Comments on: iPhone sudoku follow-up: ACTSudoku http://boredzo.org/blog/archives/2008-07-29/iphone-sudoku-follow-up-actsudoku The personal weblog of Peter Hosey. Fri, 09 Jan 2009 01:06:49 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: Pierre Bernard http://boredzo.org/blog/archives/2008-07-29/iphone-sudoku-follow-up-actsudoku#comment-230371 Pierre Bernard Sun, 02 Nov 2008 09:22:40 +0000 http://boredzo.org/blog/?p=683#comment-230371 The free version is back! It is now named ACTSudoku EASY and shares the exact feature set of ACTSudoku UNLIMITED. The only difference being that the UNLIMITED version adds "medium" and "hard" games. The free version is back! It is now named ACTSudoku EASY and shares the exact feature set of ACTSudoku UNLIMITED. The only difference being that the UNLIMITED version adds "medium" and "hard" games.

]]> By: Pierre Bernard http://boredzo.org/blog/archives/2008-07-29/iphone-sudoku-follow-up-actsudoku#comment-225640 Pierre Bernard Sat, 27 Sep 2008 08:50:02 +0000 http://boredzo.org/blog/?p=683#comment-225640 Hi Peter! ACTSudoku has just received a major update. The most important addition are smart hints. I hope you will like it! Best, Pierre Bernard Houdah Software s.à r.l. Hi Peter!

ACTSudoku has just received a major update. The most important addition are smart hints.

I hope you will like it!

Best,
Pierre Bernard
Houdah Software s.à r.l.

]]> By: efaith http://boredzo.org/blog/archives/2008-07-29/iphone-sudoku-follow-up-actsudoku#comment-217185 efaith Mon, 11 Aug 2008 10:09:35 +0000 http://boredzo.org/blog/?p=683#comment-217185 That's great! Thanks. I have the fixed one now. That's great! Thanks. I have the fixed one now.

]]> By: Pierre Bernard http://boredzo.org/blog/archives/2008-07-29/iphone-sudoku-follow-up-actsudoku#comment-215829 Pierre Bernard Tue, 05 Aug 2008 13:46:26 +0000 http://boredzo.org/blog/?p=683#comment-215829 Found the bug! It was a one letter typo in the "hidden pair in block" algorithm. This only affects a limited number of "hard" Sudoku puzzles. The fix will be submitted to Apple today. Best, Pierre Bernard Houdah Software s.à r.l. Found the bug! It was a one letter typo in the "hidden pair in block" algorithm. This only affects a limited number of "hard" Sudoku puzzles.

The fix will be submitted to Apple today.

Best,
Pierre Bernard
Houdah Software s.à r.l.

]]> By: efaith http://boredzo.org/blog/archives/2008-07-29/iphone-sudoku-follow-up-actsudoku#comment-214447 efaith Thu, 31 Jul 2008 08:43:53 +0000 http://boredzo.org/blog/?p=683#comment-214447 wow - quick responses from Peter and Pierre. If I were to guess, I would guess that there was no problem initially and it cropped up when ActSudoku switched to rotational symmetry. Picking the wrong squares to blank out can create non-uniqueness, and rotational symmetry is about which squares to blank out, so I see a possible relationship here. wow - quick responses from Peter and Pierre. If I were to guess, I would guess that there was no problem initially and it cropped up when ActSudoku switched to rotational symmetry. Picking the wrong squares to blank out can create non-uniqueness, and rotational symmetry is about which squares to blank out, so I see a possible relationship here.

]]> By: Pierre Bernard http://boredzo.org/blog/archives/2008-07-29/iphone-sudoku-follow-up-actsudoku#comment-214445 Pierre Bernard Thu, 31 Jul 2008 08:17:08 +0000 http://boredzo.org/blog/?p=683#comment-214445 I agree with efaith that non-unique solutions are definitely a major issue. I will work to fix that ASAP and release another update. Best, Pierre Bernard Houdah Software s.à r.l. I agree with efaith that non-unique solutions are definitely a major issue. I will work to fix that ASAP and release another update.

Best,
Pierre Bernard
Houdah Software s.à r.l.

