As a bit of an aside, I came across semiexp.net recently, and lots of it basically seems like magic to me. For example:
There's also something called pzprRT, which seems like an extraordinary setting tool. Basically, for a small number of types, including 4 of my favourites: Yajilin, Masyu, Slitherlink and indeed Heyawake, you are able to mark up your puzzle using the pzprjs project (i.e. as featured on puzz.link) and then you can press a button and it will give you the live deductions corresponding to the clues you've put in.
I am still generally avoiding marking up my puzzles using puzz.link, as the interaction between the puzzle player and the hidden database (which stores the metadata of logged in solvers) is still not entirely clear to me. I think I saw that this metadata is indexed by hashed versions of the puzzle URLs rather than the URLs themselves - this would kind of be fine by me I think as it means the database would be genuinely only metadata, rather than actual puzzle data making up some kind of secret dystopian mega master puzzle database. But in any case pzprRT generated me a puzz.link, so I think it means this puzzle is now on the database, hashed or otherwise, and now what’s done is done.
I suppose what it does mean for you, dearest reader, is that you can also play along online! I may even start making a habit of it. Enjoy!
#359 Heyawake – rated 8/10 [Very Hard]All puzzles © Tom Collyer 2009-21.
