X-COM II: Twisted Puzzle Competition

[Godzilla Blitz]

Welcome X-COM Agents!

This Pretty Twisted X-COM Puzzle Competition is open to any agent not already selected to go on the Mars Mission. It will run over the next few days (to be determined). Some of the questions are easy. Some of them are (I think) deviously hard. The sole winner will get a ticket on the ship to Mars. Be sure to read the rules.

-Each round will consist of three questions. We want to make sure you can follow orders if you go to Mars, so listen up. This is a bit tricky. You get the point value assigned to the question if you get it correct. However, you may only answer one question in each group, and may only answer one question at a time. Let me say that again: You may only answer one question in each group. That means that if you think you know the answer to the one-point question, you can post immediately, but that disqualifies you for the two-point question and the three-point question in that round. And you can’t machine gun all three questions in hopes of getting one correct. If you screw this up and post the answer to two or three questions in one round, you will lose the point value assigned to the question instead of receiving it. Eek! The points will still be available to the next person to post the correct answer, so if someone does screw up, jump all over it.

- We don’t want you missing aliens on Mars, and we don’t want you missing questions here, so…you get only one free incorrect answer each round. Further incorrect answers in that round lose you a point.

-At the end of a round, I will post exactly when I will post the questions for the next round. I realize that many of you have lives, so I will try to vary these times as much as possible. Still, this is a war were fighting and the planet is at stake. Lame complaints of unfairness due to work, wives, children, sleep, and chia pets will not be accepted.

-I’m guessing there will be ten rounds, but we’ll see how it goes. Like war, things change. Be flexible.

-The point values per question will increase as the game progresses, so if you fall behind early, don’t panic. If you grab an early lead, watch your back. However, towards the end, we’ll probably limit the competition to only those agents who still have a chance to win, so score early to be left at the very end.

For those of you that are already selected for the Mars mission, or those of you that aren’t active agents, or those of you who are just spectators to the X-COM dynasty, I ask that you don’t post any answers or hints. Watch the fun all you want, but please don’t ruin it for others! Thanks!

[Godzilla Blitz]

Round One will start today, exactly when the fathers and snakes begin their contest.

[JeeberD]

Aha, the X-Com Brain Bowl. Excellent...

[Raven Hawk]

Lame complaints of unfairness due to work, wives, children, sleep, and chia pets will not be accepted.
But my chia pet is pregnant with our second child. ;)

[Travis]

Are we eligible if we're currently in transit?

[Godzilla Blitz]

Are we eligible if we're currently in transit?

Yes. Yes. By all means. Waiting list agents in transit are eligible. Thanks for asking for clarification, and sorry, I should have made that clear. Good luck!

However, waiting list agents not currently in transit are not eligible. I think we've made our last call up unless things go horribly wrong, in which case it's doubtful we'll be going to Mars next week anyway. Sorry.

[Godzilla Blitz]

But my chia pet is pregnant with our second child. ;)

Processing image...

Ewww!

[sachmo71]

I like chiapets.

[jerk3616]

Hey...nobody said nothin' about no readin' or writin' at the rekrooting offiss.

[Raven Hawk]

Round One will start today, exactly when the fathers and snakes begin their contest.
I'll be Eaton dinner about that time. :p

[kingfc22]

Not only do I have to read my X-Com agent training manual but I also have to bring my encyclopedias with me as well. Sigh. The things I'll do to get a chance for a Sectoid to kill me, er.. I mean to avenge my father's death.

[Blade6119]

Godzilla, your making me choose between watching my home-town team win the arena bowl on our own field and answering one question....not cool godzilla....not cool

[Alf]

Round One will start today, exactly when the fathers and snakes begin their contest.
Too bad, I don't know what you are talking about...

[kingfc22]

Too bad, I don't know what you are talking about...

Are the Padres and D-Backs playing?

[Blade6119]

Are the Padres and D-Backs playing?

Its the arena bowl i assume, with the Arizona Rattlers...dont know the other team though, 1 sec

[Blade6119]

nm, its padres diamondbacks

[Godzilla Blitz]

Round One

1 Point
Trivia: What family line has had three members killed on their fifth mission?
2 Points
Name the agent: Lupine jam
3 Points
X-COM Terminology: Mix the guts of a Beagle, the tail of a flightless bird, and the head of a Poison-arrow. What have you got?

[sterlingice]

2 is Chief Rum, right? ;)

SI

[Godzilla Blitz]

2 is Chief Rum, right? ;)

SI

Nope. There goes your freebie...

[sterlingice]

I get a freebie?

I figure my whole purpose in this thread is to write stuff that people have to read for no reason just to add to degree of difficulty. It's how I can help ;)

SI

[JeeberD]

PM sent

[Godzilla Blitz]

PM sent

Post answers here please. I'll count this one, though, if it's right...

[JeeberD]

Sorry.

Question 2:

Wolfpack

[Godzilla Blitz]

No problem. Bingo! Jeeber D gets two points! Questions 1 & 3 are still on the board. Jeeber D is finished for this round.

SterlingIce: Sorry, brain fart on my part!

[sterlingice]

SterlingIce: Sorry, brain fart on my part!
Gotta keep you on your toes.

SI

[Godzilla Blitz]

Gotta keep you on your toes.

SI

That's what we pay you for! ;)

[Poli]

I'll go Illinifan for #1. I have no clue.

[Godzilla Blitz]

I'll go Illinifan for #1. I have no clue.

Nope. Now I can say it: There goes your freebie.

[sterlingice]

Number 1 must be Kodos. I mean, he's on at least the 15th member of his family, right? Or is that Wade Moore? Or jfbbis?

To all the participants (with their heads squarely placed in their rectums because I'm sure everyone has figured this out): it's safe to say that if I suggest it, it's probably not a correct answer. I don't think that counts as a hint (as defined in the rules, tho; if so, GB, PM me and I'll knock it off). But if you have a really big list of all possible X-Com agents, you could use it as a checklist and anyone I suggest, you could cross off and you'd be down to about 130 guys :D

SI

[Poli]

Screw it Blade 6119 for #1. Why not?

