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Random Blindfold Cubing Discussion

cubeshepherd

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Good Day,

I am uncertain if I should post this here or on a different thread, but my question is, Last year during two competitions I competed in 3x3 bld, and for ear protection I used a pair of ear buds combined with a pair of Howard Leight head phones that were not connected to anything and had there battery's removed so that thy just served as normal ear protections. Are the Howard Leights still legal this year for blind-solving or not. I saw the changed WCA regulations regarding ear protection at the beginning of this year, but I for some reason was still confused as to know if I can still use the headphones of if I should get something else.

Thank you very much in advance for your time and help.
 

CarterK

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Good Day,

I am uncertain if I should post this here or on a different thread, but my question is, Last year during two competitions I competed in 3x3 bld, and for ear protection I used a pair of ear buds combined with a pair of Howard Leight head phones that were not connected to anything and had there battery's removed so that thy just served as normal ear protections. Are the Howard Leights still legal this year for blind-solving or not. I saw the changed WCA regulations regarding ear protection at the beginning of this year, but I for some reason was still confused as to know if I can still use the headphones of if I should get something else.

Thank you very much in advance for your time and help.
They would not be allowed as they are electronic. Btw this would belong in the One answer Blindfolded question thread.
 
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Not exactly huge and tbh pretty average (pun not intended) considering my global, but this Box+Mat Ao5 was particularly nice.

First I shredded comms for like 30min, then decided to do safe solves and oops, here's a 49 single as my first solve of the day :O

59.80 = (49.01), 1:06.53, (DNF), 56.34, 56.54
 

TDM

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I want to get into 4BLD, using good buffers. After looking at the (few) reconstructions of solves on the RCDB, it seems like most of the interchange moves during comms are slices. Relatively few of them involve using the U layer. So my question is:

Could Fru be a better buffer than U face buffers? Why/why not?

The disadvantage of not having a U layer buffer would be that you lose those r U r'-type "insertions" that come between the interchanges. Would this be outweighed by having more comms with u/r slice interchanges?
 

cubeshepherd

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Something that I was going to say regarding OP/OP, is that I found a way to not have to worry about knowing if there is going to be parity, because you never have to do the parity alg, and what I mean is the following.
For the first month of knowing how to solve a 3x3 blind using OP/OP, I learned that there were times that you will have parity (obviously), and every time that I had parity and did the alg, I would have a unsolved cube.
After wondering how that was and experimenting, I found out that the reason for me was the way that I set up FD, RD, BD, and LD edges, meaning that instead of bringing the needed edge to the front, lifting it up to the top by doing a Lw', and doing a J-perm, like most people do (or what I believe most people do), I would bring the edge to the front and do the following setup alg R F L' R'/ T-perm / then undoing the setup alg. I found out that by doing it I never have to do the parity alg or worry about ever having parity again, no matter if you have a even or odd amount of edges/corners.

If anyone has had the same trouble then I hope that this helps, or if my reasoning is wrong please let me know. I only say the above because that is what worked for me in the past.
 

Sue Doenim

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Something that I was going to say regarding OP/OP, is that I found a way to not have to worry about knowing if there is going to be parity, because you never have to do the parity alg, and what I mean is the following.
For the first month of knowing how to solve a 3x3 blind using OP/OP, I learned that there were times that you will have parity (obviously), and every time that I had parity and did the alg, I would have a unsolved cube.
After wondering how that was and experimenting, I found out that the reason for me was the way that I set up FD, RD, BD, and LD edges, meaning that instead of bringing the needed edge to the front, lifting it up to the top by doing a Lw', and doing a J-perm, like most people do (or what I believe most people do), I would bring the edge to the front and do the following setup alg R F L' R'/ T-perm / then undoing the setup alg. I found out that by doing it I never have to do the parity alg or worry about ever having parity again, no matter if you have a even or odd amount of edges/corners.

