Triddler Size - We need your opinion as Solvers

In Griddlers we set a limit to the number of clues in one line. The Griddlers Workshop checks the clue lines, alerts and marks lines with more than 20 clues, and blocks from submitting puzzles with more than 25 clues. This length check improved the puzzles and added to the joy of solving.

In Triddlers we didn't set a limit. Now we consider adding a similar check. It can be:

• The length of a clue line or -
• The total size of the grid+clues (X*Y). This idea comes up because triddlers are not square, and at least one set of clue lines is diagonal.

If you are a triddler solver, please help us find the right conditions to make better triddlers. Share your thoughts and input in here.


Are the clue lines in the example below too long? What number of clues should one line have?



Is this triddler too big? What size (X*Y) should be the maximum?

For bigger images, open the attachments.

Thanks in advance!

Attachments:

t_lines01.gif (91.1k), t_lines02.gif (48.8k)

I think it's a great idea to introduce some sort of length/size check to triddlers as well.

Since the clues are at 3 sides, you will always have to do some "scrolling" while solving the big triddlers (unless you have a huge screen, or wear magnifying glasses). But I think the important thing is that you can see both the given clue and the place to put that clue at the same time.

Both ideas are good, although I'm not sure what would be a good limit. I guess it depends on how big your screen is (mine is 17"). For clue line length I'm thinking.. maybe 30 - at least for the diagonal clues, the horizontal one could still go up to 40 since the screen is larger in that direction... but maybe there should be only one length limit? I love how detailed triddlers can be, although I do get frustrated at all the scrolling sometimes.

I'm not sure I fully understand the second idea - in what "unit" would the size limit be in? And would that mean that a smaller triddle could have really long clue lines while the big ones have shorter?

Maybe a combination of both ideas would be the best!

More opinions please..

I think the clues per line should be limited to 30. 40 is excessive and annoying, but 20 - 25 might be too limiting.

I'm a bit ambivalent about this...

Too many clues do get very annoying, and having to count them all each and every time you want to put in a triangle can make me give up on a puzzle.
However, the results of a many-clue triddle can be magnificent!

So, would it perhaps be possible to introduce many-clues as a category? Then it's easily avoidable, but also easily accesible, if you suddenly find yourself at a big monitor. Probably not the most practical solution, I know, but would hate to miss out on some of those beauts...

I.m not only a solver but an author too. And as long as there are no multitriddlers possible I sometimes need longer clueslines then I would have liked as a solver.
I really really really hope to have multitriddlers once!!
A big advantage would be to have (as in griddlers) the possibility to mark clues that are already done. That would make a long cluesline easier to deal with.
For an author though it would be good to have some comment when I validate my puzzle. I hate those long lines myself but I can not see the length of those lines when I send in a puzzle. I can imagine that it is sometimes possible to reduce the length without reducing the amount of points or (more important for me) the quality of the picture itself.
So: add to the validation a comment that the puzzle is solvable but has inconvenient clues-length in (and please specify) the X, Y or Z direction. When I see that, I will try to make that line shorter if possible. Please don't block the possibillity to send in that puzzle.
Because as long as there is no multitriddler-possibillity, there will always be the chance that you can only create that puzzle with long lines. Reducing it will sometimes mean ugly pictures. For me that will mean that I won't send it in.
Thus it may be a good idea to add another search-category for triddlers: the clues-line-length. If you hate those long long lines you can avoid them. And when you start a puzzle with long lines you wont have anything to complain about.

Grtz Fineke

For me, well the bigger the better... I hate those made in a few seconds, It doesn´t matter hov many clues in a row, but it would be nice if we could have then crossed when done ;-)
Rengaw

I agree with Fineke. Give the creators the freedom to use the size they want. It is not a necessity to solve all trigglers (that must be a lie) and we can always skip those that are too long.
Edgar