As a long time NYT crossword puzzle solver and subscriber, cutting off AcrossLite really pissed me off, as the interface is much superior to the online version on the Times' website.
Especially since the subscription fees have risen considerably, and now the experience is an inferior one.
Presumably it could be automated even more with additional tooling.
I used to use the puz files until I got excited about the fact that the web site would track my solve streak (which I got up above 380 before losing it a few weeks ago). But I still think having a standard format to let people choose their interface is a plus and was still annoyed about this change (despite continuing to use the web site interface solely because of the streak tracking incentive).
Edit: to expand on their justification for the change, it seems like it's motivated by being able to support more variety puzzles online, with unusual grids, or unusual input and display methods for a particular square (e.g. the common use of the "rebus" feature in Thursday puzzles where multiple letters are filled in in one square, sometimes only for the purposes of reading that square in one direction but not the other). It's true that the landscape of variant grids and grid interpretations won't interact that well with a standardized static format, but, on the other hand, the overwhelming majority of their daily puzzles would be rendered perfectly in Across Lite format. (I say this as someone who's solved every single one for the past two years.)
2 comments
[ 3.1 ms ] story [ 15.3 ms ] threadEspecially since the subscription fees have risen considerably, and now the experience is an inferior one.
More's the pity.
https://github.com/Q726kbXuN/nytxw_puz
Presumably it could be automated even more with additional tooling.
I used to use the puz files until I got excited about the fact that the web site would track my solve streak (which I got up above 380 before losing it a few weeks ago). But I still think having a standard format to let people choose their interface is a plus and was still annoyed about this change (despite continuing to use the web site interface solely because of the streak tracking incentive).
Edit: to expand on their justification for the change, it seems like it's motivated by being able to support more variety puzzles online, with unusual grids, or unusual input and display methods for a particular square (e.g. the common use of the "rebus" feature in Thursday puzzles where multiple letters are filled in in one square, sometimes only for the purposes of reading that square in one direction but not the other). It's true that the landscape of variant grids and grid interpretations won't interact that well with a standardized static format, but, on the other hand, the overwhelming majority of their daily puzzles would be rendered perfectly in Across Lite format. (I say this as someone who's solved every single one for the past two years.)