Geography Rally Game

[WSUCougar]

Rules:

> This is a mileage game. The object is to be the player with the fewest accumulated miles. There are ten stages (destinations) to the rally. You are striving to get the shortest distance between your destinations.

> You will be told the destination of both the current and subsequent stage. Plan accordingly.

> You may not duplicate someone else’s destination. Duplicate entries are disqualified, unless the original poster edits or deletes their post and uses a different destination.

> The top five posted answers are the only ones that count. Everyone else is grouped into “the pack” (kind of like the Tour de France, although I don’t know the specific rules involved in that). The pack scores the same answer as the 5th-best answer for the question.

> IMPORTANT: Once a minimum of five answers have been posted, anyone (usually the person with the best answer, but it doesn’t matter whom) can post the word “Pack” as a one-word post to end the round. The round does not end until someone does this, so the time limit on a round can be very short or very long.

> Only the top five answers count. It doesn’t matter how many answers are posted beyond five – only the top five count.

> Editing and deleting answers is permissible, but edits must be made before the word “Pack” is posted. Edits or entries made after the word “Pack” is posted disqualifies that entry.

I’ll wait for a bit to see if there are any questions, then we’ll proceed with the first stage.

[wade moore]

Any rules on internet/map searches?

[WSUCougar]

Any rules on internet/map searches?
Nope

[wade moore]

Ok... and how specific of a location can we get? Building names? Street Names? City names only? etc, etc.. ;)

Don't know why i'm being so anal, especially when I'm about to head for my lunch break...

[RPI-Fan]

I don't quite get what the overall goal of the game is - could you elaborate?

[QuikSand]

What form do you want our answers to take? Should we be posting things like highway/street names? Or are we just posting a series of cities, for instance?

Or is this still evolving?

[wade moore]

QS just worded my question much better than I did...

[WSUCougar]

Sorry for the delay.

The destinations will be along the lines of "a city in Sweden" or "a Pac-10 college town." Cities and towns, worldwide.

RPI, the goal is to move from your current destination to the next destination in the shortest number of miles. If you are in Dallas, for example, and need to go to a Pac-10 town, you'd want Tucson or Tempe rather than Seattle or Pullman. The variance will depend upon where each individual (and the pack) starts that stage.

[WSUCougar]

Okay, everyone starts in the same spot, which is Washington DC.

Stage 1 Destination: A state capital located west of the Mississippi River.

And for planning purposes only (don't go there yet!):

Stage 2 Destination: A state capital located east of the Mississippi River.

[RPI-Fan]

Jefferson City

[digamma]

Des Moines, Iowa

[primelord]

Little Rock, AR

[WSUCougar]

I assume you mean AR, prime? :D:D:D

[primelord]

I assume you mean AR, prime? :D:D:D
Hmm. Are you trying to tell me there is no Little Rock, Alaska? :) Yes I meant AR. :)

[wade moore]

Springfield, IL

[Radii]

St Paul, MN

[wade moore]

Pack

[primelord]

Pack.

(Is this right?)

[primelord]

Springfield, IL
Wade that is east of the Mississippi. :)

[Radii]

springfield IL is definitely not west of the mississippi, and looking at a map of the river, I'm not sure if St Paul is either... hmm

[henry296]

St. Paul, MN

[SplitPersonality1]

St. Paul is on the east bank of the Mississippi - I lived in the twin cities for many years

[primelord]

Does Coug have to say go for stage 2?

[WSUCougar]

We only have 4 correct answers so far.

[WSUCougar]

Does Coug have to say go for stage 2?
Correct.

[SplitPersonality1]

Does Coug have to say go for stage 2?

Not sure. I saw the work Pack and assumed stage 2 was on. If not, I retract my answer (temporarily)

edit: Saw Coug's message and deleted my early entry.

[Radii]

ok so st paul and springfield ar eboth out.

Oklahoma City, OK

[primelord]

We only have 4 correct answers so far.
Do you have to start stage 2? Or once we get 5 answers and someone claims pack we just go?

[primelord]

Pack

[wade moore]

Baton Rouge, LA

[Radii]

PACK, and now we wait for WSU I assumE?

