Slow Game Thread

[Krill]

Sorta like the Off Topic thread. I'm getting bored with all of the stoppages, so I'm starting this thread in an attempt to both stop activity waning, and as somethign to do when I can't stand any more revising.

Anyone seen anything interesting here on CFC, any threads (on topic or off topic), or had any zany ideas about stuff we could do ingame?

I'll start off with this link

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7996815.stm

High-speed sex costly in Norway

A man faces a hefty fine and a driving ban after being caught having sex with his girlfriend while speeding on a motorway in Norway, police have said.

Officers initially trailed the couple's car after noticing it was swerving from side to side and travelling at 33km/h (20mph) over the road's speed limit.

But they soon realised the erratic driving was due to the woman "sitting on the man's lap", a spokesman said.

After filming the exploit for evidence, they pulled them over at a rest area.

The 28-year-old man's punishment will be decided within the next week, but police said he was likely to face a fine of several thousand Norwegian kroner and a lengthy driving ban.

"Why they did it on a highway with such a high risk we don't know," Tor Stein Hagen, a superintendent with Soendre Buskerud Police District, told the AFP news agency.

"[The vehicle] was veering from one side to the other because the woman was sitting on the man's lap while he was driving and doing the act, shall we say," he added.

"He couldn't see much because her back was in the way."

Despite her prominent role in the incident, the 21-year-old woman was permitted by police to drive her lover home.

 

[Whomp]

Hah...that's rich.

Anyone up for a game of Mornington Crescent? I'm sure some of you are familiar with the game.

I'll start and call a easy beginners game with the special children's junior version. For those of you familiar with the game you may have to explain some of your moves to assist the others who are just learning.

To make things extra easy, Waterloo Mainline is irreversible if approached on the diagonal during a lateral pass. Morton's Convention is in play, whether the Loop has been vectored from either Diagonal or not.

I'll open with Gospel Oak which is easy since no one can shunt for three turns.

 

[Krill]

Amersham, as I shall play for the long game, And King Cross St Pancras' recent renovation work shall aid me in my pursuit.

Whomp, is Sir Pearbys' side rule involving humourous anecdotes about previous games in place, or shall we leave that one for a later round?

 

[Whomp]

Indubitably, Sir Pearby's side rule should be included so people can get a better understanding of the game.

Here's a good read for anyone interested.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0752818643/morningtoncresce/202-0845314-1963803

Anyhow, Amersham...what a lovely town. I spent a week there nine years ago. I believe the locals would say Amer-shum but I digress...

Cascades are like fine wine and I know it's very tempting to start one here. It seems one is often attracted to them in youth, forsaking them in maturity for something more robust, only to return to them in one's elder years. From my obvious great love of cascades you might guess I fall into the latter category. So I ask this in gentlemanly politeness, as I know thaumaturgy takes years to master, is this how you learned the game Krill or was it the insurmontable Mrs. Trellis?

That said I'll play a little defensively, collect a token and move to Sudbury Hill.

 

[Krill]

Well, the first time I overcame this unique game is in the Apolyton OTF, where once upon a time you couldn't move for flames, trolls and the like, and spam tasted as delicious as a five course meal marinated in 25 year old Glenmorangie. There I saw the great art that constitutes a proper game of Mornington Crescent, even if I did not learn how to play it to that level. I still consider myself a student of the game, having few, if none of great skill, people to practice with in RL.

It is there that I learnt my next move, that to Baker street. Aggressive, in at the throat, even if I have never mastered exactly how to move after this point. Aggresiveness is a good thing IMO, if you know how to handle it.

Where did you first discover this great game Whomp? I know this would normally be considered bad etiquette, but this appears to be a 1v1 under the Lord Percival Wormsbry rules, so because you asked first I am at liberty to enquire the same question....

 

[AutomatedTeller]

lurker's comment:
I will say that I don't have time to take on another in-team game - particularly one I don't know very well - so I'll just lurk. It does seem interesting, though!

Might I ask questions of the players during the game, about potential moves?

 

[General_W]

I'd like to start at North Greenwich station.

Spent some lovely time with the family there several years ago. I have no intention of ever revisiting the Millennium Dumb, so in a traveling game, what better place to start then somewhere you have no intention of ending up at?

Jolly good - yes?

 

[Whomp]

Crafty move Gen_W.
Automated Teller-feel free to ask. It's a very complicated game but fun nonetheless.

