Older cubers discussions

[h2f]

You are brave trying Roux. I use a beginner's method. I have a lovely pink Yuxin.
Master pyramorphix for you guys next. That's a real challenge.

Yes, mastermorphix is a big challange for me - I cant figure out what is what in this cube. I hope, I'll do it in few days.

@muchacho, @h2f, I have some shapemods like those (mirror, mastermorphix and the crazy fisher / yileng) and yeah, they can be fun to solve once but I get bored easily. Just one solve a month or so is enough for me I'm considering buying a curvy copter, though, as it seems to be an entirely different puzzle. I also have a Rex cube (the dino with centers and petals) and I enjoy solving it because it's different to a 3x3.

Yes, I enjoy shape mode cube as well. They seem hard at first look. I'm gonna buy few shapemods soon - one per month or two.

 

[newtonbase]

Is it a Lan Lan or Meffert's? and does it turn well?

It turns very well but I don't know the brand. I'll see if I can find out.

Yes, mastermorphix is a big challange for me - I cant figure out what is what in this cube. I hope, I'll do it in few days.

Identifying the pieces is just the start. Orientation is a nightmare and even when you know what you are doing its really easy to make a tiny slip and you are back to the start. It's frustrating but rewarding (like blind).

 

[Logiqx]

Another insane video from Kevin. I can barely follow what he's doing, let alone imagine ever turning that fast. I am looking forward to getting my Yuxin 6x6 now

I presume you saw the comment at the bottom of one of his previous videos...

I've only done about 25 solves so far. Since this puzzle is in tight contention with MoYu's 6x6 for best on the market, I'll get up a full comparison video when I've put in around ~1000 solves and tensioned it and put traxxis in it. Stay tuned.

I think I've done about 40 solves on 6x6. I can't begin to imagine doing 1000 solves!

 

[One Wheel]

I think I've done about 40 solves on 6x6. I can't begin to imagine doing 1000 solves!

I have close to 1000 timed 4x4 solves and 80 timed 6x6 solves. Thing is that his 6x6 solves seem to run 20-30 seconds faster than my 4x4 solves. My 922 4x4 solves over the last 3 1/2 months have a cumulative solve time of 39:18:07.2. If he averages 2 minutes to solve, plus 1 minute to scramble, which are probably generous figures, he could practice less than an hour a day and finish 1000 solves in 2 months. Or he could just go for 2 days straight and pound out 50 consecutive hours of 6x6 solving . Not that I would recommend that, but I know there are records for most 3x3 solves in 24 hours and such, maybe someday I'll do a 12 hour 4x4 marathon or something, and get my name in the record books for about 12.5 hours until somebody decent copies me.

 

[mark49152]

I think I've done about 40 solves on 6x6. I can't begin to imagine doing 1000 solves!

Yeah it would take me forever. I have 141 timed 6x6 solves at overall average 6:50 (now around 6:20) which adds up to 16 hours. I am frankly shocked that I have spent 16 hours of my life solving 6x6 and am determined never to get to 1000 solves no matter how good the Yuxin is.

For Kevin that would be about 600 solves, ignoring scrambling and inspection.

 

[h2f]

Yeah it would take me forever. I have 141 timed 6x6 solves at overall average 6:50 (now around 6:20) which adds up to 16 hours. I am frankly shocked that I have spent 16 hours of my life solving 6x6 and am determined never to get to 1000 solves no matter how good the Yuxin is.

For Kevin that would be about 600 solves, ignoring scrambling and inspection.

Add me - 149 solves.

 

[mafergut]

No need to count 6x6 solves. We all have thousands and thousands of 3x3 solves under our belt. At more or less 2 solves a minute (including scrambling), that's thousands and thousands of minutes. Hundreds of hours, for sure.

 

[bubbagrub]

My plan is to do 6x6 for the first time in competition in a few weeks. So far, I've done 6 timed solves, and maybe a similar number (ever) of untimed solves. I got a PB single today: 8:43. So, at least I'd be below the hard-cut (assuming it's 10:00), but probably won't get a mean. The idea of doing 100 or even 1000 6x6 solves seems unimaginable to me at the moment...

I have two unrelated questions which maybe this group will have useful views on:

1. I've only got about 10 OLLs left to learn, and I'm finding myself biasing in favour of algorithms that are very similar to ones I already know. This makes them very quick to learn, but sometimes leads to me confusing algorithms with each other. What do you guys prefer -- algorithms that are very distinctive, or ones that are easy to learn, making use of common triggers, etc.?
2. In solving 4x4 (using Yau), I often find myself with what I think of as a Z-perm for centres -- in other words, having solved the red, green, orange, blue centres, they end up in the order red, orange, green, blue, meaning I have to do two swaps (e.g., orange with red and then red with green) to get them in the right order. Anyone know if there's an easier way to deal with that?

Thanks!

 

[JohnnyReggae]

@muchacho, @h2f, I have some shapemods like those (mirror, mastermorphix and the crazy fisher / yileng) and yeah, they can be fun to solve once but I get bored easily. Just one solve a month or so is enough for me I'm considering buying a curvy copter, though, as it seems to be an entirely different puzzle. I also have a Rex cube (the dino with centers and petals) and I enjoy solving it because it's different to a 3x3.

