Round 11: SSS How to Play, Help & Discussion

[Denise, Manufacturing Director]

[Denise, Manufacturing Director]

[Denise, Manufacturing Director]

ROUND 11: SUPER SPEEDY SERIES CHALLENGE

✸ This is a team challenge that requires 2 books a week . The object of the game is to roll the die and move along the board. To win a team must roll past 100. Teams will roll on Thursdays & Sundays.

✸ R11 Super Speedy Sign Ups are open 08/17 through 08/25. Then teams will be formed and the game will officially start on 08/29.

✸ Team are formed at random.

✸ Teams will roll the die by clicking here on Sundays and Thursdays once their team has completed their reads. Please note you will have to change the dice to ONE die.


Holiday Scheduling:
✸Thanksgiving: Teams will roll the Thursday before (11/21), reviews due as usual on Sunday (11/24). No roll on Sunday (11/24) and Thursday (11/28). The next roll will be Sunday (12/01) and at this point the game resumes its normal schedule.


**VERY IMPORTANT**
A team CANNOT advance if all the reviews are not complete and in by the deadline. Reviews are due at the latest by end of day on Thursday and Sunday respectively - 11.59pm Central Time. Without a free pass to cover a review still missing by deadline, the team will have to sit out the next roll. That being said, players should have their reviews in on Wednesday (for the Thursday roll) and on Saturday (for the Sunday roll). Your team captain cannot roll until ALL of the team reviews have been posted.

❖If a player fails to have their book done two times throughout the game (excluding a prearranged absence) they will no longer be a part of the team.


HOW TO PICK A BOOK:
✸ Books are based on the spot you're on, not the roll of the die.
If you land on single digit spot, for example let's say you land on spot 5, then you have to read a book that's #5 in a series. For double digit numbers, for example you land on spot 48 you can read either a #4 or a #8 in a series.
✸ Standalone books can be used for a 1 or a 0
✸ First in a series can be used for a 1
✸ I don't expect anyone to read a series out of order and for people that don't read series books that still want to play there will be an alternate option. There will be an alternate option for each spot.
✸ Half books: ½ or .5 count only if they meet the page requirement AND will be judged by preceding whole number numeral on Goodreads.
Example: Spot 8: A MacKenzie Clan Gathering (MacKenzies & McBrides, #8.5) would count for spot 8 because it meets the page limit.
✸ Books in multiple series can be used for ANY of the series. An example: Azagoth (1001 Dark Nights, #6; Lords of Deliverance, #5.5; Demonica, #10.5) can be used for spot 6 for 1001 Dark Nights, spot 5 for LoD or spot 10 for Demonica because it meets the page limit.


✸ There will be a separate thread for captains to post their place on the board after rolling and to post a link to the team's completed reviews.


FREE PASS
✸ Teams will have a chance to earn 1 Free Pass to roll. To earn your free pass your team has to complete their reads a day before the next roll. Once your team has done this you will have 1 free pass. The free pass will allow a team to roll if they are missing a review(s) before the cutoff. Once you've used it, you can't earn another one. It's a one-time shot.
NOTE:
✸ The free pass may not be used for the win.
✸ If the player whose review the free pass is covering for has already previously missed a deadline, they must submit the missing review within one day after the deadline if they wish to retain their place on the team.


BONUS POINTS:

✸ One point can be earned for reading three or more books in a series.
✸ One point can be earned for reading a book with >500 pages.
✸ One point can be earned for starting and finishing a series. There must be at least 4 books in that series. Series + spin-off totalling ≥4 books also counts. For series with >9 books, point will be awarded for reading books 1-9. For still ongoing series, all books published to date (OR up to #9 in longer series) must be read.~ No re-reads on this one.
✸ 2 in 1: One point can be earned for reading a book that fits both the series number and the alternate for the spot you are on.
✸ One point can be earned for never picking a book from the alternate lists. This point is awarded when your team rolls past 90.
✸ Halloween Bonus: One point can be earned for reading a Horror/Paranormal/Urban Fantasy book for the roll on 10/27.
NOTE:
✸ Each point can only be earned once per team.
✸ The series-specific bonus points (3 or more books/ starting and finishing a series) must be two different series.
✸ Single book bonuses (>500 pages/ Halloween/ 2 in 1) may overlap with a series bonus.

How to use bonus points:
✸ Bonus points can be added to your roll to move you further along the board. Each bonus point can only be earned once and spent once.
✸ Bonus points may be used for the win. Example: Your team rolls and lands on spot 97. Your team has earned 4 bonus points. You can use your bonus points to move to spot 101 and compete for the win.
✸ You don't have to use all your bonus points at the same time.
✸ You can also use your bonus points earlier in the game. Example: Your team has earned 3 bonus points. Your team rolls and lands on spot 88. A team member doesn't havea book that is either #8 in a series or fits the alternate. They do however have a #9. Your team may decide to use 1 bonus point to move to spot 89 and have 2 bonus points remaining for later use.


