to be 3 seperate parts and edges 2 seperate parts allowing for new/different designs (Shuang Ren), only require a single color of plastic to make making replacing pieces and mass producing better, and you have the ability to change the texture/color of the cube without getting a new one (changing stickers/tiles).

There is not really that noticable of an advantage for stickerless cubes because humans have a limited ability in recognizing and utilizing the extra color seen while solving meaning the 45 degree thing. This is true as far as we know or have seen, but you never know if there may be somone who actually can. I say, if they are that good, let them be because they will beat you in competition anyway.

About what Cride said about seeing the tint of the back color with the right light, I've never noticed this on my stikered cube, but if this is so, you would need to make the plastic thicker.

I've noticed that with my stickerless cube, you can see the outline of colors on the edges similar to having thick tiles. For this reason, I don't think they should be legal, but I've already stated my thoughts on using stickerless cubes in the beggining of this post.

As for other cubes which have been mentioned in this thread that bend the rules, saying "They are legal so stickerless cubes should be legal aswell" should be turned into "These cubes bend the rules just like stickerless cubes so they shouldn not be legal."

I started reading this thread and skipped to the end after reaching page twenty because I was tired of people repeating things already said and all of the spam with people changing what others put in thier quotes. I don't think you should be able to change what people have in their quotes, but still be able to take only the part of it you need to show.

 

[brian724080]

I think the regulations regarding sticker-less cubes is dumb. Who in the world would squint to peak through the cubie while trying to speedsolve?

 

[Username]

I think the regulations regarding sticker-less cubes is dumb. Who in the world would squint to peak through the cubie while trying to speedsolve?

Everybody

 

[JohanAR]

I think the regulations regarding sticker-less cubes is dumb. Who in the world would squint to peak through the cubie while trying to speedsolve?

Turn the top layer a little bit and you can easily see both colors of all edge cubies around the equator. On a normal cube you only see both colors on 1 cubie and one color on 2 cubies.

I don't understand why being allowed to compete with stickerless cubes is so importart to some people, when they at the same time claim that you don't get better times from using one.

Everybody

If everybody wanted to do it then it there would be no problem . The issue is that if stickerless cubes were allowed and they give you an advantage, everybody would feel that they have to use one.

 

[Pyjam]

I don't understand why being allowed to compete with stickerless cubes is so importart to some people, when they at the same time claim that you don't get better times from using one.

Because we like freedom.

I don't understand why being forbidden to compete with stickerless cubes is so importart to some people, when at the same time we don't get better times from using them.

 

[izovire]

I agree with the regulations for many reasons.

anyway, 3D printing is getting better and I can see stickerless cubes being printed in unlimited colors in the future. It will look like it has stickers but not really. Some Diansheng puzzles have this already.

 

[JohanAR]

Because we like freedom.

So TouchCubes and stickers with different textures on different sides etc. should be allowed too? If someone wants to use one, we'd be wrong to limit their freedom I suppose.. I mean, what's more important in a competition; your total freedom or making sure that everybody is competing on similar terms?

I don't understand why being forbidden to compete with stickerless cubes is so importart to some people, when at the same time we don't get better times from using them.

Anyone can say anything.. Just because you're saying that you don't get better times doesn't make it universally true . Perhaps it doesn't help you if you just solve it normally, but someone else could practice taking advantage of the back peeking and get better compared to what they would have been with a normal cube. However, I don't think anyone has actually put any effort into this yet, because it would be a waste of time since you're not allowed to do it in competitions.

 

[Lchu613]

I guess that if they did allow it, some people might practice a method that takes advantage of the feature of stickerlesses.

 

[Pyjam]

So TouchCubes and stickers with different textures on different sides etc. should be allowed too? If someone wants to use one, we'd be wrong to limit their freedom I suppose.. I mean, what's more important in a competition; your total freedom or making sure that everybody is competing on similar terms?

You say this, not me.

Anyone can say anything.. Just because you're saying that you don't get better times doesn't make it universally true . Perhaps it doesn't help you if you just solve it normally, but someone else could practice taking advantage of the back peeking and get better compared to what they would have been with a normal cube. However, I don't think anyone has actually put any effort into this yet, because it would be a waste of time since you're not allowed to do it in competitions.

Nobody has ever put any effort into this yet because it's inefficient. If you're right and I'm wrong, it's easy for you to prove it, isn'it ?

 

[JohanAR]

You say this, not me.

