End Of A Glorious Season

 

After what must have seemed to some like an interminable span of time, the second season of the Godfather’s General Knowledge Trivia (GFGKT) game has now officially come to an end. It was a very memorable and powerful season for me personally, and I know that it was for you too. Over the course of 10 different episodes, our amazing Bunibuni contestants jostled fiercely for a spot on the leaderboard of Bunibuni’s distinguished intellectual giants—and that did not fail to come with its fair share of high and low moments. At any rate, I want to use this medium to express my deepest appreciation and regard for these sharp minds who have participated in these grueling mental games. My hope is that at the end of it all (when you cast your mind back over the entire season), you would have genuine cause to say that the questions asked were challenging and that you learned or took home a thing or two.

Season 2 was very different from the pilot season.

First, the grading was different. For those who were around in season 1, you might remember that we used a winner-takes-all formula. The first person to answer a question correctly walked away with all the possible 5 points for that round. As a result, we had an unsettling situation where many people knew the answers to questions, but could never get on the leaderboard because they just weren’t that fast in typing. It was also doubly frustrating when you consider that the time interval between the first 3 correct answers could in some cases literally be milliseconds! It did not seem fair to me that people would struggle to type in a correct answer and lose out simply because a faster typist got to the screen a hair-raising millisecond first.

To that effect, I tweaked the grading scheme for Season 2 games. I began to accept the first three correct answers to hit the screen:

• first person got the full 5 points;

• the 2nd person gets 4 points if his or her answer immediately followed the first person’s answer OR 3 points if there is any incorrect answer before the 2nd correct answer gets to the screen; 

• 3 points if the 3rd answer immediately followed the 2nd person who got 4 points OR 2 points if the third person’s answer came immediately after the 2nd person gets three points OR 1 point if the third person’s answer came after an incorrect answer follows the 3 points earned by the 2nd person. 

This may sound complicated and perhaps unfathomable to some, but do not worry, I have done it often enough times that it is second nature to me now, and I take due diligence to honestly and accurately give each contestant the point(s) he or she has worked hard for. At this juncture, if you are a new participant, you can always go here to read the basic rules of the game to see how we play.

The second thing that was different about season 2 was the increased number of participants who came out week after week. At first I had my doubts about the level of interest that Bunibuni members would show for this game. Let’s face it—there are a number of things that people might as well be doing rather than spend the 2.5- 3 hours it takes for us to get through an episode. Besides, not too many people are eager to sit in an adrenaline-packed atmosphere slugging through hours of rigorous mental activity against other equally highly-motivated competitors. Far too many people would fold like cheap suits under that sort of pressure. It was therefore amazing to observe that more people actively participated in season 2 as is reflected by all the names which found their way to the leaderboard. Of course, not everyone who participated found a way to get on the score sheet which is why we must sincerely congratulate anyone who made it to the board at all. It is a testimony to the mental brawn in glaring supercharged display evident at any one of these trivia games. If you missed this season due to one circumstance or the other, do not fail to be part of Season 3; I can guarantee that you will find it richly rewarding.

I am sure that one can find other things that made Season 2 stand out but one more thing that readily comes to mind was the way with which we mixed in the highly entertaining Spelling game with regular trivia. I know that most people preferred the spelling games because they were somewhat easier and more entertaining so it was utterly unfair for them to amass points from the Spelling Game which previously counted for nothing. In order for people to pool their Spelling Game points towards their grand total, I incorporated the Spelling Game into the trivia. It has worked out well. I am sure as we go on in future seasons there will be other tweaks and changes so that this trivia game will continue to achieve the stated purpose of providing a multifaceted intellectually stimulating experience.

Season 2 had a lot of memorable characters. I shall first of all doff my hats to the top 10 people. These ladies and gentlemen were certainly the crème de la crème. I am of course talking about titans like the abrasive Vicker, the patient Ninja, the competitive Molade, the missing-in-action Fringe, the hilarious Bruno, the completely-vanished Olabisi, the hardworking Camila/Jennifer, the peacefully adorable Princess Juubs, the tactically clever Gem, and the deceptively-named but keenly astute polyamorist Nitwit/Tintin. These are truly high-bar setters; in season 3, I’d be curious to see if new players might break into the ranks of the top 10.

I shall not forget to mention people like Siarani, Haryour, Balotelli, Timberlake, President Joe, Saganity, HoneyChocolate and Mikkey for their easy-going, laughter-inducing quips and contributions. These guys helped to ease the fierce competitive tension in the room and I am frankly grateful for all their contributions. In the same vein, I must also personally remember and thank Honeybee for blessing the trivia with her unique brand of humor. I can’t tell you how many times I found myself laughing at the way she was giggling and laughing while she interacted with the questions. She was an absolute delight on the microphone during the Spelling Games as she made me laugh so many times when she would point out how bizarre and off-the-mark some of the answers were. Her attitude and disposition towards the game is the best—she was always chuckling and enjoying herself in sharp contrast to some people (you know yourselves) who were, in a number of instances, almost ready to come to blows. I wish everyone would adopt her comportment during these games when they realize that while we want to compete fervently, this is still intended to be a fun exercise and not a blood-sport.

Finally, on behalf of this our beloved website, and as a means of encouraging participation, I wish to sincerely thank the top three contestants and to remind us once again that as the winners of this season’s GFGKT they have respectively won $500, $350 and $150. They totally deserved it and I hope no one begrudges them the fruits of their diligence and labor. In any case, this should provide some motivation for others to strive to do better than they did this season.

Even though we’ve just come to the end of Season 2, and Season 3 seems very far away, I’ll urge you not to rest on your oars or disappear completely. Here’s the cliffhanger: ever before we officially get to the beginning of Season 3, I may periodically drop announcements in the chatroom or on the Facebook discussion group for an impromptu pre-season Spelling Game or Trivia. It is therefore in your best interest to not disappear completely. This is because even though we’d have only 10 episodes in Season 3, these random pre-Season games will definitely count. The reason for this is simple: we wouldn’t want a situation where people disappear altogether at the end of the season hoping to swoop in during the beginning of a season to compete against the people who have faithfully continued to come to the site in the intervening months. Therefore, be on the look-out for random Facebook notifications about impending Spelling Games or Trivia. Talk to your friends about this; invite them to come and play. You might not know what surprises may lie ahead!

I wish you the very best with your academic work or your professional career till the beginning of Season 3. As usual there will be prizes to be won! Adios!

P.S If you have any comments, questions, suggestions or concerns, please use the comment box below to bring it to my attention.