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So anyway, I called them up the other day to chat, and Mom informed me that they’d been to play bingo the night before. Not like this is anything new – they enjoy a game of bingo every week or two – but as anyone who usually plays will know, it’s usually an exercise in futility. So the big surprise was that Dad had actually won! Apparently he was very excited... until they realized that eleven other people had also scored bingo. Hands were waving all over the room. In the end, Dad’s share of the pot was a whopping $10, which is probably how much it cost for him and Mom to buy into the game. All right, it’s not exactly a story of fabulous luck and riches. On the upside, though, they had a great time.
And at least Dad does win the occasional pot! To the best of my knowledge, Mom hasn’t scored a bingo since 1997. (But I know this means she’s saving up her luck for a really big win.)
And speaking of winning…
It’s contest time again on MSN Games! From January 28 to February 28, you can enter the Windows Live Messenger Jigsaw Too Photo Edition Sweepstakes. (Wow, you know, I think the sweepstakes name is longer than the entry form!) To celebrate the sheer coolness of Jigsaw Too Photo Edition, we’re giving away digital cameras, photo printers, and 12-month memberships to the Messenger Clubhouse.
Better still, this is one of those sweepstakes where you can enter every day, if you’re the sort of person who likes stacking the odds in your favor. (Who isn’t?) It’s a shame I can’t enter, since my last digital camera had a rather unfortunate… accident… involving two cats, my kitchen table, and the law of gravity. But, then, I never win contests anyway; my dad seems to have all the luck in our family. And he’s not allowed to enter either. But you certainly can, and I’ll tell you from experience that Canon makes some fantastic digital cameras. Good luck to everyone!
Oh, and just a quick mention… if you like jigsaw puzzles, and you don’t mind helping us out a bit, we’re looking for people to beta-test the new Jigsaw Too web version! If you have a few spare minutes and you’d like to give us your opinion of this new game, please stop by the site and play a round or two!
The best-laid plans…
You know, my original plan for this Coffee Break was to talk about Chocolatier 2, since I was a huge fan of the first game. But I didn’t even get a chance to play it; instead, I got sidetracked by a new title called Farm Frenzy. What started out as a momentary bit of curiosity about the name turned into a two-week evening obsession. Even with the main game completed, I’m still playing: I’ve managed to score a gold star on all but two levels, and I’m determined to conquer those as well!
The word “frenzy” is particularly appropriate to this game. Basically, you’re a rancher. You have animals; the animals produce raw materials; you collect the raw materials. Think Alice Greenfingers, without plants. The rather important difference, though, comes in what you do with the goose eggs, sheep’s wool, and cow’s milk once you have them. With the right building upgrades, you can turn eggs into egg solids, and egg solids into bread. Wool becomes thread, and thread becomes fabric. Milk can be churned into butter, and butter made into cheese. And the really tricky part is that the game isn’t open-ended or relaxed in any way. For each level, you have a specific goal, a certain amount of time, and a different set of starting resources. It can get pretty frantic sometimes.
Oh, and if that’s not enough, just when you think you’ve got everything under control, your ranch is usually raided by bears. Isn’t that always the way?
I’m sure I’ll be chatting about Chocolatier 2 next time… unless something else pops out of the woodwork to steal my attention!
Joboo, redux
Yes, I’m still playing Joboo’s Gems whenever I have a few free minutes at work. But I still haven’t managed to increase my mastery badge level! I may eventually have to admit that the game kicks my butt. For now, though, I persevere. I remember asking last time whether anyone out there had managed to beat my high score of 309,500; it’s encouraging to see that so many folks have! Two special shout-outs go to Polly (and her score of 363,620), for being the first person to report a higher score, and to General Daffodil (with a whopping 578,680), for having the best score at Joboo’s Gems that I’ve seen so far! Thanks, everyone… now that I’ve seen it can be done, I’m even more determined to improve.
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| Tech Talk
Okay, so you’re playing a multiplayer game, you’re just about to trounce the competition, and… BLIP! You’re disconnected. Or the game locks up. One way or the other, you were playing and now you’re not, and if you listen really carefully, you might be able to hear your Internet connection laughing at you. The fancy name for this problem is “latency”, but hardcore gamers just call it “lag”.
The trick with lag is to reduce it whenever possible, either by changing settings within the game or how your computer connects to the ‘Net. For instance, if you’re playing Texas Hold’Em, try turning off game animations by clicking the Clapboard icon. Connecting via wireless? Try a cable-to-the-wall LAN connection instead.
For more handy tips, check out this support article. And don’t worry; everyone who has ever played a game online – any game online – has fought the lag beast at some point or another. You’re in good company.
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