[henry296]

Austin, TX

[SplitPersonality1]

stage 1 - Lincoln , NE

[Radii]

I think we have to wait for Coug, he'll give us the destination for Stage 3 to let us plan our best answers from there

[henry296]

You should wait for WSU Cougar, because you need to know the 3rd destination.

Todd

[primelord]

I think we have to wait for Coug, he'll give us the destination for Stage 3 to let us plan our best answers from there
Where are we starting from? Is it only the top 5 people that continue? If you were in the pack where are you coming from? I am confused so easily :)

[WSUCougar]

ACK, sorry. St. Paul is incorrect as well. Back to 4 correct answers for Stage 1:

Jefferson City, MO
Des Moines, IA
Little Rock, AR
Oklahoma City, OK

[wade moore]

Guys, I think we need to wait for WSU before moving on,... he has to confirm there are correct answers, etc...

[henry296]

Let me change that to Lincoln, NE

[Radii]

Where are we starting from? Is it only the top 5 people that continue? If you were in the pack where are you coming from? I am confused so easily :)


I have no idea :~)

[WSUCougar]

We now have 5...

[henry296]

If you are not in the Top 5, you start where #5, ended up.

[digamma]

PACK

[SplitPersonality1]

who gets credit for Lincoln, both answers were done at 12:52pm?

[WSUCougar]

PACK
Stage 1 is over...standby.

[primelord]

If you are not in the Top 5, you start where #5, ended up.
Ah I understand now. Thanks.

[henry296]

who gets credit for Lincoln, both answers were done at 12:52pm?

Don't think it really matters since it will be #5, I believe and we both start there.

Todd

[SplitPersonality1]

Don't think it really matters since it will be #5, I believe and we both start there.

Todd

Good point.

[rkmsuf]

Watch out for Muzzin and the big Russian, Belov. They may push the pace...

[WSUCougar]

1. RPI Fan (Jefferson City, MO) = 819 miles

2. digamma (Des Moines, IA) = 895 miles

3. primelord (Little Rock, AR) = 897 miles

4. henry296 & Split P (Lincoln, NE) = 1052 miles

5. PACK (Oklahoma City, OK) = 1153 miles


Stage 2 Destination: State capital located east of the Mississippi River

Stage 3 Destination: City or town in Italy

[SplitPersonality1]

stage 2 - St. Paul, MN

[primelord]

Jackson, MS

[RPI-Fan]

Springfield, IL

[SplitPersonality1]

off to lunch. Hopefully, you guys won't get too far in front of me.

[digamma]

Richmond, Virginia

[Radii]

Nashville, TN

[rkmsuf]

edit, damn RPI fan

[primelord]

Pack

[henry296]

Wow... Call my boss for 5 minutes, and I miss the entire 2nd stage. Do you think it is worthwhile to expand to 10 finishers?

[WSUCougar]

Stage 1 Winner: RPI Fan
Stage 2 Winner: RPI Fan

Overall Standings:
RPI Fan (Springfield, IL) = 979 miles
primelord (Jackson, MS) = 1104 miles
Split P (St. Paul, MN) = 1390 miles
Radii (Nashville, TN) = 1757 miles
digamma (Richmond, VA) = 1800 miles
PACK (Richmond, VA) = 2058 miles

Stage 3 Destination: City or town in Italy

Stage 4 Destination: City or town in one of the original NATO countries, other than Italy

[rkmsuf]

Vercelli, Italy

[RPI-Fan]

edit: Torino Italy

[SplitPersonality1]

La Thuile - a small town near the French-Italian border - due west of Aosta and due NW of Torino

[digamma]

Naples, Italy

[henry296]

Florence

[SplitPersonality1]

Pack

[WSUCougar]

Stage 3 is completed...standby.