You argued that stickerless cubes should be allowed because "you like freedom". If your argument was valid, it would motivate allowing other things as well. For example:

-Why should textured stickers be allowed?
-We like freedom.

-Why should TouchCubes be allowed?
-We like freedom.

Nobody has ever put any effort into this yet because it's inefficient. If you're right and I'm wrong, it's easy for you to prove it, isn'it ?

"put effort into something" does not mean that it's easy. If someone wants to change the rules it would be up to him/her to prove that it won't cause any imbalances, not everybody who thinks the rules are fine the way they are.

 

[Pyjam]

You argued that stickerless cubes should be allowed because "you like freedom". If your argument was valid, it would motivate allowing other things as well. For example:

-Why should textured stickers be allowed?
-We like freedom.

-Why should TouchCubes be allowed?
-We like freedom.

Exaggeration isn't an argument.

I can do the same : white cubes should be forbidden because they provide an unfair advantage. If you think I'm wrong, prove it. That's what you're doing.

"put effort into something" does not mean that it's easy. If someone wants to change the rules it would be up to him/her to prove that it won't cause any imbalances, not everybody who thinks the rules are fine the way they are.

Sorry, you're wrong. There's no practical way for me to prove that you're wrong, because I can't prove that something does not exist. But you can easily prove your point by showing ONE example. Just one example. So, please do it.

 

[Kattenvriendin]

I guess the reason why people want stickerless cubes needs to be addressed before actually adding yes/no.

WHY do people want it?

Because it is said to be a faster cube? I mean, force cubes and all that. I have found them not faster or slower than plain jane unicolors. Has it actually been proven?

Are there any other reasons why? Bigger surfaces, so better color recognition? Why not then put large stickers on your unicolor cubes? That would sort that matter.

Because it looks better? That is a silly reason to give the rule makers, so it can't be that now.


Why the preference for the stickerless?

 

[kunparekh18]

I guess the reason why people want stickerless cubes needs to be addressed before actually adding yes/no.

WHY do people want it?

Because it is said to be a faster cube? I mean, force cubes and all that. I have found them not faster or slower than plain jane unicolors. Has it actually been proven?

Are there any other reasons why? Bigger surfaces, so better color recognition? Why not then put large stickers on your unicolor cubes? That would sort that matter.

Because it looks better? That is a silly reason to give the rule makers, so it can't be that now.


Why the preference for the stickerless?

You forgot the main reason: you can see another colour on turning a layer 45°

 

[Kattenvriendin]

Ah lol. Just use tiles within the thickness limit, you can do the same, legally

 

[TP]

You forgot the main reason: you can see another colour on turning a layer 45°

I don´t think anyone actually prefer stickerless because of that.

Feel and better recognition, because the stickers are bigger combined with no background colour, is why I prefer(red) my stickerless Zhanchi.

 

[PedroSabioni]

Yeah, when speedsolving, no one turn the layer to see what colour is in the back.

 

[LarryLunchmeat]

You know how everyone just has that one cube that feels perfect in their hands? Mine is my stickerless Zhanchi. I have two other stickerless Zhanchi's and plenty of stickered ones, and even though they are the same cube, they AREN'T my main stickerless Zhanchi and I can tell the difference within one second of using it.

The main reason I prefer stickerless is because I've been using them for so long now that when I use black/white, my recognition is hindered. Similar to how someone who normally solves black cubes jumps to a white cube and they have trouble adjusting. It has nothing to do with seeing the back/top edge of the rear side (which I personally believe to be a tremendously weak argument in a speedsolving setting)

I also find it funny that some people are anti-stickerless but fail to recognize the fluorescent sticker argument. Seems a little hypocritical to me..

 

[AustinReed]

I seriously don't understand why there is still debate. It's been proven that you can see things on stickerless cubes that can't be seen on stickered cubes. Get over it.

 

[Stefan]

It's been proven that you can see things on stickerless cubes that can't be seen on stickered cubes.

It's been proven that you can see things on tiled cubes that can't be seen on stickered cubes.
Tiled cubes are allowed.
So, your point is that stickerless cubes are or should be allowed?

 

[AustinReed]

It's been proven that you can see things on tiled cubes that can't be seen on stickered cubes.
Tiled cubes are allowed.
So, your point is that stickerless cubes are or should be allowed?

Well, if tiled cubes cause an advantage, they should be banned too. That is, if the tiles are thick enough.

All I'm saying is that there has to be a limit of what you can and cannot see from a certain viewpoint.