✸ Re-reads are allowed ( ~EXCEPT on Winning Spots, no re-reads to win)
✸ Page limit is 140
✸ When using an anthology you may use any of the numbers in the book except for the .5 since this means ½. But you must review each story in the anthology. The same applies to short story collections.
✸ Series # will be based on how GR has it listed.
✸ Comics, graphic novels and manga don't count for this challenge
✸ Deadline cutoffs are based on US Central time zone

✸✸✸ Any questions please feel free to ask!

Round 11 SSS Sign Ups

[Denise, Manufacturing Director]

ALTERNATE LIST:
** Titles exclude leading articles like A, An, The

1. Favorite Author
2. Cover Item: Sun/Moon
3. New to you author
4. One Word Title excluding articles like A, An, The (i.e. The Witness or Divergent)
5. Cover Item: Book
6. School/College/University
7. Title B
8. North America
9. Author D
10. Cover Item: Food/Drink
11. Author P
12. Female Author
13. Cover: Blue
14. Published 2015
15. Book that one of your teammates read shelf rated a 5-star
16. Title C
17. Seasonal Theme (i.e Christmas, Halloween etc)
18. Cover Item: Instrument
19. GR average rating >4.0
20. Author A
21. Europe
22. Cover: Yellow/Gold
23. Cover Item: Lamp/Candle
24. Title G
25. Cover: Pink
26. Published 2013
27. Cover Item: Hat/Helmet/Other Headwear
28. Book to Movie/TV (must state how book qualifies i.e. listopia or precis)
29. Title T
30. Cover Item: Weapon
31. Character has a pet
32. Cover Item: Mode of Transportation
33. Author uses their middle name/initial (e.g. Robert J. Sawyer, Rita Mae Brown)
34. Cover Item: One person
35. Debut Novel or Debut Author
36. Award winner (must state which/when)
37. Number in the Title (i.e. Third Grave Dead Ahead or Every Fifteen Minutes)
38. Author L
39. Cover Item: Hands/Arms/Feet/Legs (no other body parts visible)
40. Male Author
41.Title J
42. Four or more Words Title excluding articles like A, An, The (i.e. The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet or Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone)
43. Cover Item: Jewellery
44. Published 2016
45. Romance
46. Set in a place you've visited
47. Author R
48. Two Word Title excluding articles like A, An, The (i.e. Deadly Silence or The Hunger Games )
49. Cover Item: Plant
50. Young Adult/New Adult
51. Published between 2001 and 2010
52. Title F
53. Cover: White
54. Author W
55. Cover Item: Water
56. Three Word Title excluding articles like A, An, The (i.e. Behind Closed Doors or Etched in Bone)
57. Title K
58. LGBTQ+
59. Cover: Green
60. Sci-Fi
61. Africa
62. Author M
63. Published between 1950 and 2000
64. Title N
65. Cover: Grey/Silver
66. Published before 1950
67. Historical
68. Author I
69. Multi-Colored (3 or More Colors)
70. Cover Item: Animal
71. Several authors
72. Published 2014
73. Asia
74. Cover Item: Dress
75. South America
76. Cover: Orange
77. GR average rating <3.6
78. Fantasy
79. Title V
80. Cover Item: Furniture
81. Published 2011-2012
82. Author S
83. Australia
84. Cover: Purple
85. Mystery/Thriller
86. Title E
87. Cover: Black
88. Non-Fiction
89. Published the year you were born
90. Author O
91. Cover Item: Two or more people
92. Set in a Fictional Location/Universe
93. Character has at least one child
94. Author H
95. Published 2019
96. Cover Item: Building
97. Cover: Red
98. Published 2017
99. Originally published in a language other than English
100. Cover: Brown
101. GR average rating >4.0
102. Cover Item: Book
103. Title A
104. Author E
105. Cover: White
106. Book that one of your teammates read shelf rated a 5-star
107. Debut Novel or Debut Author
108. Title D
109. Published 2017
110. Three Word Title excluding articles like A, An, The (i.e. Behind Closed Doors or Etched in Bone)
111. Author C

[Denise, Manufacturing Director]

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

★ You can use any edition of the book you read.
★ Books must be started after your team has rolled.
★ Review posts MUST include the following: Book title, author, cover, how it qualifies for the spot you're on, date finished, rating, review (min. 3 sentences)

Alternates:
★ Publication years: any edition so long as it is published in the given year
★ Cover Colour: must be at least 50% (see guidelines in post below)
★ Cover Item: must have the given item on the cover
★ Locations: book must be set at least partially in the given location
★ Author letters: author's first, middle, or last name must start with the given letter
★ Title letters: first word in the title starts with the given letter, excluding the lead ARTICLE (The, A, An...)

FOR THOSE PLAYING BOTH
★YES, you can use the same book in both challenges.