[Godzilla Blitz]

Sterling: No problem. Have a ball distracting people. :)

[Godzilla Blitz]

Screw it Blade 6119 for #1. Why not?

Ewww. That's gotta hurt. -1 for Ardent.

[Poli]

I've essentially been red carded, huh? :)

[Poli]

Can I keep guessing? I'll be at -100 in no time!

[Godzilla Blitz]

I've essentially been red carded, huh? :)

Nooo. I wouldn't do that. You can still play.

[kingfc22]

chief rum for question 1

[sterlingice]

chief rum for question 1
Really? Damn, I'd feel dumb for guessing that for number 2 if that's the right answer for #1. That was too close of an inadvertent hint.

SI

[Godzilla Blitz]

No, Sterling, you're fine.

Chief Rum has never had even one family member killed on his fifth mission.

Sorry, Kingfc, your freebie is toast.

The math skills of our agents are starting to scare me. ;)

[Poli]

Mr. Bug For question #1. :)

[Godzilla Blitz]

Ewwww. Nice thought, but sorry. Ardent drops to -2.

Did I mention that agents that get to -5 are taken outside and shot? :)

[Poli]

Oooh, I hope so. :)

Blade for question #1. :)

[Godzilla Blitz]

You're on the right track, but sorry, -3.

[Poli]

I rule.

[ShaefIllini]

1 is 3ric

[Poli]

Toddiec for #1?

[sterlingice]

Ewwww. Nice thought, but sorry. Ardent drops to -2.

Did I mention that agents that get to -5 are taken outside and shot? :)
*throwing voice*
Ardent Enthusiast: Is it SterlingIce?
Ardent Enthusiast: Crappy?

Ok, GB, do your thing.

SI

[Poli]

Darn. SI was my next choice. :)

[kingfc22]

Travis for #1

[Godzilla Blitz]

1 is 3ric

We have a winner! 1 point to ShaefIllini! Shaef's out for the rest of this round.

Damn, Ardent almost went to -4, but just missed it because Shaef ended the question a second earlier.

Feel free to keep guessing, though, Ardent.

[Poli]

Ah, I have no clue on #3. I'm not that smart.

[Poli]

Feel free to provide a hint. :)

[Godzilla Blitz]

Question #3 is still on the board.

[sterlingice]

Feel free to provide a hint. :)
It's not you. :p

SI

[Godzilla Blitz]

It's not you. :p

SI

Har!

[Poli]

I was just about to go there, too.

[Poli]

Is there anybody out there?

[Raven Hawk]

Yes, I'm working on #3. :)

[Godzilla Blitz]

A hint on #3, and a hint in general on some of the puzzlers.

We're not holding to a traditional cryptic crossword format for clues, but this may provide some help for those of you that are new to cryptic crosswords:

Cryptic Crossword solving help (http://www.execulink.com/~tagies/cryptics/solvingguide/solvingguide.html)

In general, I'm omitting the straight clue half of the puzzle, and not giving out how many letters there are (it would be too easy given our limited possible answers).

[Poli]

I'll split it with you. Here's what I know: It's not me.

[Raven Hawk]

Yeah. The thing is I think that I have 2 out of the 3, I just can't get the third. :(

[kingfc22]

working on it

[Poli]

I give. I'm going to bed.

[MrBug708]

Peregrine?

[Godzilla Blitz]

Yeah. The thing is I think that I have 2 out of the 3, I just can't get the third. :(

It's not an ostrich.

[Godzilla Blitz]

Peregrine?

Nope. Sorry.

[Raven Hawk]

Well, Alex I'm going to have to go with:

What is FRAGGED?

Not sure about the whole thing, but I've wasted too much time on this already.

[Raven Hawk]

Dola,

tr.v. fragged, frag·ging, frags
To wound or kill (a fellow soldier) by throwing a grenade or similar explosive at the victim: “He got fragged. Blown away” (Bobbie Ann Mason).

[Raven Hawk]

What does my fortune cookie say? Did I get it right?

[Godzilla Blitz]

Well, Alex I'm going to have to go with:

What is FRAGGED?

Not sure about the whole thing, but I've wasted too much time on this already.

I think I can tell by your answer that you are using the right line of thought, but this answer is not correct. The question is perhaps a bit too tricky.

I'll add in the number of letters in the answer, but correct answers will need to explain their reasoning.

Leader Board
1. Jeeber D: 2
2. ShaefIllini: 1
100. Ardent: -3

Remaining Questions
3 Points
X-COM Terminology: Mix the guts of a Beagle, the tail of a flightless bird, and the head of a Poison-arrow. What have you got? (3 letters in answer) (answer must be explained to count as correct)

One modification. To take some of the pressure off getting things right the first time, we'll make a rule change so you get one free guess each round instead of over the entire competition.

[Godzilla Blitz]

Round Two starts "ashita" at "gozen kuji" CST.

[JeeberD]

I like being in the lead for once in my life... :)

Edit: But what the hell language is that clue in?

[Raven Hawk]

Round Two starts "ashita" at "gozen kuji" CST.

Basukettobo-Ru! Kuji!

[RealDeal]

X-COM Terminology: Mix the guts of a Beagle, the tail of a flightless bird, and the head of a Poison-arrow. What have you got? (3 letters in answer) (answer must be explained to count as correct)

My guess:

Gut is in the middle, so you take the "u"
Tail is at the back, so you take the "f"
head is at the front so you take the "O" of Arr-O

UFO

[Godzilla Blitz]

X-COM Terminology: Mix the guts of a Beagle, the tail of a flightless bird, and the head of a Poison-arrow. What have you got? (3 letters in answer) (answer must be explained to count as correct)

My guess:

Gut is in the middle, so you take the "u"
Tail is at the back, so you take the "f"
head is at the front so you take the "O" of Arr-O

UFO

Ding ding ding! Answer is correct! Excellent work, but...

