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Post by Peter Pettigrew on May 11, 2022 5:49:16 GMT 10
So this should be an episode where everyone knows from the start which Side is voting and who is leaving...
But..
Following the Challenge discussion threads, for all The Daily Prophet's laziness and will/indifference to throw it, the degree of precision The Department of Mysteries is demanding is absurd. Most of the times they're listing have a 2 second margin for error and ain't nobody keeping right on the edge of flood control for 30 posts without gaining enough time to throw the entire thing out of whack. Unless TDP all blatantly ignore Yaxley's absurdly long 30-second posting windows, the Side putting in 100 times the effort could well rack up enough penalties to lose this.
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Post by Peter Pettigrew on May 11, 2022 7:15:27 GMT 10
Basically, this: Wow, you get a hick-up by a few miliseconds once and immediately you basically cost your team the win. We shouldn't have gone with the 10 seconds after all. Just ridiculous And I basically just realized now, that nothing stops you from practicing this over and over again!? For me it's too late now obviously These guys are putting in substantial effort too so this is not a fun trainwreck to watch. Maybe they'll magically all delay posts at the same rate and come out okay? ![:-/](http://images.proboards.com/new/undecided.png) Adding to my bias is that while they all work hard on this the PM volume is almost back to manageable ![:P](http://images.proboards.com/new/tongue.png)
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Post by Peter Pettigrew on May 11, 2022 7:20:27 GMT 10
Discord commentary:
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Post by Peter Pettigrew on May 11, 2022 7:27:45 GMT 10
Another thing: Karkaroff's Owl Post is under-reportedly amazing ![:<3](http://i.imgur.com/L3NpwEv.gif) Imitating Wood's accent just for the lols and precipitating the Pyrites mess by implying Wood would Switch for Lucius ![:fan](https://i.imgur.com/074wyXd.gif) Deciding that he needs to prevent Regulus from getting a clue, then deciding to apologise for the Rodolphus mess ![(rofl)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/rofl.png)
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Post by Dolores Umbridge on May 11, 2022 9:34:58 GMT 10
I have loved HK in this; well-realized character/shtick, perpetually baffled by the craziness around him, delightfully acerbic humour, etc. But the fixation on Pyrites is not cute! And I just... don't understand it? Especially if it stems from their banter on day one, which I'd have though HK would appreciate considering his persona. And even then, wanting someone out because you don't click is perfectly fine- but I think throwing the challenge to do so feels unnecessary, and publicly encouraging throwing the challenge just feels mean. If this ends up being the challenge throw to boot narrative, welp... the story writes itself. But at the same time, I don't want HK to go out like that, partially because I know how dedicated Waka is to this and really want to see him succeed. And I know that would sting, especially since it is self-inflicted. Perhaps it's because I know it's Des underneath Pyrites, who is a back-up doing his best character play with a theme he is entirely unfamiliar with (and to me he's very funny/charming). I'm sorry he's been hurt by the last vote, but I hope he comes to understand that his journey here has been iconic and shaping up to be a cockroach story for the ages. And I don't think it has anything to do with people not liking him (outside of HK), moreso I think he is just a quieter presence and has been a perpetual target since HK decided so early on, and it's easy to throw someone like that under the bus when you're desperate. If he actually survives a challenge being thrown to eliminate him... this man is untouchable. ![:lol](https://i.imgur.com/X4ixXao.gif) All I can say is that I know both of them making the merge is NOT happening. I hope whichever one of them does thrives, and whichever of them doesn't isn't too discouraged by the boot. They've both been individually fantastic, but their rivalry is about to culminate and it won't be pretty.