[henry296]

WSUCougar,

How did my distance get calculated. At the end of stage 1 I was in Lincoln, then I was part of the pack in Richmond. Did you calculate my distance from Lincoln to Richmond or from the pack to the pack. Based on Mapquest, that would add ~1200 miles to my score for ~2300 and beyond the pack,

Todd

[WSUCougar]

Stage 1 Winner: RPI Fan
Stage 2 Winner: RPI Fan
Stage 3 Winner: rkmsuf

Overall Standings:
RPI Fan (Torino, Italy) = 5648 miles
Split P (La Thuile, Italy) = 5906 miles
rkmsuf (Vercelli, Italy) = 6338 miles
digamma (Naples, Italy) = 6491 miles
henry296 (Florence, Italy) = 6506 miles
primelord (Naples, Italy) = 6584 miles
PACK (Naples, Italy) = 6749 miles

Stage 4 Destination: City or town in one of the original NATO countries, other than Italy

Stage 5 Destination: City or town in Mexico

[rkmsuf]

Chamonix, France

[henry296]

Marseilles, France

[RPI-Fan]

Nice, France

[WSUCougar]

WSUCougar,

How did my distance get calculated. At the end of stage 1 I was in Lincoln, then I was part of the pack in Richmond. Did you calculate my distance from Lincoln to Richmond or from the pack to the pack. Based on Mapquest, that would add ~1200 miles to my score for ~2300 and beyond the pack,

Todd
Lincoln to Richmond. You cannot be beyond the pack, though. You went back into the pack. That's the lowest common denominator.

[SplitPersonality1]

Montvalezan, France - a small town near the French-Italian border - due east of Albertville

Coug - FYI - via Mapquest - La Thuile, Italy to Monvalezan, France is 18.76 miles

[RPI-Fan]

Any chance of a break from 5pm to 5:30pm EDT for people to get home from work?;)

[digamma]

Saint-Tropez, France

[WSUCougar]

Saint-Tropez, France
Nice. :D

[Wolfpack]

Avignon, France

[SplitPersonality1]

Pack

[digamma]

Pack

[RPI-Fan]

Nice. :D

<i>Nice</i> pun. (pun intended)

;)

(digamma's original answer was Nice)

[WSUCougar]

Stage 4 has ended...standby.

[WSUCougar]

What's the feeling on continuing today? Or should we start-up again tomorrow?

[RPI-Fan]

Tomorrow!:)

[henry296]

Tomorrow.

[SplitPersonality1]

tomorrow, please (I really need to get some work done) :)

[digamma]

Tomorrow is fine with me.

[WSUCougar]

Stage 1 Winner: RPI Fan
Stage 2 Winner: RPI Fan
Stage 3 Winner: rkmsuf
Stage 4 Winner: SplitPersonality1

Overall Standings:
RPI Fan (Nice, France) = 5747 miles
Split P (Montvalezan, France) = 5939 miles
rkmsuf (Chamonix, France) = 6426 miles
henry296 (Marseilles, France) = 6804 miles
digamma (Saint-Tropez, France) = 6920 miles
primelord (Saint-Tropez, France) = 7013 miles
PACK (Saint-Tropez, France) = 7178 miles

Stage 5 Destination: City or town in Mexico

Stage 6 Destination: TBA

Stage 5 will begin tomorrow morning at around 8:00 am Central. DO NOT POST YOUR DESTINATION UNTIL I POST AT THAT TIME.

[WSUCougar]

bump for the morning gang

[WSUCougar]

And they're off!

Stage 5 Destination: City or town in Mexico

Stage 6 Destination: Big Ten college city or town

[RPI-Fan]

Matamoros

[henry296]

Guadalajara

[wade moore]

Piedras Negras

[wade moore]

Is it just me or has traffic on the board been rather slow as of late?

[WSUCougar]

No, I've noticed that too. Vacations and all, I guess.