...the explanation is off. (Part of your thinking is right on the button, but part of it got a bit lost.) We'll give you 1.5 points for the right answer, but the explanation is still up for grabs for another 1.5. (Real Deal is still ok to work on this part.)

[RealDeal]

Here's another try:

beagle = "dog" and the gut is the o
flightless bird= "emu" and the tail is the u
poison arrow is a type of "frog", and the head is the F

"mix" them and you get UFO?

[Godzilla Blitz]

Here's another try:

beagle = "dog" and the gut is the o
flightless bird= "emu" and the tail is the u
poison arrow is a type of "frog", and the head is the F

"mix" them and you get UFO?

OUTSTANDING!!!!!!!

3 points for Real Deal!

Our New Leaderboard
1. Real Deal: 3 points
2. Jeeber D: 2 points
3. ShaefIllini: 1 point
100. Ardent: -3 points

That ends round one! Congratulations to our scorers. Well, the positive scorers, anyway.

[kingfc22]

wow, that was awesome

[Raven Hawk]

And here I am trying to take the "FR" of frog (head), the "AG" of beagle (guts) and the god knows what of a flightless bird. :P

[Godzilla Blitz]

And here I am trying to take the "FR" of frog (head), the "AG" of beagle (guts) and the god knows what of a flightless bird. :P

Yeah, when I saw your answer I could see the FR from "frog", some letters from "beagle", but then I got confused as to what part came from the flightless bird. :) Still, thanks for taking a guess, and sorry you burned so much time on it. Your answer helped a lot though. It made me realize that the cryptic clues will need the number of letters to make them more doable.

This is the first time for me to do a puzzle competition like this, so I'm kind of learning as I go.

[3ric]

Wow I was the answer to a question?

[jerk3616]

Here's another try:

beagle = "dog" and the gut is the o
flightless bird= "emu" and the tail is the u
poison arrow is a type of "frog", and the head is the F

"mix" them and you get UFO?

Dude...I'm getting a doctorate and I didn't come up with that. I will fly you out here next semester so you can take all of my tests. And I'll share my hookers and crack.

[Alf]

I instantly knew it was 3ric, too bad I didn't know the timing of the questions...

[Poli]

With the way some of these questions looked, I might as well give up now.

[Godzilla Blitz]

Just a quick reminder here to go register for the battle competition if you’re on the list in the main thread…

Now, onto…

Round Two

Now that people got their feet wet yesterday, today’s should be easier. Let’s see if Real Deal can hold his lead. Keep in mind we changed the rules to allow everyone one incorrect guess per round instead of over the whole competition. Also, please remember that you can only correctly answer one question per round, and take one guess at a time.

1 Point
Trivia: Who was the first agent to die in X-COM II?

2 Points
Name the agent: SSN Citrus

3 Points
X-COM Terminology: Upchucked rare stable lunch. (2 words: 7 letters, 8 letters) (answer must be explained to count as correct)

[JeeberD]

Question 2 (again):

Sublime

[Godzilla Blitz]

Bingo! Good work! Jeeber D grabs the lead with 2 more points, giving him 4 total!

Questions 1 & 3 are still on the board.

[JeeberD]

Woohoo!

Now I can go back to sleep. Thank god for the internet and Japanese translation sites... :D

[RealDeal]

Question 3 is "blaster launcher" rare stable lunch is an anagram for it, and upchucked is the cryptic crossword key for unscrambling an anagram

[ShaefIllini]

Is number 1 Cam Edwards?

[Godzilla Blitz]

Bingo to Real Deal and bingo to ShaefIllini! Excellent work, men! You are proving that you have the quick wits and flexible thinking that will serve you well on Mars!

That's a wrap on Round Two. Let's take a look at the new leaderboard...

Wow! Look at this! We repeat the same finish as in Round 1, giving us the following:

Leaderboard
1. Real Deal: 6 points
2. Jeeber D: 4 points
3. ShaefIllini: 2 points
100. Ardent: -3 points

It's nice to see that Ardent did a lot better this round, too! Practice makes perfect!

Round Three starts "hoy" at "dos y media" CST. Point values go up by one, so if you didn't get points in rounds one and two, you can get right back in it.

[Poli]

I was at work. Besides, I gave up last night.

[Fonzie]

Damn. I have the lousiest timing in checking this thread.

[3ric]

*whoosh*

Was that round 2 that went by? Man, that was fast.

[Raven Hawk]

Damn. I have the lousiest timing in checking this thread.
Then I suggest that you stop by hoy a las dos y media CST

[Godzilla Blitz]

Since that last round was a bit too easy for our contestants, we’ll bump up the difficulty just a bit in this round. Point values have gone up, so don’t be shy! Jump right in.

Round Three

2 Points
Trivia: What did Kodos’ do to get The Kodos’ D’oh Award named after him? Be very specific.

3 Points
Name the agent: Larry Bird

4 Points
X-COM Terminology: The authentic end of the film comes at the beginning, but then it goes in order. (8 letters) (answer must be explained to count as correct)

Good luck!

[sterlingice]

The first one was after he put his Gatesville dynasty on hold and then started it up just in time for the Golden Scribes, right?

And I didn't realize we had an X-Com agent named Whitey.

SI

[Poli]

I'm so tempted to just answer wrong about 500 times in a row.

[Godzilla Blitz]

The first one was after he put his Gatesville dynasty on hold and then started it up just in time for the Golden Scribes, right?

And I didn't realize we had an X-Com agent named Whitey.

SI

So close! So very close! -7 to you.

[sterlingice]

I'm so tempted to just answer wrong about 500 times in a row. We can have dueling wrong answers. Which question? Number 2?

