Online Scrimmages with Actual Readers!

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Online Scrimmages with Actual Readers!

Post by kayli »

So yesterday on a whim, I decided to try a new idea for quizbowl scrimmages. I got some people (I think it was Dallin, Nikhil, Tanay, Douglas, and Benji), and I used tokbox (an online video conference client) and my handy headset to read questions to them. Everyone except me muted themselves to eliminate possibly auditory distractions, and they typed "buzz" to buzz and typed their answer to answer upon being recognized. It had some problems including Douglas being unable to hear me, me not putting the mic close enough to my face, and me occasionally missing people's buzzes, but overall I think it turned out well.

So anyway, I was wondering if anyone would be up for trying out this new form of quizbowl practice. I wouldn't mind having other people read (I'm not a fantastic reader), and having players from across the country practice in real-life-quizbowl circumstances would be really cool. It's a rather simple set-up unless you're running a really old computer, I guess; but overall, I think it's a very feasible way to practice.

So who's up for it? We can schedule times to meet up while also capping the number of people who can play per conference. Eventually, if we get the hang of it, we can also do bonuses for even better practices. Excitement.
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Post by Tanay »

This was fantastic. I hope more people join and that this idea catches on.
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Post by Flutist Wren »

I'm up for this. Also, I do have a mic.
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Post by Steeve Ho You Fat »

This works well on Skype.

Edit for substance: It seems that the only advantage of tokbox that you mentioned is that it has video, which seems to me to be just distracting, and also I at least don't use it while Skype is very widespread. I'm not sure how widely available/free/widely used this is.
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Post by kayli »

I suppose this would work for skype too. We all stopped our webcams as to not be distracting so yeah the video advantage wasn't used.
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Post by Flash Bomba »

Seems interesting, I'd be up for this...though I think I'd get smoked.
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Post by i never see pigeons in wheeling »

So what exactly are the equipment requirements for this?
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Post by kayli »

Computer and internet as far as I know.

Also, I'll be reading (oh God) at 8:00 CST for those interested in trying this out.
Last edited by kayli on Sat Dec 11, 2010 5:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by nadph »

A computer, unless you wish to read, in which case a computer with a microphone.

EDIT: Also, Joe, the potential problem with Skype is that you'd need to know everyone who wished to attend before hand and give them your Skype username, whereas with tokbox you can just post a public link and those who want to attend can attend.
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Post by Charbroil »

nadph wrote:...whereas with tokbox you can just post a public link and those who want to attend can attend.
Speaking of which, what's the link?
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Post by kayli »

Here you are: http://me.tokbox.com/conf/bmu5qv2ij2k5iqwg. I'll start at 8:00CST plus/minus facebook.
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Post by kayli »

Come one, come all?
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Post by jonpin »

That was fun.
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Post by AlphaQuizBowler »

What questions did you guys use?
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Post by kayli »

I started off with EFT. Jon used Cardinal Classic. I'm not sure what happened in between.
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Post by i never see pigeons in wheeling »

VCU Open as well.
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Post by Duncan Idaho »

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this idea was used last year by some NASAT team either for practice or for tryouts. In any case, it's a cool thing to do, and I'd love to do this again, so please keep me updated on when you have scrimmages like this, Kay.
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Post by dtaylor4 »

Ben Cole wrote:Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this idea was used last year by some NASAT team either for practice or for tryouts. In any case, it's a cool thing to do, and I'd love to do this again, so please keep me updated on when you have scrimmages like this, Kay.
I'm pretty sure people in Ohio have been doing this for a minute.
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Post by Steeve Ho You Fat »

Yeah that's where I came from. We had NASAT practices on Skype, and then after the NASAT it turned into Ohio people who are competent and care enough to get on the computer in the evening and play college stuff. It hasn't happened since school started though.
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Post by Judson Laipply »

Consider me signed up to both read and play this a lot... as soon as finals are over.
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Post by ryandillon »

Glacierguy1 wrote:Consider me signed up to both read and play this a lot... as soon as finals are over.
What he said. Also, I'll be willing to read.
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Post by jonpin »

May I recommend tinychat as an alternate site. It has the advantages of (a) not automatically launching a camera for each new person who comes in, which is distracting; and (b) having a sound effect when people chat, making it less likely the moderator will miss a buzz.
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Post by kayli »

I will be doing this at 4:00CST on Saturday tentatively. Feel free to set up your own little matches independent of me though. I know there's been some demand.
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Post by Kwang the Ninja »

This is happening. - Kay Li
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Post by Kwang the Ninja »

Per Kay Li, there will be another one of these happening at 3 pm CST tomorrow.
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Post by Kwang the Ninja »

Per Kay Li, this is happening now, but there aren't enough people so please come.
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Post by AlphaQuizBowler »

That was really cool.
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Post by kayli »

Hey, new idea: We have pre-made teams scrimmage each other and we do it like a normal game. For instance, Tanay, Ankit, Nikhil, and Phil want to play a game as a team against a team composed of William, Joe, Ryan, and Tristan. I can read for them, and they can scrimmage as if it were a real match. Now, this would require pre-made teams to notify me if they want to do this and for me to be able to schedule a time when both teams can meet.
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Post by No Electricity Required »

