Simplifiy trivial game ends

[spanezz]

There is a point in my play where I've basically solved the game, and I need to go through 3 long presses plus lots of clicking around just to conferm the pencil marks that are there.

I welcomed with enthousiasm the new feature "When each cell got filled with a single possible value, Gauguin suggests to solve the grid with the given values."

I wonder if the same could also autofill trivial cells. Like, when in a row or column there is only one cell to be filled, it could count as a "the game is basically solved" just like when all cells are filled with just one pencil mark.

So, the idea would be to activate the new shortcut if:

1. all cells are filled with just one pencil mark (as it is now)
2. all cells that are empty are the only empty cell in their row or column, whether they have pencil marks or not

I think my fingers would enjoy that a lot

[meikpiep]

Thanks for the detailed report!

This sounds like a good idea, I will implement it the way you described.

[meikpiep]

@spanezz I just released https://github.com/meikpiep/gauguin/releases/tag/v0.48.0 including this enhancement. :-) If should be ready via Play Store or F-Droid in the next 1 or 2 days.

Your reports are very welcome, feel free to reopen this one or file in another if you have an idea/feedback.

[meikpiep]

FYI: There was a problem with F-Droid builds, I just released a new version which should be available in 1-2 days.

[meikpiep]

Finally reached F-Droid, happy testing!

[spanezz]

I tested it, and it's so convenient, especially when there's an endgame with many rows with one empty cell each, that saves so much tedious scanning and long pressing!

I managed to screenshot 3 scenarios where I would have expected "Check nishio" to appear but didn't: perhaps a mix of single pencil mark cells and empty cells isn't counted correctly for the check?

[meikpiep]

Thanks for the examples!

I just reopened this issue - in my point of view, this should be implemented - but I will think about a preference option to let the user choose if it wants "some" fillout help, nothing at all or to let solve grids like your examples.

I personally prefer a more conservative way of "may I solve this for you" popup, so there seems room for personal preferences.

[spanezz]

I personally prefer a more conservative way of "may I solve this for you" popup, so there seems room for personal preferences.

Right, it may be that I'm chasing a XY problem here, and the root problem I have is to minimize the number of long presses, which I find break my flow and in the long run tend to hurt my fingers.

A possible alternative could be to have a button that promotes all cells with a single pencil mark (or a single white pencil mark, ignoring the red ones) into cells with that number. That way I could quick tap my way around things, then push a button to "commit" my partial solution every once in a while

[DancingGeek]

Thanks for raising these @spanezz, it has led to a better experience for me too. Speeding through those last boxes or hitting the Nishio button feels great when going for speed.

I did want to ask, if this is an XY problem, whether swapping out a double tap for a long press would make a difference? I don't know whether it's in keeping with the interaction designed by meikpiep to swap them over, or whether it would be possible without rewriting everything, but it's something I've thought about while playing.

Big thanks to meikpiep for creating, sharing, and improving the app!