So close! So very close! -7 to you. I am impervious to your threats of negative points! ;)

SI

[Poli]

3 points. Hoops Guy.

[sterlingice]

Wait? Isn't that a correct answer? You're not supposed to do that.

SI

[Poli]

It is until the question is changed so I'm wrong. :(

[Godzilla Blitz]

3 points. Hoops Guy.

It wasn't the answer I was looking for, but we'll take it. Hard to argue it as wrong. 3 points for Ardent, which makes him a...zero. ;)

However, the question is still on the board. There is a more cryptic answer.

[Poli]

I got to do something to get on that friggin plane!

[Poli]

Assuming I'm still eligible for a question, since the 3 point question is still up:

2 points.

Named after Commander Kodos, who, on a terror mission early in our X-COM history, threw two consecutive live grenades into a telephone pole directly in front of him, causing all the agents near him to scramble for cover twice, and pretty much destroying the nearby house.

[Godzilla Blitz]

Assuming I'm still eligible for a question, since #2 is still up:

2 points.

Named after Commander Kodos, who, on a terror mission early in our X-COM history, threw two consecutive live grenades into a telephone pole directly in front of him, causing all the agents near him to scramble for cover twice, and pretty much destroying the nearby house.

Ding! Well done! Ardent's at +2 now, and done for this round.

Questions 2 & 3 are still on the board.

[ShaefIllini]

3 points. Qwikshot

[Raven Hawk]

3 Points - Hoops Guy

[Godzilla Blitz]

3 points. Qwikshot

Nope. Sorry. But not a bad guess.

Hint: The clue is two distinct parts, but they are related.

[Qwikshot]

Since that last round was a bit too easy for our contestants, we’ll bump up the difficulty just a bit in this round. Point values have gone up, so don’t be shy! Jump right in.

Round Three

2 Points
Trivia: What did Kodos’ do to get The Kodos’ D’oh Award named after him? Be very specific.

3 Points
Name the agent: Larry Bird

4 Points
X-COM Terminology: The authentic end of the film comes at the beginning, but then it goes in order. (8 letters) (answer must be explained to count as correct)

Good luck!

4 points - Memento, the protagonist suffers from short term memory loss, the movie starts from the end, and works it's way to the beginning. He is trying to find the murderer of his wife.

[Godzilla Blitz]

3 Points - Hoops Guy

Ardent already picked up the points for this answer (an unintentional correct answer), but the real answer is still out there.

Shaef's hint might help.

[Qwikshot]

4 points - Memento, the protagonist suffers from short term memory loss, the movie starts from the end, and works it's way to the beginning. He is trying to find the murderer of his wife.

I'm probably way off base...I should stick to killing aliens.

[ShaefIllini]

Well, Larry Bird is a "Hoops Guy" and he was also a "Qwikshot." I don't see how AE can get the points and I cannot.

[Poli]

I'm probably way off base...I should stick to killing aliens.You are. Not enough letters. But I like your thinking. I heart that movie.

[Godzilla Blitz]

I'm probably way off base...I should stick to killing aliens.

A bit too literal of an answer. The correct answer will be a word in X-COM terminology, like "Sectoid", or "Grenade", or "Blade6119 gets killed again".

This might help:
Cryptic Crossword solving help (http://www.execulink.com/~tagies/cryptics/solvingguide/solvingguide.html)

[Godzilla Blitz]

Well, Larry Bird is a "Hoops Guy" and he was also a "Qwikshot." I don't see how AE can get the points and I cannot.

I can see your point, but Hoops Guy refers directly to basketball and is hard to argue against. Qwikshot is a level removed as it doesn't necessarily refer to any particular sport, or sport in general. Also, I mentioned that the real answer is more cryptic once Ardent gave his answer. Sorry if you feel it's unfair, but I don't think I can award points for Qwikshot.

To be honest, I probably wouldn't have given Ardent the points either had he not been at -3 to start with. It was more a gesture to get him back in the game.

[Poli]

I heart you, GB.

[Godzilla Blitz]

People want hints?

[Raven Hawk]

4 points - Alien

End of film = Fin
Word meaning authentic = real

gives us

ineal when put at the beginning.

Put back in order gives us ALIEN.

[Raven Hawk]

Dammit! That's not 8 letters!

[ShaefIllini]

No problem GB. I just need to work on question 3. I think I have the answer, but I can't get the clue to work for it.

[fantastic flying froggies]

2 points : Raven Hawk

A hawk is a bird and I'm sure there's somebody out there called Larry Raven, no ?

[ShaefIllini]

4 Points:
Ethereal
Real = authentic, homophone is 'reel'
halt = end
ethereal is halt and reel 'put in order'
Edit: I can't get this damn thing to work

[Raven Hawk]

2 points : Raven Hawk
You giving me two points or making an answer. :)

[Godzilla Blitz]

Ding ding ding! We have a winner and a partial winner.

FF Froggies picks up two points for Raven Hawk. Raven is a bird and so is "Larry" (Larry Bird). Hawk is a bird and so is "Bird". Bird bird = Raven Hawk. I'm getting a headache.

Shaef picks up two points for Ethereal as the correct answer, but the explanation is still up for grabs.

[Raven Hawk]

Alright. Who the hell is Larry Raven or Larry Hawk for that matter? :D

[Poli]

:) I had thought of these after I answered the Kodos one. :)

[Raven Hawk]

Beginning of 'THE END' is "THE E"

Add that to 'REAL'

And you get THEEREAL

Rearrange and get ETHEREAL

[Godzilla Blitz]

Part of being a good agent is always being prepared, so...

Surprise!

Round 4

We’ll take it down a notch in difficulty this time. The first one is a gimme. Who wants it?

2 Points
Trivia: Who is our Commander?

3 Points
Name the agent: Central Vietnam tapestries get read the other way

4 Points
X-COM Terminology: Mostly resale returns (5 letters, answer must be explained)

Also, you'll want to keep in mind that the explanation for Round 3's four-point question is still up for grabs.

