News Updates: September 10, 2011
Saturday was our Annual 110%er / Key Member Appreciation Fish Fry. Thank you Karl, Brien and Shannon for providing wonderful fish YET AGAIN! Everyone brings a dish to pass and it is always a great time.
Each year we try to do a Night Game (a few years we were unable to due to weather) but we managed to fit one in this year! This year’s game was called Operation: Shaka Laka Boom.
All attendees of the Fish Fry were mailed special mission packets during the week that outlined their team objectives. There were two teams: the Escapees and the Guards. Escapees were mailed a coded letter, complete with a pen to decode the message. The Guards were each mailed ID badges and an Encrypted Fax transmission outlining the basic details of the intelligence collected, as well as a copy of the coded letter received by the Escapees. The fax also indicated that there might be a mole amongst the Guard staff, so be wary of discussing details of the mission with any other employees.
Details of the game were as follows:
FBI intercepted a letter sent to at least 9 different inmates from Sycamore Federal Prison. In the letter it indicated a possible Jail Break attempt on Saturday, September 10, 2011. Two Terrorists from the FBI’s Global Watch List were dropped off at the Big Tree Bus Terminal at 9:15pm with a key to unlock the gates. Evading the random Prison vehicle patrols (3 mini bikes, a golf cart and a dune buggy), the Terrorists had to release the other inmates - sounding the sirens which alerted all guards. Once the vehicle patrols returned and gave their report to the Warden, the rest of the prison guards immediately headed out to The Hornet’s Nest Guard tower. The generator was started, partially illuminating the Nest with but three exterior lights.
Vehicle patrols increased and additional guards began sweeping the grounds. The Escapees then had to sneak down to the City. If discovered, the Escapees had to return to the Prison walls in the Airport to re-spawn. The Escapees had to get their One ball (50 rounds max) weapons hidden in the Armory. Located within the M-89 was a cell phone detonation device, containing the 6 digit code with which to arm the “Ammonium Chorinate Air-born pathogen Bomb“, located within the Star Building. Each escapee had to make their way to the Star building. Once all team members made it alive, another briefing was held. When ready, the Escapees had to unlock the detonation device, turning the light from Yellow 2 clicks over to Green. Now activated, the 6 digit code from the Cell phone was inputted into the key pad, arming the device. The timer automatically defaulted to 30 minutes to detonation. Four red glow sticks would then be positioned on the outside of the Star Building so that Escapees could find their re-spawn location if eliminated. Escapees had two lives; if eliminated, they were to tag in at the Star Building to re-enter the game. If eliminated again, they were out of the game. Other than the Warden and Communications Officer (who had three lives), all Guards also only had two lives; if eliminated they had to tag back in at the Den in the Hornet’s Nest.
For the Escapees, there was a “van” waiting at the Chateau with which to successfully escape. The guards would be tipped off to the approximate location of the getaway van, at a set point after the start of 30 minutes, having “captured and tortured intelligence out of one of the Escapees”. All vehicles were now out of service by this point, as the search would be more focused on this portion of the property as well as protecting the Guard Tower.
Escapee Objectives :
- Within 30 minutes, if the bomb were to explode within the walls of the Guard Tower facility (Inside the Hornet’s Nest walls), all guard members would be killed allowing for a successful getaway for all living escapees. Guards located within the Den would survive, unless the bomb made it inside the Den prior to detonation.
- If the guards were to discover the bomb , several members of the squad were trained as Bomb Squad to disarm the weapon, rendering it useless. All escapees that had made it to the getaway van at this time would have successfully escaped; all others would be caught and returned to prison.
- The Escapees could just tag the Chateau - getting in the “van” and were safe. If they opted to do this however, their game would be over as they “got away” - they could not fire their weapons or participate in the game further.
