Save Our City - Public Post - NO SPOILERS PLEASE

[essentialsaltes]

Herein is public discussion of my Save Our City puzzle rally in Los Angeles.

If you are interested in the game, you can now download a PDF of the whole shebang, so that you too can Save Our City. (Thanks, Riz!) Go out and play! Have fun! (File also mirrored here

Players, please do not spoil any of the puzzles in this thread. Comments that I consider spoilers will be deleted. So keep your comments general, using words like "diabolical", "impossible", "asshole" and "evil", rather than referring directly to puzzles and locations. So it's fair to discuss your overall impressions as well as general aspects of the experience that won't be available to those playing at home (so to speak): the soundtrack, the party, the prizes, etc.

For spoiler-laden comments, please go to this thread. For those of you who haven't played the game, but might... don't read the spoiler thread, duh.

Once again, thanks are due to all the players, who generously allowed me to torment them under trying conditions. Despite the various stumbling blocks that I intentionally and unintentionally threw under your wheels, everyone seemed to be good natured about the whole thing.

Again I thank Becca who provided insight, advice, and nachos.

And notjenschiz, who offered advice and feedback on some puzzles.

And one person I forgot to thank last night, but who deserves it is aaronjv, whose ChronoAgents road rally inspired me to run my own (including the time travel theme, though I mixed in a huge dose of 12 Monkeys).



Getting teams checked in, cameras checked and modified, and teams under way was a bit frenetic, but once things got started, all 9 teams were on the road in less than 30 minutes. Total number of players I think was 33.

After that, I sat on my ass next to the phone for about an hour, before the first team called in for a clue. It was crazy going from frantic activity, to nothing. I really wanted to be riding along with each team to see how things were going.

Fielded a couple more calls before heading to the lunch location. Operation Grab Bags had arrived by the time I got there a couple minutes late (police were blocking an exit off the 105, causing thousands of Angelenos to slow down to look at the flashing lights). I got a chance to hang out with the teams as they arrived and chat a little bit, but I was still too wired, sleep-deprived and jumpy to enjoy much. Got everyone off on the afternoon/evening session and headed back to HQ, passing by the mission #11 location to see if it was still as I remembered it (it was).

Fielded many more calls after lunch for clues. Honestly, I didn't intend those puzzles to be harder - I tried to arrange things so that the morning missions would be better for daylight hours (I failed at that too, to some extent). Team Platypus tried its hardest to turn this into a LARP after all, and I got plenty of confusing communications from them. This also had the effect of pulling Becca into LARPing mode as she fielded a lot of calls in the home office of 'Mickey's Carpet Cleaning'. [In 12 Monkeys, the number to call the future appears (at one point) to be a carpet cleaners. Teams in the game called the carpet cleaners to get hints and/or abuse me.]

Team Two Wongs Don't Make a White threw in the towel around 5. They rocked the morning session, but things went sour after lunch, it appears. Although they didn't 'finish' the game (and were thus ineligible for this particular prize) Two Wongs did post the highest average speed: 21.2 mph. They hung out for a bit at HQ before moving on to greener pastures.

The other teams poured in from 8-9 pm, and I was deluged by answer sheets to check, photos to download & judge on artistic merit, etc. Oh, and order pizzas. Everyone seemed pretty happy to chat and reminisce and bitch and moan, but I apologize if it took a long time to get the results out.

I'm also sorry that I gave everyone a little too much to do... so that no one finished the final puzzle. If you still have that sheet ( or download it when I get the game up) go do that puzzle. And follow the instructions to the letter.

But anyway, here are the main results. Items with dual numbers are raw score and penalty-adjusted score:

Stamina Prize (out the longest): The Wyrd Ones (657 minutes)
Gas Guzzer award (drove the furthest): Alpha Squad 7 (166 miles)
Tortoise award (slowest average speed): The Deloreans (10.74 mph)

Most Bonus Points: Team I Went 50 Years In the Past and All I Got was Shot in an Airport (144 points, a crushing victory)

Aesthetic Award (best photos): Shades of Glory (average 8.125/10)

Leadfoot Award (completed game with fastest average speed): Alpha Squad 7 (16.04 mph)

Efficiency Award (completed game in least distance): The Deloreans (113 miles/130 miles)

Saved Our City (completed game in least time): Operation Grab Bags (616 minutes/621 minutes)

Grand Prize (best average rank in each category): Team I Went 50 Years In the Past and All I Got was Shot in an Airport (3.2)

Comments

Re: from the Shades of Glory driver (part two)

[aaronjv.livejournal.com]

Here's the wordy experience from me:
I was so excited to participate. I love road rallies, and I love Los Angeles, so it was like early Christmas. Too much so, in fact, as I couldn't sleep the night before. I dozed for about three hours (not continuous) as my mind was already in overdrive imagining driving that meaty car I rented just for this occasion. A few nights before, I was thinking of possible locations you would send us, and got two of my five picks correct (missions #1, 2). I was consciously picturing other possibilities instead of subconsciously dreaming them.