Ar$oni$t$ Get All the Girl$ wrote:Hey, new idea: We have pre-made teams scrimmage each other and we do it like a normal game. For instance, Tanay, Ankit, Nikhil, and Phil want to play a game as a team against a team composed of William, Joe, Ryan, and Tristan. I can read for them, and they can scrimmage as if it were a real match. Now, this would require pre-made teams to notify me if they want to do this and for me to be able to schedule a time when both teams can meet.
I would be up for something of the like.
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Post by AlphaQuizBowler »

This is an interesting idea.
Ar$oni$t$ Get All the Girl$ wrote:Now, this would require pre-made teams to notify me if they want to do this and for me to be able to schedule a time when both teams can meet.
You wouldn't necessarily need to do this. You could post the time in the forum, as you've done for the first few sessions, and then we could form teams when everyone gets into the chat.
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Post by No Electricity Required »

AlphaQuizBowler wrote:
Ar$oni$t$ Get All the Girl$ wrote:Now, this would require pre-made teams to notify me if they want to do this and for me to be able to schedule a time when both teams can meet.
You wouldn't necessarily need to do this. You could post the time in the forum, as you've done for the first few sessions, and then we could form teams when everyone gets into the chat.
He was going to try this today before you showed up, but he decided not to because of the (at that time fairly constant) changes to the number of people in the channel; however, I don't see that really being a fatal problem, and it as you propose it could work quite well.
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Post by Sima Guang Hater »

Glacierguy1 wrote:Consider me signed up to both read and play this a lot... as soon as finals are over.
Screw finals, start training! Obscure Albanian authors aren't going to memorize themselves!
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Post by nadph »

Are there plans for this to continue during the Christmas break? I haven't heard anything.
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Post by kayli »

Yeah, I've been doing college apps and stuff with the famiglia lately so let's shoot for say... 4:00CST on January 26th?
Last edited by kayli on Fri Dec 24, 2010 3:31 pm, edited 4 times in total.
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Post by Mewto55555 »

Ar$oni$t$ Get All the Girl$ wrote:Yeah, I've been doing college apps and stuff with the famiglia lately so let's shoot for say... 4:00CST on January 26th?
You have a long winter break.
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Post by kayli »

Well, it's only two weeks, and the last time I did this was 5 days ago which I think is reasonable. Right now, I'm trying to finish up my college applications while balancing it out with time with the family which I think is a reasonable excuse given that it's Christmas and most of my applications are due January 1st.

As I've said before, if you guys want to host a scrimmage yourselves, then feel free to do it. The only thing you need it one microphone for the reader. That's really the only thing stopping you besides maybe a little impetus to start a scrimmage yourself. I do this myself to be nice (as in I'm not obligated to hold these), but let's have it at 4:00 CST today then.
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Post by Mewto55555 »

Mewto55555 wrote:
Ar$oni$t$ Get All the Girl$ wrote:Yeah, I've been doing college apps and stuff with the famiglia lately so let's shoot for say... 4:00CST on January 26th?
You have a long winter break.
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Post by kayli »

Oh, sorry. That was a type. I meant December 26.

EDIT: Er... let's still have it at December 24th at 4:00CST.
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Post by No Electricity Required »

Ar$oni$t$ Get All the Girl$ wrote:Oh, sorry. That was a type. I meant December 26.

EDIT: Er... let's still have it at December 24th at 4:00CST.
So, is it today or the 26th that you're having one?
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Post by kayli »

Today.
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Post by kayli »

Actually (sorry for posting so much), something came up; and I have to push this back to December 26th at 4:00 again.
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Post by Duncan Idaho »

Ar$oni$t$ Get All the Girl$ wrote:Actually (sorry for posting so much), something came up; and I have to push this back to December 26th at 4:00 again.
No problem. If people want, I could try and set one of these up at some regular, weekly time.
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Post by No Electricity Required »

Assuming people are interested, I will host one of these at 3:30 p.m. CST tomorrow (Dec. 28).
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Post by No Electricity Required »

We need people to show up to this.
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Post by No Electricity Required »

We need people to show up to this.

EDIT: Sorry about the double post; internet failed.
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Post by Golran »

What's the link?
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Post by AlphaQuizBowler »

That was, as before, very fun. Playing with teams certainly made it more exciting.
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Post by Judson Laipply »

How would we find one of these when they start.
Ar$oni$t$ Get All the Girl$ wrote:Here you are: http://me.tokbox.com/conf/bmu5qv2ij2k5iqwg. I'll start at 8:00CST plus/minus facebook.
Would it just be this link every time?
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Post by kayli »

Glacierguy1 wrote:How would we find one of these when they start.
Ar$oni$t$ Get All the Girl$ wrote:Here you are: http://me.tokbox.com/conf/bmu5qv2ij2k5iqwg. I'll start at 8:00CST plus/minus facebook.
Would it just be this link every time?
Yeah, most of the time.
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Post by kayli »

I'll do this this Sunday at 4:00 CST.
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