(O)PTIMIZE Reloaded: StrangerCoug's game!

[Xalxe]

*throws things*

Ah well. I'll take this money and invest it wisely. Or spend it on seasons of TV shows on DVD.

[swyellowtail]

We'll be back after these message.

Yellow was rite all alone.

...err, I was right all along, you mean. But yes, my very subtle hint actually was right.

[swyellowtail]

Can Xalxe pull off a sweet opportunity like before? Or will the curse make a frightening comeback?

We'll be back after these message.

It looks bad from my perspective, I didn't give a 4-0 here.

And, surprisingly, I dunno if Cheery got the hint or not,

but Xalxe got the same exact spheres from the same two people: Cheery Dog

Nope, it was DiplomatDC. Nobody Special had the same sphere, though.

[yabbaguy]

*spotlights dim*

*everyone fidgets nervously*

*and impatiently*

*finally one shines on me*

---

$500,000 is on the line.



But this isn't just luck.

This... is Optimize!

*Intro Theme, camera spins around with a quick glance at 20 virtual sets of spheres. It zooms in one set which spontaneously opens to show the innards of the spheres. A golden sphere flies in, spins around while it's opening, and shows a red $0 sign inside. It shuts, spins and opens again, and this time shows an ultraviolet $500,000 (where 0,01 euro and 1 000 000 euros are shown). The sphere closes and opens again, now showing all sorts of game components flying around on screen, with amounts of money on different colored backgrounds flying into the monitor and all the spheres are flying about. An ultraviolet sphere then flies in where it should be in the logo as its button turns red and the other letters fly in as the theme concludes.*

*main theme, out I come from under the rising monitor, through the walkway, and onto the stage*

Welcome all! Welcome, welcome, welcome!

*audience applauds, players are seen clapping as I come on out, theme dies down after I make my long walk out to the center of the Arena*

Welcome all. Yes, this is Optimize, the game of strategy...and although we always say at the top of every show it's not just luck, sometimes every now and then it can really trip you up anyway. Poor Xalxe, not only was he stuck on our virtual Arena for the whole of summer, not only were the spheres a headache during the game in general, but the Finale was what really broke his back. Despite all the turbulence, he managed to find his way into a 20% shot at $60,000 which gave us great hope. Not to be...but thanks to his keen sense to avoid ultraviolet, which predictably collapsed again this game, he avoided the consolation territory entirely and ended up with $2,000.

Not bad, Xalxe. Meanwhile, here comes the most fidgety contender you'll ever see. Don't let the name fool you, but here he is...

Nobody Special

!

*everyone cheers, the lift platform ascends and brings Nobody Special up with it, who looks around nervously and takes in the scenery. Spotlights swirl around, as do chase lights as the lift platform completes its ascent all the way to the top, bringing all the lighting back to normal*

Are you Nobody, too? Why, there's a pair of us!

*the few in the audience who get the reference cheer*

How are you feeling going into this game?

[Nobody Special]

I feel somewhat lucky, actually! Let's see if that feeling stays with me.

[yabbaguy]

We hope so too, but you only have to be lucky in the right spot to get away with some cash. Let's hope that's the case.

*100 colorful spheres rise out to greet the 20 players in the gallery*

There they are. Four colorful sectors for you to make money.

You picked a

zero

for your target which probably explains your optimism a bit.



To make money, pick a player, who will then pick a sphere of their sector's color with the numbers 0-4 randomly arranged inside.

*virtual set of color spheres seen closing*

If his or her color sphere's number is higher than your target, you step up on that same-colored cash ladder. Win 5 times on red, and red's worth $50,000. Win 5 times on ultraviolet...and you could be our first $500,000 winner.

*audience cheers*

I say "could be", because you only get to keep one color's cash. And that's determined by picking one of those 20 golden spheres over there at the Finale of your game...

(8)

(6)

(4)

(2)

...containing colors inside, in that distribution you see there. Beware...many golden spheres will drop as the game goes on, which will shift the odds. Keep an eye on them!

All right Nobody Special, the game is yours. You've been impatiently waiting for this moment and here it is at last... good luck!

*audience cheers, Mega Monitor loads in the information*

Lord Mhork
DiplomatDC
puzzledan
D3f3nd3r
IceGuy

Kcdaspot
JerryArr
Drench
Mist7676
animorpherv1

JDGA
orcinus_theoriginal
xtopherusD
bird1111
JasonWazza

NoWhammies11
Cheery Dog
KingdomAces
Tragedy
StrangerCoug

All righty, with this target of 0, you've got an 80% chance of winning on this pick of the spheres, so your opening strategy should be making itself apparent. Pick a player from the sector you want to attack and let's get started.

[Nobody Special]

*closes eyes*

*hyperventilates*

*fidgets*

KingdomAces

, please.

*attempts to stop fidgeting*

[KingdomAces]

But but but... I'm third on the list of UV's!

Well, because of that I'll take the

third

sphere. If that's the four, then I'm number

one

I guess?

[yabbaguy]

KingdomAces

Well you're first in his heart it seems, KingdomAces, so congratulations.

Avoid that 0 or else Nobody Special could be in trouble...

