Older cubers discussions

Logiqx said:
Maybe this weekend. It's quite manual / tedious at the moment so I will script up the SQL->BB code to make it quicker / easier in future. I don't feel like doing any coding after a 12-14 hour commuter day, hence why it will be a weekend activity. ;)
Click to expand...
Thanks, I understand. I used to do some iPhone development back when I was single. Now I hardly ever touch my home computers. Maybe that's why I can't get my stackmat working with them. :)

I would offer to help but you would probably hate any SQL I wrote. :) My C# you might like better than my SQL. Is there open access to the WCA DBs?
 
I think he just will wrote an auto "download wcadb export + locale import + recreate the table using the SQL he already have" script or something like that.
The "custom" part he already did and it is published as last spoiler of the list.

He could also produce statistics in a
...
format in order to do a single copy-paste into the first post ...
He could do or I could do

Let me know Logiqx if I can help. I'm better on Oracle but I can handle mysql syntax ... (a few google searches!!)
 
Today I've done an untimed 4x4 solve (that it didn't have parity) and thought it was fast (I mean, like 5 minutes fast or so) so I decided to time some solves. In first one I messed a parity alg, with second solve I got 8:52 (first timed solve so PB), it was less than 6 minutes until parity. I think I'm going to try some more, until I get no parity :p

edit: next 4 solves: DNF, 5:18, 6:48 and 4:34 (this had no parity)
 
Last edited:
muchacho said:
Today I've done an untimed 4x4 solve (that it didn't have parity) and thought it was fast (I mean, like 5 minutes fast or so) so I decided to time some solves. In first one I messed a parity alg, with second solve I got 8:52 (first timed solve so PB), it was less than 6 minutes until parity. I think I'm going to try some more, until I get no parity :p

edit: next 4 solves: DNF, 5:18, 6:48 and 4:34 (this had no parity)
Click to expand...

Nice that you start getting into other events. Do you practise anything else apart from 3x3 and 4x4?

These last months with so little progress (if any) at 3x3 have made me realize that even if I cannot get beyond sub-20 at 3x3, I can still enjoy solving and improving at other puzzles and that's what has made me keep my motivation. Maybe I will never be a super-fast 3x3 solver or get sub-15 or anything but I can get decent at 2x2, 4x4, skewb, pyra, mega... and that's fun!

EDIT: I saw in the WC that you at least took part last week in 2x2, 3x3, OH and skewb :)
 
Last edited:
Now I'm practicing for my first comp, but after that I'll start doing megaminx, pyraminx, 3x3BLD, 4x4 and 5x5... or I'll try at least.

From the timer logs, in last 7 days:
3x3: 647 solves (probably 750 in total counting untimed solves)
3x3OH: 10 (probably 25 in total)
2x2: 58 (probably 100-125 in total)
Skewb: 172 (probably 250 in total)

In 4x4 probably like only 8 solves in last 30 days... oh, and 1 in megaminx, my niece scrambled it ;)
 
mafergut said:
These last months with so little progress (if any) at 3x3 have made me realize that even if I cannot get beyond sub-20 at 3x3, I can still enjoy solving and improving at other puzzles and that's what has made me keep my motivation.
Click to expand...
Same here. I worked for many months at 3x3 doing 1000s of solves for only tiny improvements, and got quite demoralised and bored. Now I am really enjoying other events where I have more room for improvement. I rarely practise 3x3 now.
 
mark49152 said:
Same here. I worked for many months at 3x3 doing 1000s of solves for only tiny improvements, and got quite demoralised and bored. Now I am really enjoying other events where I have more room for improvement. I rarely practise 3x3 now.
Click to expand...

And Same here.. Only thing right now is that I do not practice anything. Not because I am bored or demoralised but just because I am doing a lot of stuff other than cubing right now. I think I will give Roux another try when I get more time.
 
cubesp said:
I think he just will wrote an auto "download wcadb export + locale import + recreate the table using the SQL he already have" script or something like that.
The "custom" part he already did and it is published as last spoiler of the list.

He could also produce statistics in a
...
format in order to do a single copy-paste into the first post ...
He could do or I could do

Let me know Logiqx if I can help. I'm better on Oracle but I can handle mysql syntax ... (a few google searches!!)
Click to expand...