Krill-I really didn't understand it all in my youth until my grandfather gave me volume 3 of N.F. Stovold Sr.'s "Mornington Crescent" with its rules and origin at somewhere near 43 volumes and 1400 pages each. It's where I learned the basics of Chalk Farm '37. My grandfather had the whole set but I was only able to get my hands on volume 3, 17 and 21 when he passed. Since it's out of print, I'm sure you can imagine, it's quite a family heirloom and my cousins absconded the other volumes. I know he was only a colonialist but he had some reasonable skills as a player.

Which I am reminded of Maggie Smith's famous play where she bifurcated through West Ham and started the Ognassis gambit by going along the Jubiliee line past Green Park, Oxford Circus and stopping for a local ale at Goodge Street.

For those of you who might be watching and need to brush up. Here's a map of the London underground.
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/

 

[Krill]

Hmm, interesting move G_W. I think that while I can not shunt, I must at least make you nervous of one from turn 4 onwards, due to Whomps' first move.

So I find I must move onwards, bu not upwards to Embankment

AT-Myself, I find the following link to be fairly useful. Don't be suprised at the apparent uselessness of said link, with elucidation it becomes surprisingly powerful.

http://www.tourstolondon.co.uk/london-underground-map.gif

Whomp-now that is interesting. My grandfather looked down on such games as this, or at least he did; I was never lucky enough to ask one fo them about this game, and I was only lucky enough to be left his wristwatch, and not his copy of certain MC rules. My other grandfather, well, I shall ask him about such things at his birthday party a week on saturday. I hope that I am lucky enough to reply to this thread in a fortnight ahout great deeds that he has attained.

 

[Whomp]

Quite a conundrum you've put me in Krill. A low line velocity gives few options without being placed in knip. General W's strategy of obfuscation is compelling but could work against him and end up obsfuscating himself into a diagonal knerdle if he's not careful. I have no option but to escape knip by heading out to Heathrow Terminal 4. Phew...

I can't wait to hear what your grandfather has to say. Hopefully, he'll be forthcoming with some of his wisdom.

 

[Krill]

Damn, just lost a good post due to a stupid bug

Unfortunately I'm about to go to bed nd don;t feel like reproducing the post, so I'll just reproduce the moves:

Whomps' move to Gospel Oak has now worn off, so I shall shunt G_W as far as Arsenal so that he is now limited to three station hops until they have played in the Champions League tomorrow night. This should leave me at Waterloo, within touvhing distance of my goal, but I suspect Whomp will spend his token and force the long game within the hour...

 

[Whomp]

As they would say on BBC I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue...
OK let's see...I have a helical stress coefficient of more than 267 Brians and according to some of the tales I've heard IMCS is benign to this move and CAMREC has yet to be heard from on the issue, but one can be sure that, as traditionalists, anything they say will be less than complimentary.

Be that as it may, I think by applying a Reverse Levitow maneuver, as introduced in the 1969 World Championships by crossing the Thames twice to land at Cutty Sark, I foil your nefarious plan and pick up a puce token!

 

[Krill]

The RL move, now I didn't see that one coming. IIRC the counter move was to hold the financial markets, via City, so the Cutty Sark becomes and end of the line, unless you wish to pay the toll?

 

[dutchfire]

I believe you're mistaken Krill, since the 2004 meeting of the International Rules Board, Canary Wharf, where the new business center of England is, holds that position. Times are a changing.

 

[Krill]

We're playing the beginners rules though, so are we sure we want to include the full subset of rules that were created by the IRB?

 

[dutchfire]

I agree that the full subset is probably overdoing it, so I suggest following the Lord Doncaster variation of the IRB, since it's specially made for beginners.

 

[Whomp]

I think IMCS would suggest Lord Doncaster's variation, as well, however CAMREC, per usual, would discourage such shenanigans. I say let's follow IMCS for this round.

Canary Wharf leads me to Picadilly Circus so the beginners, like AT, can follow. Dollis Hill would've been the alternative but we all know how disasterous that would be.

 

[Krill]

We haven't even finished 5 turns since the the end of March...these pauses aren't exactly helping the activity of this game.

 

[Strow]

Why is the game paused again?

 

[Krill]

Saturn paused the game for an unknown (to us) reason. I suspect Kaz, or possibly Cav offered them something interesting ie alliance, or a long term tech treaty

We then played the save in less than 2 hours.

Then Cav paused the game for an (again) unkown reason. The game needs to be unpaused in 2 hours and 15 minutes though.

Because of this we have been stuck on t84 for almost 2 weeks. This is exactly the reason why diplomacy should never be an acceptable reason to pause the game...