Teraminx finally arrived!

[ghost-]

damn it now i wanna buy a rubix cube and start up on this kind of stuff

[Raziel_Darkeden]

jesus dude thats impressive. I assume there's a set pattern you use to solve it, much like a rubix cube.

[Jerry DB]

wow nice job, I would never start with that project

[Bluearrowll]

Damn solving that thing in 5 hours is insane.

[Reincarnate]

I have a pretty big collection myself but they're usually just cool-looking morphy puzzles. One of my favorites is the Mirror Blocks puzzle which looks really awesome when scrambled.

However, the bigger cubes (4x4x4, 5x5x5, Megaminx+, etc) start to become less interesting. The bigger puzzles are harder to turn and don't really offer anything challenging or interesting other than tedium. The algorithms and logic you use to solve the smaller puzzles are pretty much identical no matter how big you go.

Blindfold solving larger cubes, though, is a fun yet still-tedious challenge. But, idk, puzzles that can't be speedsolved in a matter of seconds just feel tedious to me.

[qqwref]

lolrubix

[Elite Ninja]

I have been waiting for the 11x11x11 rubiks cube to come out for a while from v-cube but I really don't know how long it's going to be since it seems to be in-active right now. I'm not really sure.

[qqwref]

Don't wait for V-Cubes - trust me on this. They announced the 6x6x6 would be ready in a few months in like 2005, and it took until 2008 to actually get released. Then it was years before anything else got released (and they still haven't made a new big cube). And with their recent releases it looks like the biggest cubes are going to take a long time if ever. (Plus, honestly, I'm not sure V-Cubes makes the best very big cubes anymore, although I've heard with enough modding they can be amazing.)

I actually have an 11x11x11 and it turns pretty well - the only problem is that it's so huge I can't even properly hold it. Needless to say, the unofficial world record is held by someone with bigger hands.

[Reincarnate]

jesus 11x11x11 wtf?

How can that possibly be fun?

[Elite Ninja]

Originally Posted by qqwref

I actually have an 11x11x11 and it turns pretty well - the only problem is that it's so huge I can't even properly hold it. Needless to say, the unofficial world record is held by someone with bigger hands.

I assume you have this one
http://51morefun.com/index.php?main_...products_id=16

I might get it because I have heard a lot of positive reviews but right now I don't have the money for it seeing as I just got a Teraminx XD.

Also I just ordered an extra set of stickers from Cubesmith for the Teraminx since a couple of the stickers on my Teraminx right now are losing its color. Its not peeling off but the color is fading away >.>

Here is a picture of what I mean:

[qqwref]

Originally Posted by Reincarnate

jesus 11x11x11 wtf?

How can that possibly be fun?

It's fun to try to improve your best time on it - I think that's why a lot of people do cubing, or any skill-based easily-measured activity really. Personally I think I've only solved mine a few times, but I do also collect cubes so it's really neat to have. I've done more solves on the computer one, but still probably in the single digits or near them.

Originally Posted by Elite Ninja

I assume you have this one
http://51morefun.com/index.php?main_...products_id=16

I might get it because I have heard a lot of positive reviews but right now I don't have the money for it seeing as I just got a Teraminx XD.

Yeah, pretty sure that's the one, although I didn't get it from there. Having played with the 8x8, 9x9 (don't own it), and 11x11, the 8x8 is the biggest one I can actually comfortably hold. Plus the 9x9 sucks.

And sorry about those Teraminx stickers D:

[Reincarnate]

Originally Posted by qqwref

It's fun to try to improve your best time on it - I think that's why a lot of people do cubing, or any skill-based easily-measured activity really. Personally I think I've only solved mine a few times, but I do also collect cubes so it's really neat to have. I've done more solves on the computer one, but still probably in the single digits or near them.
:

I understand the desire and drive to improve times, but I don't understand the drive to improve times *on those large cubes*. Trials are so much longer to complete, the competition variance in times is larger, the cubes are harder to turn, there's no added mental challenge in terms of the logic/algorithms applied, and they're not as fun to watch.