Yes. That's basically it. I never imagined it would be run more than once as it was quickly done prior to my first competition.

The data is acquired by running the SQL shown in the thread itself (originally just "single" + "average" but "FMC"+"MBLD" were added by request) then pasted into Excel to generate the BB code. BB code is then copied into the original post but there are many copy / paste operations for each section (single, average, FMC, MBLD) and I have little patience for repeated tasks. Oh... MySQL is also running in a VM and Excel is on my host so it is just fractionally more tedious. ;)

I'll just write a Python script to run the SQL and generate a single block of BB code which can be pasted straight into the forum. I need to re-familiaririse myself with Python after many years abstinence and this will be a nice simple exercise. Stefan's library looks interesting but for now the custom approach is more appealing as I need remind myself how to write Python from scratch.
 
muchacho said:
Now I'm practicing for my first comp, but after that I'll start doing megaminx, pyraminx, 3x3BLD, 4x4 and 5x5... or I'll try at least.

From the timer logs, in last 7 days:
3x3: 647 solves (probably 750 in total counting untimed solves)
3x3OH: 10 (probably 25 in total)
2x2: 58 (probably 100-125 in total)
Skewb: 172 (probably 250 in total)

In 4x4 probably like only 8 solves in last 30 days... oh, and 1 in megaminx, my niece scrambled it ;)
Click to expand...

Wow! That's massively biased towards 3x3. In my case, lately I am trying to learn skweb and pyra so I mainly practise those and some 3x3 & OH just to keep them fresh but when I practise 2x2 I start solving and when I realize that I've been solving for a while I can have like 200 solves in the timer :) 2x2 goes by so fast...!
 
Yeah, too much 3x3, last year the competition in Zaragoza was held in April, I calculated that by April I might be close to 25 seconds, so when I knew that this year it was in February I doubled the number of 3x3 solves (but I won't get close to 25 anyway).
 
muchacho said:
I've done like 10 4x4 and only used 2 parity algs, this ones from https://www.speedsolving.com/wiki/index.php/4x4x4_Parity_Algorithms:
- One Dedge Flip
- Two Dedges (Oriented) Opposite

Is that all (the minimum) I need to learn? (I use Roux and leave the parity until the end if that matters)
Click to expand...

The only two parity algs I know and use for 4x4 are those two, I guess:

The 1st one ("OLL parity") which flips one dedge (it also twists the adjacent corners and moves some stuff around the LL).
The 2nd one that exchanges two opposite dedges and nothing else ("PLL parity").

I assume top solvers know some more so that when they have OLL parity they can skip OLL afterwards (in some cases, at least) or get an easier PLL when they find PLL parity but I'm not good enought to feel that need yet.
 
MarcelP said:
And Same here.. Only thing right now is that I do not practice anything. Not because I am bored or demoralised but just because I am doing a lot of stuff other than cubing right now. I think I will give Roux another try when I get more time.
Click to expand...
Same herę. I think about roux too. But im still improving in cfop though i practice a little.

patataj patataj patataj
 
mafergut said:
The only two parity algs I know and use for 4x4 are those two, I guess:

The 1st one ("OLL parity") which flips one dedge (it also twists the adjacent corners and moves some stuff around the LL).
The 2nd one that exchanges two opposite dedges and nothing else ("PLL parity").

I assume top solvers know some more so that when they have OLL parity they can skip OLL afterwards (in some cases, at least) or get an easier PLL when they find PLL parity but I'm not good enought to feel that need yet.
Click to expand...
OK thanks! One alg is very easy, the other will take more effort to learn, but it's fine, I thought 4x4 was harder :o
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Burrito
Any older kid/teen cubers in Durham Region, Ontario?
Replies
0
Views
796
Burrito
Burrito
Jilli0
  • Locked
Any Teen/Older Kid Cubers in Wayne County, Michigan?
Replies
11
Views
2,508
Deleted member 74176
D
Mr Cubism
How many older members (registered before 2010) are still active here?
Replies
1
Views
102
abunickabhi
abunickabhi
O
[Member Intro] Older beginner in scotland
Replies
17
Views
3,175
Cuberto333
C
Humble Cuber
Selling Older Puzzles | 2-5's & Megaminx's
Replies
6
Views
2,268
Humble Cuber
Humble Cuber
Back
Top