UPDATE: I managed to put out 15 puzzles, which seems absolutely insane to me. I had speculated that the interface might be a bit more fiddly with Masyu, because you can't just type in numbers - however what won through is the fact that you need far fewer clues to get a valid Masyu puzzle. So there we go, churn out a puzzle in an average of 2 minutes. Make of that what you will!
Puzzle 1: 21:32 - https://puzz.link/p?mashu/10/10/16020200033ii000903009222003030160
Solved in 0'50. A fairly tricky puzzle in the end, although enabled with a repetition of my favourite diagonal pairs in the corner.
Puzzle 2: 21:34 - https://puzz.link/p?mashu/10/10/0000o10021i30010900i64020000360i00
Solved in 0'44. Mostly smooth, although a couple of tricky deductions. My initial impressions are this has been a bit more successful than the Slitherlink experiment to come up with puzzles that don't feel too artificial.
Puzzle 3: 21:36 - https://puzz.link/p?mashu/10/10/090109i61033300i900360920000961200
Solved in 1'41. This is the first one I feel like I missed something - maybe too early to say if that points at a computer generated hallmark, although I didn't really like this as much.
Puzzle 4: 21:38 - https://puzz.link/p?mashu/10/10/10200b03i3010122033006000b03i130i0
Solved in 0'33. The theme suffered in order to get something unique out, but this was a lovely smooth puzzle to solve. I might try and rescue this at a later date!
Puzzle 5: 21:40 - https://puzz.link/p?mashu/10/10/09i21000023j0i000ca0009219j0000930
Solved in 1'09. Solved nicely enough, but with a couple of moments to sit and think. But these aren't feeling so artificial to me. I wonder if that's because I'm a reasonably proficient Masyu solver and just get these things quicker than I do with Slitherlink? Or indeed if there's an upper limit as to how hard you can make Masyu?
Puzzle 6: 21:42 - https://puzz.link/p?mashu/10/10/209000i80030060j000169200409000i30
Solved in 0'26. Finally got an anti-symmetric one going, and it's just as good as any other in this style that I've ever written. Interesting!
Puzzle 7: 21:44 - https://puzz.link/p?mashu/10/10/00o0c02000i13i600010b60900302i1900
Solved in 0'27. On a roll with anti-symmetry. This one has a really nice design actually - maybe it compares favourably to most of the others in this style I've ever written. Hmmm!
Puzzle 8: 21:46 - https://puzz.link/p?mashu/10/10/00020910060909i00a2021100200i06090
Solved in 0'49. I'm beginning to enjoy these! This one had a couple of my favourite patterns to get things going.
Puzzle 9: 21:48 - https://puzz.link/p?mashu/10/10/30i060200601002693300i391000136000
Solved in 0'36. Fine again! A perfectly reasonable puzzle with a don't close the loop early theme.
Puzzle 10: 21:50 - https://puzz.link/p?mashu/10/10/20130300i0309960j0302060100i000990
Solved in 0'35. Felt like a perfectly good themed puzzle that solved very smoothly to me.
Puzzle 11: 21:52 - https://puzz.link/p?mashu/10/10/0910910a39330c9c910a33a03113310990
Solved in 1'24. Admittedly I guessed here - I wasn't expecting a puzzle with a random selection of white pearls to give anything other than something that needed guesswork.
Puzzle 12: 21:53 - https://puzz.link/p?mashu/10/10/600060i020i00000606260000620060i00
Solved in 0'30. I guess all-black pearl puzzles are always going to be less interesting.
Puzzle 13: 21:56 - https://puzz.link/p?mashu/10/10/1930020a30i009077700i03916060010o0
Solved in 0'52. This attempt at anti-symmetry didn't quite work out, but a perfectly decent puzzle!
Puzzle 14: 21:58 - https://puzz.link/p?mashu/10/10/0062014000042160i0109000o199200000
Solved in 0'37. Another nice solve!
Puzzle 15: 22:00 - https://puzz.link/p?mashu/10/10/020100226i0030bi00ci2000a330060300
Solved in 0'36 - more antisymmetry and solved well enough.
I did all of them without guessing again. Puzzle 3 was definitely my favorite, it had cool don't close the loop logic in it.
ReplyDeleteYes - I now really like puzzle 3 as well now, I did go back and find some really interesting logic there.
DeleteI'm impressed you got through the all-whites puzzle without guessing, I'm still trying to work out if there's anything worth persisting with there...
in rot 13:
DeleteV fbyirq vg ba n fperrafubg fb gung V pbhyq abgngr juvpu iregvprf ner vafvqr naq bhgfvqr gur ybbc. iregvprf gung ner qvntbanyyl bccbfvgr gb rnpubgure nebhaq juvgr qbgf unir qvssrerag cnevgl. jurarire gurer ner 2 iregvprf jvgu qvssrerag cnevgl arkg gb rnpubgure, qenj n yvar orgjrra gurz. jurarire gurer ner 2 iregvprf jvgu gur fnzr cnevgl, qenj n pebff. gung'f cerggl zhpu nyy gurer vf gb vg.
Thank you - I've come across some parity ideas in Masyu before, but that's by far the clearest explanation I've come across. Interestingly, I found I only needed 2 smaller applications of that, and then avoiding a U configuration with a white in the mouth made the whole thing something approaching reasonable.
DeleteWell if nothing else, being able to visualise that helpfully for the first time has made this experiment a complete success in my book!