WCA (The World Cube Association) hosts cubing competitions worldwide for a specific group of puzzles which have been appropriately dubbed "WCA puzzles". There are about 10 WCA puzzles in existence, but several of them have subsets such as OH, blind, and... 3x3 with feet? Wat? Amongst all of this though there are many cubes that have been dropped from WCA after they were in the system for a while. Cubes like the rainbow cube, rubik's magic, and more (I think). With this, many people want more cubes to be included in comps. WCA does bring new cubes into competitions regularly, normally at the beginning of the year, but they don't always. Skewb is the most recent event added, which was added n 2014.
WCA competitions must follow WCA regulations. Regulations can change, and occasionally do. A good example of this was when stickerless cubes were banned from WCA competitions a while back, and in the summer of this year they were brought back. With this change in regulations came a regulation requiring devices to be put in place to prevent squans from moving during transport to the competitor.
WCA regulations also mandate a certain kind of timer. Competitions always use Speed Stacking timers. It is slightly confusing seeing as cubing companies do make timers, yet we don't use them. It makes sense when you realize that Speed stacking timers are much higher in quality, but regardless, it's still confusing.
Competitions are few and far between in many places. Here in California they happen regularly, but in many places cubing competitions don't happen at all. So if you cube and you hear of a competitions happening near you, make sure you go. You'll love it. Trust me. If you're a cuber, that is.
Venomburners! They eat your mana in the darkness, Jimmy!
-GIR
Sunday, November 15, 2015
Saturday, November 14, 2015
When one needs to rant...
/*This post is incredibly bias, and in no way reflects weather Cloud should be released as DLC or not. It's great that more characters are coming, but I would rather see someone else join the fray aside from him. I also give my argument for my opinion below. If you disagree that's fine. This is not meant to insult Cloud as a character, nor the games he comes from which I, admitadley, have not played. This post is just my opinion.*/
Cloud was recently announced to be coming in smash 4 as DLC. Now, it's great to see more characters coming to smash, and I know that Nintendo probably intends to announce more characters in December as stated in the end of the Nintendo Direct, but I personally believe cloud wasn't the best choice for them to spend their time on. There won't be any hate here, but let me present my argument.
By Nintendo's perspective, it's not going to be as profitable. By putting a character in Smash you inadvertently promote the game the character comes from. Final Fantasy isn't a Nintendo exclusive, so they aren't helping themselves as much as they could be. Along with that, while the Final Fantasy games on Nintendo consoles are popular, they aren't as popular as other games. Because of this, some people might not buy Cloud as paid DLC. While the people who don't know about Final Fantasy and buy Cloud anyway, as many will still do, may enjoy him and purchase the game he comes from, earning them sales. But at the same time, they might buy non-Nintendo Final Fantasy games, and it's just more of a risk over all.
In terms of what we're receiving, there are better options. I'm not saying that Cloud won't be an awesome addition, I'm saying there are better options. While I'm sure there was demand for Cloud, there was definitely a far larger outcry for other characters. Logically, they should release the character with the most outcry behind it as that would earn them the most money, and give the fans what they want. With all of this, it appears that Cloud has a very intense moveset, like Ryu. This is a good thing, as it will represent his character properly and create a fun to play character. But it will also take a lot of time. Time they could be spending on other characters with more outcry.
Cloud is a swordsman. Is this an issue? Yes. Smash has many swordsmen already, and while some do operate differently (Link and Robin have a large focus on projectiles, Marth and Roy have sword sweetspots that play a factor, and Lucina and Ike are just kinda swords people.) they still have a huge presence already, and diversifying the lineup would be appreciated by many. Because it's likely that Cloud will be a mid-weight, characters such as the much wanted King K-Roll would be better as he his a heavy-weight, a minority in the cast.
In the end, I think Cloud will make a fine addition to the roster, and I'm looking forward to seeing where he places in the tier lists and how he'll be used in competitive play. Despite this, I won't be buying him. And although I'm excited to see his moveset, his announcement was overshadowed by the announcement telling me of what's to come.
