edward_9x
Veteran
I have a crazy, and very fun idea. I know the WCA would never do something like this, but here it goes: Tool Assisted Speedsolving! What does this mean?
Imagine an event where the participants program a computer algorithm to generate the best speed-optimal possible solution to a scramble it can think of. It can be represented in terms of traditional speedsolving methods (Think CFOP, Roux, ZZ), or maybe it can generate a badly-fingertrickable 20-mover, or whatever. As long as: a solution (maybe in STM, with a standardized notation syntax) solves the scramble in at most 15 seconds or so, it is proven that the program was written by the participant, and the program is open source and not malicious, then *it is approved.*
After you upload your program, you are given a cube, you start the timer, execute the solution you generated on the screen as fast as you can, and you stop the timer. People race against each other to see who wrote the coolest, most elegant/ergonomic/most optimized solver. Obviously, you won't make the solver during comp, because this sort of stuff takes a long time to master. Think of how you use the same cube every time during comp: the exact same way, you can work on your "cube number-cruncher 9000" during your free time.
Cool things/Pros:
- You can use ZBLL or other giant algsets without learning them! Just read the notation on the screen.
- Maybe crazy, somewhat-fingertrickable, 20 movers can compete with normal methods? Or, perhaps, there could be a movecount limit of around 30, much more fair IMO.
- People can try developing specialized methods for this event, given that the barrier for entry (alg learning) is eliminated. All that matters is how good your solver is and how fast you can turn. Maybe you could design a solver that switches between methods/algsets or morphs between steps/does unstructured stuff but is fast. Maybe special techniques for this hypothetical event could be created.
- This would probably make for a good spectator event.
Cons:
- People can just steal other people's ideas for solvers
- If an idea becomes non-viable after something new/faster appears, people will probably abandon it quickly
Thoughts?
Imagine an event where the participants program a computer algorithm to generate the best speed-optimal possible solution to a scramble it can think of. It can be represented in terms of traditional speedsolving methods (Think CFOP, Roux, ZZ), or maybe it can generate a badly-fingertrickable 20-mover, or whatever. As long as: a solution (maybe in STM, with a standardized notation syntax) solves the scramble in at most 15 seconds or so, it is proven that the program was written by the participant, and the program is open source and not malicious, then *it is approved.*
After you upload your program, you are given a cube, you start the timer, execute the solution you generated on the screen as fast as you can, and you stop the timer. People race against each other to see who wrote the coolest, most elegant/ergonomic/most optimized solver. Obviously, you won't make the solver during comp, because this sort of stuff takes a long time to master. Think of how you use the same cube every time during comp: the exact same way, you can work on your "cube number-cruncher 9000" during your free time.
Cool things/Pros:
- You can use ZBLL or other giant algsets without learning them! Just read the notation on the screen.
- Maybe crazy, somewhat-fingertrickable, 20 movers can compete with normal methods? Or, perhaps, there could be a movecount limit of around 30, much more fair IMO.
- People can try developing specialized methods for this event, given that the barrier for entry (alg learning) is eliminated. All that matters is how good your solver is and how fast you can turn. Maybe you could design a solver that switches between methods/algsets or morphs between steps/does unstructured stuff but is fast. Maybe special techniques for this hypothetical event could be created.
- This would probably make for a good spectator event.
Cons:
- People can just steal other people's ideas for solvers
- If an idea becomes non-viable after something new/faster appears, people will probably abandon it quickly
Thoughts?
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