Questions? Ask the Volcanologist

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Alysa wrote: "For the tasks with "something hot on the cover (open to interpretation)":

If there is a word in the title that is "fire" or "burning", etc., does that count as something hot? Or does it have to be..."

Words on the cover, for me, would be a task that is asking about something in a title.
The problem is that if we say "an item that is hot on the cover" then that may/may not include people etc. so we just go with "something". :)

[Moderators of NBRC, Challenger-in-Chief]

We are almost ready to go! (or is that blow?)

OFFICIAL START TIME:
9pm, Sydney Australia (AEST), 12th August 2019.
To check this in your time zone, click here

To see the countdown, CLICK HERE

[Jessi]

For safe zone group 2 first task

Read a book with red writing on the cover where the title contains the letters L-A-V-A (doesn't need to be in that order)

Would Chevalier work? Because on GR the series name is in parenthesis? I'm not even sure how to phrase this question lol

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

No, as the series name can’t be used for tasks asking for letters or words in the title

[Mary X]

For zone 2, task iv, can LAVA in the author's name come from 2 authors? Like say a husband and wife team who are both listed as authors? And if so, does the last name have to be on the cover twice or is having both others listed with full names on goodreads work?

[Devann]

kind of piggy-backing on mary's question, does the lava in the name have to literally be 'lava' or is it just the letters l, a, v, a?

[Moderators of NBRC, Challenger-in-Chief]

Devann wrote: "kind of piggy-backing on mary's question, does the lava in the name have to literally be 'lava' or is it just the letters l, a, v, a?"

The task has the answer within it ;). Unless you mean a different task?

Read a book with something hot on the cover (open to interpretation) and that contains the letters L-A-V-A in the author's name (doesn't need to be in that order)

[Moderators of NBRC, Challenger-in-Chief]

Mary, Mary, Just a bit contrary wrote: "For zone 2, task iv, can LAVA in the author's name come from 2 authors? Like say a husband and wife team who are both listed as authors? And if so, does the last name have to be on the cover twice ..."

If both authors are listed on goodreads and on the cover then you can use them (e.g. The President Is Missing).

Personally, if only one surname is on the cover and I wanted to use letters from both surnames then I wouldn't use it. (Karen) We are going to start a thread where you can ask other players, so if that is the case, then that may be something you want to take there to get some other opinions.

[Devann]

haha no you are right, i just overlooked it or forgot about it i think

[Moderators of NBRC, Challenger-in-Chief]

Want to check if a book works for a task? You can ask your fellow players over at THIS THREAD.

It is NOT a requirement to have every book checked. That thread is more if you are really on the fence and wanting some other opinions

[Mary X]

OK no problem. I found another one anyway.

[[deleted user]]

Can I use nonfiction and short story collections to complete tasks?

[Melanie]

Does everything we read have to go towards the challenge as long as it's eligible? Like if for instance, say my team finishes the 40 books for our level on day 10 out of 14. If we read during those last 4 days, are we required to add them and be bumped up a level? Or do we not have to because we completed everything needed for our team level?

Sorry I'm just not sure how it works as I haven't done a challenge before where the team reads within a specific level of books.

[Eldarwen]

Slytherpuff wrote: "Can I use nonfiction and short story collections to complete tasks?"

The answer to that you will find in the "Read First" topic ;-)

[Eldarwen]

Melanie wrote: "Does everything we read have to go towards the challenge as long as it's eligible? Like if for instance, say my team finishes the 40 books for our level on day 10 out of 14. If we read during those..."

That is a matter of strategy, really. You can either not count everything and only read specific books for the challenge, or you can (as a team) decide to read for a different, i.e. higher, level than the one you've initially signed up for. It depends on how competitive you'd like to get. (Eta: But no, you don't have to add extra books if you don't want to move up.)


To get an idea, mods put an example into the "Read First" topic, so just read through the section below the volcano imagine carefully to see how it'd work. After that, it's basically up to you! :-)

[Tina ❣]

Just wondering if/when/how we get access to edit our spreadsheets?

[Laura]

If you don't have access send your email to the mod account with a link to your spreadsheet

[Alysa]

Two questions, one general and one about a task that I don’t think is specific enough to ask in the other thread...