EXAMPLE OF AN ACCEPTABLE POST

Week 2: Roll 2
Spot: 13

Book: Hell & High Water by Charlie Cochet
Qualification: THIRDS #1
Finished: 11 Jun 2017
Rating: ★★★★

Review:
Testifying against his partner and getting him locked up for murder leaves Detective Dex Daley deserted by his friends and colleagues as well as his boyfriend, a repeat target of violence, and on his way out of the job at the Human Police Force he loves. Instead of fired, however, he is recruited to join the elite Therian-Human Intelligence Recon Defense Squadron (THIRDS), working side by side with shapeshifters as a Defense Agent. Tossed right into the middle of a murder investigation, Dex has to get accustomed to his new situation quickly - and the fact that his new team is still reeling from the loss of one of their own and not at all happy to integrate his replacement really doesn't help. Neither does the fact that Dex's new teamleader may be a jerk, but he's a very attractive one.

These books have been on my TBR for ages, and I'm glad to finally get around to reading them. It took me a while to get into the story, familiarise myself with the universe (I'm really, really not a fan of "let me explain the entirety of my worldbuilding to you textbook-style" prologues, so I was immediately a little dubious about the whole thing), get to know the characters and pick up the terminology, but after a few chapters I was thoroughly hooked. Looking forward to continuing this series.

When using the alternate that involves cover items, colors, or publications years, please be sure to link the correct edition to show how the book qualifies.

[Denise, Manufacturing Director]

Guideline for Alternate Category Cover Colour

Cover colour alternates tend to be a little tricky, since it can be very hard to tell whether something is 50% a certain colour. Here's a handy little 3-step guide for figuring out whether your chosen book qualifies.

1) Use your own judgment. If a book cover is quite clearly overwhelmingly the colour in question, you don't need additional verification.

Examples:
Blue:
Grey:
Yellow:

2) When in doubt, you can use this tool TinEye Labs to check a cover. If TinEye confirms your cover is at least 50% the colour in question, go ahead and use it.
Note: You may need to uncheck "Exclude background color from extracted colors" to get a proper result.

Example:
White: (50.3% white according to TinEye)

3) If it's a close call (say, 40-49.9% the right colour according to TinEye), or TinEye gives you a result you vehemently disagree with (apparently it does that sometimes, unfortunately), or you have trouble using the site/ would generally prefer a human opinion, post the book cover in question to the discussion thread and ask me. I reserve the right to overrule TinEye in cases of a close call or dodgy result.

Examples:
Grey: (44.9% grey according to TinEye. I chose to overrule and let the player use it.)
Orange: (41.1% orange according to TinEye. I would probably choose to overrule.)

[Denise, Manufacturing Director]

*reserved

[Maddie]

Am I able to use the same book for SS and SSS?

[Denise, Manufacturing Director]

Yep! It's up in the FAQ section. :)

FOR THOSE PLAYING BOTH
★YES, you can use the same book in both challenges.

[Maddie]

Oh thank you, that's great news <3 And the SSS you have to have each book read by the next roll correct?

[Denise, Manufacturing Director]

In both SS and SSS. Teams can't roll unless all reviews are in.

[Maddie]

Okay thank you! That's right, it's coming back to me now XD I've been playing this for a few years, just the small details escape me

[Denise, Manufacturing Director]

No worries, you'll get the hang of it again quick enough! :)

[Lanelle, Production Chief]

Denise, can the Back-Up Player's Thread name be changed to Second String Support?

[Denise, Manufacturing Director]

Lanelle wrote: "Denise, can the Back-Up Player's Thread name be changed to Second String Support?"

Sure thing!

[Lanelle, Production Chief]

Denise wrote: "Lanelle wrote: "Denise, can the Back-Up Player's Thread name be changed to Second String Support?"

Sure thing!"

Thank you.

[Roger - president of NBR United -]

Denise For never picking an alternate if a books fit both qualifications for the 2 in 1 but you use the number in series as the qualification are you still in the running for never picking an alternate?

[Denise, Manufacturing Director]

Sorry for taking so long to get back toyou!

Those two bonuses weren't intended to be mutually exclusive, so yes, just do exactly as you said: use the series number as qualification and include a note that it also qualifies for the alternate to get the bonus, it won't count as picking from the alternate list.

[Roger - president of NBR United -]

thanks that was what I did.

[Angie ~aka Reading Machine~]

Would you accept author Vicki Lewis Thomspon for Author L?

[Denise, Manufacturing Director]

Yes, that'll work.

[Angie ~aka Reading Machine~]

Would you accept as number 6?

[Denise, Manufacturing Director]

Yes, anything listed as belonging to several series can be used for either one, so this one works as both #1 and #6.

[Angie ~aka Reading Machine~]

Would either of these work for Cover Item Animal or ?

[Denise, Manufacturing Director]

Both are fine. As long as there's an animal somewhere on the cover you're good, it doesn't have to be the focus.

[Denise, Manufacturing Director]

Would team captains please make sure that all team members' review posts comply with requirements. I'll call out infractions when I see them, but I can't be everywhere all the time and rely on you to keep an eye on your teams. Thank you!

[Denise, Manufacturing Director]

Team 2 have completed their reads for spot 102, making them the winners of SSS Round 11.
Thank you all for playing!
SSS will return next year. :)