SCE #8

[Børge]

Again thanks to everyone who gives me feedback. I want to emphasize that the single reason I take the time to generate these puzzles, are for you to have a good time solving them. And if you don’t have a good time, I have failed. And the only way for me to know if you had a good time or not are that you tell me.

This time I stopped the generation process while the required solving techniques still were rated Moderate. I could have made a harder puzzle requiring moderate solving techniques only but felt that this was a good point to break. The resulting puzzle is Substitute Clueless Explosion #8A, the mainstream version. Although strictly speaking, solving this puzzle does not require Naked/Hidden Subsets, I spotted several during my solving and of course used them for eliminations.

I then completed the generation process keeping the last puzzle still not requiring solving techniques rated Extra Hard or above. This puzzle is Substitute Clueless Explosion #8B. Something for you Glyn, JLynn, Marlie, Nouggie & Sarah?

Substitute Clueless Explosion #8C is the puzzle that originally should have been the sole Substitute Clueless Explosion #8, which I had some difficulties solving but I am not an experienced Center-Dot Sudoku solver. This puzzle is probably only something for those who really enjoy solving Center-Dot Sudokus at large. It is a kind of a One-Trick Center-Dot. Except for this One-Trick, the puzzle is not especially difficult but time consuming to solve. Once you fairly early during the solving have completed the One-Trick, reaching the finish line should not be too difficult. Here is a picture of the One-Trick step.



Substitute Clueless Explosion #8A

Rating based on required solving techniques: Moderate
My personal rating based on actual solving: Tough



000040009001000500008600000700000300003000000000536004000300700600900000000058042
000030000800000100003702060080010000004000700006900008700350000000007009090000000
000005000000000900084020750000900045009300000810000000100040080005003000000701069
002040006300000000000000814000000060500000000601509002009600007000200000100000000
700006000000000100902001400000003000008000000003800901304000000600100300000000009
000014002000000103400006080000100000100000400009005006000309000002000000030000800
007000900209000000040000001000600500006005000500007062000009480700100000000002000
005008200000002000302010064000000600001300000890004150720009006008500000000070000
000008000100003004000920800010090007000005000649000050907060003000000000000200000



Substitute Clueless Explosion #8B

Rating based on required solving techniques: Tough



000040009001000500008600000700000300003000000000536004000300700600900000000058042
000000000000000100003702060000010000004000700006900008700350000000007009090000000
000000000000000900084020750000000045009300000810000000100040080005003000000701069
002040006300000000000000814000000000500000000601509002009600007000200000100000000
700006000000000100902001400000003000008000000000800901304000000600100000000000009
000014002000000103400006080000100000000000400009005006000009000002000000030000800
007000900209000000040000001000600500006005000500007062000009480700100000000002000
005008200000000000302010064000000000001300000890004150700009006000000000000070000
000008000100003004000920800010000007000005000649000000907060003000000000000200000



Substitute Clueless Explosion #8C

Rating based on required solving techniques: Barely Hard
My personal rating based on actual solving: Very Hard



000060084000000000006390200350270000002000005000000000025040900401000000000000000
000000020005000000061570003000002015008000000003085002970300000000000000000000000
000000000100000000600850070000600900000000000005280006000000710700000000004300000
000008100000900008400000000600000002000700000003020080730000860005602000000000000
000008000000000000003900070900020008300006900008000400000050740407300000500000000
000040050000000000901000000070050408009000000002009000084070200700005000000100000
050000009000002000704900300009030050000100000000080640090600500200000000500000000
008006000000300100010007050000000400500002001020045090200000009307000000000000000
000700000000000000008409260000600080400000003900020400000916040600000000090000000

[JLynn]

I've started 8c, but I haven't had time to actually get through the whole thing. So far, so good, though.

[jsmif]

Sorry Børge, it's a busy couple of days for me. Will solve & comment as soon as possible this weekend.

[jsmif]

I skipped #8a and went straight to #8c. Very nice, one of my favorites.

[Børge]

I skipped #8a and went straight to #8c. Very nice, one of my favorites.

If it is possible to phrase why you found it very nice, it would be good to know, for later reference.

Initially I forgot to explicitly point out that #8A and #8B are variations of the same puzzle, i.e. they have identical solutions whereas #8C is a total different puzzle with another solution.

Next week's C edition has several Basic Fish (X-Wing, Swordfish, Jellyfish, Squirmbag) of more than one size swimming around, but NO Advanced Fish.
Perhaps a good starting point for curing your seafood allergy

[jsmif]

I think I just like the puzzles that use a lot of center-dot logic. This one needed some patience, but didn't end up requiring any of the techniques where you have to break out the red, blue, green and purple crayons and have an advanced degree in astrophysics to figure them out....

Didn't realize 8a was a different puzzle entirely, I'll give it a shot.