Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Stormed by Paul

There is a "freemium" game on Xbox called World of Tanks. It plays like Call of Duty in that teams of 15 players compete live against each other but with everyone in a tank.

There are different types of tanks and different levels of them and the server pairs groups of similar levels and types in each match contested on different types of terrain raging from narrow streets to mountain passes to large fields.

Since the first victory on each tank every day gets a bonus to their XP, I usually play until I get a win on all my active tanks I play which are varied types on levels ranging from 5-7.

I had a level 6 light tank and was happy to see that the server put me in a game on a large hilly field but a little down when I realized the tanks in the game range from level 6 to 8 but there was one artillery unit on each team. That made my plan simple: Go to one edge of the field, zoom to get behind the other group of tanks and take out the artillery unit since they have the least armor but the largest shell which can hit any uncovered tank anywhere on the board.

I then noticed the gamertag of the person with the atry: Paulnotstorm. (former member of DaVinci's Notebook and half the comedy music/you tube series group Paul and Storm) I called out to my daughter to watch. I got to the edge of the field, passed one tank which did minor damage to my vehicle as I zoomed by but I got to the far end. As I went across, I got the warning I was noticed and hurried to find the arty. When I did, instead of facing the other end of the board, Paul's tank was facing me along with at least 2 other tanks as my tank was hit multiple times and destroyed before I got off a shot.

Thursday, September 17, 2015

Longest simple trip for groceries

Last Saturday knowing I had something later, I put on pants over my gym shorts and without socks in shoes left for a quick trip for groceries some for an event later that evening, multiple phone calls later, I went close to 100 miles.

The initial trip is in black and each additional segment is a different color with each dot a destination.

Sunday, September 13, 2015

Not wanting to be a "king"

Since I stopped playing fantasy football, I have been asked about the weekly fantasy football leagues which I see and hear advertised constantly this time of year.

I explain this way: It is neither fantasy nor a league.

The idea of rotisserie sports which is now called fantasy sports is that players are in leagues competing against each other by drafting a team of players and managing them through a season releasing, acquiring, and trading players while determining which ones to put in their lineup.

The weekly games are more similar to team confidence pools in which people pick who wins games. Most of those contests involve selecting players who have a value assigned to them keeping under a maximum.

What made me successful in fantasy was being able to determine who over the long haul will combine for the best outcome for 16 weeks and not one and by putting the time and energy to make my squad as good as possible.

That does not translate in the weekly contests. So why don't I play fantasy football? No longer willing to devote the time and energy I used to and don't trust other players or leagues any more.

Twisting Homer Simpson stated in an early episode, I am OK with ice cream without toppings since for too long, I was worried so much about the toppings that I could not enjoy the product.