There is a limit on the maximum number of GU pairs in a player puzzle, based on the total number of pairs in the puzzle. This limit was imposed because some of the GU-filled puzzles were very hard to the players, and lots of them in the lab would have no scientific use. But now we know how to deal with lots of them. The problem is: the limit is still there!
An example of a puzzle that suffers from such a restriction is one of my own: Dragostea Din Tei (Zekrom in RNA). Here it is possible to put 70 pairs in the puzzle, but the limits bring this down to 35. Yes, 35. Hence I put forth the idea: remove the limit on the maximum number of GU pairs in a player puzzle.
We have added your idea to our task queue, so it can be discussed in our weekly dev meeting (case # 547). We’ll update this post with further details later.
I think to lift the limit would have no obvious scientific valve and go against why the limit was set in the first place.
If the limit was removed if would force players to spend more time playing the players puzzles which not all players have alot of now days to spare.
I think a better option would be to make all players puzzles GU competitions or an option in the the Puzzle Maker for the player who is creating a new puzzle to made it a GU competitions.
Mat is right. High-GU puzzles aren’t representative of natural RNAs. I like the idea of a self-challenge instead.
If you can create a design with more than 33% GU pairs, post your record. Ask people to PM you the solutions they have, and post the current champion on the puzzle’s page. People who want to solve your puzzle in a “natural” manner can do so, and people who want to challenge themselves to max out the GU content can have fun as well.
After a discussion in the dev meeting - we decided that it’s best to leave the GU cap for player puzzles. The focus of the player puzzles is to find a hard “shape” that can challenge both bots and players. We have allowed unlimited GUs in the past, but that resulted in players spending too much time on creating/solving puzzles with extremely high number of GUs within fairly simple shapes which are less useful in scientific sense.
We’ll still look into other options, such as allowing GU competition in player puzzles for those who want to pursue extreme GU challenges. Thank you for sharing your idea Freywa, and we are sorry that we can’t implement your request.