[b]Leaderboard[b]
1. Real Deal: 6 points
2. Jeeber D: 4 points
4. ShaefIllini: 4 points
3. FF Froggies: 3 points
5. Ardent: 2 points

[ShaefIllini]

2 Points: Kodos

[Godzilla Blitz]

Beginning of 'THE END' is "THE E"

Add that to 'REAL'

And you get THEEREAL

Rearrange and get ETHEREAL

Close but still a bit off.

Hint: There's no scrambling.

[fantastic flying froggies]

I'll take the easy one :
Kodos is our beloved Commander.

[Godzilla Blitz]

2 Points: Kodos

Ding! ShaefIllini picks up 2 points, and he's done for this round.

[fantastic flying froggies]

and he beat me to it too !

[Godzilla Blitz]

I'll take the easy one :
Kodos is our beloved Commander.

A bit slow on the draw. Shaef got that one. You'll have to move up in difficulty.

[RealDeal]

I think the "e" that begins ethereal comes from the end of "movie".

[fantastic flying froggies]

Leaderboard1. Real Deal: 6 points
2. Jeeber D: 4 points
4. ShaefIllini: 4 points
3. FF Froggies: 3 points
5. Ardent: 2 pointsAlso, I should have only 2 points...

[RealDeal]

mostly resale returns is laser

most of "resale" is resal, and "returns" means to spell it backwards.

[fantastic flying froggies]

3 point answer : Patman

(central vietnam tapestry) read the bold part, the central one, in reverse and voila !

[ShaefIllini]

Well, it seems that Real Deal has almost wrapped this thing up. He's on a roll.

[Godzilla Blitz]

Well, that was quick! All the questions are cleared. Great work, men!

Let's see. Real gets 6 more points. FF Froggies bags 3 points. Shaef gets 2 points.

Leaderboard
1. Real Deal: 12 points
2. ShaefIllini: 6 points
3. FF Froggies: 6 points
3. Jeeber D: 4 points
5. Ardent: 2 points

Looks like Real Deal is closer to getting himself a ticket to Mars, but we're not quite halfway yet, and FF Froggies is showing some spark, while Shaef hangs tough. Jeeber has dropped off the pace.

Round 5 will be posted by a guest poster, our very own "motor listening organ". In order to play fair for all our European friends, we have to try to balance out our posting times. How about torsdag at tre på morgonen CST.

See you then! Wakey wakey time for bakey!

[fantastic flying froggies]

I would again like to point out that your rankings give me 1 more point than I deserve. I only got 2 points on my 1st answer...

Anyway, that's all for me, I'm off to bed. Gotta be up early on 'torsday', right ?

[Godzilla Blitz]

I would again like to point out that your rankings give me 1 more point than I deserve. I only got 2 points on my 1st answer...

Anyway, that's all for me, I'm off to bed. Gotta be up early on 'torsday', right ?

Oops, sorry. I forgot to mention that. Thanks for the honesty, but I think six points is correct. The Raven Hawk name question was worth 3 points, if I'm not mistaken. Patman was also worth three points.

[Fonzie]

Oops, sorry. I forgot to mention that. Thanks for the honesty, but I think six points is correct. The Raven Hawk name question was worth 3 points, if I'm not mistaken. Patman was also worth three points.

If FFF doesn't want that point I'll be happy to take it. :)

[JeeberD]

Dang work interferin' with my X-Com contest participatin'... :mad:

[JeeberD]

Dola-

But I'm glad that I know something about my father's side of the family... :)

[kingfc22]

I give up, when is the lottery.

[Poli]

I'm not getting up that early!

[JeeberD]

I'm not getting up that early!

Wuss... :p ;)

[Poli]

Sailor, wuss. Almost the same thing.

[Godzilla Blitz]

I'm not getting up that early!

Neither am I. :)

But the competition must go on.

[Poli]

That time only comes once on my clock. In the pm. If God wanted me up at that time, the sun would be up, too.

[sterlingice]

Sorry, guys, it's 15 minutes late since boss has us working double shifts to get the Avenger done in time. Makes it a real pain to search for hattrick bargain-- I mean, sleep and stay rested. So, here's the hints for Round 5 straight from the boss:

Round Five

2 Points
Trivia: Where on Mars is the Martian base?

3 Points
Name the agent: Burton the Lionheart Gere

4 Points
X-COM Terminology: Broken Swedish Lamps (6 letters, answer must be explained)

[JeeberD]

3 Points
Name the agent: Burton the Lionheart Gere

3ric

[JeeberD]

Dola-

Whew, now I can finally get some sleep...

[sterlingice]

3 Points
Name the agent: Burton the Lionheart Gere

3ric My fellow Rockets fan gets back on the board with 3 points!

That leaves the 2 and the 4. Boss said these are "For creatures of the night (and our European friends)" but I don't know when the next set will be so you'll just have to stay tuned.

SI

[sterlingice]

Dola. The 2 pointer doesn't look too bad, but the 4 pointer's a doozie.

SI

[ShaefIllini]

4 points

swedish lamps = lampas
rearranged forms 'plasma'
edit: 'broken' implies an anagram
clarification: lamps in swedish is 'lampas'

[sterlingice]

4 points

swedish lamps = lampas
rearranged forms 'plasma'
edit: 'broken' implies an anagram
clarification: lamps in swedish is 'lampas' Never mind (guess it wasn't that hard). That's 4 for ShaefIllini and that only leaves the 2 pointer on the board.

SI

[sterlingice]

Well, gents. It's time for me to head to sleep. Still the 2 point question on the board for whoever can get it first.

SI

[hoopsguy]

Mars base (code named Cydonia) sits in a face-shaped area. There are several mounds, one of which leads to a subterranean area in which the alien base lies. An alien brain at this location is just begging to take a couple of shots from a blaster launcher.