1) Say for example a team finishes the initial 10 tasks on 14 Aug. Then, they immediately start reading for Safe Zone X. Someone’s first Safe Zone X book is super short and they also finish it on the same day (14 Aug).
Down the line, the team finishes Safe Zone X on 19 Aug. One member had skipped Safe Zone X and started reading a longer book for Safe Zone Y instead. They end up finishing it later that same day (19 Aug), after all the Safe Zone X books are posted.

So, given the stated rules about consecutive Vs concurrent reading, all of the activity described above would be completely legit. However, it might appear — based on the “Read Dates” that would be on the spreadsheet — as if there are unsanctioned overlaps.
Is there some way you want us to avoid this appearance (e.g., Timestamps, etc.)? Or are we just assuming an honors system?

2) For task 3 “that is part of what was originally a planned trilogy, but became a longer series (can include .5 books added later)”:
Let’s say there is a trilogy, even officially called “The [Something] Trilogy”. But between books 2 and 3, the author published an extra, related novella. This work is listed on Goodreads as book #2.5.

Would this count as a longer series because of book #2.5 “added later”? Or would it not count because although book #2.5 was technically conceived by the author after she conceived the main trilogy, it was eventually published prior to book #3?

(I am probably overthinking all of this. Like I always do. ;D)

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Yes, you’re overthinking it lol!
I think both scenarios work

[Sunshine]

For the
SPELL-IT-OUT
Can the narrator's first and last initials be used?

[Devann]

not sure if i should ask this here or in the other thread but if a book is tagged as both young adult and middle grade but the young adult tag is used more then does that count as young adult and therefore the word count wouldn't need to be verified as would generally be the case with middle grade books?

[Laura]

Sunshine wrote: "For the
SPELL-IT-OUT
Can the narrator's first and last initials be used?"

Sunshine,
spell it out rules ( including the question you are asking ) have been laid out in the All About The Floor is Lava thread.
Scroll almost to the bottom.

[Laura]

Devann wrote: "not sure if i should ask this here or in the other thread but if a book is tagged as both young adult and middle grade but the young adult tag is used more then does that count as young adult and t..."

If the book is tagged young adult then you won't have to worry about verifying the word count.

[Sunshine]

Laura wrote: "Sunshine wrote: "For the
SPELL-IT-OUT
Can the narrator's first and last initials be used?"

Sunshine,
spell it out rules ( including the question you are asking ) have been laid out in the ..."

My apologies...
I'm not sure how I missed that, but I did
:)

[☼♎ Carmen the Bootyshaker Temptress ☼♎]

Mods, Team Mauna Lua is having trouble posting in the spreadsheet. We only have view only, help please :)

[Laura]

☼♎ Carmen the Bootyshaker Temptress ☼♎ wrote: "Mods, Team Mauna Lua is having trouble posting in the spreadsheet. We only have view only, help please :)"

Please send your email to the mod account with a link to your spreadsheet. If someone else on your team has access they can also grant you that.

[☼♎ Carmen the Bootyshaker Temptress ☼♎]

Laura wrote: "☼♎ Carmen the Bootyshaker Temptress ☼♎ wrote: "Mods, Team Mauna Lua is having trouble posting in the spreadsheet. We only have view only, help please :)"

Please send your email to the mod account ..."

Thanks Laura. I asked on the spreadsheet and got it 😉

[Jen]

Do you want us to put completion posts in our team thread as well as filling in the spreadsheet?

[Jen]

Also, the first row of our spreadsheet didn't autofill the points.

[Cat]

Jen wrote: "Also, the first row of our spreadsheet didn't autofill the points."

link us up & I'll have a look

[Lau]

Our link is https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

[Cat]

Lau Maia wrote: "Our link is https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/..."

Sorted

[Cinthia]

I'm sure this is obvious, but I just want to really double check. ;)

If a team is Crater, then on group 1 just two people need to read 1 of the letters each (V and A, for example) and that will be considered complete? And if it's Molten 1 person gets 1 book done? They wouldn't get penalized for not completing the word?

In group 2 they can choose tasks iii and iv and be done? And technically Molten doesn't even need to do group 2?

[Cinthia]

Please disregard my last message! I was just a bit confused, but I get it now!

[Jen]

Do you want us to put completion posts in our team thread, or is just filling in the spreadsheet ok?

[Laura]

It's a team directed challenge, feel free to do what works best for you and your team
(ps..the mod team isn't using completion posts)

[Moderators of NBRC, Challenger-in-Chief]

COUNTDOWN STAGE - WE ARE ALMOST AT ZERO!

