The weekly newsletter for Fed2 by ibgames

EARTHDATE: August 19, 2007

Event Reports - page 3


FED PHRASE GAME ROADSHOW

Wednesday August 1
by Gwaptiva

Running a smooth Phrase Game means that there really is a maximum of players that can take part each week. Even though I hate to send people away, the more players the less easily the game flows, and if there are more than five players it becomes sluggish and a lot less enjoyable for everyone. So, if you want to be assured of a seat at the wheel, you had better make sure you arrive on time, or there is a chance you'll be a spectator. Thankfully, there is of course another chance to play the Phrase Game when the esteemed Fancy hosts his edition.

This week was one of those busy ones, and five players got a chance at winning Eternal Glory (tm). The wheel was spun by each to determine the order of play: Lagkiller, Sean, Dennotairn, Meteu and Myda. Then, right before we got started Meteu had to drop out and Trilleth took his place.

The first phrase was in the category Objects, and Lagkiller got the game off to a good start. After he missed, Sean got himself really close to a solution, and seemed to develop a level of affinity with the Free Spin field. He did have to use the Free Spins to keep his turn going, but in the end solved the phrase correctly as "A perpendicular stalactite" and scored 850 points.

"Places" was the category for the second phrase, a category that often favours those that remember their days as Adventurers. Sean's fascination with the Free Spin field continued, causing some concern about the maintenance state of the wheel, but after some jumping had ascertained it was in fine nick, Sean continued to add letters to the phrase. Each time he guessed a consonant not in the phrase, and using a Free Spin to continue, it seemed he would add a free one right after again. In the end, however, Sean's luck ran out, losing the turn to Dennotairn. The turn soon returned to Sean as none of the others could make any headway in a phrase that was already half-solved. In the end it was Dennotairn that solved the phrase as Jardin de Paradis, scoring 1250 points to take the overall lead.

Denno would also start the third phrase, in which he went in search of a Fed Song. It is amazing how many people have written music about Federation II over the years, but it wasn't Denno that got the solution underway. Trilleth did, though, but soon lost her turn to Myda. With quite a few blank spaces left she found that there were no more vowels for sale; the final vowel in a phrase cannot be bought, just so there is always at least one blank space left; makes it a little more interesting at times. It didn't phase Myda this time though as she headed straight for the solution of "Half Moon by Janis Joplin".

The lead had changed again after the third round, with now Myda leading with 2150 points, and Trilleth to start the fourth phrase. Ok, I say Trilleth, but at this point her voice suddenly lowered and, well, she sounded slightly ill. But bravely she(?) went in search of the Institution that made up the fourth phrase. After finding three consonants, the fourth one proved elusive and Myda took over. She had no problems whatsoever from thereon in, and quickly solved "Sumatra Water Authority". Too easy, and that put her in the lead by almost 2000 points.

Bigger gaps than that have been overcome in the final phrase of the night, and despite Myda starting that one, nothing had as yet been decided. The category was Famous Persons, which in Phrase Game terms generally means you've never heard of them. This didn't stop Myda finding a whole bunch of consonants quite quickly, building up a sizeable score in a game where she really only needed a correct solution. Then, with about half the phrase revealed, fate struck and she hit a Bankrupt. Now Lagkiller would have the chance to avoid the duck's egg score. Yet he too Bankrupted. Sean couldn't do anything, and Dennotairn added only a few letters, followed by Djmay... er... Trilleth adding another one, before the turn got back to Myda. The turn shifted from player to player, round and round the whole set a few times, before, finally, with a sigh of relieve and a big smile of victory, Myda solved the phrase as Buxella Kkinini, Insectoid Composer.

So, the eternal glory went to Myda, with Dennotairn a creditable second, and Mr Myda (Sean) in third. Exhausted everyone left the Duff Modem, leaving Gwaptiva muttering about having to clean up.


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