Older cubers discussions

[mark49152]

@chtiger, congrats on the 4BLD. Doing lots of big BLD consecutively is hard if you're not used to it.

 

[h2f]

@chtiger, congrats.

 

[pglewis]

I think I've officially knocked the rust off my 3x3 solves, had to get a battery in the Stackmat because I'm back to threatening PBs.

A little while back I kinda dropped N Perms for doing J Perm twice; execution is slower but because of the low frequency I never managed to get good with N Perm recall and that pause made it moot. As punishment for my lazy decision I must have had 20 N Perms last night, at one point I swear I was getting them every third solve.

I also hit a spell where "turn slower during F2L" was actually working for me, landed several 16s and 17s in a session where it's somewhat rare for me to get more than one or two of those if any. My lookahead is very fickle so that trick doesn't always work, unfortunately.

I'll hopefully be giving the same workout to blind again soonish. I'm a little surprised at how quickly 3x3 came back together.

 

[Logiqx]

It was great to spend some time with @Selkie and @Shaky Hands at the weekend but we missed @bubbagrub on his home patch.

I chipped a couple of seconds off my OH average with a 25.45 in the first round, including a 21.28 single. My OH went somewhat downhill after the first round but it's good to be getting closer to my home times.

4x4x4 didn't go nearly as well as I'd have liked due to mishaps like slips of the u slice during PLL parity. I did get a couple of 57 singles thanks to the good fortune of no parity so at least I've got some sub-60 singles on my profile!

3x3x3 was the usual story of two bad solves per average so my best round of the weekend was another 17 average. I did however do a nice full-step 13.82 which is on film albeit with two easy F2L pairs. It's a shame I haven't had a 3x3x3 PR this year despite being faster than ever at home.

5x5x5 was just a filler for me after switching to Yau two weeks ago and having to get back to my free-slice times. I'm reasonably happy with the 2:32.76 single as it was only the L2E parity that pushed me over the 2:30 cutoff.

I only filmed my solves on Sunday and I've picked out the better ones for YouTube:

Full results on CubeComps:

http://cubecomps.com/live.php?cid=3792&compid=5

 

[SpartanSailor]

I have some time later today... i’m Going to have to read back through a couple pages of posts about changing buffers for 3BLD... I’ll have more time, finally, to prep for a couple up coming comps in January. I have some random goals (i.e. get an OH average and/or a 777 single), but also want to dial in my 3BLD a bit again.
I’m using M2/OP with the DF buffer. I’m not ready to add complexity to my 3BLD yet, but I’m interested to learn more about different buffers and their relative advantages/disadvantages.

Great work this weekend @Logiqx, after watching your 4x4 practice I was inspired to smooth out my 4x4 turning during centers adn edge pairing. It helped.... when I got a new PB since July, so here’s hoping I can continue that progress and ultimately gets that down to at least a 2019 US Nationals qualifying time (with a sub-1 ao5 as the longer-term goal).

 

[Logiqx]

@Logiqx, after watching your 4x4 practice I was inspired to smooth out my 4x4 turning during centers adn edge pairing. It helped.... when I got a new PB since July, so here’s hoping I can continue that progress and ultimately gets that down to at least a 2019 US Nationals qualifying time (with a sub-1 ao5 as the longer-term goal).

Nice. I'm glad my practice video proved to be helpful / inspirational.

 

[One Wheel]

I have about 6 weeks to learn big blind. I better start practicing Feet!

 

[SpartanSailor]

I have about 6 weeks to learn big blind. I better start practicing Feet!

Feet AND big BLD? I’m not sure I could get even just 4BLD in 6 weeks!

Good luck. I wish that were closer to VA, I’d like to participate in that one.

 

[One Wheel]

Feet AND big BLD? I’m not sure I could get even just 4BLD in 6 weeks!

Good luck. I wish that were closer to VA, I’d like to participate in that one.

I’m signed up for both 4BLD and 5BLD, in reality I’ll be lucky to get a respectable 4BLD attempt in. Feet just because I want to actually do well at it.

 

[Mike Hughey]

I have about 6 weeks to learn big blind. I better start practicing Feet!

Ouch - looks like a wonderful competition - I so wish I could go. But the 7 hour drive is just too much to commit to in February (with possible winter weather issues).