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Post by Dolores Umbridge on May 11, 2022 9:58:10 GMT 10
Moody getting this idol, good for him! He has been a dark horse throughout this game, but is shaping up to be set-up very well at merge. The Order will have the numbers, but they are so messy/fractured that it won't last long. And I think this new Moody/Diggle/Kingsley threesome will be best positioned to be the movers and shakers. Last night, Fleur sewed the seeds of her downfall- she is powerful, and people have also known it. But last night there was some social fallout as well, the kind that has been logged in the memory bank of her current allies. At the Prophet, I'm super impressed with Yaxley continuing to play the middle-man, he's someone that everyone feels like they have on side, which is indicative of savvy play. Another dark horse! Meanwhile, Karkaroff is emerging and is going to be a menace at merge, which is exciting. Crouch is a social king and everyone knows it, but is the best positioned to worm his way in with his Lily connection. Lily is gonna be in an interesting position at merge as well- she'll have her Order majority, but has also been spending a lot of time with the Purebloods. And Wood is still Wood. ![:<3](http://i.imgur.com/L3NpwEv.gif)
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Post by Peter Pettigrew on May 11, 2022 10:03:33 GMT 10
The way that HK is presenting Pyrites to the others, it's kind of turned from frustration to a sort of disdain, like how dare he have the audacity to be saved so many times when others seem to be working harder and have better 'earned' the longevity. I also think there's an element of playing it up because he knows losing the easy boot in Kingsley does leave him vulnerable, especially as the merge looms and big targets start to look juicier - so he kind of needs to live in a world where everybody else shares an extreme belief that if Pyrites can be voted out, he must be. From the other end of the line - I'm really not sure that Lily is thinking about this the right way. Sure it would be an amusing exit for HK to go out after a Challenge he led the charge to throw, but the appeal of that Drew Cristy narrative (her description; I'd go with Burton), but the bigmoveitis of that doesn't really serve her that well in the long run. The points raised by Yaxley (mostly to Crouch) are key, that there'll be plenty of chances to take out HK, and even beyond the clear risks of taking that shot and potentially missing due to a Switch, or losing Tonks instead of bringing her closer... the plan to have a couples alliance at the Merge has no chance of success if they're the only couples around, especially when they're already relying on Lucius making it and not blowing things up just to get the numbers; showing a willingness to break up the Tonks/Killer pair at the merge could be the exact thing the other pairs need to hide their connection. Lily convincing herself that the merge will be at 11 is possibly a factor... but in planning this out it was always going to be a merge at 12 precisely so that three intact pairs couldn't just run the table automatically. And Rockardy is usually great at tracking that kind of game design process, when they're not blinded by the hope of a flashy play they could make just as easily and far more effectively - if with less flash - down the line. Also I'm soooooo happy for the Order outsiders of Diggle/Kingsley/Moody coming back together and getting a second wind, complete with Moody now first to find the posting task for the post-Swap Item. All three have had a rough few days after starting on the back foot to varying extents, and the odds of even two out of three surviving to the Merge looked super slim a week ago. Now they might actually become a force to be reckoned with and I love that for them all ![:fan](https://i.imgur.com/074wyXd.gif)
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Post by Dolores Umbridge on May 11, 2022 10:22:16 GMT 10
Honestly, I consistently forget about the pairs in this. ![:P](http://images.proboards.com/new/tongue.png) That will add another layer to merge, especially as (hopefully) ID's start getting revealed then. Still rooting for my boys Digg n' Yax! The boot options at Mysteries are pretty grim btw, if it is Regulus or Lucius ![:cry](http://imgur.com/Gh2UmYT.gif) And with the double, we know it's coming whatever happens with this challenge. 1) My heart could not handle Gerard being taken out right before merge again2) Lucius has been a focal character in this game and I can't imagine the merge without him But by the same token, it's not like there's anyone else I'd prefer to see booted in their stead. Of anyone Tonks could be the alt boot, and I'm a huge Tonks fan too.
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Post by Peter Pettigrew on May 11, 2022 11:07:18 GMT 10
If they can hold off until the double it'll be absurdly obvious that the Merge will come straight afterward, and there'll be no reason for people (Oliver in particular) not to use a Switch. So there's hope... in a 50% chance... if they win today... and the Switch isn't used... or if they're the ones to use it... ![8-)](http://images.proboards.com/new/cool.png) I totally agree on both being more than deserving of the Merge. But also if Lucius goes out right before it'll be a fitting and possibly overdue end to his whirlwind of an arc. I'd still be devastated not to see the chaos, or have him on the jury, but if his ceiling is F9 or so regardless then a pre-merge r.obbery after using up his Item on Pyrites is kind of the more iconic destination for a journey of constant self-sabotage and masterful recovery. We were definitely having this exact discussion at the tail end of the Sicily Swap though, and he made it out. So have faith!
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Post by Dolores Umbridge on May 11, 2022 19:10:12 GMT 10
Hoping against hope that someone randomly decides to switch with Killer. Though he has also been SWITCHING on Black- that would also be hilar and an amusing outcome, if gold were to lose (sorry blanking on the name rn). And it wouldn't be a momentum shift at all, because this double will get the engine's revving on both sides and really set the stage for merge.
On gold- LOVING Diggle. He is showing some sass and it's a great ingredient, after last round. I also am obsessed with Tonks- she has a charming manic energy to her (may just be the rep, of a blend of the two), and is just delightful to watch. Tbh I like everyone on this team (and in the game). Also shotout to Regulus ofc who has been hilarious since the vote last night. GET HIM TO MERGE!!! Pervenimergo!
