Octopus Overlords

Poor Mr. Frodo. Sorry for leaving you captured for an extra day. Doesn't sound very friendly on our part does it? Maybe we little people need to start a support group.

Wow, that worked out amazingly well. Now all we have to worry about is Gollum, the remaining evil person, and 4 ring passes. The passes make me nervous, but since I think we have identified (at least I hope) all the hobbits, it will be difficult, but not impossible. Gollum is reduced to a 25% chance.

Theo, even though you were cut down in your prime, you are this game's MVP. Nice job.

bb2112 wrote:Theo, even though you were cut down in your prime, you are this game's MVP. Nice job.

+1

Yeah with all the dumb luck that the evil folks had for identifying the hobbits, theo evened the playing field. I'm sure we would have been doomed without him.. theo is my hero!

Shouldn't theohall be able to come back as Gandalf the White now? Hmm... I have a feeling he is still watching us..

RMC wrote:Shouldn't theohall be able to come back as Gandalf the White now?

Quick Gollum!

Here is your chance to fullfill your destiny!

Guide Gandolf the White back from the West!

redrun wrote:

RMC wrote:Shouldn't theohall be able to come back as Gandalf the White now?

Quick Gollum!

Here is your chance to fullfill your destiny!

Guide Gandolf the White back from the West!

Gollum can only guide scouts.

coopasonic wrote:

redrun wrote:

RMC wrote:Shouldn't theohall be able to come back as Gandalf the White now?

Quick Gollum!

Here is your chance to fullfill your destiny!

Guide Gandolf the White back from the West!

Gollum can only guide scouts.

Rats. It would have been funny for Gollum to use his ability just before dawn on day seven to bring Gandolf back.

Chapter 5 – Fangorn Forest

After the battle, the Company rallied and counted their number. One of them was missing. "I saw the foul beings carry off another little one," Theoden said. "They were heading into the forest."

And so, the Company plunged into the forest of Fangorn. They went with as much speed as the dark and tangled forest allowed, following the line of the running stream, westward and up towards the slopes of the mountains, deeper and deeper into Fangorn. A queer stifling feeling came over them, as if the air were too thin or too scanty for breathing. They came at length to the steep abrupt end of a hill, and looked up at the rock-wall with its rough steps leading to the high shelf. Gleams of sun were striking through the hurrying clouds, and the forest now looked less grey and dreary.

”I do not know which daunts me more: Fangorn, or the thought of the long road through Rohan on foot”, said rshetts2.

”I do not like the look of this Fangorn,” said RMC, ”and we were warned against it.”

”I do not think the wood feels evil, whatever tales may say,” said tru1cy.

”No, it is not evil; or what evil is in it is far away,” said triggercut. ”There is no malice near us, but there is watchfulness, and anger.”

”Well, it has no cause to be angry with me,” said Mr Bubbles, ”I have done it no harm.”

”I feel the air is stuffy,” said coopasonic. ”This wood is lighter than Mirkwood, but it is musty and shabby.”

”It is old, very old,” said pr0ner. ”So old that almost I feel young again, as I have not felt since I journeyed with you children.”

”It is old and full of memory,” said Newcastle. ”I could have been happy here, if I had come in days of peace.”

”The wind’s changing,” said Grundbegriff. ”It’s turned east again. It feels cool up here.”

”Yes,” said redrun; ”I’m afraid this is only a passing gleam, and it will all go grey again. What a pity! This shaggy old forest looked so different in the sunlight. I almost felt I liked the place.”

”Almost felt you liked the Forest! That’s good! That’s uncommonly kind of you,” said a strange voice. ”Turn round and let me have a look at your faces. I almost feel that I dislike you both, but do not let us be too hasty. Turn around!” A large knob-knuckled hand was laid on rshetts2's and RMC’s shoulders, and they were twisted round, gently but irresistibly; then two great arms lifted them up.

”Hoom, Hoom,” murmured the voice, a deep voice like a very deep woodwind instrument. ”Very odd indeed! Do not be hasty, that is my motto. But if I had seen you, before I heard your voices – I liked them: nice little voices; they reminded me of something I cannot remember – if I had seen you before I heard you, I should have just trodden on you, taking you for little Orcs, and found out my mistake afterwards. Very odd you are, indeed. Root and twig, very odd!”



bb2112 has been captured!


The Servants of the Eye have taken the Ring!



Players:
1. Grundbegriff
2. redrun
3. theohall of the Free People, Slain by Bureaucracy
4. Qantaga - a Servant of the Eye, Slain by the Fellowship
5. bb2112 - captured
6. rhsetts2
7. Remus West - a Servant of the Eye, Slain by the Fellowship
8. RMC
9. tru1cy
10. triggercut
11. Mr Bubbles
12. coopasonic
13. pr0ner
14. Newcastle


Fellowship, how will you proceed?