[3ric]

The alien base is under the mountains known as the "Face of Mars" in the Cydonia region (not code name) on Mars.

[hoopsguy]

This controlling force is stationed at a base on Mars code-named Cydonia

I'm not up enough on Mars to know if there is a region named Cydonia, but this is the quote from GB's post.

Note the several pyramid-shaped mounds.” A red pointer highlighted the structures on the map. “These mounds and features you see here are just the surface portion of the base. One of these mounds leads to a subterranean base in which the alien command center lies. Inside this command center is our prize

[Godzilla Blitz]

A big thanks to Sterling Ice for his help in keeping the competition going. Looks like things have gotten a bit more interesting over night...

ShaefIllini displays his Swedish skills and picks up four big points.
Jeeber D garners three points for his answer.
Hoops Guy gets two points for naming Cydonia, and we'll give two points to 3ric for correcting our misinformation.

Scoreboard
1. Real Deal: 12 points
2. ShaefIllini: 10 points
3. Jeeber D: 7 points (disqualified)
4. FF Froggies: 6 points
5. Ardent: 2 points
5. 3ric: 2 points
5. Hoops Guy: 2 points.

Well, things have tightened up a bit now. ShaefIllini closes to within two points of Real. Could be an interesting battle between these two mental titans today. In a slight twist, Jeeber D has won himself a ticket on the Avenger through the Agent's Choice Award, so he's now out of the competition; unless he's been sneaking off base to get cheeseburgers, he won't need two seats on the Avenger. Also, both ShaefIllini and Real Deal are currently on EU COM's mission to Africa. Reports have it that there has been at least one agent killed on the current mission. Let's hope they both stay alive to continue answering questions. Wouldn't that make things interesting if they both died out there! That would put FF Froggies in the driver's seat for a trip to Mars. There are so many possibilities it makes me want to pee.

Anyway, let's continue on. We'll want to finish this competition up today, as we'll be starting to move everyone to the departure base early tomorrow morning. I'd like to say we can sneak in another five rounds of questions, but that might be tough. There'll be at least eight rounds, though. I'll take a look at the questions I've got and figure all this out by the next round. At some point, we'll close the doors to make the competition open to only those that have a chance of winning and let them get as many questions per round as they can, but for now, it's open to everyone, so jump on in. Next round increases value by one point per question, so a hot streak could put even those that haven't scored yet in the action.

Let's see, when will the next round be. Let's use a language we haven't tried yet...

How about "today" at "ten-thirty AM", CST? :)

[Godzilla Blitz]

Sorry for the slight delay. Damn work getting in the way...

Anyway...

A good agent should always be prepared for reversals of fortune, so…

Ooops! Looks like the trivia question is the hard one this time.

Round Six

3Points
X-COM Terminology: A “Thank you!” is heard in Sweden after one hears a long, deep exhale. (2 words, 3 letters, 6 letters. Must be explained)

4 Points
Name the agent: Soupy hog is confused?

5 Points
Trivia: How did Airhog die? (Be specific: Who did it? How did they do it? Where did it happen? Got to get all three correct to score. No partials on this one.)

Good luck!

[RealDeal]

Airhog died in the raid on the Alien Portugal base. A muton fired a blaster launcher into a crowd of agents. Airhog's neck was broken. See below:


60th Mission: Pandemonium in Portugal

“If we must die, let us die honorably. Unless someone gets mind-controlled, in which case blow the poor bastard to hell”—Commander Kodos, aboard the EU Skyranger, shortly before his men assaulted the alien infested Portuguese base on September 4, 2003.

.............................................................................................

Whooosh! 3ric III, in the eastern room, looks in horror as a blaster missile comes right down the corridor towards him. The rocket tears into the eastern room, then veers sharply west, where it slams into the edge of the wall in the middle of the two rooms. Kablaaam! There is a tremendous roar of fire. Metal fragments, debris, and glass fill the air. Chief Rum II, 3ric III, Airhog, Fonzie II, and Jfbbis are tossed like dolls into the walls of the base, and drop to the ground with thuds. Everyone is deafened by the blast, which could not have hit in a worse spot. Everything is mass confusion. Jfbbis stumbles to his feet. He has a foot long metal spear sticking right through his thigh muscle. Tasan, who is ok except for a thunderous headache and bleeding eardrums, turns back quickly, sees Jfbbis, grabs the metal shaft, and pulls. Jfbbis screams in agony, but holds onto consciousness as the inch-diameter shaft comes out of his thigh with a spurt of blood. Tasan rips out a Medikit and quickly slaps a patch over each side of the wound, then spins back east to cover his position.
.................................................................

3ric III, Airhog, and Chief Rum are still not moving. Everyone else is shaken, but appears to be ok, except for Jeeber D, who has a small puncture in his chest armor that is slowly dripping blood.

We try to regain control. Our position is blown apart, and our perimeter non-existent. Not only that, but we’ve got three men still down, and an enemy blaster launcher to the south of us. One more hit like that and we are toast. Anxiety turns around to head back towards the western room, and sees a huge purple slime heading right into the room in front of Coffee Warlord II, who is busy stuffing his Medikit away! Anxiety drops to a knee and opens fire on full auto: his second shot blows the slime to pieces; it lets out a terrific screech as it explodes. X-COM 2, Aliens 0.

............................................................................

We’ve got to clear some space around us. Blade 6119 III takes aim at one of the red power cells to the south of our eastern room, and lets rip with the blaster launcher. The missile slams into the cell, and all four cells go up in a rapid-fire series of explosions. Inside the roar, we hear the death scream of another alien! And we can actually see this one’s corpse: Muton! It is a Muton base! X-COM 4, Aliens 1.

.......................................................................


