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Matt J's "Word Racing" timewaster/game for the stay-at-home COVID-19 days of 2020

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    Matt J's "Word Racing" timewaster/game for the stay-at-home COVID-19 days of 2020

    What is it:
    Kind of a cross between kakuro, scrabble, marble racing, sports sim spreadsheet games, etc...

    How does it work:
    If you want to play, provide me with a sentence made up of three 5-letter words. For example: "Rider races event."

    The three words should definitely make a sentence, and if in doubt (or stretching the limits) provide context. "Rider races event." may not need context, "Bread bites baker." probably does need a little context, so creativity may give you an advantage. I am the final judge of whether your words/sentence works as an entry or not. (Usually, I expect it will work. Opposition entrants can challenge or request context.)

    Words can be reused by different entrants, but whole sentences should not be copied by other entrants.

    Go on...:
    Each letter in the English alphabet (a-z) has been assigned a value between 1-10 (like scrabble) randomly (not like scrabble).

    I total up the letter values for your sentence, and the highest point total wins the 'race'.

    A race may be straightforward (just raw sums) or more complicated (double and triple letter and word scores, bottlenecks and crashes, wind effects, hills, doping tests, etc), based upon whatever I come up with at the time (or suggestions from the competitors).

    I will provide some clues for each race so you can try to puzzle out a near solution or an educated guess.

    And?...:

    If there is any interest, this will become a season. The assigned values per the letters will not change* . So theoretically, more clues will be available as time goes on.

    Points will be assigned for where your racers finish. Season tables will be built, betting on races will be permitted, and so on and so on.

    *(until I think everyone has sussed them - and the word choices and sentences become entertainingly obscure)

    Questions:

    Ask them below.


    ------

    The first race:

    A standard suburban route, long safe curves, wide pathways, no bottlenecks. Imagine a long elliptical where the start/finish are the same line, surrounded by corn fields and scattered wooded areas. Wind is expected to be very low. No crowds are expected and TV coverage is non-existent.

    The test racer/sentence for this race is:
    "Zebra likes money" which scores a whopping 111 points. The first and second words scored the same amount, but the third word scored the most.

    Another test rider ("nerds") attempted the beginning of the course, but managed only 22 points and abandoned.

    This first race will run if and when I get at least 5 entrants.
    Last edited by matt j; 16-03-2020, 16:28. Reason: Typo.

    #2
    Interesting idea matt j.
    Are you allowed to use apostrophes, hyphens etc within the five letter words?

    Comment


      #3
      Originally posted by lambers View Post
      Interesting idea matt j.
      Are you allowed to use apostrophes, hyphens etc within the five letter words?
      Generally, not suggested/recommended (think scrabble rules), but if accompanied by additional context, the judge will decide at the time of entry.

      Comment


        #4
        Ok, I'll make an opening bid:

        Yahoo means wahey

        Comment


          #5
          Okapi wears boots

          If this requires context, I do not understand what we're doing.

          Comment


            #6
            Judge accepts both Wouter D and lambers entries as perfectly valid.

            I don't think I can provide additional feedback as it may influence further entries.

            Comment


              #7
              Zebra plays kazoo

              Comment


                #8
                Can we have proper nouns?

                Moyes reads paper

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by Kevin S View Post
                  Can we have proper nouns?

                  Moyes reads paper
                  Judge is personally at odds on this ruling, but deems this entry acceptable for race #1.

                  ursus arctos also deemed a valid entry.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    You need a fifth? Tiger bakes pizza

                    Comment


                      #11
                      brown puppy barks

                      Comment


                        #12
                        The race organizers are excited to confirm the running of the first ever race of this type in the location where it is being run.

                        "We are very excited to see the revving of the gears and the slaloming of the skis through our residential neighborhood. It's a true once-in-a-lifetime experience for the kids!" said one of the organizers. "Pendants a-flapping, muscles of the highly elite athletes a-spasming, dust a-spraying, waves a-crashing, truly it is a spectacle that must be seen to really be understood!" said another. "I'm just here for the free booze and toilet paper!" said another.