You may Appoint a Scout
or
Hunt Some Orc.


Majority is 6.


Deadline is Friday, October 28th at 9 p.m. Central European Time (GMT +1)

How the F^@* are they doing that?

Question of the day free him or let him rot for a day, requiring us to send out a scout. We could send out the non-hobbits as scouts and hope to hit upon Gollum/Evil while bb is in safe-keeping. Thoughts? I think it may be worthwhile. We know who the hobbits are so no risk of eliminating them.

WTF!!!! Really...  Hunt some Orc 
 

LL what happens to a captured Hobbit who controls the ring for more than one turn? I know Frodo is fine but what of the other 3?

= amused.

tru1cy wrote:LL what happens to a captured Hobbit who controls the ring for more than one turn? I know Frodo is fine but what of the other 3?

Totally hadn't considered that. I think my idea is moot since it isn't Frodo in captivity.

 Hunt some orc 
 

coopasonic wrote:How the F^@* are they doing that?

Question of the day free him or let him rot for a day, requiring us to send out a scout. We could send out the non-hobbits as scouts and hope to hit upon Gollum/Evil while bb is in safe-keeping. Thoughts? I think it may be worthwhile. We know who the hobbits are so no risk of eliminating them.

If we don't hunt today, tomorrow morning at sunrise BB2112 joins team evil, including gaining access to their forum. End of game for good. We must hunt orc today, there is no choice in the matter. We can discuss and think about a few things first.

Chapter 5 - We hunt orc and release BB2112.
Journey 6 - BB2112 passes the ring (or Gollum grabs) (Hobbit 2 gets the ring) (Evil grabs another hobbit).
Chapter 6 - Hunt if ring is captured, otherwise, we eat our own (attempt to send Gollum scouting with or without the ring).
Journey 7 - Really, the game is decided right here. (If all goes well, Hobbit 2 passes to Hobbit 3)
Chapter 7, end of game

So, hunt orc this turn. BB2112 has to pass the ring asap after being released, since we know he has to pass the ring & Gollum probably still has a steal. Once BB2112 passes the ring, he can never get it back prior to chapter 7.

coopasonic wrote:How the F^@* are they doing that?

Question of the day free him or let him rot for a day, requiring us to send out a scout. We could send out the non-hobbits as scouts and hope to hit upon Gollum/Evil while bb is in safe-keeping. Thoughts? I think it may be worthwhile. We know who the hobbits are so no risk of eliminating them.

Since BB is not Frodo, does he not turn to a servent of evil if we do not release him today?

Only one day before the ring corrupts right?

tru1cy wrote:LL what happens to a captured Hobbit who controls the ring for more than one turn? I know Frodo is fine but what of the other 3?

redrun wrote:If we don't hunt today, tomorrow morning at sunrise BB2112 joins team evil

RMC wrote:Since BB is not Frodo, does he not turn to a servent of evil if we do not release him today?

I got it, I got it.

ah frick....seriously? how the hell they do that? damn...damn...damn...

we HAVE to free BB today. HAVE to...he cant be imprisoned for much longer....

HEY, GANDALF, CATCH

Frodo and Hobbit Ringbearers may Pass the Ring to another player at any time by sending a PM to the Moderator specifying which player the Ring is to be given. The recipient of the Ring will be told the player name of the player who sent the Ring to him. Be careful about to whom you Pass the Ring! Only Hobbits can carry it without succumbing to darkness.
* Any Free People who are passed the Ring will be Corrupted immediately and ally with the Servants of the Eye.
* Any Hobbit other than Frodo or Gollum who is passed the Ring for a second time, or holds on to the Ring for more than one Journey/Chapter cycle, will be Corrupted immediately and ally with the Servants of the Eye.
* Corrupted players immediately gain access to the Servant secret forum. They lose whatever powers they used to have. Their victory condition change to that of the Servants of the Eye.
* The Ring may never be passed to a Captured, Imprisoned or dead player.
* If a Ringbearer is killed, he must immediately pass the Ring.

Hey LAGOM - when does the capture "kick in". here....when would a hobbit who was carrying the ring be corrupted if he was caught....ie like BB above....does his capture start at the end of the night cycle? the beginging of the day cycle...... when would he be corrupted if he were caught with the ring? begining of next chapter? begining of following journey?


I am curious on the above...i would think start of the following day...but i want clarification in case we have wiggle room.