]]> By: Peter Hosey http://boredzo.org/blog/archives/2008-07-29/iphone-sudoku-follow-up-actsudoku#comment-214444 Peter Hosey Thu, 31 Jul 2008 07:57:43 +0000 http://boredzo.org/blog/?p=683#comment-214444 <p>efaith: I've never used sudoku software much, so multiple solutions has not been a problem for me since I wrote my own generator (which I long ago abandoned, for this and other reasons). I'd been playing the Medium puzzles from <a href="http://dailysudoku.co.uk/sudoku/" rel="nofollow">the Daily Sudoku</a> on paper on a small clipboard.</p> <p>So that's why it wasn't on my list of requirements: I hadn't had that problem in years, so it wasn't on my radar. Sorry for omitting it; it definitely is a requirement.</p> <p>Also, I don't have much time for sudoku anymore, so I've only played ACTSudoku lightly (enough to assemble a review of its features); moreover, I've been playing on Easy (next time will probably be Medium). As such, I haven't encountered this problem; otherwise, I'd surely have mentioned it.</p> efaith: I've never used sudoku software much, so multiple solutions has not been a problem for me since I wrote my own generator (which I long ago abandoned, for this and other reasons). I'd been playing the Medium puzzles from the Daily Sudoku on paper on a small clipboard.

So that's why it wasn't on my list of requirements: I hadn't had that problem in years, so it wasn't on my radar. Sorry for omitting it; it definitely is a requirement.

Also, I don't have much time for sudoku anymore, so I've only played ACTSudoku lightly (enough to assemble a review of its features); moreover, I've been playing on Easy (next time will probably be Medium). As such, I haven't encountered this problem; otherwise, I'd surely have mentioned it.

]]> By: efaith http://boredzo.org/blog/archives/2008-07-29/iphone-sudoku-follow-up-actsudoku#comment-214441 efaith Thu, 31 Jul 2008 07:31:36 +0000 http://boredzo.org/blog/?p=683#comment-214441 I've been playing and encountered a few puzzles with non-unique solutions. I mentioned my experience <a href="http://www.websitetoolbox.com/tool/post/houdah/vpost?id=2873585" rel="nofollow">at the forum</a> and provided a photograph showing an example. I like this application quite a bit and I really hope they can fix this. I'm not really all that put off by it, but looking at the comments for Satori Sudoku back when they had the same problem, apparently a lot of gamers are. I'm surprised, actually, that Peter didn't include it among his criteria. So, technically, even with this problem, ActSudoku satisfies all Peter's criteria as is. One thing I really like about this game is that it allows savegames - multiple savegames no less, saving the puzzle and your state of play. You can apparently do this for more than one puzzle and for the same puzzle multiple times. This is useful for a variety of reasons - for example, you might be stuck and want to try another puzzle for now but want to save your current game so you can try again later. Or, something else that often comes up, the logic of the remaining squares can be highly indirect (it might take, say, ten steps before you arrive at a logical contradiction), and in these cases it is useful to try the board one way, and then try it another way, to see where the logic leads. With other iPhone puzzles I found myself working it out on actual paper because they didn't provide any facility for testing possible solutions. But with ActSudoku you can save your game, then play it through one way, and then reload the game and play it through another way. This is actually how I was able to generate the alternative endings that I photographed. I've been playing and encountered a few puzzles with non-unique solutions. I mentioned my experience at the forum and provided a photograph showing an example. I like this application quite a bit and I really hope they can fix this. I'm not really all that put off by it, but looking at the comments for Satori Sudoku back when they had the same problem, apparently a lot of gamers are. I'm surprised, actually, that Peter didn't include it among his criteria. So, technically, even with this problem, ActSudoku satisfies all Peter's criteria as is.

One thing I really like about this game is that it allows savegames - multiple savegames no less, saving the puzzle and your state of play. You can apparently do this for more than one puzzle and for the same puzzle multiple times. This is useful for a variety of reasons - for example, you might be stuck and want to try another puzzle for now but want to save your current game so you can try again later. Or, something else that often comes up, the logic of the remaining squares can be highly indirect (it might take, say, ten steps before you arrive at a logical contradiction), and in these cases it is useful to try the board one way, and then try it another way, to see where the logic leads. With other iPhone puzzles I found myself working it out on actual paper because they didn't provide any facility for testing possible solutions. But with ActSudoku you can save your game, then play it through one way, and then reload the game and play it through another way. This is actually how I was able to generate the alternative endings that I photographed.

]]> By: Pierre Bernard http://boredzo.org/blog/archives/2008-07-29/iphone-sudoku-follow-up-actsudoku#comment-214395 Pierre Bernard Wed, 30 Jul 2008 21:25:40 +0000 http://boredzo.org/blog/?p=683#comment-214395 Hi Peter! Thanks a bunch for both the review on the blog and iTunes. Feedback is always welcome. Keep it coming. I have already started working on the next version. User feedback is usually a major factor when taking future directions. Best, Pierre Bernard Houdah Software s.à r.l. Hi Peter!

Thanks a bunch for both the review on the blog and iTunes.

Feedback is always welcome. Keep it coming. I have already started working on the next version. User feedback is usually a major factor when taking future directions.

Best,
Pierre Bernard
Houdah Software s.à r.l.

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