20.06.2023, 11:35
Hello. everyone. i want to draw some attention to the rules writing issue.
It's a problem i noticed a long time ago. Many setters use the line 'Standard/Normal Sudoku rules apply' without a follow up of a detailed rules. I even remembered a puzzle did not list the complete ruleset he use. There are also some minor problem with the rules writing, like using 'negative restraint' in rules writing instead of 'All possible xxx are given', or the rules don't have paragraphs which makes it unnecessarily tiring to find a certain rule.
In the past, i thought it's a time issue that can be solved with time. But today, i found i have trouble understanding rules. i had to guess the rules by the example. the sorce of my misunderstanding is that the setter repeat a noun in many lines, causing me to think those lines of rules are connected. It's very clear many setters still don't know how to write their rules more effectively.
In the 'How to publish puzzles' section, it is clear to avoid only using simplied version phase and check puzzle wiki. but i can't access the puzzle wiki English version page. And i didn't find how to write a new rule from 0 in wiki
To conclude, i think a rules writing guide book is necessary. It can help setters to write the rules like a pro, and may be some crtl C+V when too tired to write the detailed rule. As for what i expected to see in a guide book, it should contain example rules of every label/tag, how to paragraph a complex rule set, the usage of symbols(like ? in outside clues only have one direction while arrows can have three) and colors(what color should be used to be more accessible for colorblind, may be some sample color), and maybe some example of rules with many tags to illustrate the layers in writing the rules.
by the way, could there be a tag or label for all those fog of war puzzles? i want to exclude those from my search list. it's very frustrating clicking a puzzle only to find i'm physically impossible to solve those.
It's a problem i noticed a long time ago. Many setters use the line 'Standard/Normal Sudoku rules apply' without a follow up of a detailed rules. I even remembered a puzzle did not list the complete ruleset he use. There are also some minor problem with the rules writing, like using 'negative restraint' in rules writing instead of 'All possible xxx are given', or the rules don't have paragraphs which makes it unnecessarily tiring to find a certain rule.
In the past, i thought it's a time issue that can be solved with time. But today, i found i have trouble understanding rules. i had to guess the rules by the example. the sorce of my misunderstanding is that the setter repeat a noun in many lines, causing me to think those lines of rules are connected. It's very clear many setters still don't know how to write their rules more effectively.
In the 'How to publish puzzles' section, it is clear to avoid only using simplied version phase and check puzzle wiki. but i can't access the puzzle wiki English version page. And i didn't find how to write a new rule from 0 in wiki
To conclude, i think a rules writing guide book is necessary. It can help setters to write the rules like a pro, and may be some crtl C+V when too tired to write the detailed rule. As for what i expected to see in a guide book, it should contain example rules of every label/tag, how to paragraph a complex rule set, the usage of symbols(like ? in outside clues only have one direction while arrows can have three) and colors(what color should be used to be more accessible for colorblind, may be some sample color), and maybe some example of rules with many tags to illustrate the layers in writing the rules.
by the way, could there be a tag or label for all those fog of war puzzles? i want to exclude those from my search list. it's very frustrating clicking a puzzle only to find i'm physically impossible to solve those.