[Elite Ninja]

I enjoy the larger puzzles as a collection more than solving haha. I won't be solving the Teraminx much but it's cool to have. I don't think the 11x11x11 will be much of a turning issue and will be more enjoyable to solve often and improve times on, but that isn't going to happen with the Teraminx lol.

[qqwref]

Originally Posted by Reincarnate

Trials are so much longer to complete, the competition variance in times is larger

Actually, the variance tends to be pretty low in percent compared to the variance on the smaller cubes, if your skill is consistent across solves. Because there are so many individual things to do in a given solve, your time is much more based on how well you actually performed than on the luck of how good your position was and how many lockups you had. Law of large numbers, yeah?

Originally Posted by Reincarnate

there's no added mental challenge in terms of the logic/algorithms applied

To be honest, only people who are just starting out do it for the "mental challenge". I don't think someone who averages <20 seconds on the 3x3 considers it a mentally difficult task to finish the puzzle. But, it IS a mental challenge to try to do something like a big puzzle quickly. Instead of just figuring out a solve, you're trying to be efficient and find the best way to do something, trying to track pieces, trying to keep up a consistent turning rate rather than just doing bursts of speed, and so on. If you want to be fast on a big cube, it actually requires much more mental ability than the 3x3.

Originally Posted by Reincarnate

and they're not as fun to watch.

Neither is a marathon.

[Ninty64]

I must disagree. I think the big cubes are really fun to watch when they're sped up

[Reincarnate]

Originally Posted by qqwref

Actually, the variance tends to be pretty low in percent compared to the variance on the smaller cubes, if your skill is consistent across solves. Because there are so many individual things to do in a given solve, your time is much more based on how well you actually performed than on the luck of how good your position was and how many lockups you had. Law of large numbers, yeah?

I refer to the variance with respect to other solvers (hence "competition variance"), where the variance is quite massive compared to that of smaller cubes (not personal times -- otherwise you're correct there). In my experience, it was really hard to get good times on the larger cubes simply because they were so damned hard to turn. Then again I have no idea how cubes are now because I haven't cubed in years, but the bottleneck always came down to things like that.

Originally Posted by qqwref

To be honest, only people who are just starting out do it for the "mental challenge". I don't think someone who averages <20 seconds on the 3x3 considers it a mentally difficult task to finish the puzzle. But, it IS a mental challenge to try to do something like a big puzzle quickly. Instead of just figuring out a solve, you're trying to be efficient and find the best way to do something, trying to track pieces, trying to keep up a consistent turning rate rather than just doing bursts of speed, and so on. If you want to be fast on a big cube, it actually requires much more mental ability than the 3x3.

I agree with all this -- it's just not what I look for in a puzzle. On some level, I like having the mental challenge present. Otherwise I get bored. Once I was able to get <15 on the 3x3x3 fairly consistently, it was no longer interesting to me.

[hi19hi19]

Originally Posted by Reincarnate

I beat the rubix cube

yep

[ninjaKIWI]

I got bored with the 3x3x3 after I started getting <50s. The 4x4x4 is still fun though, and is way better for impressing the ladies.

[qqwref]

Originally Posted by Reincarnate

I refer to the variance with respect to other solvers (hence "competition variance"), where the variance is quite massive compared to that of smaller cubes (not personal times -- otherwise you're correct there). In my experience, it was really hard to get good times on the larger cubes simply because they were so damned hard to turn. Then again I have no idea how cubes are now because I haven't cubed in years, but the bottleneck always came down to things like that.

The variance is massive because it's so much harder to get good at it, which is a good thing IMO. You can't just spam algs with good turnspeed like on the 3x3. And cubes actually turn better than you think - if you go with a good brand and regularly lubricate it, you can get really nice results. For instance, right now V-cube is pretty much the best 5x5, but before that people used other things such as Eastsheen (which was my cube of choice, back when I was like 5th in the world lol) and Mefferts/Rubik's. Equipment does matter, but unlike other sports, you're kind of in charge of your own, at least for now.

Originally Posted by Reincarnate

I agree with all this -- it's just not what I look for in a puzzle.

Then what's so hard to understand about why others would find it more fun?

PS: averaging ~12 on the 3x3, still not bored

[Gravity Kitten]

nerds