Renting the vehicle made much sense, as I would not be able to run, so staying in the car and driving (which I like to do, and am good at--seriously) was the only option. That being said, I wasn't about to drive our Honda Civic, which gets great gas mileage but is a stick shift (a little harder to use with my bum knee). So I rented the Mustang (only $80 from Hertz, INCLUDING the "here's the keys, the car's out there somewhere around a pole" insurance option). I loved that car, and had a blast driving it. It's built like a torpedo: low to the ground with small windows. It was a little too cramped, though, and K got a bruise from jumping into the back after completing a mission. Four people on our team would have been like a clown car. The tiny amount of extra space that we had, trunk included, was used to store our snacks, water bottles, red bull, WiFi-equipped laptop, GPS (which got buried and we forgot about), NFT-LA guide (unconsulted), Tommy Guide, Secrets of Los Angeles (”http://catalog.chaosium.com/product_info.php?products_id=981”) CoC supplement, Zagat guides, papers, pens, goggles, gloves, coats, crutches, etc.

Afterwards, as K and I debriefed at home, we decided that the best car for this would be a sporty European four door; a BMW, Audi, Saab, Benzo, etc. Something with GPS installed (I tried to get it on the Mustang, but Hertz doesn't have that option for the car), separate doors for the back passengers, yet has enough horses to hit 100mph on the highway, as I barely refrained myself from doing in the Mustang (95mph is close enough).

I almost used up a full tank of gas on the car, and left it full of spilled almonds, torn shreds of bonus point sheets, and leftover McDonald’s wrappers.

I liked the intimidation factor of the car. For many of the morning missions, when other teams would see the Beast rumbling at the location, they would cry out “Oh, FUCK!” as I smiled at them. Since we left last, through the Portal, anytime we saw other teams meant we were catching up to the pack.

And the Horses served us well as we left from mission #2: I believe it was Team Platypus (DebKev) started following us, as they didn’t know where to go next. I watched them in the rear view mirror, told my teammates that we had a tail, and asked them to hold on tight, I was going to lose them. That was way too easy and fun, although it had a terrible price: K got nauseated, and remained that way until the lunch break. The quick power lurch that we all felt whenever I twitched the gas didn’t do well for her stomach, and I felt bad when I’d look back to see her sitting, head back, eyes closed, not thinking about clues but willing herself not to chunder into Black Thunder (I gave her permission, but that would have made the rest of the trip unpleasant). Fortunately, no such thing happened, and I learned to tame my leadfoot as the day went by (we’d go fast, but I wouldn’t jump the gas so much). I think my edge got a little dulled when, about ¾ through the morning part, I saw the “overdrive off” warning light blinking at me, even though I kept hitting the button on the gear shift. Maybe I was a little too excited.

Re: from the Shades of Glory driver (part three)

[aaronjv.livejournal.com]

Overall:
I had fun, and I think we did well despite only getting the bronze. But it wasn’t all fun. I forgot to tell you when you asked for advice on running this that I heard complaints that ChronoAgents was too long, and you had more places than I did (I think). It was draining (long day), and that hurt our mental capacities. When we called in for hints, our backs were up against the exhaustion wall. We didn’t know where to go next, and each of us was trying to figure out a different puzzle, no one getting anywhere. I thought we were done for, but we decided to risk time and mileage and get some hints. Overall, it was worth it, because we figured out our next two locations, and, even better, we all got so angry and pissed at you that (I, at least) was fired back up again.
In hindsight, I think the winning team had the correct approach to Saving the City, and I’ll probably use that the next time (for any hunt, if possible). As it was, we would figure out one puzzle, go there, stop and figure out the next one, go there, etc. If we had a cushion of say, the next three places, we could triangulate the best route, and the clue-solvers could hold on tight and let me and the ‘Stang take over.