Oh don't mind him, Jimmy. That's Nisovin. He's a Gnome!
-GIR
Cloud was recently announced to be coming in smash 4 as DLC. Now, it's great to see more characters coming to smash, and I know that Nintendo probably intends to announce more characters in December as stated in the end of the Nintendo Direct, but I personally believe cloud wasn't the best choice for them to spend their time on. There won't be any hate here, but let me present my argument.
By Nintendo's perspective, it's not going to be as profitable. By putting a character in Smash you inadvertently promote the game the character comes from. Final Fantasy isn't a Nintendo exclusive, so they aren't helping themselves as much as they could be. Along with that, while the Final Fantasy games on Nintendo consoles are popular, they aren't as popular as other games. Because of this, some people might not buy Cloud as paid DLC. While the people who don't know about Final Fantasy and buy Cloud anyway, as many will still do, may enjoy him and purchase the game he comes from, earning them sales. But at the same time, they might buy non-Nintendo Final Fantasy games, and it's just more of a risk over all.
In terms of what we're receiving, there are better options. I'm not saying that Cloud won't be an awesome addition, I'm saying there are better options. While I'm sure there was demand for Cloud, there was definitely a far larger outcry for other characters. Logically, they should release the character with the most outcry behind it as that would earn them the most money, and give the fans what they want. With all of this, it appears that Cloud has a very intense moveset, like Ryu. This is a good thing, as it will represent his character properly and create a fun to play character. But it will also take a lot of time. Time they could be spending on other characters with more outcry.
Cloud is a swordsman. Is this an issue? Yes. Smash has many swordsmen already, and while some do operate differently (Link and Robin have a large focus on projectiles, Marth and Roy have sword sweetspots that play a factor, and Lucina and Ike are just kinda swords people.) they still have a huge presence already, and diversifying the lineup would be appreciated by many. Because it's likely that Cloud will be a mid-weight, characters such as the much wanted King K-Roll would be better as he his a heavy-weight, a minority in the cast.
In the end, I think Cloud will make a fine addition to the roster, and I'm looking forward to seeing where he places in the tier lists and how he'll be used in competitive play. Despite this, I won't be buying him. And although I'm excited to see his moveset, his announcement was overshadowed by the announcement telling me of what's to come.
Oh don't mind him, Jimmy. That's Nisovin. He's a Gnome!
-GIR
Friday, November 13, 2015
The "Hoo-Hah'
Yes, I'm talking about it. And yes, I'm done with the 3x3's. Moving on.
The Hoo-Hah is a term used for a Diddy Kong down throw combo that was incredibly overpowered before it was nerfed. It was known for it's terrible presence in the competitive scene, and it bumped Diddy up to the top of the tier lists. He stayed up at the top of the tiers for quite some time, but after the Hoo-Hah was nerfed, he fell down the tiers and is now in the A category instead of the S category.
But almost all characters have down throw combos. What makes Diddy's so special? Well, unlike others, Diddy's Hoo-Hah can combo into itself. A lot. Not only does it wrack up loads of damage, but because it involves Diddy's U-Air it is also capable of killing. This amazing combo was used by many, but the big one to note here would be ZeRo, who sub-mained Diddy during the age of Hoo-Hah. Again, Diddy's Hoo-Hah has been removed. But is there another?
Yes. The robotic Hoo-Hah. R.O.B.'s U-Air is already amazing for damage and for killing, but with his down throw combo-ing into it, it makes me wonder why R.O.B. isn't higher on the tier list. That isn't R.O.B.'s only powerful moves. He has his top and head-lazer... thing... His neutral B can give him stage control with his top. His Dair is also very good at spiking and his recovery is brilliant. With all of this, I really wonder why R.O.B.'s competitive presence is tiny.
This was short. I'm sorry. I'm tired. Nezzelmeh.
Wolves Jimmy! Don't fight'em alone!
