The "Name the Station" game

[clagmonster]

The station has no electrified lines.

 

[Temple Meads]

Newport?

 

[clagmonster]

Clue 4: This station is known for its array of semaphore signals.

 

[Temple Meads]

Worcester Shrub Hill?

 

[clagmonster]

Clue 5: One of the three operators serving this station provides only 'parliamentary' services.

 

[gnolife]

Llandudno Junction?

 

[clagmonster]

No, the answer is Barnetby. Served by TPE, EMT and Northern, the latter only serve the station the the thrice weekly Sheffield-Cleethorpes via Brigg service.

Clue 1: This station is served by 2 franchised TOCs.

 

[Ivo]

Come on guys; Clue #4 should have given the game away there! clagmonster wins again.

As a wild guess, is the new one Southport? (In the hugely unlikely event it is, the floor is open - too busy at present.)

That's the problem with this game. Limiting to one reply per clue means that 90% of the time it is impossible to enter play. And maybe we need some limit to stop the same person making all the guesses for one place.

Criticisms noticed. I shall retrun later tonight with appropriate revisions...

 

[clagmonster]

Clue 2: All platform lines at this station are elctrified by the same means.

 

[gnolife]

Stevenage?

 

[clagmonster]

Clue 3: This station is a terminus.

 

[gg1]

Norwich?

 

[Temple Meads]

Weymouth

EDIT: Scrap this, I forgot any more guesses are against the rules

 

[Ivo]

The one-guess-per-round rule seems to work when there are several concurrent players and the game is flowing rapidly. Otherwise though, it doesn't...

I shall suggest this: Starting in the next game, unlimited guesses are permitted. However, no player may give more than one in response to any given clue. Players will still be permitted to make one guess in each round of any given game. Be sure to stay on your toes and try to avoid making a suggestion that becomes impossible while you are preparing the post, as with the Dover Priory example in Post #1, because you won't get another turn and editing posts is forbidden!

To compensate, the scores will be reset. Sorry to those of you that have previously scored! This current game shall serve as the decider for who has the honour of going first (if I feel that the clues are inadequate, which is currently not the case, I shall as adjudicator)...

 

[martinsh]

Eastbourne ?

 

[Ivo]

We are still only allowing one guess per round until after this one is over

Following on from advice received in a PM, I shall be making another revision. Again starting in the next game, one point shall be deducted from any player who gives an impossible response (e.g. Shrewsbury for a four platform station). This rule should also keep people on their toes!

With this in mind, it is perfectly possible to win a round - but lose points in doing so.

In extreme/borderline cases however, I may withhold points deductions. For instance, if someone said Southampton Central for a five-platform station, I would consider withholding the deduction because there is a fifth platform in situ - it just isn't used.

 

[gnolife]

Clue 5. This station is also served by a normally orange rail link bus, on which through bus-inclusive fares are not available.

For something like this, which is fairly obscure, and could refer to anywhere with a rail-link bus to someone who isn't in the know (for example, someone could guess at Warrington Bank Quay, which has a rail link bus to the Interchange, with no inclusive fare (although its only 50p or so), but someone from not within the area might not know what colour it is) will the point still get docked?

 

[Ivo]

For something like this, which is fairly obscure, and could refer to anywhere with a rail-link bus to someone who isn't in the know (for example, someone could guess at Warrington Bank Quay, which has a rail link bus to the Interchange, with no inclusive fare (although its only 50p or so), but someone from not within the area might not know what colour it is) will the point still get docked?

The clue itself is a good one because it clearly isolates only one example, but not one that people are likely to know of. If someone answered with "Moorgate" they would deserve to lose the point because it is a dumb answer (I realise such a posting may have been accidental but it is tough). In the case you have suggested, it would probably be considered sufficiently "borderline" to be safe from a deduction - but you still wouldn't be able to offer another answer.

 

[martinsh]

Well that's the rules sorted out - now the only problem is to get the OP to say whether the guesses are correct or not !:roll:

 

[Ivo]

Well that's the rules sorted out - now the only problem is to get the OP to say whether the guesses are correct or not !:roll:

You mean clagmonster, not "the OP"

 

[gnolife]

Can I make a suggestion.
I think it would be a good idea to have point docking for extended absence after a guess has been made, to prevent what we have at the moment.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

 

[Ivo]

Can I make a suggestion.
I think it would be a good idea to have point docking for extended absence after a guess has been made, to prevent what we have at the moment.

Duly noted. It wouldn't be fair to enforce it now, but I will keep this in mind for future consideration.