                        Vicarious Thrillseeker 's entry has been confirmed.
                        Last edited by matt j; 16-03-2020, 21:02.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Originally posted by andrew7610 View Post
                          brown puppy barks
                          confirmed.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            drink craft beers

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Do we know the distribution of scores? ie, are we guaranteed that there are 3x1... 3x6 and 2x7... 2x10? Or are they properly random so there could (unlikely but possible) be 7 letters each scoring 10?

                              Comment


                                #16
                                Originally posted by San Bernardhinault View Post
                                Do we know the distribution of scores? ie, are we guaranteed that there are 3x1... 3x6 and 2x7... 2x10? Or are they properly random so there could (unlikely but possible) be 7 letters each scoring 10?
                                No, it is properly random. Also a good clue for future races. The distribution for this first race is <redacted>.


                                Also entry confirmed.

                                Comment


                                  #17
                                  Originally posted by San Bernardhinault View Post
                                  Or are they properly random so there could (unlikely but possible) be 7 letters each scoring 10?

                                  Comment


                                    #18
                                    Fools enter races.

                                    Comment


                                      #19
                                      In the spirit of enticing local paper headlines... Padre burns bully

                                      Comment


                                        #20
                                        Sheep carry water

                                        Comment


                                          #21
                                          Virus kills seven

                                          Comment


                                            #22
                                            Entries closing soon for Race #1. All entrants are now busy at the starting line kicking tires, putting on goggles, stretching arms, locking in propellers, and arguing with their over-bearing protective mother-of-a-coach.

                                            Comment


                                              #23
                                              All entries confirmed, and race line-up set. Results coming soon.

                                              Comment


                                                #24
                                                Bears steal honey.

                                                Comment


                                                  #25
                                                  Results of Race #1:

                                                  With the traditional rolling start out of the way, competitors sparked into life as they crossed into the first of many cornfields on their way to the finish line. The roar of the crowd was truly something that had to be heard to understand the impact it had on the racers.

                                                  In that silence, it was the proud bear pennant who lead the way in the early stages, following in the path of the test racer earlier in the day. It almost seemed as the lead racer, ursus arctos, was 'exactly' in the tracks left by the test racer, but even so andrew 7610 and Wouter D were close on his literal tail.

                                                  Slow off the start was the ad hoc team, their anchors not fully disengaged from the bottom of the water, dragging them down as they saw even fellow slow starters Lambers and delicatemoth get a better burst from their now engaged-treads.

                                                  The second third of the race saw an incredible burst of speed belying their name from the slackster squadron, which crowd favorite VTS took as a sign to begin racing in earnest, banking this way and that as his nifty machine found it's engine humming along like a well oiled cat. Those two trailed "Mr. Consistency" (trademark pending) andrew7610, who led all the sweating competition like a finely tuned dance into the final third.

                                                  In that last stretch, only two teams seemed out of the running, sean of the shed and Kevin S, both interrupted in their progress by what can only described as a small flock of very angry geese wielding cutlery.

                                                  Yes, only one team could be declared winner, and that team was definitely not San Bernardhinault, who despite a consistent pace forgot to put loose their flotsam and jetsam in the final furlong.

                                                  Instead, VTD blistered the field to finish first, followed by the bear pennant that started it all off in second, ursus actos. Joining them on the podium was andrew7610 in third.

                                                  Said thrilled race watchers at the end on the day's excitement: "Who are you and why are you asking me questions?"

                                                  Team/User Place Race #1 Season points after Race #1
                                                  Vicarious Thrill Seeker 1 22
                                                  ursus arctos 2 20
                                                  andrew7610 3 18
                                                  Wouter D 4 16
                                                  delicatemoth 5 14
                                                  Lambers 6 12
                                                  slackster 7 10
                                                  San Bernardhinault 8 8
                                                  ad hoc 9 6
                                                  sean of the shed 10 4
                                                  Kevin S 11 2

                                                  An additional team, having missed their afternoon alarm, undertook the race shortly after completion of the competition. Had the elguapo04 set been on time, they would have finished 6th with (clue!) a race score of 92.

                                                  No teams approached the test racer score of 111 set by "zebra likes money".

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