-GIR
Thursday, November 12, 2015
The ZhanChi
The ZhanChi is Dayans 5th and final cube. What? You say there was another Dayan cube? No. No there wasn't. This was Dayan's exit from designing 3x3's, and it was a good one. While the GuHong and other cubes were definitly good, the ZhanChi was the beginning of what is now considered "modern 3x3's".
The ZhanChi had no outstanding flaws. All cubes before this had some issue. The Alpha cubes couldn't corner-cut as well, the GuHong had block corner-cutting and pops, and Rubik's brands were, and still are, just bad. The ZhanChi, on the other hand, had none of these problems. It had rounded and smoothed curves on the corners and edges which resulted in all around better corner-cutting, and the torpedoes held the cube together. With all of this was Dayan's signature buttery feel, and sticker-less options. The ZhanChi was the first cube to have such large gaps between the corner stocks and edge wings, which gave it a customizable factor. It could be as fast or as slow as you want it to be, based on how you lube it. The gaps also helped internally for reverse corner-cutting.
I've talked about Dayan a lot this week, but there's a reason for that. Dayan released some of the most important 3x3's of all time. They created speedcube 3x3's as we see them today. And while they have ceased creating new 3x3's after the release of the ZhanChi (Directly after the release of the ZhanChi. The Dayan 5 ZhanChi was the final 3x3 created by Dayan. There was never another. Never.), Dayan will always be remembered for their service to our community.
I'm not scared of anything. Well, accept glass. I'm kinda scared of glass...
-GIR
The ZhanChi had no outstanding flaws. All cubes before this had some issue. The Alpha cubes couldn't corner-cut as well, the GuHong had block corner-cutting and pops, and Rubik's brands were, and still are, just bad. The ZhanChi, on the other hand, had none of these problems. It had rounded and smoothed curves on the corners and edges which resulted in all around better corner-cutting, and the torpedoes held the cube together. With all of this was Dayan's signature buttery feel, and sticker-less options. The ZhanChi was the first cube to have such large gaps between the corner stocks and edge wings, which gave it a customizable factor. It could be as fast or as slow as you want it to be, based on how you lube it. The gaps also helped internally for reverse corner-cutting.
I've talked about Dayan a lot this week, but there's a reason for that. Dayan released some of the most important 3x3's of all time. They created speedcube 3x3's as we see them today. And while they have ceased creating new 3x3's after the release of the ZhanChi (Directly after the release of the ZhanChi. The Dayan 5 ZhanChi was the final 3x3 created by Dayan. There was never another. Never.), Dayan will always be remembered for their service to our community.
I'm not scared of anything. Well, accept glass. I'm kinda scared of glass...
-GIR
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
The GuHong (V1)
I've referenced the GuHong numerous times already, so today I'll be covering it more. The GuHong is the Dayan 2, being the successor to the Dayan Taiyan. The GuHong was the cube that made Dayan's name and set it apart from other cubes, such as the popular Alpha series. The GuHong was the first, and in my opinion only, major performance spike. The GuHong was the first cube to have 45 degree corner cutting and turning at its quality. The GuHong is the divider between older and modern 3x3 design.
The GuHong was released when the only really viable speed cubes out there were Rubik's brands and Alpha cubes. All these cubes were great, but when the GuHong dropped, EVERYTHING THAT WASN'T A GUHONG BECAME OBSOLETE. The GuHong simply out-performed all the competition. Nothing could contest with it. The only cubes that would compete with the GuHong would be other Dayan cubes for quite some time. Even though the GuHong had a popping problem, its benefits far outweigh that one con for the time. Nowadays, the GuHong is still considered a viable option, and I personally used one as my main only 6 months ago. Not to mention the GuHong got a re-release called the GuHong V2 which had torpedoes to prevent pops.