(also apologize been awol the last few days; been busy)

A few thoughts....nice miss aragon on theo...seriosulY? couldnt even protect him?

i think we have to free up BB.

Grund is now a proven hobbit in my eyes...considering no one else has claimed hobbit hood (if you are a hobbit and holding your tongue, your losing hte game for the fellowship). that's a big break for us....since a proven grund should help us out immensely, and we know where his heart is....be interesting to see his tactical advice on how to proceed.

we have to free up BB...but i think it would be nice if we gave everyone a chance to speak up? Or should we rush a vote? Am also a bit leery of timing our tosses; since i dont want Gollum stealing the ring from us.

Err..Should have read the entire thread prior to posting..

But we need Aragorn to step-up and protect someone as well if I read his power correctly:

Aragorn
Aragorn may protect one player each Journey. Aragorn may not protect the same player two Journeys in a row. Protected players are immune to Hunts by Servants of the Eye. Aragorn will know which actions he managed to disrupt, if any (Kill, Capture). Aragorn will not disrupt an action that would otherwise fail. Aragorn may not protect Captured or Imprisoned players.

He needs to protect the hobbit that is getting passed the ring or being captured by team evil. This will allow the hobbits to have a little breather. And an extra set of hands to throw the ring to.

And:  Hunt them orcs 
 

I *really* hope Gollum has already taken his shot and missed. I just realized what this endgame is going to look like especially with evil finding the ring *again*.

Ok seriously.. You evil people suck big time... now you force us to  hunt some orc 
 

Newcastle wrote:Grund is now a proven hobbit in my eyes...considering no one else has claimed hobbit hood (if you are a hobbit and holding your tongue, your losing hte game for the fellowship). that's a big break for us....since a proven grund should help us out immensely, and we know where his heart is....be interesting to see his tactical advice on how to proceed.

Clearly we should  Hunt Some Orc 
 


We're now in the Hot Potato phase, and the question is whether each passer can outwit both Gollum and the final original Servant. The latter made a lucky guess last night, but that won't necessarily always be the case. Aragorn has as good a chance of interrupting a capture and the Servant has of finding the ring.

It'll be dicey, but I like our chances now.

Let's see.... It appears that the Hobbit team consists of

Mr Bubbles == Frodo
bb2112 == Sam
tru1cy == Merry
Grundbegriff == Pippin

Of these, Bubbles is always a candidate for receiving the Ring, and (now that he has held it once), bb2112 is only a candidate on the final morning.

Since tomorrow is not the final morning, and since bb isn't Frodo, bb must pass the Ring. Therefore, the possible recipients of the Ring are {Mr Bubbles, tru1cy, Grundbegriff}

Obviously, the Servant will attempt to seize one of us (what else can he do?) and Gollum may attempt to second-guess bb's intentions and steal. So bb will have to thread the needle.

redrun wrote: Chapter 5 - We hunt orc and release BB2112.
Journey 6 - BB2112 passes the ring (or Gollum grabs) (Hobbit 2 gets the ring) (Evil grabs another hobbit).
Chapter 6 - Hunt if ring is captured, otherwise, we eat our own (attempt to send Gollum scouting with or without the ring).
Journey 7 - Really, the game is decided right here. (If all goes well, Hobbit 2 passes to Hobbit 3)
Chapter 7, end of game

Gandalf is dead, but we still have a bunch of Free People. So it's now impossible to lose our ability to Hunt Orc. This is a huge advantage. In fact, Lagom might want to scale back the set of people who ensure that capability if he hosts this game again.

Note that redrun singles out an "if all goes well" in which Hobbit 2 passes to Hobbit 3. That's incorrect. Hobbit 2 (who may or may not be Frodo) will have his choice of either Frodo (if he's not Frodo) xor Hobbit 3 xor Gollum on the final day. Any such pass is a winner.

From an outsider's perspective, this game has been fascinating and I love its depth

LordMortis wrote: From an outsider's perspective, this game has been fascinating and I love its depth

It is indeed entertaining. It's actually not that deep. For example, look at poor Gollum. He only has one shot at stealing, and if he blows it early, the rest of the game consists of hopeless filler. Likewise, the final Evil's ability to capture is offset by the corresponding ability to Hunt Orc, so capture is basically a No-op, unless he's lucky on the final night. And the non-Special Free folk basically just push the button each turn, for at every turn there has been exactly one correct play for Team Good.

In truth, the game could use a bit more complexity, so that there's not necessarily a single correct answer to each puzzle.

Even so, it's a decent bit o' fun.

The fact we've been able to "hunt some orc"/not lynch 3 times and had easy targets when we had to send scouts makes this look simpler than it really is IMO, the seers/hunters have had some incredible luck this game. Maybe it is still kind of simple from any individual perspective, it still comes together very interestingly.

