Thread - Sudoku City — LMI August Sudoku Test

@ 2011-08-10 5:06 AM (#5377 - in reply to #5366) (#5377) Top

motris

Posts: 199

Country : United States

motris posted @ 2011-08-10 5:06 AM

debmohanty - 2011-08-08 4:07 AM

1)
Yes, the number of zero scores are bit disturbing. Close to 35% players have zero scores in this test. It happens when the test puzzles are tough.
As Ours brun posted there could be various reasons for these zero scores. In this test, many good players started but didn't submit.
greenhorn has already posted why he didn't / doesn't submit his score. I'm not sure if LMI ratings has a role to play as well.
Ideas on how to improve non-zero scores is welcome. (It is not surprising that fivefold is the only test with >90% non-zero scores. Players couldn't have waited till the end to decide whether they should submit or not)

So I was looking back at this comment which seemed weird to me as I thought the check box at the start meant 0's were now counting against solvers (unless they report technical problems). But it seems from looking at some top players that indeed a solver can start a test, not submit any answers, and not impact their rankings. Which is what you are getting at above with how some good solvers don't report on a test they know they are doing bad on. I didn't know submitting no answers equaled a free pass; I don't think it should equal a free pass. Perhaps we should re-explore the purpose of the opt-in box at the start. If players can go about a test to not report their bad days, then the rankings for some will be inflated unfairly. If players don't want to report their scores, they can choose to compete unofficially and then not submit.

@ 2011-08-10 10:19 AM (#5378 - in reply to #5294) (#5378) Top

WaterlooMathie

Posts: 10

Country : Canada

WaterlooMathie posted @ 2011-08-10 10:19 AM

I thought the puzzles were well constructed and didn't notice the omission in the puzzle with the mistake.

My only problem with the contest was that the Odd/Even puzzle didn't allow for people solving online to input anything in the boxes around the 9x9 grid. Not being able to input these numbers turned a 11 point grid into a 30+ point grid in difficulty. If the people who printed out the puzzles don't understand where I'm coming from, try solving the puzzle blind-folded so that the puzzle becomes a test of your memory to solve a puzzle rather than a test of using logic.

@ 2011-08-10 10:29 AM (#5379 - in reply to #5378) (#5379) Top

debmohanty

Country : India

debmohanty posted @ 2011-08-10 10:29 AM

That is really a bad miss, and I've to blame myself for that.
Extremely sorry about that, and we just have to be more careful in future.

@ 2011-08-17 12:26 AM (#5406 - in reply to #5379) (#5406) Top

wicktroll

Posts: 16

Country : Hungary

wicktroll posted @ 2011-08-17 12:26 AM

Sorry to ask a bit late and probably not in the best topic, but I have a request. I solved Sudoku City online and found the 'Undo' button quite useful. Unfortunately I clicked on it too many times when solving the Product Sudoku and I got lost which correct numbers I have removed (I was too tired :( ).
Would it be possible to add a 'Redo' button as well or it would be an advantage for online solvers because offline solvers can't 'redo' erased numbers from the 'memory' of the paper?

Edited by wicktroll 2011-08-17 12:27 AM

@ 2011-08-17 3:18 PM (#5407 - in reply to #5406) (#5407) Top

debmohanty

Country : India

debmohanty posted @ 2011-08-17 3:18 PM

I'm not sure if "redo" feature is a good idea. Like you, I've a feeling that it will be more advantage to online players.

You should be using different colors, if you bifurcate while solving online.


	@ 2011-08-10 5:06 AM (#5377 - in reply to #5366) (#5377) Top
motris Posts: 199 Country : United States	motris posted @ 2011-08-10 5:06 AM debmohanty - 2011-08-08 4:07 AM 1) Yes, the number of zero scores are bit disturbing. Close to 35% players have zero scores in this test. It happens when the test puzzles are tough. As Ours brun posted there could be various reasons for these zero scores. In this test, many good players started but didn't submit. greenhorn has already posted why he didn't / doesn't submit his score. I'm not sure if LMI ratings has a role to play as well. Ideas on how to improve non-zero scores is welcome. (It is not surprising that fivefold is the only test with >90% non-zero scores. Players couldn't have waited till the end to decide whether they should submit or not) So I was looking back at this comment which seemed weird to me as I thought the check box at the start meant 0's were now counting against solvers (unless they report technical problems). But it seems from looking at some top players that indeed a solver can start a test, not submit any answers, and not impact their rankings. Which is what you are getting at above with how some good solvers don't report on a test they know they are doing bad on. I didn't know submitting no answers equaled a free pass; I don't think it should equal a free pass. Perhaps we should re-explore the purpose of the opt-in box at the start. If players can go about a test to not report their bad days, then the rankings for some will be inflated unfairly. If players don't want to report their scores, they can choose to compete unofficially and then not submit.
	@ 2011-08-10 10:19 AM (#5378 - in reply to #5294) (#5378) Top
WaterlooMathie Posts: 10 Country : Canada	WaterlooMathie posted @ 2011-08-10 10:19 AM I thought the puzzles were well constructed and didn't notice the omission in the puzzle with the mistake. My only problem with the contest was that the Odd/Even puzzle didn't allow for people solving online to input anything in the boxes around the 9x9 grid. Not being able to input these numbers turned a 11 point grid into a 30+ point grid in difficulty. If the people who printed out the puzzles don't understand where I'm coming from, try solving the puzzle blind-folded so that the puzzle becomes a test of your memory to solve a puzzle rather than a test of using logic.
	@ 2011-08-10 10:29 AM (#5379 - in reply to #5378) (#5379) Top
debmohanty Country : India	debmohanty posted @ 2011-08-10 10:29 AM That is really a bad miss, and I've to blame myself for that. Extremely sorry about that, and we just have to be more careful in future.
	@ 2011-08-17 12:26 AM (#5406 - in reply to #5379) (#5406) Top
wicktroll Posts: 16 Country : Hungary	wicktroll posted @ 2011-08-17 12:26 AM Sorry to ask a bit late and probably not in the best topic, but I have a request. I solved Sudoku City online and found the 'Undo' button quite useful. Unfortunately I clicked on it too many times when solving the Product Sudoku and I got lost which correct numbers I have removed (I was too tired :( ). Would it be possible to add a 'Redo' button as well or it would be an advantage for online solvers because offline solvers can't 'redo' erased numbers from the 'memory' of the paper? Edited by wicktroll 2011-08-17 12:27 AM
	@ 2011-08-17 3:18 PM (#5407 - in reply to #5406) (#5407) Top
debmohanty Country : India	debmohanty posted @ 2011-08-17 3:18 PM I'm not sure if "redo" feature is a good idea. Like you, I've a feeling that it will be more advantage to online players. You should be using different colors, if you bifurcate while solving online.