What actually happened:
Guards: Warden Ted, Communications Officer Kathy, Guards: Jon, Crystal, Pee Wee, Johnny, Natalie, Bill, Lori, Bomb Squad: Nate, Joe Vehicle Patrols: Karl, Rod, Tony, (also Joe), and Shannon (filming from Golf Cart)
Escapees: Josh, Rendall, Radley, Ray, James, Brien, Tommy, Amy, Mike, Jen Terrorists: Stephanie, Jerry
Teams were divided and individual briefings were started at 8:15pm. Nate explained the rules to the Guards, while Jen explained the game to the Escapees in the Airport Tower. The “Mole” was heavy on the minds of all the guards, so accusations were flying around amongst all at this point. Tony - who is always blamed for everything - was even patted down to see if he possessed a pen - the one thing that all were sure was the tell-tale sign of being the mole. (It doesn’t help either that incriminating photos of Tony had surfaced from “surveillance photos of the barracks” that were shown to random guards throughout the day. click here for photos) Tony did not possess a pen, so the subject was put-aside for the time-being. Warden Ted released the first Vehicle patrol on to the field at 8:45pm. Vehicle patrols were to just make sure everyone was behaving themselves at this point - standard Guard behavior.
At 9:00pm, Terrorists Jerry, Stephanie and Jen snuck out of the Airport Tower to the Big Tree in the Pasture and awaited the 9:15pm start. Once game was on, the Terrorists snuck to the Airport - narrowly missing Vehicle patrols - and unlocked the gates. Several small groups immediately ran for the bush while others stayed behind in the Airport Tower for a time as a distraction for the Vehicle Patrols, who had by now ramped up their search. Most Escapees made it to the Armory without trouble, but several were spotted and had to return to the Airport to re-spawn.
Jetting across the City, a few more Escapees were caught heading up into the woods nearest Fangorn. Amy slipped and twisted her knee slightly and opted out of the game at this point. She “held Shannon (the Media) hostage” in the Golf cart and used the rest of the evening to hunt her husband Jon from the cart, shooting him twice. (Don’t believe this was in the rules as we said NO SHOOTING from vehicles - but I guess family friendly-fire can be allowed at times… :) )
Three Escapees were alone in the Star Building for quite some time waiting for the rest of their team. To keep the game going, Jen designated that those Escapees that successfully made it inside the Star Building were safe from elimination once inside and began waving a red glow stick so that Escapees could find their way to the building. This rule became apparent as there was a close-up shoot-out between Karl and Stephanie while the Guards were clearing the building.
James, Ray and Tommy reportedly snuck all the way to the ALL-STAR Saloon in the Mine Field rather than the Star Building. As soon as they discovered their error, they snuck their way to the proper building. After 10:30pm all Escapees were inside the Star Building and the briefing for part two of the mission was explained again. After James handed over the detonation Cell Phone procured from the M-89, Stephanie armed the bomb, starting the 30 minute detonation timer. Slowly the Escapees dashed from the Star Building. Jerry was reportedly friendly-fired almost immediately upon exiting the building, and returned to re-spawn, only to be eliminated by a Guard a few minutes later. Rather than leave the field, he opted to stay in the Star Building to help other eliminated Escapees find their way back to the building. Josh and Tommy also opted out of the game at this point and watched the rest of the game from the Neutral Zone. By now Warden Ted had cut the Generator, choosing to fight in darkness to better hear the approach of the Escapees. Since the “Mole” was still heavy on Warden Ted’s mind, he apparently lost trust in Nate as well, and when Nate approached to tell him that he had lost sight of Tony (that was Nate’s main objective way to keep tabs on him) Ted bayoneted Nate!
In the final 30 minutes of the game, craziness ensued - Guards and Escapees had some hidden one-ball battles, dodging the now-bright moon and keeping to the shadows whenever possible. Bill and Pee Wee were told of the “escape van” at the Chateau and began to guard that area of the field, while all other Guards continued to sweep the fields - minus the Warden and two others who guarded the Nest.
The 30 minutes having now expired, the whistle blew ending the game, and all players “froze” momentarily so that the bomb could be found. Stephanie was just steps outside the Hornet’s Nest wall, near the far opening closest to the Chateau. It was determined that since she was so close to the opening of the Nest, the bomb killed Warden Ted, two other Guards and herself in the detonation.
All in all that game was a success and everyone had a great time. Hopefully we will have interest to continue doing our Fish Fry Night Games in the future !
In Remembrance of the September 11, 2001 tragedy, Splatmandu was closed for play on Sunday. We are all looking forward to an excellent BIG GAME XV next Sunday though!