Important announcement here

[Judith]

I didn't see anything about omnibuses in the rules and didn't think much about it since page numbers don't affect points . . .but wanted to double check since it could affect total books read in the 2 weeks.

I'm reading Theft of Swords which is actually the first 2 books in the series as it was originally released (and a fact I keep forgetting). Do I need to split it into the 2 original books or can I keep it as just the one?

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

If you’re reading theft of swords then just shelve it as that.

(Those ones are interesting as although Sullivan originally released them separately, they are now published differently - great books too!)

[Judith]

Karen ⊰✿ wrote: "If you’re reading theft of swords then just shelve it as that.

(Those ones are interesting as although Sullivan originally released them separately, they are now published differently - great book..."

Thanks Karen!

And loving it so far, I'm listening to the audio which is well done. I've listened to some of The Age of Myth series (also excellent), which I need to catch up on.

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Yes, I enjoyed the audio too for that series! (And I am also behind with age of myth 😂)

[Kerri]

I'm confused about the countdown. It says we'll be at zero in two days, but I thought we got two weeks to complete the initial tasks? Perhaps I missed an announcement?

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Kerri wrote: "I'm confused about the countdown. It says we'll be at zero in two days, but I thought we got two weeks to complete the initial tasks? Perhaps I missed an announcement?"

The round is 2 weeks. The countdown that was posted is for the countdown stage only.


Countdown stage
We start off by shouting "The Floor is Lava! In 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1-0!"
By the time the counter is 0, the floor is Lava and if your team hasn't read the required books, your team will be stuck in the lava (i.e. lose points).The 10 tasks and the deadly substance will change each round. You read these tasks as a team (you don't individually have to read for all 10). Each team member must read for at least one of the tasks in the countdown, or you will lose points

[Plethora]

Kerri wrote: "I'm confused about the countdown. It says we'll be at zero in two days, but I thought we got two weeks to complete the initial tasks? Perhaps I missed an announcement?"

That got me at first, I didn't realize when i read the rules there was an actual countdown for the first stage. I thought you had two weeks total to do whatever you could.

Is the first stage countdown always going to be the same amount of time or is it going to be mixed up to keep us on our toes?????

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

I think you can safely assume that as we haven't posted a standard time for the countdown each round it will be mixed up ;)

[Kerri]

Ahh, I get it now. Thank you!

[Vicki]

I need clarification so I don't screw up! LOL

According to the rules, when we read for the Safe Zones
"You can complete all three of these safe zone groups if you wish, but you can't complete them concurrently. If you decide to start, but you don't complete a safe zone group, you will get burnt feet (but you will have the chance to regenerate later). This means you can start books for the safe zone groups at the same time, but you have to finish a group at a time.

If I understand correctly, for the Safe Zone 1 we are a Crater group, so the ONLY thing we MUST do is read 2 books for the letters LAVA. We do not have to read 4, but we may?

I finished 1 book today for Safe Zone 1, so it is OK to begin a book for Safe Zone 2 but we cannot finish all of the books for Safe Zone 2 until we finish Safe Zone 1, even if we decide to do 4 books (or if we only do 2)?

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

HI Vicki - If you look under "how to play" you will see for the safezone group 1 that all letters must be spelled. (I have highlighted below to show the sentence I mean)
Safezone stage
Once your team has read for the countdown and jumped out of the deadly substance, you have some choices while you are in the safe zone These are grouped into 3:
1) complete a spell-it-out of the floor substance (round one is L-A-V-A) for 30 points per letter. All letters in this group must be spelled out to get the points. Note there are special rules for the spell-it-out dependent on your team category.

So, for Crater, if you decide to do Safezone 1, you need to spell out all four letters and two letters from LAVA must be a book another team has read during the challenge or a prior NBRC BOM.

You can start a book for Safezone 2 while your team members are completing Safezone 1, but you can't complete that book until all of safezone one is complete

[Vicki]

Thank you so much! That is the clarity I (we) needed. The way it was worded, we somehow thought we only needed to read 2 of the letters from LAVA. I appreciate your clearer explanation.

[Kaley]

Hello!

The spreadsheet for Team Us Versus the Volcano (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...) isn't auto filling the points in safezone group 3 after date read has been added for all the spaces. It seems like it's just a formula error (I noticed that the formula for the ones that are autofilling is different than the ones where it's not autofilling) -- but I didn't want to just assume that's the error and try to fix it myself and mess it up!