If anyone has had the same trouble then I hope that this helps, or if my reasoning is wrong please let me know. I only say the above because that is what worked for me in the past.
Sorry, but I think that you are completely and totally wrong. The way you set up those pieces has nothing to do with whether or not you have/have to do parity. I think that every time it worked for you, you just didn't have parity. I would guess that the reason parity never works for you is that you are doing it in the wrong spot. If you solve edges first, you have to do parity before you move on and do your corners. Likewise, if you solve corners first, you do parity before edges.
 

cubeshepherd

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Sorry, but I think that you are completely and totally wrong. The way you set up those pieces has nothing to do with whether or not you have/have to do parity. I think that every time it worked for you, you just didn't have parity. I would guess that the reason parity never works for you is that you are doing it in the wrong spot. If you solve edges first, you have to do parity before you move on and do your corners. Likewise, if you solve corners first, you do parity before edges.
Thank you for correcting me, I was not completely positive on if I was 100% accurate on the methodology but that was my only thought to what I said.
I am not sure if you quite understood what I was saying, but what I was trying to say is that I NEVER have to do the parity alg no matter how many solves I do, and no matter if there are even or odd edges/corners. I have to do the parity alg in M2/OP, but in OP/OP I never have to do the alg no matter what the case is. I always solve edges first then corners if that helps. If you or anyone knows why I have never needed to do the parity alg, then I am more then interested to learn. Thank you for your time and help.

Edit: To make it a little more clear, if I have a case/solve where the parity alg would normally be needed (meaning if there is a odd number of edges/corners, as I am sure you already know), and I do the parity alg it messes up the cube to it being unsolved and a DNF.
 
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TheGrayCuber

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Edit: To make it a little more clear, if I have a case/solve where the parity alg would normally be needed (meaning if there is a odd number of edges/corners, as I am sure you already know), and I do the parity alg it messes up the cube to it being unsolved and a DNF.

This doesn't make any sense. The way that you setup the pieces should have no effect on whether or not you need to perform a parity alg. The reason that parity exists is that two edge and two corners can be swapped, and setups don't address that problem. Have you tried doing a sighted solve with parity to see what is going on?
 

cubeshepherd

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This doesn't make any sense. The way that you setup the pieces should have no effect on whether or not you need to perform a parity alg. The reason that parity exists is that two edge and two corners can be swapped, and setups don't address that problem. Have you tried doing a sighted solve with parity to see what is going on?
I have done a lot of sighted solves and no matter if there are even or odd edges/corners I never have to do the parity alg, and I really do not know how that is.

I did not mention this before since I do not think that is matters, but when there is or is not a cycle break I do not count the bank piece as part of the letter pairs, (meaning that if the edges are CD, I would solve that, and then cycle break happens, and I will then shoot the bank piece to a open edge. And once I find a edge that I want to shoot the bank piece to, I set up the desired edge, do the T-perm and undo the set up move, all in the mean time not counting the bank piece in the letter pair, (if that makes since). I do not believe that counting the bank piece matters because I will still get even or odd solves.

I also get the all parity algs in 4x4 BLD, but in 3x3 BLD I never get it.

I really do not know what I am doing wrong or different then most people, because as stated before, no matter what the case/scramble is I never have to do the parity alg.
If anyone knows of a idea, I am more then interested in knowing and learning. I am doing M2/OP at the moment, so I do not want anyone to feel like they need to find a reason to my non-parity solves in OP/OP, but if you do find out the difference, that would be great. Thanks.
 

h2f

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I have done a lot of sighted solves and no matter if there are even or odd edges/corners I never have to do the parity alg, and I really do not know how that is.

Here is a scramble with parity: F' B2 U F2 L2 U2 L2 U B2 D' L2 U2 L' R' D L' R B' R' D' U Fw' Uw2. You can scramble in orientation you solve. Please write down your whole solution in alg.cubing.net to make it clear how your solve looks like.
Link to alg.cubing.net with T perm and Yperm written.
 

cubeshepherd

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Here is a scramble with parity: F' B2 U F2 L2 U2 L2 U B2 D' L2 U2 L' R' D L' R B' R' D' U Fw' Uw2. You can scramble in orientation you solve. Please write down your whole solution in alg.cubing.net to make it clear how your solve looks like.
Link to alg.cubing.net with T perm and Yperm written.
So I have done as you suggested and here is the solution: https://alg.cubing.net/?alg=z-_y2//...U_B2_D-_L2_U2_L-_R-_D_L-_R_B-_R-_D-_U_Fw-_Uw2

What I have done on this solve is what I do every solve. Thank you all once again for your time and help with this.
 