Jeeber D, our westernmost soldier, gets up from where he was taking cover from the blaster launcher shots, and heads for the entrance to the caverns. Unable to see far into them, he preps a grenade, and tosses it inside to clear the way. The grenade goes off with a roar, and Jeeber D waits at the entrance to see if that brings any aliens. While he waits, he takes a close look at Airhog, who is lying across the corridor from him. From this distance, he can see that Airhog’s neck is clearly broken: he head is twisted 180 degrees, and is looking straight up, from his backside. This man is dead. X-COM 5, Aliens 3.

[RealDeal]

Also, as an interesting addition to the sad story of Airhog:

"The men quickly search for things of value and collect our corpses. The base has been literally blown to pieces by the blaster missiles, and there really isn’t much left to take. Fonzie II, who already has Cam Edwards III’s finger on his left hand, pulls out his hunting knife, and with his one remaining arm, carefully slices off Airhog’s arm at the elbow before clumsily stuffing the remainder of the corpse into a body bag. He wraps the arm in a discarded cloth and sticks it in his backpack."

[RealDeal]

can I answer more than one? I also know the 3 point question.

[Godzilla Blitz]

Ding ding ding!

Real Deal is a one-man puzzle solving and trivia-finding force, adapting his skills to the most valuable question at any given time!

Excellent job!

Real is now done for this round, but his answer guarantees that he will increase his lead.

[Godzilla Blitz]

can I answer more than one? I also know the 3 point question.

Sorry, not yet.

[RealDeal]

damn I was hoping you could open it up so I could answer all three. :)

[Godzilla Blitz]

damn I was hoping you could open it up so I could answer all three. :)

I think the 3-point one is a bit easy, no? Have you figured out the 4-point one yet?

(I'm not opening it up, just wondering.)

[RealDeal]

I think I have, but I'm not as sure as I am for the 3 point question.

[RealDeal]

actually, I'm pretty sure about my 4 point answer, too. Com'n GB, give me the green light and I'll go for the clean sweep.

[3ric]

D**n all this swedish this and swedish that and I STILL got nothing.

[Godzilla Blitz]

Sorry, I'd have to think it wouldn't be fair to others that can't be here for this round, especially if I didn't announce it beforehand. The last couple of rounds will most likely be opened up for sweeps, though.

The first two questions in Round Six are still on the board...

[Godzilla Blitz]

D**n all this swedish this and swedish that and I STILL got nothing.

LOL! I thought others might complain that I was giving you too much of an edge. You've already been an answer twice, too.

Hint: I think "long, deep exhale" is the key to unlocking that puzzle.

[ShaefIllini]

i believe the 3 pointer is 'psi attack'
psi = sigh
attack sounds like the swedish 'thank you'

[Godzilla Blitz]

Ding ding ding!

3 points to Shaef! Well done!

[Raven Hawk]

ShaefIllini not going down without a fight!

[Godzilla Blitz]

Sorry, I want to do more with this and move things forward, but there is a simple, simple thirty-minute job at work that has blossomed into three-hour nightmare. Still haven't solved the problem yet.

I'll be back with more info as soon as I get finish this "easy" job.

[Poli]

Darn you Shaef!:mad:

[Godzilla Blitz]

Ok, let's get back on track here. The work project from hell is over.

Here's a look at our current score...

Scoreboard
1. Real Deal: 17 points
2. ShaefIllini: 13 points
3. Jeeber D: 7 points (disqualified)
4. FF Froggies: 6 points
5. Ardent: 2 points
5. 3ric: 2 points
5. Hoops Guy: 2 points.

Quickly turning into a two-man race!

The next round will keep the same point values as the last, and you can still answer only one question. This will likely change in round eight.

Anyway, let's begin the next round one hour after this year with a colon in the middle, CST. Militarily speaking, that is.

See you then!

[Poli]

Too easy. :)

[Godzilla Blitz]

Round Seven.

3 Points
X-COM Terminology: Kon Tiki Demigod walking backwards, partly. (1 word (sort of one word, anyway), 7 letters. Does not need to be explained.)

4 Points
Trivia: Two agents have received the worst award possible for cowardice. Rawisdan is one of them. Who’s the other?

5 Points
Name the agent: The head of a bald bird sees a teak female horse blown up in front of it.

[ShaefIllini]

4 points: Illinifan III

[Godzilla Blitz]

Ding ding ding!

Question #2 is off the board!

Well done. 1 & 3 are still left. Shaef is out for this round.

Score is tied, but Real has a question to answer in this round...

Scoreboard
1. Real Deal: 17 points
2. ShaefIllini: 17 points
3. Jeeber D: 7 points (disqualified)
4. FF Froggies: 6 points
5. Ardent: 2 points
5. 3ric: 2 points
5. Hoops Guy: 2 points.

[Godzilla Blitz]

Shaef, Real Deal, you want to start the final round in about ten minutes? Just the two of you? Answer as many questions as you can?

[Poli]

Come on, RealDeal!

[ShaefIllini]

I'd be up for it...but I'm not the one in the lead

[Godzilla Blitz]

I'd be up for it...but I'm not the one in the lead

I was thinking to give Real some time to finish up a question in this round, and then we could do the final round now since you're both online. The plan was to make the last round an answer as many as you can round anyway, and I don't think anyone can touch you two now.

I imagine he'll get one of these pretty soon. The last one might be a bit trickier than usual, though.

[RealDeal]

give me a couple of minutes to answer this round :)

[RealDeal]

Five pointer is Wade Moore

[RealDeal]

teak female horse is "Wood Mare"
head of bald bird "eagle" is E
blow up (scramble) Wood Mare and add the E

[ShaefIllini]

nice one real deal

[Godzilla Blitz]

Ding ding ding!

Real Deal: 22 points.
ShaefIllini: 17 points.

Ready for the last round? Just the two of you? Twenty minutes? Answer all you can?

[RealDeal]

let's do it

[ShaefIllini]

do it

[Godzilla Blitz]

Just give me three minutes. I've got to confirm one answer.