[SplitPersonality1]

Puerto Juarez, Mexico

[digamma]

Merida, Mexico

[SplitPersonality1]

PACK

[WSUCougar]

Stage 1 Winner: RPI Fan
Stage 2 Winner: RPI Fan
Stage 3 Winner: rkmsuf
Stage 4 Winner: SplitPersonality1
Stage 5 Winner: SplitPersonality1

Split P (Puerto Juarez, Mexico) = 11,319 miles
RPI Fan (Matamoros, Mexico) = 11,447 miles
digamma (Merida, Mexico) = 12,468 miles
rkmsuf (Guadalajara, Mexico) = 12,548 miles
wade moore (Piedras Negras, Mexico) = 12,850 miles
henry296 (Guadalajara, Mexico) = 12,944 miles
primelord (Guadalajara, Mexico) = 13,213 miles
PACK (Guadalajara, Mexico) = 13,378 miles

Stage 6 Destination: Big Ten college city or town
Stage 7 Destination: Town associated with significant Civil War battlefield*

*at judge’s discretion, but use common sense = I should have heard of it

[RPI-Fan]

Champagne, IL

[SplitPersonality1]

Iowa City, IA

[henry296]

STate College, PA

[digamma]

Columbus, Ohio

[wade moore]

West Lafeyette, IN

[wade moore]

Pack

[WSUCougar]

Stage 1 Winner: RPI Fan
Stage 2 Winner: RPI Fan
Stage 3 Winner: rkmsuf
Stage 4 Winner: SplitPersonality1
Stage 5 Winner: SplitPersonality1
Stage 6 Winner: wade moore

Overall Standings:
RPI Fan (Champaign, IL) = 12,571 miles
Split P (Iowa City, IA) = 12,757 miles
digamma (Columbus, OH) = 13,835 miles
wade moore (West Lafayette, IN) = 13,969 miles
rkmsuf (State College, PA) = 14,595 miles
henry296 (State College, PA) = 14,991 miles
primelord (State College, PA) = 15,260 miles
PACK (State College, PA) = 15,425 miles

Stage 7 Destination: Town associated with significant Civil War battlefield*
*at judge’s discretion, but use common sense = I should have heard of it

Stage 8 Destination: Canadian city that has/had an NHL team at some point in the last 20 years (1984-2004)

[digamma]

Gettysburg, PA

[wade moore]

Vicksburg

[RPI-Fan]

Antitem, MD

[wade moore]

an-tit-em?

[SplitPersonality1]

Wilson’s Creek, MO
(The battle fought here on August 10, 1861, was the first major Civil War engagement west of the Mississippi River, involving about 5,400 Union troops and 12,000 Confederates.) - notes from some civil war site

Hopefully it is famous enough (I'm not a civil war buff)

[henry296]

Manassas, VA

[digamma]

PACK

[WSUCougar]

Stage 1 Winner: RPI Fan
Stage 2 Winner: RPI Fan
Stage 3 Winner: rkmsuf
Stage 4 Winner: SplitPersonality1
Stage 5 Winner: SplitPersonality1
Stage 6 Winner: wade moore
Stage 7 Winner: henry296

Overall standings:
Split P (Wilson’s Creek, MO) = 13,087 miles
RPI Fan (Antietam, MD) = 13,133 miles
digamma (Gettysburg, PA) = 14,141 miles
wade moore (Vicksburg, MS) = 14,570 miles
henry296 (Manassas, VA) = 15,133 miles
rkmsuf (Vicksburg, MS) = 15,523 miles
primelord (Vicksburg, MS) = 16,188 miles
PACK (Vicksburg, MS) = 16,353 miles

Stage 8 Destination: Canadian city that had an NHL team at some point in the last 20 years (1984-2004)
Stage 9 Destination: NFC South or AFC South NFL city

[digamma]

toronto

[SplitPersonality1]

Ottawa

[wade moore]

Winnipeg

[RPI-Fan]

Montreal

[henry296]

Quebec City

[wade moore]

Pack

[WSUCougar]

Stage 1 Winner: RPI Fan
Stage 2 Winner: RPI Fan
Stage 3 Winner: rkmsuf
Stage 4 Winner: SplitPersonality1
Stage 5 Winner: SplitPersonality1
Stage 6 Winner: wade moore
Stage 7 Winner: henry296
Stage 8 Winner: digamma

Overall Standings:
RPI Fan (Montreal) = 13,604 miles
Split P (Ottawa) = 14,171 miles
digamma (Toronto) = 14,428 miles
henry296 (Quebec City) = 15,772 miles
wade moore (Winnipeg) = 15,825 miles
rkmsuf (Winnipeg) = 16,778 miles
primelord (Winnipeg) = 17,443 miles
PACK (Winnipeg) = 17,608 miles

Stage 9 Destination: NFC South or AFC South NFL city
Final Stage Destination: Capital city of a South American country

IMPORTANT: You may continue on to your final destination once the PACK has been posted for Stage 9.