*medics hover near the edge of the stage equally anxiously*

... in many different ways. Hmm.

*KA pushes in the button, unlocking the sphere*

KingdomAces

*KingdomAces lifts the lid back on its hinge*

KingdomAces

*everyone cheers, set flashes violet for a second, then back to normal*

Man, starting the game off with a 4 is becoming a huge trend! The only player who's never managed to do that in the leadoff spot? Drench. Thrice.

Of course I literally mean Drench's

spheres

anyway, to be fair.

We open two spheres in every round, usually it's a golden sphere second, but since you picked a 4, we're actually going to open

another

color sphere from KingdomAces' rack. This sphere can't gain or lose you any money; the number inside simply becomes your next target.

Let's see...

KingdomAces

*flip*

KingdomAces

*audience ooooohs at how close that was, then applauds*

In fact, I think every single time a 4 has started a game, the replacement target was a 1! Whaddaya know.

KingdomAces

Lord Mhork
DiplomatDC
puzzledan
D3f3nd3r
IceGuy

Kcdaspot
JerryArr
Drench
Mist7676
animorpherv1

JDGA
orcinus_theoriginal
xtopherusD
bird1111
JasonWazza

NoWhammies11
Cheery Dog
Tragedy
StrangerCoug

Glad we're starting off easy. And with this 1, now we're going to get yet another insight into your strategy. Where to?

[Nobody Special]

*eyes glaze over*

*medics snap to attention*

*waves hands at medics, keeping them at bay*

*gulps*

bird1111

, please.

[bird1111]

Fourth, First

[Prof Fridays]

**Hollers from the audience**

"I think you

are

special! Don't let anyone tell you any different!"

[Nobody Special]

*fidgets nervously yet appreciatively*

[Xalxe]

*fidgets nervously yet appreciatively*

How does that even work?

(is there a VIP box for past contestants?)

[Nobody Special]

*fidgets explaintively while pointing toward the VIP box*

[yabbaguy]

*the VIP box turns out to be the stuffy room behind the audience where the techies sit, Xalxe is seen quite squished into the setup, audience laughs*

bird1111

bird1111's spheres have never been in the sector that paid off at the Finale. Perhaps today could be the day.

bird1111

*bird lifts up the lid*

bird1111

*audience applauds, set flashes blue*

Blue starts off as well! Your favorite sectors are starting off exactly as you want them too, Nobody Special, that's great.

bird1111

NOW this time for the second sphere of the round, we'll be opening up a golden sphere...

*spotlights illuminate golden spheres, I walk over*

(8)

(6)

(4)

(2)

As mentioned before, you'll get to pick one of these golden spheres at the end of the game, which will pay you whatever cash is on that same-colored money ladder. But now we're going to

remove

one of these golden spheres from the game, just to mess with the odds for the fun of it.

The first one is secure because we didn't open it on turn 1. Now on turn 2, we'll remove golden sphere #2.

*unlocks it*

*lid rises*

*audience ooooooohs a little worriedly*

Blue built up and knocked down on the same turn! So did this turn

really

win you $600? We're not so sure now.

Lord Mhork
DiplomatDC
puzzledan
D3f3nd3r
IceGuy

Kcdaspot
JerryArr
Drench
Mist7676
animorpherv1

JDGA
orcinus_theoriginal
xtopherusD
JasonWazza

NoWhammies11
Cheery Dog
Tragedy
StrangerCoug

Now the dreaded target of 3. Hopefully you can find a 4 or 0 now since a big, bad target is never going to change the outcome of those spheres.

[Xalxe]

As a techie myself I'm totally okay with this

[Nobody Special]

puzzledan

, please.

*wonders if the choices should be in color*


*fidgets*

[Feirei]

i never posted in color.

[Xalxe]

I always posted in color.

[yabbaguy]

And I never had an opinion.

puzzledan

That's a very interesting pick to statistics extrapolaters (slash bullshitters) like me; puzzledan was the only ultraviolet player in Xalxe's game who

didn't

pick a 4 or 0.

But we're hoping for one of those results now as we break the ice on red.

[swyellowtail]

I always posted in color.

Same. It's the little things that get us.

[puzzledan]

1 and 4

[yabbaguy]

puzzledan

*puzzledan whisks up the lid*

puzzledan

*everyone groans, set flashes gray, NS looks a little woozy*

Don't like to see 3s going down the drain. Don't worry, he'll be okay! (right?)

puzzledan

*spotlights light up golden spheres, I come across*

(8)

(6)

(3)

(2)

Blue went down first time. Not so good since we're clearly swinging for the big cash here. Let's see if we can go lower this time.

*flips the lid*

*everyone gasps*

Another

blue gone! Well, well, well, that's very intriguing.

Lord Mhork
DiplomatDC
D3f3nd3r
IceGuy

Kcdaspot
JerryArr
Drench
Mist7676
animorpherv1

JDGA
orcinus_theoriginal
xtopherusD
JasonWazza

NoWhammies11
Cheery Dog
Tragedy
StrangerCoug

The target of 3 is out in force, carryover from last game. Let's hope it doesn't stick around.

[Nobody Special]

Lord Mhork

, please.