However, as all incredibly good things are (Or at least very often), it was met with controversy. VCubes stated that the GuHong violated their 3x3 design patent. In reality, the GuHong looked nothing like their 3x3 patent, and the lawsuit was resolved (However, we don't know who won, nor how it was settled). Despite this, many people have noticed and announced that the VCube 6 and VCube 5 resemble the GuHong when certain pieces are glued together. I would dive deeper into this, but doing so would involve me in the ever growing (And in my opinion unnecessary) VCube controversy, which I don't want. It's ridiculous enough as it is.
The GuHong created a huge performance increase in 3x3 performance. And while today 3x3 design has improved, the improvements to performance has been incredibly small in comparison to the performance increase seen in the release of the GuHong. Not only that, it also solidified the Dayan name which would continue to dominate the 3x3 market for quite some time. Without this cube, 3x3 performance would be very different than it is today. This was definitely a very important 3x3, and it will never be forgotten.
Something else that will never be forgotten is today, Armistice day. Today, at 11:00 AM, the fighting in the Great War stopped. I dedicate this post to Armistice day. That sounds stupid, but hey. That's life. It means something.
What's in the juice? All my wealth and power! Infused with pink lemonade.
-GIR
The GuHong was released when the only really viable speed cubes out there were Rubik's brands and Alpha cubes. All these cubes were great, but when the GuHong dropped, EVERYTHING THAT WASN'T A GUHONG BECAME OBSOLETE. The GuHong simply out-performed all the competition. Nothing could contest with it. The only cubes that would compete with the GuHong would be other Dayan cubes for quite some time. Even though the GuHong had a popping problem, its benefits far outweigh that one con for the time. Nowadays, the GuHong is still considered a viable option, and I personally used one as my main only 6 months ago. Not to mention the GuHong got a re-release called the GuHong V2 which had torpedoes to prevent pops.
However, as all incredibly good things are (Or at least very often), it was met with controversy. VCubes stated that the GuHong violated their 3x3 design patent. In reality, the GuHong looked nothing like their 3x3 patent, and the lawsuit was resolved (However, we don't know who won, nor how it was settled). Despite this, many people have noticed and announced that the VCube 6 and VCube 5 resemble the GuHong when certain pieces are glued together. I would dive deeper into this, but doing so would involve me in the ever growing (And in my opinion unnecessary) VCube controversy, which I don't want. It's ridiculous enough as it is.
The GuHong created a huge performance increase in 3x3 performance. And while today 3x3 design has improved, the improvements to performance has been incredibly small in comparison to the performance increase seen in the release of the GuHong. Not only that, it also solidified the Dayan name which would continue to dominate the 3x3 market for quite some time. Without this cube, 3x3 performance would be very different than it is today. This was definitely a very important 3x3, and it will never be forgotten.
Something else that will never be forgotten is today, Armistice day. Today, at 11:00 AM, the fighting in the Great War stopped. I dedicate this post to Armistice day. That sounds stupid, but hey. That's life. It means something.
What's in the juice? All my wealth and power! Infused with pink lemonade.
-GIR
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
The FangShi
/*Note: I'm reffering to the FangShi ShruanRen in this post. Whenever I say "FangShi, know that I'm referring to the ShruanRen. I'm to used to calling it "The Fangshi" amongst friends. My bad*/
The Fangshi was a first for a lot of things. It was the first 3x3 to be accepted as a legitimate competitor to Dayan, it was the first cube to introduce an edge piece wing design that linked under the center for added support, which alone brought upon a revolution that would completely change 3x3 design, and it was the first cube to introduce a vastly different fell in comparison to other cubes. The Fangshi, created by Funs Puzzle, was the beginning of a new 3x3 generation. OK, that might be a bit of an exaggeration. But the Fangshi did pave the way for many 3x3's, including MoYu's 3x3's which are today considered to be the best 3x3's around. The Fangshi brought about another 3x3 design revolution.
Ever since the release of the GuHong, Dayan was at the top of the 3x3 market, and it had no viable competition. It remained this way until they released the ZanChi, considered by myself and many others to be their best cube yet. But after the ZanChi's release, a competetor came up that, for the first time, matched their quality and, in some instances, surpassed them. This cube was the FangShi, and it blew up in popularity. More people switched to a cube that wasn't Dayan than ever before. Unlike the Dayan cubes, the Fangshi didn't have torpedoes. Instead, it had a mechanism that linked the corners and edges together, and linked the edges through the center to create a tight fit of the pieces which prevented pops very well.