Yeah, the good discernment by theohall on one side and by Team Evil on the other (2 evils snared, a string of hobbit snagged) probably drives the lack of meaningful alternatives. With worse luck on both teams, there would be more mystery.

Grundbegriff wrote:

Newcastle wrote:Grund is now a proven hobbit in my eyes...considering no one else has claimed hobbit hood (if you are a hobbit and holding your tongue, your losing hte game for the fellowship). that's a big break for us....since a proven grund should help us out immensely, and we know where his heart is....be interesting to see his tactical advice on how to proceed.

Clearly we should  Hunt Some Orc 
 


We're now in the Hot Potato phase, and the question is whether each passer can outwit both Gollum and the final original Servant. The latter made a lucky guess last night, but that won't necessarily always be the case. Aragorn has as good a chance of interrupting a capture and the Servant has of finding the ring.

It'll be dicey, but I like our chances now.

I am liking them a lot as well; we've got 4 proven hobbits...and its a matter of a safe pass for the next few days...until we can launch the nice 5 yard pass into a hobbits hand on day 7....we're pretty much home free.....well unless gollum manages to snake the ring...or they get lucky and imprison the ring again tomorrow...they cant be that lucky can they?


 hunt some orc 
 

That should be enough votes.

tru1cy wrote:LL what happens to a captured Hobbit who controls the ring for more than one turn? I know Frodo is fine but what of the other 3?

A Hobbit who carries the Ring beyond a single Journey/Chapter cycle is Corrupted and joins the Servants of the Eye.

Newcastle wrote:Hey LAGOM - when does the capture "kick in". here....when would a hobbit who was carrying the ring be corrupted if he was caught....ie like BB above....does his capture start at the end of the night cycle? the beginging of the day cycle...... when would he be corrupted if he were caught with the ring? begining of next chapter? begining of following journey?

A Hobbit is corrupted depending on when he received the Ring:

* A Hobbit who receives the Ring during Journey 5 must pass the Ring before the end of Journey 6 or become Corrupted.
* A Hobbit who receives the Ring during Chapter 5 must pass the Ring before the end of Chapter 6 or become Corrupted.

While being Captured has no bearing on when a Hobbit becomes corrupted from holding the precioussss, a Hobbit cannot get rid of the Ring in captivity.

Hunt Some Orc (6) - tru1cy, coopasonic, RMC, Mr Bubbles, Grundbegriff, Newcastle


Voting is closed.

Journey 6 – Isengard

Before long they saw the marching line approaching: the Ents were swinging along with great strides down the slope towards them. As they drew near the flash and flicker of their eyes could be seen.

”Hoom, hom! Here we come with a boom, here we come at last!” called Treebeard when he caught sight of the Company. ”Come, join the Moot! We are off. We are off to Isengard!”

”To Isengard!” the Ents cried in many voices. ”To Isengard!”

There stood a tower of marvellous shape. It was fashioned by the builders of old, who smoothed the Ring of Isengard, and yet it seemed a thing not made by the craft of Men, but riven from the bones of the earth in the ancient torment of the hills. A peak and isle of rock it was, black and gleaming hard: four mighty piers of many-sided stone were welded into one, but near the summit they opened into gaping horns, their pinnacles sharp as the points of spears, keed-edged as knives. Between them was a narrow space, and there upon a floor of polished stone, written with strange signs, a man might stand five hundred feet above the plain. This was Orthanc, the citadel of Saruman.

A strong place and wonderful was Isengard, and long it had been beautiful; and there great lords had dwelt. But Saruman had slowly shaped it to his shifting purposes, and made it better, as he thought, being deceived – for all those arts and subtle devices, for which he forsook his former wisdom, and which fondly he imagined were his own, came but from Mordor; so that what he made was naught, only a little copy, a child’s model or a slave’s flattery, of that vast fortress, armoury, prison, furnace of great power, Barad-dur, the Dark Tower, which suffered no rival, nor run-on sentences, and laughed at flattery, biding its time, secure in its pride and its immesurable strength.

The Ents marched down a long ravine into the upper end of the Wizard’s Vale. They pushed, pulled, tore, shook, and hammered; and in five minutes they had the huge gates lying in ruin. When they had reduced a large part of the southern walls to rubbish, what was left of Saruman's people had bolted and deserted.

