So "Almost Simple Loop" is basically Yajilin with empty squares instead of blackened squares?

Marcin

I prefer to view Almost Simple Loop as a hybrid between Simple Loop (where unusable black cells define a loop) and Yajilin (where unused white cells clued by numbered arrows define a loop). Because Nikoli's standard presentation of Yajilin more often relies on the numbers, and only uses numbered clue cells, I do not feel it is appropriate to call this type Yajilin here. I suppose I could have said "Almost Yajilin" but I prefer the other name.

Will there still be a claim bonus button or does it automatically end your test when all your answers are correct?

When all answers are judged correct (either by individual submission button or "submit all"), the clock will automatically stop and you'll have direct access to the results page.

You can see it happening same way in the practice page as well.

I solved all puzzles to test the practise page and didn't manage to make the hour mark for all 10 :P

I was not expecting anyone to solve the examples and use the practice page at the same time. But that looks like a fair scenario.

The length in the practice page is now changed such that you can submit upto 24 hours after you start. If you submit all correct, your timer will stop and submission won't be allowed.

can anybody explain me CAVE - CLASSIC
I am not able to understand this puzzle ..
I mean i understood the rules but how to start?

and GAPPED NUMBER FILL
I didnt understood what to do in this puzzle..
basically how to start.

AND in BIG TENT PARTY
is it possible that adjacent cell shared by tent touch diagonally with adjacent cell shared by other tent..

I wrote about Cave/Corral puzzles for the USPC and gave strategy tips here. This puzzle is from the same post, and the advice there will help to solve it.



You might notice that all the numbers given in this puzzle are increasing (later digits are always strictly equal to or larger), which is a trick to get started because it means the upper-left of the puzzle must have mostly small digits and the lower-right must have mostly large digits. Also, notice that the long 10 digit numbers are in three of four cases only 5 digits long. This means there must be a lot of gaps in their entries. Consider the intersection of all of these entries to get started.



Tents cannot touch each other, even diagonally.


I'll also say generally that almost all of the examples are closer to the HARD level than the EASY level, but you should expect this to be a fairly tough test.

Edited by motris 2011-10-09 1:25 AM

I had shared the Cave post in LMI forum earlier. Basically anyone who has not solved much of this type earlier, motris' post is a MUST.

I just completed the practise test with entering multiple wrong answers for different puzzles, but only got a single -4 penalty at the end. I should have had more penalties.
Can you review my submission history (if it is saved) to check if there is a bug in this process?
Possible reasons I can think of might be from clicking the Submit All button rather than submitting one at a time, or from closing the page and logging in again later.

Or does a bad submission in the wrong format (e.g. entering 3 digits when 6 digits are expected) not count as a -4 penalty?

You probably ran into a feature, not a bug. It is hard to shut off the Submit All system for solvers, but there are strings we would never ever consider a wrong answer, for example "HI MOM" for the sudoku puzzle. If you manage to submit an answer based on Submit All that could not have otherwise been entered, it does not count against you. We expect the only answers that will fit this category is a solver typing the Easy in the Hard space, and only then when not using the individual submission button.

The only wrong submission I'm seeing from you was a test of axcaahbbec on tents that became axcaahbbeb. This does look like an answer to the tents, and was incorrect and became correct.

Thanks for clearing that up, yes I did enter some other "HI MOM" answers to see what would happen. I assume all the Easy puzzles have different answer-key lengths to their Hard partners.

Yes, within each puzzle type the keys are unique lengths. I'm not trying to get people negative scores after all! So common mistakes like typing the four number easy answer in the five number hard answer box will be met with no clickable button, or an X after Submit All for "wrong format", but not -4 points. Only answers that could be marked correct will be graded and earn credit or penalties.

There are still a few puzzle types with similar names (the two Loops, for example), where it might be possible to submit an answer in the wrong spot and be marked wrong. We will consider removing penalties in cases where it is clear that this was a result of such an error, but are hopeful that the formatting of the test and solution page will minimize this kind of mistake that does happen at a low rate on these tests.

In response to helpful comments from play-testers, the graphical presentation of Almost Simple Loop will change from the original format in the instructions. Instead of black squares with white numbers and arrows, which can be harder to cross out when solving, the clues will now be in gray squares with black numbers and arrows as in the attached image. The word "black" in the puzzle instructions has also been replaced with the word "gray" to account for this presentation change.

A revised instruction booklet with new images for Almost Simple Loop and some other typographical fixes is now posted.





Attachments
----------------
AlmostSimpleLoop.png (2KB - 4 downloads)

Instructions in Chinese - http://www.sudokufans.org.cn/forums/index.php?showtopic=312

Password protected booklet uploaded. It has 10 pages, one page per puzzle type with the easy (20 point) and hard (50 point) puzzles on the same page. There is no cover page.

REMINDER: This test marks the debut of INSTANT GRADING, a new system of grading; if you have not yet practiced using this system, please go to this practice page before the contest using the instruction booklet answers for submission.

Edited by motris 2011-10-14 9:46 PM

The end date for the contest displays as October 16/17, 2012 instead of 2011.

2011 Double Decathlon ends at 10/16/2012 5:00:01 PM local time | 10/17/2012 12:00:01 AM GMT

changed to 2011.

I LOVE the instant scoring. Thanks!

Looks like it worked out for you exactly as intended (recovering points you might not otherwise have earned). We'll most likely run a poll right after the contest to gauge people's responses to the system. It obviously is not the easiest system to use for all puzzle tests, but seems to be an interesting compromise that online solving can allow.

EDIT: Actually, we've added the poll at the top of this thread now.

Edited by motris 2011-10-15 12:30 PM

Wonderful...............thanks Thomas for such a nice puzzle test....ofcourse it was much beyond my capacity....

Wow, either I'm out of shape or this test was really hard. Very nice puzzles, the ones I managed to crack at least. Also, really like instant scoring!

So, I used the individual submit buttons, which kept updating a score on the left. But there was also something there that said "1 Correct, 0 Wrong" (or something like that). That figure didn't update. What was that supposed to tell me?