Jacck

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IMO this is no scramble with parity: for me parity is, when you have an odd-number of edges and an odd number of corners (not counting the buffer). In OP you will have an odd number off perms for edges and for corners (and therefore after edges the two corners swapped which you'll have to fix somehow).

An easy scramble with parity is: U o_O
 

h2f

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So I have done as you suggested and here is the solution: https://alg.cubing.net/?alg=z-_y2//_Get_cube_in_correct_orientation.__ Dw_L-_R_U_R-_U-_R-_F_R2_U-_R-_U-_R_U_R-_F-_L_Dw-//_T D2_R_F_L-_R-_R_U_R-_U-_R-_F_R2_U-_R-_U-_R_U_R-_F-_L_R_F-_R-_D2//_O Dw-_L-_R_U_R-_U-_R-_F_R2_U-_R-_U-_R_U_R-_F-_L_Dw//_L R_U_R-_U-_R-_F_R2_U-_R-_U-_R_U_R-_F-//New_cycle R_F_L-_R-_R_U_R-_U-_R-_F_R2_U-_R-_U-_R_U_R-_F-_L_R_F-_R-//_G D-_R_F_L-_R-_R_U_R-_U-_R-_F_R2_U-_R-_U-_R_U_R-_F-_L_R_F-_R-_D//K Dw2_L-_R_U_R-_U-_R-_F_R2_U-_R-_U-_R_U_R-_F-_L_Dw2//P L2_D_R_F_L-_R-_R_U_R-_U-_R-_F_R2_U-_R-_U-_R_U_R-_F-_L_R_F-_R-_D-_L2//Q L2_R_U_R-_U-_R-_F_R2_U-_R-_U-_R_U_R-_F-_L2//_New_cycle Lw2_D-_L2_R_U_R-_U-_R-_F_R2_U-_R-_U-_R_U_R-_F-_L2_D_Lw2//A Lw_D-_L2_R_U_R-_U-_R-_F_R2_U-_R-_U-_R_U_R-_F-_L2_D_Lw-//E L2_R_U_R-_U-_R-_F_R2_U-_R-_U-_R_U_R-_F-_L2//X _ //Corners I_do_not_use_the_stranded_Y-perm,_but_instead_the_altered_Y-perm,_like_I_learned_from_the_tutorials_that_I_watched_ D-_R__R_U-_R-_U-_R_U_R-_F-_R_U_R-_U-_R-_F_R__R-_D//X R_U-_R-_U-_R_U_R-_F-_R_U_R-_U-_R-_F_R//_New_cycle D-_F-__R_U-_R-_U-_R_U_R-_F-_R_U_R-_U-_R-_F_R__F_D//V F__R_U-_R-_U-_R_U_R-_F-_R_U_R-_U-_R-_F_R__F-//_New_cycle F_R-___R_U-_R-_U-_R_U_R-_F-_R_U_R-_U-_R-_F_R__R_F-//D F___R_U-_R-_U-_R_U_R-_F-_R_U_R-_U-_R-_F_R__F-//_C D__R_U-_R-_U-_R_U_R-_F-_R_U_R-_U-_R-_F_R__D-//_New_cycle D2_R__R_U-_R-_U-_R_U_R-_F-_R_U_R-_U-_R-_F_R__R-_D2//S D-___R_U-_R-_U-_R_U_R-_F-_R_U_R-_U-_R-_F_R__D//_New_cycle D2_F-___R_U-_R-_U-_R_U_R-_F-_R_U_R-_U-_R-_F_R__F_D2//W R2___R_U-_R-_U-_R_U_R-_F-_R_U_R-_U-_R-_F_R__R2//_New_cycle R-_F___R_U-_R-_U-_R_U_R-_F-_R_U_R-_U-_R-_F_R__F-_R//M_ &setup=F-_B2_U_F2_L2_U2_L2_U_B2_D-_L2_U2_L-_R-_D_L-_R_B-_R-_D-_U_Fw-_Uw2

What I have done on this solve is what I do every solve. Thank you all once again for your time and help with this.