[Godzilla Blitz]

Round Eight

FINAL ROUND! ShaefIllini and Real Deal only! Answer as many as you can. Point values are beside the questions! You get three incorrect answers before you start to lose points. Answers that require and explanation can have their points split.

This round is timed. You have until 10:10 to make answers. Any answer posted on 10:11 or later won't count. Keep checking to make sure you are the first one to get the answer. One the question has been answered, it's out, of course.

Good luck, and…

Go!

1 Points
1. Trivia: On what month and what day—game time, not real time—did our X-COM game begin?

1 Points
2. Name the agent: Dirt dude

2 Points
3. Trivia: What agent is a pro football player in another long-running dynasty?

2 Points
4. Name the agent: Elemental bovine

3 Points
5. Name the agent: No takes back, mostly.

3 Points
6. Trivia: Raven Hawk died in part because one agent forgot to preload his Blaster Launcher. Who was that agent?

4 Points
7. Name the agent: Molten rock trades its head for that of a wild card conflict leader (must be explained)

4 Points
8. Trivia: Two families are tied for the most alien kills in X-COM II. One of them is the Kodos’ family. Which is the other?

5 Points
9. X-COM Terminology: Danger! Boom! The Ethereal loses everything except his head! (7 letters, must be explained)

5 Points
10. X-COM Terminology: Spanish, you know, is all mixed up. (5 letters, must be explained)

[Godzilla Blitz]

Just a reminder in case it wasn't clear, but you've still got to be the first person to answer the question...

[ShaefIllini]

10.
'you know' in spanish is sabes
rearranged = bases

[Godzilla Blitz]

10.
'you know' in spanish is sabes
rearranged = bases

Ding ding ding! ShaefIllini scores 5 points! We're tied at 22!

Questions 1-9 are left. 10 is out.

15 minutes to go.

[RealDeal]

Blaster Launcher is Sachmo II

[ShaefIllini]

3. Al Hill

[Godzilla Blitz]

Blaster Launcher is Sachmo II

Ding ding ding!

Real = 25
Shaef = 22

I'll repost available questions in a second.

[Godzilla Blitz]

3. Al Hill

Wasn't the answer I was thinking of. I'll have to confirm this. The question is in either case still available because there is one more answer.

[ShaefIllini]

3. Chuck U. Farley

[RealDeal]

most kills: Klayman family

[Godzilla Blitz]

Ding ding ding. That's the football player I was looking for.

Real is correct too.

Questions left...

1 Points
1. Trivia: On what month and what day—game time, not real time—did our X-COM game begin?

1 Points
2. Name the agent: Dirt dude

2 Points
4. Name the agent: Elemental bovine

3 Points
5. Name the agent: No takes back, mostly.

4 Points
7. Name the agent: Molten rock trades its head for that of a wild card conflict leader (must be explained)

5 Points
9. X-COM Terminology: Danger! Boom! The Ethereal loses everything except his head! (7 letters, must be explained)

[RealDeal]

Dirt dude: Klayman

[Godzilla Blitz]

Real = 29
Shaef = 24

3 minutes left

[RealDeal]

an elemental supine is Airhog. Not sure if that is what you meant.

[Godzilla Blitz]

Dirt dude: Klayman

Ding ding ding!

Real = 30
Shaef = 24

Not much time left

[ShaefIllini]

yeah...the 'bovine' is confusing

[Godzilla Blitz]

an elemental supine is Airhog. Not sure if that is what you meant.

Ding ding ding!

Real = 32
Shaef = 24

[Godzilla Blitz]

You're correct. Bad question on bovine. Sorry.

[ShaefIllini]

ugh..this is over

[Godzilla Blitz]

Time's up! A minute or so ago.

Even if we toss the bad question, and give "Al Hill" to Shaef, Real would eek out a victory by four points.

I'm very sorry about the bovine question. Brain fart.

[RealDeal]

Woot I'm going to Disney... Um Yeah

[Godzilla Blitz]

Final score: Real = 30
Shaef = 24 or 26.

Very impressive final round! For a second there, I thought you were going to get them all.

[ShaefIllini]

good job real deal

[Godzilla Blitz]

Woot I'm going to Disney... Um Yeah

Congrats! Well done! I thought Shaef had you there when he nailed the five point question at the start.

[ShaefIllini]

what were the other correct answers?

[ShaefIllini]

real deal getting klayman family did it...i was seconds away from posting it

[Godzilla Blitz]

1. January 1st
2. Katon
"NO TAKES" going backwards, but only part of it. Drop the "e" and "s"
7. Coffee Warlord
(Lava, drop "L" and add "J" (the head of a wild card = joker) makes java = coffee, war lord = conflict leader).
9. Grenade. (Danger! Boom! means mix up "danger", add an "e", the head of "Ethereal"

[Godzilla Blitz]

real deal getting klayman family did it...i was seconds away from posting it

It was real close there. I had a hard time keeping up. You guys were fast.

[RealDeal]

Thx, Shaef, you were a formidable opponent.

[Raven Hawk]

I gotta give you two the props. All I know is that this contest was extremely frustrating to me in the beginning. Congrats Real Deal! It would be great to see ShaefIllini score a spot on the squad also, for his monstrous effort.

[ShaefIllini]

I gotta give you two the props. All I know is that this contest was extremely frustrating to me in the beginning. Congrats Real Deal! It would be great to see ShaefIllini score a spot on the squad also, for his monstrous effort.

Thanks. Its always nice to get props from a fellow NW surburbanite.

[PsychoCop]

all this thinking without any fruitful outcome for me made my head hurt... PyschoCop II is going to sulk and wish everyone gets blown to bits... :)

[Alf]

Congrats to Real Deal : He knows his X-COM history !

[3ric]

i believe the 3 pointer is 'psi attack'
psi = sigh
attack sounds like the swedish 'thank you'
D-oh! The best I could come up with was 'sky ranger'.