 

[martinsh]

Can I make a suggestion.
I think it would be a good idea to have point docking for extended absence after a guess has been made, to prevent what we have at the moment.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I was going to suggest that too. If you are the person who is giving the clues, you should say when you're going offline, and when you'll be back.

[ I normally do anyway ]

 

[Temple Meads]

Can I make a suggestion.
I think it would be a good idea to have point docking for extended absence after a guess has been made, to prevent what we have at the moment.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Rather than point docking I'd suggest the player losing their go, so that the floor is open, after say 12 hours without an appearance by the setter.

 

[clagmonster]

Fair dos. Appologies for my disapearance, I expected this to go on Friday night but it didn't.

This station has a prime number of BR platforms.

 

[andrew bell]

Kings Cross

 

[clagmonster]

Kings Cross

Is the correct answer.

 

[andrew bell]

I think before I set the next set of clues we should wait for Ivo to rewrite the rules (or the updated version) so we all know how the scoring will work, if that is ok with everyone?

 

[clagmonster]

Yes, perhaps so.

 

[Ivo]

RULES FINALISED Please see Post #908 for details

The idea is that the person whose turn it is has to think of a station that can be identified from a set of ambigious clues. The clues must get progressively easier as each turn progresses, until five clues have been given.

For London Waterloo for instance:

(1) I am in the former Network South East area (not very helpful at all)
(2) I am served exclusively by South West Trains (better but still pretty hopeless)
(3) Class 455s can be seen in service here (reasonable)
(4) I am also served by plentiful longer-distance stock (one of a few now)
(5) I am managed by Network Rail (can only be Waterloo)

After each new clue is given, players may each offer one answer but may not alter said answer upon submission and must then wait for a further clue before trying again. Anyone caught editing an answer will be excluded from the current game and docked ten points! (Of course, editing posts but leaving the answer untouched is allowed.) Players must try to predict what the next clue will be in case said clue appears before a submission they are making comes through; i.e. in the case of Clue 2 above, saying "London Victoria" for Clue 1 only to see Clue 2 appear whilst waiting for the post to go through is too bad - and further, such impossible submissions will be penalised by the loss of one point. (In marginal or extreme cases I may decide to withhold any penalty.) In addition, anyone that gives an answer that has already been - even by accident, as with the above - will lose three points. Further, anyone setting a clue that does not match the station - e.g. "Three platforms" for London Fenchurch Street - will lose three points and will be required to forfeit the floor upon his next correct answer. Please note that stations not on the National Rail network are not permitted for this game.

If any one player should correctly offer the station required, he has the floor. He may declare "Open Floor", in which case anyone may claim the floor (please keep a lookout for anyone posting before you); otherwise, the process starts again. Where no-one calls the station correctly, I shall determine whether the clues set were reasonable: If the clues progressed and were not too obscure, the turn player shall receive a bonus six points. If however they are judged to be unfair, no points are awarded; in the event that the same person falls foul of this in consecutive rounds he shall be docked six points. Otherwise, 15 points are available for a correct guess after the first clue, then 10, then 6, then 3 and finally 1.

If you win the floor but will not be available to assume it, in the interests of game flow please declare an open floor! Anyone who claims the floor, even if they won the previous round, and then abandons his floor will forfeit the round and the floor shall be open. This is judged according to the time taken to respond by the clue setter and the first response; except between the hours of 2300 and 0700, in which case the time is set to 1000, first responses to guesses must be provided within three hours. In all other cases, this is extended to 12 hours; however, repeated instances of extended waits from the same player in the same round (for example two periods of eight hours) may also be adjudged unreasonable, again resulting in a forfeit. This rule will however be kept under active review.

Lastly, please remember that the turn player has full control of the current round. If he returns with new clues so quickly that you cannot respond in time and thus face a penalty, no discussion will be entered into as to whether this is fair. However, players are asked to allow a minimum of three minutes between clues.

A re-cap of scoring:

+15   A correct guess after one clue
+10   A correct guess after two clues
+6    A correct guess after three clues
+3    A correct guess after four clues
+1    A correct guess after five clues
+6    Successfully setting five clues that other players fail to answer
-6    Setting two consecutive sets of unreasonable clues
-3    Setting a clue that does not match the answer required
-1    Giving an impossible response (subject to adjudication)
-3    Offering an answer that has already been given
-3    Attempting more than one guess after any clue
-10   Editing an answer

All previous scores will be reset. The floor is with andrew bell.

Begin!