On Silver, loved Yaxley's confessional today about ORG's, he really hit the nail on the head in explaining how they are both simultaneously painful and rewarding lol. Though I'd still like him to relax a bit and enjoy the ride. Lily is getting some bigmoveitis, and I feel like this won't be the last time this happens throughout the game. It's always promising to know there is an unabashed mover and shaker in the midst.
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Post by Dolores Umbridge on May 11, 2022 19:19:50 GMT 10
So it looks like DoM is losing despite DP trying to throw, so manifesting Wood switching with Lucius tonight. LIGNUMVERTO!!!!
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Post by Peter Pettigrew on May 11, 2022 19:36:44 GMT 10
To explain fully how this is happening: DoM foolishly decided to make every bar of the video last 10 seconds in their reenactment. Every time you post even 9.99 seconds after the last one, the board blocks you and it takes a second or two to load the interim page and find the post button. Those delays add up, even if you only get them every 4-5 posts; the alternative is posting every 11ish seconds rather than 10 and also stacking delays onto the time. And it's impossible to make that time up - if she were using 15 second intervals for instance, she could get one or two in a bit late but still be back on track for the next; trying for every 10 leaves no leeway or room for error, and this was something they flagged in the discussion thread but then discounted. So Fleur went first as Prefect, didn't have perfect timing even before the flood control issue made it worse. And because there are a few posts from sound effects before anyone else starts, she was already delayed a few seconds before anyone else's start time. And all those other players are also trying to post on the exact start time Fleur was meant to post the sound effect for the bar, rather than aiming for the middle of that 10-second period or even the very end to give Fleur the most leeway. Adding to that is the fact that most of the other roles have breaks between some of their lines, so even if they accumulate a few seconds of delay and potentially get close to matching Fleur's lag, they then revert to the perfect timestamp a few posts later. Kingsley managed to get every post of his on the dot which is super impressive (it was two runs of 5/6 posts at exactly 10 second intervals) but of course Fleur was running nearly 20 seconds behind by the time his lines entered the script. And so now every player on DoM has done the Challenge, and not a single one of their lines was correctly timed between Fleur's ![:cry](http://imgur.com/Gh2UmYT.gif) All because nobody saw the gaping holes in their intricately plotted strategy, or bothered to do any kind of trial run which would have exposed all this. Tonks posting in the Discussion Thread after playing and getting herself disqualified didn't help... but because her timing was out anyway she only add 5 more minutes to the total time rather than 10. Half of TDP is yet to play, so we're just waiting to see whether enough of them throw blatantly enough to rack up double penalties for both time and posting incorrectly. Thoughts and prayers for Lucius.
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Post by Peter Pettigrew on May 11, 2022 20:07:32 GMT 10
.... and then HK goes and posts every Snape line in one post, earning enough double penalties to lose thanks to only Pyrites waiting the proper interval for their Prefect (Yaxely) to reach the correct bar before stating to post his lines. Lily also did this but only had 4 lines.
So it's a loss for TDP, and everyone an breathe a sigh of relief except for Pyrites.
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Post by Peter Pettigrew on May 12, 2022 9:09:28 GMT 10
Just to fill in some gaps post-episode: - Pyrites pretended to have an Item, Crouch got spooked and I think it's the first time I've seen him break a sweat all Game? Including the Rodolphus debacle. I don't think it got back all the way round to Wood, but he'd been hoping to get a stray vote onto HK just in case Pyrites pulled off another miracle and could have targeted anyone, got shut down but then decided to do it himself without running it by Lily even. - Wood tried to float Karkaroff as an option, was shut down instantly from all angles, and quickly discovered how little influence he has. Or should have, I have no idea what he picked up on from the experience. - Karkaroff's becoming more paranoid than Lucius now, his tone really rubbing some people the wrong way even though he's usually being honest about not feeling particularly safe with everyone. Lucius has now surpassed paranoia and achieved some new state of existence where he's just going all out for the fun of it without giving himself the time to remember that it started out of paranoia, and at least everyone's enjoying that. - Department of Mysteries would have sent Lucius out, and he wouldn't have been saved Wood and Crouch both cast Switch on Moody for reasons that elude me. Tonks wasn't happy about it, but everyone else was fairly certain that it would be him over Regulus had they needed to vote, despite worries of a Switch. - This didn't stop Lucius from making multiple group chats. These are less effective when everybody in all of them is expecting them, comparing notes, and laughing about them. It's only confirmed that he needs to be the one to go as he'll be a wild card of constant nervous energy come Merge. - Actual bullet points! Yay! ![8-)](http://images.proboards.com/new/cool.png)
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Post by Hedwig's Killer on May 31, 2022 2:06:07 GMT 10
It wouldnt have taken much for me to turn around big time into a Pyrites fan, I just needed like.... something. anything.
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