I wasn't much interested in any shape shifting puzzles, however after getting a Fisher I've since moved onto a bunch including some cubiods and some other shapeshifters. I don't solve them often but do enjoy the challenge of solving them. I'm also in the process of modding a few cubes, currently busy with some barrel mods. Next is going to be a 3x5x5 and 2x4x4

 

[bubbagrub]

I wasn't much interested in any shape shifting puzzles, however after getting a Fisher I've since moved onto a bunch including some cubiods and some other shapeshifters. I don't solve them often but do enjoy the challenge of solving them. I'm also in the process of modding a few cubes, currently busy with some barrel mods. Next is going to be a 3x5x5 and 2x4x4

I've also found shape-shifting puzzles really fun. The 4x4x6 is probably my favourite. But there are two that have defeated me: 2x4x6 and 3x4x5. In the case of the latter, I can get pretty close to solve but always end up with some kind of parity that I don't know how to solve. With the 2x4x6 I just can't make any progress at all, really. Totally bewildering...

 

[JohnnyReggae]

I've also found shape-shifting puzzles really fun. The 4x4x6 is probably my favourite. But there are two that have defeated me: 2x4x6 and 3x4x5. In the case of the latter, I can get pretty close to solve but always end up with some kind of parity that I don't know how to solve. With the 2x4x6 I just can't make any progress at all, really. Totally bewildering...

Don't have those cuboids ... yet ... but they will be in my collection ...

 

[One Wheel]

1. In solving 4x4 (using Yau), I often find myself with what I think of as a Z-perm for centres -- in other words, having solved the red, green, orange, blue centres, they end up in the order red, orange, green, blue, meaning I have to do two swaps (e.g., orange with red and then red with green) to get them in the right order. Anyone know if there's an easier way to deal with that?

Thanks!

I have trouble sometimes getting centers in the right order, but it's usually easy enough to watch out that you don't have opposite centers adjacent to one another. As long as opposite centers are opposite, the centers will either be in the correct place or you will need to swap any two opposite centers. With cross on the left that can easily be done with Rw2 U2 D2 Rw2 U2 D2. Of course probably the best plan is to know your color scheme well enough it's automatic, but for me opposites are all that I can keep track of automatically.

 

[megagoune]

You are brave trying Roux. I use a beginner's method. I have a lovely pink Yuxin.
Master pyramorphix for you guys next. That's a real challenge.

I really like the megamorphix. That's fun to solve. I had some weird situations when solving. To help me figure them out, I re-stickered an old 4x4 as a super-cube.
That way, I could try to see what problems were due to the "super-cube" part or the "shape-shifting" part.

 

[moralsh]

My plan is to do 6x6 for the first time in competition in a few weeks. So far, I've done 6 timed solves, and maybe a similar number (ever) of untimed solves. I got a PB single today: 8:43. So, at least I'd be below the hard-cut (assuming it's 10:00), but probably won't get a mean. The idea of doing 100 or even 1000 6x6 solves seems unimaginable to me at the moment...

I may have between 100 and 150 6x6 solves (10 of them official) and as every category, it becomes easier to practice as the times go down. I remember when 3 7x7 solves took me an hour, now it's down to almost a third of it. Back to 6x6, after my last 2 comps I think I'm comfortably sub 6 and pushing for sub 5 single, I'd like to have it by my next comp.

I'd say what I always say about getting faster on 6x6, focus first on being somehow optimal on centers and after achieving that, focus on turning faster.

I have two unrelated questions which maybe this group will have useful views on:

1. I've only got about 10 OLLs left to learn, and I'm finding myself biasing in favour of algorithms that are very similar to ones I already know. This makes them very quick to learn, but sometimes leads to me confusing algorithms with each other. What do you guys prefer -- algorithms that are very distinctive, or ones that are easy to learn, making use of common triggers, etc.?
2. In solving 4x4 (using Yau), I often find myself with what I think of as a Z-perm for centres -- in other words, having solved the red, green, orange, blue centres, they end up in the order red, orange, green, blue, meaning I have to do two swaps (e.g., orange with red and then red with green) to get them in the right order. Anyone know if there's an easier way to deal with that?

Thanks!

1. I'd say learn whatever is easier to learn, you'll replace some OLL algs later and it's only confusing the first few solves.
2. Swapping red with blue is way easier in that case I've never had to do a double swap.

 

[earth2dan]

Oh man... I just popped a center piece on my Yuxin 6x6 during F2L. I was at 4:32 when it popped. I had no parity so If not for that pop it would likely have bee sub 5

I just tightened each face 1/4 turn, hopefully that'll help.

 

[bubbagrub]

I'd say what I always say about getting faster on 6x6, focus first on being somehow optimal on centers and after achieving that, focus on turning faster.

OK -- that sounds like good advice.

1. I'd say learn whatever is easier to learn, you'll replace some OLL algs later and it's only confusing the first few solves.
2. Swapping red with blue is way easier in that case I've never had to do a double swap.

:-O I have a horrible feeling you're right. For a couple of years I've found cases where I've had to do two swaps, but maybe if I just stopped and thought I'd find it could always be done with just one swap. Blimey...

 

[JanW]

Despite my 4x4 not being the most comfortable to solve, I've been playing around with it a bit the last few days. Thanks to some recent propaganda in this thread I looked up and started using Hoya. My impression so far: I might end up liking 4x4.

 

[Chree]

Despite my 4x4 not being the most comfortable to solve, I've been playing around with it a bit the last few days. Thanks to some recent propaganda in this thread I looked up and started using Hoya. My impression so far: I might end up liking 4x4.

:-D

 

[moralsh]

:-O I have a horrible feeling you're right. For a couple of years I've found cases where I've had to do two swaps, but maybe if I just stopped and thought I'd find it could always be done with just one swap. Blimey...

I just now the sequence is Green-Red-Blue-Orange, just find which two are contiguous and swap the other two , that's what I do

 

[Jason Green]

Woohoo I made my first round in the race to sub 20! I really did not expect to yet! Also got a new PB ao5 17.76 during that. Nice to have something worth sharing once in a while.