Thanks. I was sure it was scramble with parity but it looks like I was wrong. There's no parity. Sorry.
 

CyanSandwich

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I want to get into 4BLD, using good buffers. After looking at the (few) reconstructions of solves on the RCDB, it seems like most of the interchange moves during comms are slices. Relatively few of them involve using the U layer. So my question is:

Could Fru be a better buffer than U face buffers? Why/why not?

The disadvantage of not having a U layer buffer would be that you lose those r U r'-type "insertions" that come between the interchanges. Would this be outweighed by having more comms with u/r slice interchanges?
I know this is an old post, but U face buffers are definitely better than any other buffers.

You would either be stuck with a terrible moveset, or you would rotate/set pieces up to the U face, which defeats the purpose of not using a U buffer.
 

TDM

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I know this is an old post, but U face buffers are definitely better than any other buffers.

You would either be stuck with a terrible moveset, or you would rotate/set pieces up to the U face, which defeats the purpose of not using a U buffer.
I see. So which U face buffer is best? I'm quite inexperienced with centre comms, and don't know what advantages each piece has.
 

CyanSandwich

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I see. So which U face buffer is best? I'm quite inexperienced with centre comms, and don't know what advantages each piece has.
The differences between them are really small, so I usually recommend using the same as your corner buffer. That way you can at least translate some of the comms.
 

Jacck

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IMO this is no scramble with parity: for me parity is, when you have an odd-number of edges and an odd number of corners (not counting the buffer). In OP you will have an odd number off perms for edges and for corners (and therefore after edges the two corners swapped which you'll have to fix somehow).

An easy scramble with parity is: U o_O
Perhaps these thoughts are helpful:
Sometimes I solve blind with J-perm only (kind of OP light), UF<->UR and URF<->UBR. If I have an odd number of edges solved, the two corners must be swapped and I have to fix parity:
1. I do another J-perm that corrects the corners and they are there, where they have been after the scramble (so you could memo them in place). I also swap the edges which then are not in their right position anymore, but as I will have an odd number of J-perms to solve the corners, they will be swapped back in their right position at the end again.
2. I have memorized the corners swapped and "pre-looked" the fact, that they will be swapped after solving the edges. Then I will have an even number of J-perms for the corners and therefore no problem with swapped edges.

A parity-scramble will give you an odd-number of J-perms in total: in the first version you have odd perms for the edges, one for parity and odd perms for corners (odd+1+odd=odd). In the second version you have an odd number for edges and an even number for corners (odd+even=odd).

With J-perms for corners and M2 for edges I would do version 1: just another J-perm after solving the corners (to fix the edges), then do M2 for edges. This will need an odd number of M2 so I will add one in the end and will have the edge-buffer and edge-target swapped. Then I do a "parity-alg" that will swap the edge-buffer and edge target and the two corners.

When do I have parity?
If the scramble has a summ of turns with 90° or 270°! (like a single U)
And look at a J-perm R U2 R' U' R U2 L' U R' U' L (13*90°-turns!): it doesn't swap the pieces as I wrote before, it just looks like that in the end. In fact nearly the whole topface is rearranged and the middle piece is rotated ccw (U2+U'+U2*U*U'=U').

For 4bld: don't do OP before solving the centers (because they will be rotated) - and if the scramble has a summ of 90° or 270° for the inner-slices, there will be the wings-parity.
 
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TheGrayCuber

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1. I do another J-perm that corrects the corners and they are there, where they have been after the scramble (so you could memo them in place). I also swap the edges which then are not in their right position anymore, but as I will have an odd number of J-perms to solve the corners, they will be swapped back in their right position at the end again.

I would consider that extra J-perm that you do to be a parity alg, so you’re not really avoiding a parity alg, you’re just manipulating the method to make parity easier to deal with.
 
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