Its name translated to "Frosted Blade", which made sense. Its pieces were frosted over with a certain type of plastic, giving it a feel like no other. Most cubes up to this point felt smooth and "buttery". The FangShi on the other hand felt rough and "sandy". This was due to the layer of frost on the pieces. As you broke the cube in, the frost layer comes off, drastically changing its fell while in use, becoming "crispy" and "clacky" (Those last two were my opinion, but anyone who has a FangShi can agree, it clacks).
Since its release, many other manufactures have used a similar wing design to the FangShi, and it is now widely considered standard anti-popping measures. If it wasn't for the FangShi, odds are cubes would be popping more than they are today.
Of course I've caught a storm dragon, Jimmy! I even turned him into a dwarf!
-GIR
The Fangshi was a first for a lot of things. It was the first 3x3 to be accepted as a legitimate competitor to Dayan, it was the first cube to introduce an edge piece wing design that linked under the center for added support, which alone brought upon a revolution that would completely change 3x3 design, and it was the first cube to introduce a vastly different fell in comparison to other cubes. The Fangshi, created by Funs Puzzle, was the beginning of a new 3x3 generation. OK, that might be a bit of an exaggeration. But the Fangshi did pave the way for many 3x3's, including MoYu's 3x3's which are today considered to be the best 3x3's around. The Fangshi brought about another 3x3 design revolution.
Ever since the release of the GuHong, Dayan was at the top of the 3x3 market, and it had no viable competition. It remained this way until they released the ZanChi, considered by myself and many others to be their best cube yet. But after the ZanChi's release, a competetor came up that, for the first time, matched their quality and, in some instances, surpassed them. This cube was the FangShi, and it blew up in popularity. More people switched to a cube that wasn't Dayan than ever before. Unlike the Dayan cubes, the Fangshi didn't have torpedoes. Instead, it had a mechanism that linked the corners and edges together, and linked the edges through the center to create a tight fit of the pieces which prevented pops very well.
Its name translated to "Frosted Blade", which made sense. Its pieces were frosted over with a certain type of plastic, giving it a feel like no other. Most cubes up to this point felt smooth and "buttery". The FangShi on the other hand felt rough and "sandy". This was due to the layer of frost on the pieces. As you broke the cube in, the frost layer comes off, drastically changing its fell while in use, becoming "crispy" and "clacky" (Those last two were my opinion, but anyone who has a FangShi can agree, it clacks).
Since its release, many other manufactures have used a similar wing design to the FangShi, and it is now widely considered standard anti-popping measures. If it wasn't for the FangShi, odds are cubes would be popping more than they are today.
Of course I've caught a storm dragon, Jimmy! I even turned him into a dwarf!
-GIR
Monday, November 9, 2015
The LunHui
//For no real reason, this week I'm going to list some 3x3's I think made 3x3 design what it is today, //and commend them for their service to our community.
The LunHui is a 3x3 created by Dayan, and is also known as the Dayan 4. So what? I haven't heard of the LunHui. Just another Dayan cube. Whatever. Well, this cube brought the modern speedcube into being, as it introduced something revolutionary. Something that is incredibly important to modern 3x3 design. The torpedo. (It might be debatable whether torpedos are important nowadays, as modern 3x3 design now has many other forms of anti-popping mechs other than the torpedo. But regardless, it was definitely important, and is still used today.)
The torpedo is a simple thing. Just a small add-on for cubes that linked corners to edges to prevent pops. This was, arguably, the first anti-popping mechanism in a 3x3 ever, and it was very efficient. Since their introduction, torpedos have made an appearance in every Dayan cube since, and the GuHong and LinYun were re-released with torpedos later. Nowadays, almost all cubes have a torpedo, or something based on a torpedo. Sadley, the LunHui never got all that much attention when compared to its brothers, and instead the GuHong and Zhanchi (Which now both had torpedos) rose up as Dayans most famous 3x3s.
