Lucky 700

Comments

• Xenon1345 constructor · 2024-01-21T01:17:32.066Z

  I'm curious about the quality of clues on this one (some were dubious imo), so please comment feedback!

  Report
• nate 8:13 · 2024-01-21T08:27:11.300Z

  Super creative and quite ambitious for a first puzzle, I commend the effort! I couldn’t understand several of the clues, but I’d give two general pieces of feedback: 1) every word in a cryptic clue should serve some purpose, and I think you tended to add words to create a better surface reading at the expense of the wordplay. And 2) having long words without other words crossing them (like the outer words in this puzzle) tends to be very difficult—no more than a couple of uncrossed squares in a row is typical. Besides that, explaining the parsing would help for giving feedback on specific clues, if it’s not too much trouble. Thanks for the puzzle

  Report
  • Xenon1345 constructor · 2024-01-21T13:02:30.672Z

    Thank you too for playing my puzzle, and for the feedback!

    1. I can see that in some of the clues, perhaps most glaringly 5D & 10A (& 3D to an extent). I tried to reduce it for the other clues, but I wasn't quite sure how. I assume it's a skill that comes with experience?
    2. The original iteration of the puzzle had only 1A & 11A, so I added 1D & 2D (and the diagonal gimmick) to try and make it somewhat easier (although perhaps not by much). I'll probably refrain from setting strange grids like this in the future though.

    As for parsing, I'm not sure if there's a common format or something, so I'll just split each clue into it's non-cryptic | and cryptic parts (or each meaning), and use brackets to indicate each wordplay. I'll mark the clues I find dubious with an asterisk:

    1A A pokemon | (told me Silph Co.'s) (lasted surprisingly long!) -> SYLV (Silph) + EON -> SYLVEON

    1D (Twists and winds X & O) | into 6D, possibly? -> anagram windsxo -> SIXDOWN

    2D (A Latina was born) on | Christmas Day? -> anagram A Latina -> NATALIA

    3A Pretty stars | fill the night sky, alongside Europa (or Io!), not to mention Jupiter too! -> or Io!) n -> ORION

    3D* (Endless fuel) needs refilling | every 8 days -> OCTAN(-e)

    4D A | (bit less than zero?) -> (-n)ONE

    5D* Why did (Dan run backwards) (through the infrared system?) Now it's stuck at | "low"! -> reverse Dan + IR -> NADIR

    6A Code | that's (definitely not artificial?) -> D(efinitely) + N(ot) + A(rtificial) -> DNA (This clue is a bit silly, because it works as a non-cryptic clue as well)

    6D Uncontactable for | roleplay? -> DND

    7A (Regular skipping by truant ends) | finally regulated -> TrUaNt EnDs -> TUNED

    8D I've | (heard it before, you know.) -> UNO (you know)

    9A Not, or not | also? -> AND

    10A* (Quick, have a snooze) now, lest you want | a punch to the face! -> anagram snore (snooze) -> NOSER

    11A* (As opposed to a larva), (with 1A), | or 1A? -> NYMPH + IA (1A) -> NYMPHIA

    Report