The concept of a legacy board game is that things within the game constantly change through the use of a special deck of ordered cards which are revealed during specific moments of the game. It is designed to be played once in multiple sessions and things that happen in one session can affect all future ones.
Having picked up a copy of Pandemic Legacy, I realized it would be cool to provide a blog from the POV of the character I am playing. FYI: The blog will provide spoilers for the game. If by any chance you are going to play it, reading the entries will provide information that will be revealed during the course of play.
Commander Jacob Potter entry:
It is a new year and new challenges await. In the past we have treated multiple diseases throughout the world often with success and under close control preventing cities from the chaos that would occur from multiple outbreaks or in worst case scenario shutting down the entire planet for a couple of days to restore order on the occasions we failed.
Due to the worldwide economic situation and threat of terrorism, our organization, the Center for Disease Control, has been integrated into Unified Intelligence Taskforce also known as UNIT. This means that the military assistance we had in the past that prevented city uprising will no longer be there meaning that cities can go bad if things don't go well and that our personnel are no longer protected if an outbreak occurs in their area meaning that all of us are at risk of to get ill or distressed hampering our performance or even be lost.
We were also informed that the in-field funding will be provided on an "as needed" basis and that new procedures are being considered in case we fail. I am not sure exactly what either means but no doubt our team will eventually find out. At least through UNIT, there is improved research facilities, communications, and infrastructure. The crew has also been through specialized training for more techniques possibly allowing them to become better at their jobs.
I was hoping for a quiet New Year's Day but no luck as multiple reports are arriving. Time to call the crew in and get started.
Jan 1
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
Saturday, November 7, 2015
The nightmare continues
I am not sure why it took as long as it did to think of it but a couple of years ago I wondered what Doctor Who episode aired on the day I was born: Sat Nov 13, 1965.
I looked at the third entry and was confused:
I knew The Daleks Master Plan was the 12 part serial from the third season but had to look at Wikipedia to figure out what The Nightmare Begins was about.
I did not know that for the first two seasons and most of the third that every episode had an individual title along with being known as part of a serial.
I am laying on the couch at 7 AM on a Saturday having been awake since 4:30 AM from leg spasms that originated bowling in 1994, aggravated by a 2009 surgery and operating a fork lift the day before when my job situation prevented me from taking the day off to go to a convention. I also know these spasms would make driving or even sitting in a car 280 miles today and tomorrow for a birthday party not advisable while my right elbow is sore from trying to get better at disc golf in June.
Right now the title of the entry applies.
I looked at the third entry and was confused:
I knew The Daleks Master Plan was the 12 part serial from the third season but had to look at Wikipedia to figure out what The Nightmare Begins was about.
I did not know that for the first two seasons and most of the third that every episode had an individual title along with being known as part of a serial.
I am laying on the couch at 7 AM on a Saturday having been awake since 4:30 AM from leg spasms that originated bowling in 1994, aggravated by a 2009 surgery and operating a fork lift the day before when my job situation prevented me from taking the day off to go to a convention. I also know these spasms would make driving or even sitting in a car 280 miles today and tomorrow for a birthday party not advisable while my right elbow is sore from trying to get better at disc golf in June.
Right now the title of the entry applies.
Sunday, November 1, 2015
Moving clocks
Today, November 1st, people in most of the US move their clocks back an hour and similar to the second Saturday in March when people move them forward an hour, there will be people complaining and wondering why this is done. At least the places whose signboards are still programmed to change the clocks based on when it was done before 2007 will again be correct after being wrong for a couple of weeks.
I know there is a sign in Jimmy John's which states no one can explain why it is done so I will give it a shot:
The left column would happen if the cities don't spring forward and the right if we did not fall back. These places were chosen since most of those who read this live near one of those cities.
This is when sunrise would occur in these places if there was not a time change. Without changing the clocks the sun would rise well before most people wake up in late June and well after most people leave the house in late December.
To me, the inconvenience created by moving clocks is far better than what would happen at the solstices I'd we didn't.
I know there is a sign in Jimmy John's which states no one can explain why it is done so I will give it a shot:
The left column would happen if the cities don't spring forward and the right if we did not fall back. These places were chosen since most of those who read this live near one of those cities.
This is when sunrise would occur in these places if there was not a time change. Without changing the clocks the sun would rise well before most people wake up in late June and well after most people leave the house in late December.
To me, the inconvenience created by moving clocks is far better than what would happen at the solstices I'd we didn't.
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
Right idea, wrong bet
Many times while betting on a horse race, I will figure out how the winning horse in a race will run as far as its position on the track but the horse I believe will be in that position doesn't end up there and another one wins.
In January 2013, I realized that the Back to the Future 2 scene on Oct 21, 2015 could be interpreted with the Chicago Cubs sweeping Miami to win the National League Championship Series on or just before that date. I called it Zemekis Theory and posted to this blog about it then.
In January this year, I made a bet on the Cubs to win the pennant and thought I had a chance but the Mets pitching staff and one previously unknown player overcame the Cubs lineup. I then realized the error in the theory which others in the previous 2 1/2 years mentioned to me.
Knowing that a 4 game sweep would potentially finish on Oct 21, 2015 and that Vegas was flooded with bets on the Cubs, the correct bet that applied the Zemeskis Theory would have been on the Mets to sweep the 4 game series which would have been at least 12-1 odds and probably higher.
Anyway, now that the Chicago Cubs have again failed to win a meaningful championship (unlike the two playoff wins the team and its fans celebrated earlier this month) I decided to update the chart I made in 2009 showing the mathematical odds of the Cubs winning a World Series or National League title:
In January 2013, I realized that the Back to the Future 2 scene on Oct 21, 2015 could be interpreted with the Chicago Cubs sweeping Miami to win the National League Championship Series on or just before that date. I called it Zemekis Theory and posted to this blog about it then.
In January this year, I made a bet on the Cubs to win the pennant and thought I had a chance but the Mets pitching staff and one previously unknown player overcame the Cubs lineup. I then realized the error in the theory which others in the previous 2 1/2 years mentioned to me.
It involves the Chicago Cubs winning a championship.
Knowing that a 4 game sweep would potentially finish on Oct 21, 2015 and that Vegas was flooded with bets on the Cubs, the correct bet that applied the Zemeskis Theory would have been on the Mets to sweep the 4 game series which would have been at least 12-1 odds and probably higher.
Anyway, now that the Chicago Cubs have again failed to win a meaningful championship (unlike the two playoff wins the team and its fans celebrated earlier this month) I decided to update the chart I made in 2009 showing the mathematical odds of the Cubs winning a World Series or National League title:
New mathematical odds of the Cubs not winning a World Series since 1908: 238.76-1
New mathematical odds of the Cubs not winning the NL pennant since 1945: 571.66-1
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.
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.
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.
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.
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