In their favor though, both of those puzzles are much better. (In my opinion, which is shared by most.) The LunHui seems to have been designed with the main focus being anti-popping. The corners have two stocks, the edge has an interlocking mech that looks similar to an older version of Fangshi's wing design, and the center anchors the edges down. in all, it seems this was Dayan trying to make an unpoppable cube. It worked, but not completely. I have a LunHui (Although I can't find it at the moment.) and it still popped from time to time. They likely wanted an unpoppable cube because of the performance of their other cubes. The GuHong and LinYun were both considered the best speed cubes of their time, and the only thing holding them back was the simple fact: They still popped. The LunHui was likely a response to this. Dayan making one of their best cubes, and now it wasn't pop-prone. But in making the design so pop-resistant, they sacrificed some performance. It gained a blocky feel due to its sub-par corner-cutting, and the way it interlocked kept it fro popping regularly, but when it did pop, the mech also caused many other pieces to pop with it, causing bigger pops.
So in the end no, the LunHui wasn't perfect (No, perfection wouldn't occur until 2014and 2015.). But it did introduce a piece of hardware that would be used as standard for years to come, and definitely helped the speed 3x3 designs of today to become as great as they are. For that, I believe it deserves to be commended. So TY Dayan. We'll see you later this week.
Take these beans and shove 'em up their nose! Dragons hate beans!
-GIR
The LunHui is a 3x3 created by Dayan, and is also known as the Dayan 4. So what? I haven't heard of the LunHui. Just another Dayan cube. Whatever. Well, this cube brought the modern speedcube into being, as it introduced something revolutionary. Something that is incredibly important to modern 3x3 design. The torpedo. (It might be debatable whether torpedos are important nowadays, as modern 3x3 design now has many other forms of anti-popping mechs other than the torpedo. But regardless, it was definitely important, and is still used today.)
The torpedo is a simple thing. Just a small add-on for cubes that linked corners to edges to prevent pops. This was, arguably, the first anti-popping mechanism in a 3x3 ever, and it was very efficient. Since their introduction, torpedos have made an appearance in every Dayan cube since, and the GuHong and LinYun were re-released with torpedos later. Nowadays, almost all cubes have a torpedo, or something based on a torpedo. Sadley, the LunHui never got all that much attention when compared to its brothers, and instead the GuHong and Zhanchi (Which now both had torpedos) rose up as Dayans most famous 3x3s.
In their favor though, both of those puzzles are much better. (In my opinion, which is shared by most.) The LunHui seems to have been designed with the main focus being anti-popping. The corners have two stocks, the edge has an interlocking mech that looks similar to an older version of Fangshi's wing design, and the center anchors the edges down. in all, it seems this was Dayan trying to make an unpoppable cube. It worked, but not completely. I have a LunHui (Although I can't find it at the moment.) and it still popped from time to time. They likely wanted an unpoppable cube because of the performance of their other cubes. The GuHong and LinYun were both considered the best speed cubes of their time, and the only thing holding them back was the simple fact: They still popped. The LunHui was likely a response to this. Dayan making one of their best cubes, and now it wasn't pop-prone. But in making the design so pop-resistant, they sacrificed some performance. It gained a blocky feel due to its sub-par corner-cutting, and the way it interlocked kept it fro popping regularly, but when it did pop, the mech also caused many other pieces to pop with it, causing bigger pops.
So in the end no, the LunHui wasn't perfect (No, perfection wouldn't occur until 2014and 2015.). But it did introduce a piece of hardware that would be used as standard for years to come, and definitely helped the speed 3x3 designs of today to become as great as they are. For that, I believe it deserves to be commended. So TY Dayan. We'll see you later this week.
Take these beans and shove 'em up their nose! Dragons hate beans!
-GIR
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