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 Anyone else feel that the double calcudoku problems are too 
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Posted on: Wed Aug 12, 2015 9:01 pm




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Joined: Mon Aug 03, 2015 9:14 pm
Post Anyone else feel that the double calcudoku problems are too
easy?

I mean perhaps someone who better understands the puzzles could explain that double calcudoku problems are fundamentally going to be easy. I understand that having double the clues will lead to this but then why am I seeing these things be labeled 'difficult' and even 'normal' seems like a stretch.


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Posted on: Wed Aug 12, 2015 9:22 pm




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Joined: Thu May 12, 2011 11:58 pm
Post Re: Anyone else feel that the double calcudoku problems are
You are right, they are easier.

It is at the moment not easy to create challenging "twin" puzzles.

I improved the software for them quite a bit over the years, but it's not there yet :-/

Patrick


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Posted on: Wed Aug 12, 2015 10:17 pm




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Joined: Fri Jun 17, 2011 8:15 pm
Post Re: Anyone else feel that the double calcudoku problems are
While they aren't always difficult, I do find them compelling. I like to see how far I can get with one side or the other without reference to its twin. Invariably I 'cheat' by mistake, but it is nice to find those spots where the interdependence is fundamental to the solution.

I'm fond of the Friday 10x10 in a similar way. It's not difficult at all, but I enjoy the pattern way it lends itself to being solved vertically - each column will suggest which pairs of numbers are likely to belong in a given cage - and then horizontally - because the 5 'anchors' at top and bottom determine which order a cage's two numbers are entered.


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Posted on: Thu Aug 13, 2015 12:36 am




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Location: Ladysmith, BC, Canada
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Post Re: Anyone else feel that the double calcudoku problems are
[quote="jaek"]While they aren't always difficult, I do find them compelling. I like to see how far I can get with one side or the other without reference to its twin. Invariably I 'cheat' by mistake, but it is nice to find those spots where the interdependence is fundamental to the solution.

I agree.....they are fun to do and one can rest the brain a little when doing them......I have seen some in the past that have been difficult to the point where it took 3 attempts to finally solve them.


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Posted on: Thu Aug 13, 2015 9:59 pm




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Joined: Fri May 13, 2011 6:51 pm
Post Re: Anyone else feel that the double calcudoku problems are
jaco wrote:
easy?

I mean perhaps someone who better understands the puzzles could explain that double calcudoku problems are fundamentally going to be easy. I understand that having double the clues will lead to this but then why am I seeing these things be labeled 'difficult' and even 'normal' seems like a stretch.


Yes, I mentioned that on my post "The essential info in a puzzle" (Section "Solving strategies and tips", page 2), showing that for a "difficult" 5x5 twin puzzle (the one published on Oct 05, 2011), the right puzzle was absolutely unnecessary, and even we could have an additional blank cage in the left puzzle and still solve it alone without problems.

Over the years, as Patrick is commenting, some improvements have been produced, but the "problem" with the "superfluous information" is still pending, in my opinion. In that post I was, in some way, suggesting other possibilities, like the idea of leaving some cages blank ("no result", or alternately, let's say, "no-op"), for instance, in order to increase the difficulty, and this could be done in both puzzles simultaneously.

Understanding those puzzlers who like the actual level (really the twins are comfortable and relaxing), however, a diferentiation between the medium and the difficult ones is always possible, at least once per week.


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Posted on: Thu Aug 13, 2015 10:10 pm




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Location: Ladysmith, BC, Canada
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Post Re: Anyone else feel that the double calcudoku problems are
Wait until I get over 100,000 and then change them if you must......Ken


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Posted on: Fri Aug 14, 2015 1:19 am




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Joined: Mon Aug 03, 2015 9:14 pm
Post Re: Anyone else feel that the double calcudoku problems are
clm wrote:
jaco wrote:
easy?

I mean perhaps someone who better understands the puzzles could explain that double calcudoku problems are fundamentally going to be easy. I understand that having double the clues will lead to this but then why am I seeing these things be labeled 'difficult' and even 'normal' seems like a stretch.


Yes, I mentioned that on my post "The essential info in a puzzle" (Section "Solving strategies and tips", page 2), showing that for a "difficult" 5x5 twin puzzle (the one published on Oct 05, 2011), the right puzzle was absolutely unnecessary, and even we could have an additional blank cage in the left puzzle and still solve it alone without problems.

Over the years, as Patrick is commenting, some improvements have been produced, but the "problem" with the "superfluous information" is still pending, in my opinion. In that post I was, in some way, suggesting other possibilities, like the idea of leaving some cages blank ("no result", or alternately, let's say, "no-op"), for instance, in order to increase the difficulty, and this could be done in both puzzles simultaneously.

Understanding those puzzlers who like the actual level (really the twins are comfortable and relaxing), however, a diferentiation between the medium and the difficult ones is always possible, at least once per week.

I like that idea, having no operators for the double puzzles


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Posted on: Fri Aug 14, 2015 4:27 am




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Location: Ladysmith, BC, Canada
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Post Re: Anyone else feel that the double calcudoku problems are
A couple of no-operators in the 2 puzzles.......OK
If the 2 (twin) puzzles are no-operators then you have a new generation of puzzles......OK once in a while but not in favor of dropping the twins completely or you could make the twins larger (7x7 or >).
Let's not forget that there other puzzlers without the same skill levels as some others.......also, the next thing you'll want is to get rid of the 3 4x4's because they too are too easy [thumbdn]


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Posted on: Fri Aug 14, 2015 8:16 am




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Post Re: Anyone else feel that the double calcudoku problems are
beaker wrote:
A couple of no-operators in the 2 puzzles.......OK
If the 2 (twin) puzzles are no-operators then you have a new generation of puzzles......OK once in a while but not in favor of dropping the twins completely or you could make the twins larger (7x7 or >).
Let's not forget that there other puzzlers without the same skill levels as some others.......also, the next thing you'll want is to get rid of the 3 4x4's because they too are too easy [thumbdn]

Yeah I guess I probably don't understand the skill level of most players on the site. So I don't know how much reasonably challenging content they feel that there is.

I don't expect the site to bend to my preferences but I'm just happy that my voice was heard.

One thing I don't support is the adding of a ton of different types of puzzles each day. I think if you want to expand on the number of daily puzzles then you really need to limit yourself - in fact I would say 1 more max. It will water down the site imho.


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Posted on: Fri Aug 14, 2015 8:32 am




Posts: 931
Location: Ladysmith, BC, Canada
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Post Re: Anyone else feel that the double calcudoku problems are
[omg] Had to look up "imho"........kind of funny that I just can't keep up with all the new abbreviations.........but then I haven't ever "texted"!!! And thank you for your response.


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