Round and round the rock of Orthanc the Ents were striding and storming like a howling gale, breaking pillars, hurling avalanches of boulders down the shafts, tossing up huge slabs of stone into the air like leaves. The Ents broke the dams and poured all the gathered waters through a gap in the northern wall, down into Isengard. Isengard began to fill up with black creeping streams and pools. They glittered in the last light of the Moon, as they spread over the plain. Every now and then the waters found their way down into some shaft or spouthole. Great white steams hissed up. Smoke rose in billows. There were explosions and gusts of fire.

Saruman himself was nowhere to be found, and The Company thought him dead. Up in the tower; there he peeked out:


With Saruman defeated, the Company freed bb2112, who had been brought to the prisons below where Mr Bubbles was once held. They turned their backs on the tower of Orthanc, and left the Vale.


bb2112 has been freed!


Players:
1. Grundbegriff
2. redrun
3. theohall of the Free People, Slain by Bureaucracy
4. Qantaga - a Servant of the Eye, Slain by the Fellowship
5. bb2112
6. rhsetts2
7. Remus West - a Servant of the Eye, Slain by the Fellowship
8. RMC
9. tru1cy
10. triggercut
11. Mr Bubbles
12. coopasonic
13. pr0ner
14. Newcastle


Gollum, will you guide a player?
Gollum, will you steal from a player?
Boromir, will you scan a player?
Gandalf, will you scan a player?
Witch-King, will you scan a player?
Aragorn, will you protect a player?
Servants of the Eye, will you hunt a player?

Grundbegriff wrote:

redrun wrote: Chapter 5 - We hunt orc and release BB2112.
Journey 6 - BB2112 passes the ring (or Gollum grabs) (Hobbit 2 gets the ring) (Evil grabs another hobbit).
Chapter 6 - Hunt if ring is captured, otherwise, we eat our own (attempt to send Gollum scouting with or without the ring).
Journey 7 - Really, the game is decided right here. (If all goes well, Hobbit 2 passes to Hobbit 3)
Chapter 7, end of game

Gandalf is dead, but we still have a bunch of Free People. So it's now impossible to lose our ability to Hunt Orc. This is a huge advantage. In fact, Lagom might want to scale back the set of people who ensure that capability if he hosts this game again.

Note that redrun singles out an "if all goes well" in which Hobbit 2 passes to Hobbit 3. That's incorrect. Hobbit 2 (who may or may not be Frodo) will have his choice of either Frodo (if he's not Frodo) xor Hobbit 3 xor Gollum on the final day. Any such pass is a winner.

Read more carefully. On Chapter 7 (the final day) the pass can go to any hobbit/Gollum. We would really prefer that on Journey 7 (the final night) that the pass did not go to Gollum. Hobbit 2 or Hobbit 3 may or may not be Frodo.

redrun wrote:

Grundbegriff wrote:Note that redrun singles out an "if all goes well" in which Hobbit 2 passes to Hobbit 3. That's incorrect. Hobbit 2 (who may or may not be Frodo) will have his choice of either Frodo (if he's not Frodo) xor Hobbit 3 xor Gollum on the final day. Any such pass is a winner.

Read more carefully.

My fault. The "Chapter"|"Journey" thing always throws me.

You do realize that Aragorn cannot protect the same individual two nights in a row? Seriously, you all understand that dont you? You all need to cut poor Aragorn some slack. I have a feeling when all comes out you will find that he has done his job and done it well.

rshetts2 wrote:You do realize that Aragorn cannot protect the same individual two nights in a row? Seriously, you all understand that dont you? You all need to cut poor Aragorn some slack. I have a feeling when all comes out you will find that he has done his job and done it well.

If you're not Evil, I suspect Evil will now try to kill you for hinting that you're Aragorn.

Grundbegriff wrote:

rshetts2 wrote:You do realize that Aragorn cannot protect the same individual two nights in a row? Seriously, you all understand that dont you? You all need to cut poor Aragorn some slack. I have a feeling when all comes out you will find that he has done his job and done it well.

If you're not Evil, I suspect Evil will now try to kill you for hinting that you're Aragorn.

Him hinting that might be very wrong...Just say'in.

RMC wrote:

Grundbegriff wrote:

rshetts2 wrote:You do realize that Aragorn cannot protect the same individual two nights in a row? Seriously, you all understand that dont you? You all need to cut poor Aragorn some slack. I have a feeling when all comes out you will find that he has done his job and done it well.

If you're not Evil, I suspect Evil will now try to kill you for hinting that you're Aragorn.

Him hinting that might be very wrong...Just say'in.

Of course! And in that case, drawing fire toward him protects Aragorn!

Thanks for saving me. Again. I think I'm going to be very emotionally scarred before this journey is over.

As far as Aragorn, we are so close to the end game, that I am not sure if the information is really worth all that much to the evils either way.