How to progress the WCA for everyone's benefit

[GodCubing]

I think the Rubik's snake would be an interesting addition to the WCA. I think the scrambles should be different every time though, rather than have it be a straight line, have it be a new Twisty shape every scramble.

Snake would definitely need some work as far as scrambling is concerned, but it is a cool puzzle

 

[Sub1Hour]

Before we decide how to improve the WCA, we need to define what our ideal WCA would look like. Some small details might look different from person to person. However, I believe we all want to a WCA that is spectator friendly (to advance the sport), has diverse events (so events that are very similar should be removed, and events that are unique should be added), and is easy to organize (some events are not mandatory).

I'd hate to see events removed again. Magic wasn't that heartbreaking since if you wanted a similar experience you should just go to a speed stacks event. But feet was one that I didn't like. Imagine putting years and years into an event and having it removed. I wouldn't wish that on anyone. Especially with people wanting Clock and 7x7 gone, I'd hate to see either of them go, especially clock since it's by far the most unique event.

Also with the whole spectator friendly thing, I would think that all of us would agree that the WCA was made by cubers, for cubers. It's nice to have stuff like OH and 3bld that are very spectator friendly, but other events like big blind, megaminx, and big cube are still extremely enjoyable in their own light, regardless if it's a little less amusing than watching a 3x3 or squan average. We already have around 8 events that are very spectator friendly, and removing events won't make them any less fun to watch.

Spectator friendly events should be quick, but not instant (so no 1x1). By quick I mean for final rounds most solvers are under 1 minute. Also, the spectator should be able to visually see the puzzle getting solved (so clock and 15 puzzle are probably not good for spectators).

Spectator friendliness seems like a pretty arbitrary metric when considering adding an event. Instead of making an event official because some people in the crowd think it's neat, it should be based on its popularity within the community as well as an event bringing something new to the table, such as redi cube being a corner turning cube, or an edge turning copter/clover puzzle.

Diverse events should be different meaning being good at one does not make you good at the other; if you can improve at an event by practicing a different event then 1 of them should be removed. Events that have the same approach to solving it are not diverse.

Association between events shouldn't be ground for removal. For example, in the most recent mega survey there was a strong correlation between megaminx and 7x7. Both of these events are certainly unique from one another, even a non cuber can look at both puzzles and tell you that. And technically, if you want to remove events that have a similar approach, then say goodbye to Megaminx, 3x3, 2x2, Pyraminx, and Square-1 since those puzzles have methods that solve the puzzle with a layer by layer approach. This is quite a stretch but I'm trying to point out how just because some events solve in a similar way don't mean they aren't unique. Everyone always talks about removing 7x7 since its just 6x6 but longer, but I can tell you firsthand that you can approach the centers on a 6x6 in ways a 7x7 doesn't allow for, and vice versa. The true centers also bring in some variation on what you can/have to do with center blocks that don't correlate with the color scheme.

Therefore, we need to make things easier for organizers by making some events not mandatory (the tiered events idea). Events that are difficult for organizers might be difficult to scramble or take a long time per round. These events that are difficult to organize should not be mandatory events. Each competition can chose for itself how many not mandatory events to have, however major competitions such as nationals and worlds, should include all mandatory events. This change to the WCA means that Cubing will gain popularity through spectators and be more enjoyable for competitors and organizers alike.

What do you mean by mandatory events? I've spent some time organizing comps (unfortunately covid got in the way of actually being to hold a comp) and the delegates I worked with didn't explicitly say that X event must be held or we won't let this comp happen. With Championships I get that some if not all events need to be held but for local comps, there is no such restriction. If tiers were a thing and forced organizers to hold certain events at every single competition it would definitely make me not want to hold comps as much, especially since events popular in one area may be unpopular in others. Let's say that I make a list right here of the most popular events in my state and also make a list of events that would be considered "Mandatory" if a tiered system came out. The popular events in my area are 5x5, 6x6, 4Bld, FMC, Square-1, Clock, and Megaminx. Now here is a list of the most popular events on average. 2x2, 3x3, 4x4, OH, Pyraminx, and Skewb. None of these have an overlap.

Also as an organizer, I hate the idea of a tiered system. It just makes everything way too complicated. When I organized my first comp, I just held some staples like 2x2 and 3x3, and held events that haven't been held for a few months like pyraminx. Tiers would have just made me not want to hold "lower tier" events and only hold the most widely liked events, even though the event taste in my area is unique and we prefer the less liked events.

Just making a post on a speedsolving forum is not enough to bring this to fruition. What needs to happen is for organizers to a lot time for non-WCA events (we know the WCA already wants to remove the hard to organize events, and the not spectator friendly events). I would recommend making a poll before the competition of events you would be willing to organize. Organizers should probably consult the delegate for regulation ideas on the events proposed before they give the poll. So organizers are deciding what events are on the poll before the competion starts, and they have regulations in place for each of the events on the poll. At the beginning of the competition take a poll (google form). Let the competitors vote for 3 events (more or less than 3 depending on how long your list is) that they would like to be held, and also ask them which events they can compete in (e.g. which puzzles they have). Towards the end of the competition announce which events won the poll, and how many or which ones will be held. The data received from the poll should aid the organizer(s) in deciding what other events to hold, but it should not dictate it. If one event gets the most votes for people wanting it to be held, but there are not many people who can compete in it, probably don’t hold that event. It is up to the organizers discretion. In summary, Organizers should: set aside time for non-WCA events at the end of the competition, create a poll of events and their regulations with help from the delegate, take a poll of which events solvers would like to see and which they can compete in, decide which to hold, and hold them.

This also sounds like way more of a hassle than it needs to be. Instead of making this tentative on what unofficial events to hold, just pick one and hold it at that comp, and pick a different one for the next comp with an extra event. After a few comps you would definitely be able to tell which events are more liked by both attendance and people just talking about the extra events.



I like the direction you're going in, but there are a few things that I just don't get.