 

[pglewis]

I’m using M2/OP with the DF buffer. I’m not ready to add complexity to my 3BLD yet, but I’m interested to learn more about different buffers and their relative advantages/disadvantages.

You probably already know but this is discussing buffers for commutators, I think M2/OP already use reasonably optimal buffers for the hybrid method. Comms have the familiar setup, exchange, restore routine but usually solving two pieces at a time. Some buffer choices will be more move ergonomic for commutators than others and then at a more detailed level some will have better setups for a particular pair than others. I imagine the "best overall" buffer is a difficult thing to determine due to the huge number of cases and how deeply you have to dig into using any particular buffer to learn its strengths and weaknesses. In the end the remaining controversies probably only apply to the very fastest, probably sub :30 solvers.

 

[h2f]

I’m using M2/OP with the DF buffer. I’m not ready to add complexity to my 3BLD yet, but I’m interested to learn more about different buffers and their relative advantages/disadvantages.

UF is more ergonomic: algs in group of R, U, E moves are easier to fingertrick than RED. U/U' is easier than D/D'. Algs with S/S' for me are easier to do now. But as Mark mentioned - I'm not sure if the difference is so signiticant to switch. So far I'm drilling Ulayer algs and I havent tried it in solves.

 

[mark49152]

UF is more ergonomic: algs in group of R, U, E moves are easier to fingertrick than RED. U/U' is easier than D/D'. Algs with S/S' for me are easier to do now. But as Mark mentioned - I'm not sure if the difference is so signiticant to switch. So far I'm drilling Ulayer algs and I havent tried it in solves.

It's a complicated issue, and at the end of the day I don't think it makes much difference to us older folks.

I agree with the RDE/RUE point, but there are usually several alternatives for each case, so it's not like your only escape from an awkward RDE fingertrick is to change buffer. I've looked at several of these cases since that Facebook discussion, and switched out several RDE algs for nice RFS alternatives, which I actually prefer to the UF/RUE options. So much of it is down to personal preference or style.

Also, I think a lot of the credit given to UF these days is a consequence of recent innovation and the availability of good alg lists supported by the world's current best solvers. That doesn't necessarily mean it's technically impossible to improve DF algs to the point where it is perceived as an equally good buffer, just that nobody has done so or wants to right now, because UF is on trend. It takes a lot of effort to research and refine good alg lists, and not many people are motivated to invest their time in DF. Given the attention on UF right now, it's going to be popular anyway regardless of any innate technical superiority it might have.

 

[h2f]

Also, I think a lot of the credit given to UF these days is a consequence of recent innovation and the availability of good alg lists supported by the world's current best solvers

What about Graham's and Ishaan's list for DF. I thought they are decent.

 

[mark49152]

What about Graham's and Ishaan's list for DF. I thought they are decent.

Yes IMO they are the best ones, but Graham switched to UF so presumably he himself thinks his DF list is not as good as his UF one . I don't know if Ishaan switched.

 

[h2f]

Yes IMO they are the best ones, but Graham switched to UF so presumably he himself thinks his DF list is not as good as his UF one . I don't know if Ishaan switched.

Ishaan switched too and he has nice algs list before switch. His UF algs are also great!

 

[pglewis]

And while topic is going on, anyone wanna give me the elevator pitch on how floating buffers works?

 

[h2f]

And while topic is going on, anyone wanna give me the elevator pitch on how floating buffers works?

If you finish the cycle you start not taking the first target to the buffer and next shooting it to new place but you change the buffer. For example if your starting buffer is DF and you finished all cycles you switch to UB and you start from this point. Theres no need to shooting it to DF first. You can save few algs if theres few cycle breaks so it make a difference for top blinders.

 

[pglewis]

If you finish the cycle you start not taking the first target to the buffer and next shooting it to new place but you change the buffer. For example if your starting buffer is DF and you finished all cycles you switch to UB and you start from this point. Theres no need to shooting it to DF first. You can save few algs if theres few cycle breaks so it make a difference for top blinders.

I was wondering how switching the buffer would work with memo but from this I gather you only move the buffer at a cycle break?

 

[h2f]

I was wondering how switching the buffer would work with memo but from this I gather you only move the buffer at a cycle break?

As far as I know, yes.