We also thought the ubiquitous logic puzzles were a bit taxing and aggravating. I ran ChornoAgents because I wanted people to see these cool places in the city, and to get a better understanding and appreciation of their home. So I wanted everyone to see as many places as possible. I realized that the game shouldn’t really be me against the players, but the players against each other. That’s why I had bonus points, arbitrary judgment for the best photos, and scoring for good time. I decided that even if everyone solved all my puzzles easily, they still had to get there as quickly as possible (relative to the other teams), and then, to take a good photo (relative to the other teams).
Save out City seemed to be a double whammy: solve a difficult logic puzzle, AND get there as quick as possible and take a good photo. It wasn’t so much all of us against one another, it seemed to be everyone against the PuzzleMaster (solve the puzzles). I don’t know if a majority of the people feel this same way, but, especially at the end, we were ready to throw in the towel. I certainly enjoyed many of the locations, though, and I did like some of the puzzles. But it was a bit too much. I think simply cutting the number down to a dozen, and shortening the time (start at 10 or 11am, maybe?) would improve things. Still, the amount of time and effort spent our your end was awesome, and I did have a great time. Maybe I’m just grousing because we didn’t win it all. Weigh my comments with those of others.

On the plus side, I have a few thoughts on what to do if I ever run another rally, which I think would be a combo of these two. Maybe we could do it together?!? (Ooh baby)

Random bit: One of our members forgot we had bonus sheets until an hour or so into the morning. Which was sad, as I think we missed some opportunities. Later, I took on the task of getting the bonuses, such as we could. We must not have liked them, because we drove over them at one late location after the fell out (it was dark, we were tired). We went back for them, adding about 15 minutes to our time.

THANK YOU FOR RUNNING THIS! I SLEPT FOR ALMOST TWELVE HOURS LAST NIGHT!

Re: from the Shades of Glory driver (part three)

[essentialsaltes.livejournal.com]

We also thought the ubiquitous logic puzzles were a bit taxing and aggravating. I ran ChornoAgents because I wanted people to see these cool places in the city, and to get a better understanding and appreciation of their home.

I think we both had the same basic motivation. IIRC, the first mission from ChronoAgents asked you to photograph the oldest home in the city. If you don't already know the answer, you're fucked and don't know where to go. Until you ask for a hint. In Save Our City, if you can't solve a puzzle, you're fucked and don't know where to go. Until you ask for a hint.

But it was a bit too much.

That certainly seems to be true. My fault.

Maybe we could do it together?!? (Ooh baby)

Cthulhu preserve us all. Let's talk about it in a year or so.

Re: from the Shades of Glory driver (part three)

[aaronjv.livejournal.com]

Yeah, upon reflection, I realized that ChronoAgents hinged on your pre-existing knowledge of Los Angeles or access to the Net.

Save Our City hinged upon your ability to work puzzles or access to the Net. If you couldn't work puzzles, you wouldn't get the final answer.

FYI, we got at least three puzzles through the WiFi computer.

Ultimately, I don't think the puzzles were too hard, but they were too hard to do while driving for 10 hours. Many teams had at least one instance of in-fighting, I believe. I don't think that was due to the puzzles, but the taxing nature of the event. If I had a full night's sleep, say, or we took a snack break at one point to get warm cookies and work out some puzzles, I think we could have done better.

OOC, did you do a trial run of the game? Like you, I drove to every location, and kept track of time as I did, but I didn't go to each location in one day, so I wasn't really sure of how long it would take for the whole enchilada. I did have the Crosby's check the hints and trivia questions, and I think they did a test drive to a few of the locations, but I can't remember for sure.

If I ever do another one (I just opened a document with potential places/puzzles), it's an absolute requirement to have a test team run the course the week before, possibly with me riding as an observer. That way, I can get a feel of how difficult things are, how long it takes to get from one place to another, and, most importantly, make sure all the locations are still there.

But it was a bit too much.
That certainly seems to be true. My fault.

No, blame ian_tiberius instead.

Again, despite this griping, I was smiling more than frowning for the whole run.

Re: from the Shades of Glory driver (part three)

[essentialsaltes.livejournal.com]

FYI, we got at least three puzzles through the WiFi computer.

Cool. Obviously having the internet at your beck and call can't hurt, but I'm glad to hear it was a minority of puzzles.

OOC, did you do a trial run of the game?

I tried to convince notjenschiz, but no dice. He did work some of the puzzles through, but then his workload got insane. I'm not going to bash him though, since he, jsadler and some person I don't even know were the only ones to offer help, and Prime was the only one who (in the event) did help (which is not to bash jsadler at all either - timing and scheduling just didn't work out). Yeah, I'm pretty sure the Crosby's tried yours out fer reals, and it's certainly something I wanted to do, and I should have more actively recruited helpers, and... and...

For some of my own location scouting, I timed myself. Although I 'knew where I was going', I had never been to some of them, and I was spending time deciding what was going to be the photo, etc., but that didn't quite work.

Re: from the Shades of Glory driver (part two)

[essentialsaltes.livejournal.com]

I couldn't sleep the night before.

Neither could I. Which sucked, cuz I felt dead on my feet all day.

The car was indeed a masterful touch.