[SplitPersonality1]

Indianapolis, IN

[WSUCougar]

IMPORTANT: You may continue on to your final destination once the PACK has been posted for Stage 9.

[wade moore]

Nashville, TN

[RPI-Fan]

Houston, TX

[digamma]

New Orleans

[henry296]

Atlanta

[henry296]

Pack

[henry296]

Carracas, Venzuela

[WSUCougar]

I knew he was going to do that...;)

[RPI-Fan]

Lima, Peru

[WSUCougar]

DOWN THE STRETCH THEY COME AT THE DERBY!

[henry296]

I knew he was going to do that...;)

1st time I was able to get the 1st post. I had a nice setup of State College to Gettysburg, but the next stage started when I was at a staff meeting.

[SplitPersonality1]

Bogota, Columbia

[SplitPersonality1]

I knew he was going to do that...;)

I did too, the bastage. :)

Caught me a bit offguard.

[digamma]

Georgetown, Guyana

[WSUCougar]

Who will be the 5th...

[JAG]

Quito, Ecuador

[SplitPersonality1]

PACK

[wade moore]

Well.. huge disadvantage since I leave work at 3:00 PM Eastern...

[RPI-Fan]

Well.. huge disadvantage since I leave work at 3:00 PM Eastern...

Anyone who gets to leave work that early should be punished anyways.;)

[wade moore]

Anyone who gets to leave work that early should be punished anyways.;)

Now now their Killer... I'm sure I'm at work before you even start banging on the snooze button ;)

[WSUCougar]

Final Overall Standings:
Split P (Bogota, Columbia) = 17,364 miles
digamma (Georgetown, Guyana) = 18,152 miles
RPI Fan (Lima, Peru) = 18,340 miles
henry296 (Caracas, Venezuela) = 18,852 miles
wade moore (Lima, Peru) = 20,287 miles
rkmsuf (Lima, Peru) = 21,301 miles
JAG (Quito, Ecuador) = 21,339 miles
primelord (Lima, Peru) = 21,966 miles
PACK (Lima, Peru) = 22,131 miles

Stage 1 Winner: RPI Fan
Stage 2 Winner: RPI Fan
Stage 3 Winner: rkmsuf
Stage 4 Winner: SplitPersonality1
Stage 5 Winner: SplitPersonality1
Stage 6 Winner: wade moore
Stage 7 Winner: henry296
Stage 8 Winner: digamma
Stage 9 Winner: SplitPersonality1
Stage 10 Winner: henry296

Congrats to SplitP on the victory, and to everyone for their active participation. Sorry about the timing, wade - perhaps next time we will do it by PMs to avoid that issue.

[wade moore]

WSU: Fun game! I don't know that PM's would be better because it would cause confusion about duplicate cities, etc... I just deal with my oddball schedule ;)...

[SplitPersonality1]

I've got some ideas for the next one. Coug, I will PM you this weekend.

Great game as always.

[RPI-Fan]

If I may offer my thoughts...

Too be brutally honest, I wasn't all that enamored with this game. It became more of an exercise in refreshing the screen as fast as possible, or going on the internet to find obscure towns/cities. There didn't seem to really be much "strategy" involved - just basically keep a general path in mind, and you're fine.

Now, something with PM's would help the first issue, I suppose, but not the 2nd. Don't really have ideas about how I might like to really see things change.

With that said, I appreciate all the effort you put into this WSUCougar - clearly, it took a good deal of work to run this thing, and it was a very enjoyable distraction from work for me.

~rpi-fan

[henry296]

I agree with RPI-Fan that if you were the first one to post, you typically had the shortest distance. Take for example the AFC/NFC South question coming from Canada. If you weren't the first 2 to pick Indy or Nashville, your score suffered.

Maybe destinations with more equidistant options would help.

It was fun and something to do, but not that strategic.