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WhichWouldYouRatherPlay


Which Would You Rather Play...?

In our family, we have a game that we just call The Game. We've played it for so long, none of us remembers where it came from, although we've since seen it on beer commercials, so it probably came from a FOAF, unless we're bigger trendsetters than we think. It consists of a series of questions, which, in the manner of genetic algorithms, attempt to evolve the most difficult possible choice of sexual partners. It helps if the participants are bisexual, although the results can be more comic if some are not. The game proceeds in elimination rounds. When a player is stumped (cannot choose within a reasonable period of time), that player is out of the game.

Fictional characters can be mixed with real live people or even real dead people, as follows...

Example of "Who Would You Rather Do...?"

Meredith: Ron, who would you rather do, Jeannie or Samantha Stevens?

Ron: Samantha. Marty, who would you rather do, Samantha Stevens or Harrison Ford?

Marty: Harrison Ford. Meredith, who would you rather do, Harrison Ford or Sean Connery?

Meredith (sweating): Um, um, um...

Marty: HA ha.

Meredith is stumped and therefore out of the game.

Note that this is a fictional conversation and does not necessarily represent the views held by anyone named Meredith, Ron, and Marty, particularly Meredith Hale, Ron Hale-Evans or Marty Hale-Evans

A version for gamers

While Marty and I were coming up with some FakeZobmondoQuestions, Marty suggested "Would you rather play Candyland or Uncle Wiggily?" I thought this could be improved to "Would you rather play Candyland or play 'Best 67 out of 100 coin tosses'?", since Uncle Wiggily has at least a little strategy. (Oops. I just [WWW]read the rules, and it has no strategy at all. Oh, well. Reiner Knizia has designed some games for little kids. Give 'em those instead.)

Marty made a remark to the effect that this question was something like The Game for gamers, and thus was a new pastime born. Expect this metagame to pop up at Seattle Cosmic Game Nights. Get to know your fellow Cosmologists' preferences. Watch the head of David Adams explode when he is asked, "Which would you rather play, ?Age of Renaissance or ?Formula De?" Etc. Etc.

Example of "Which Would You Rather Play...?"

Marty: Ron, which would you rather play, Medici or ?Hare and Tortoise?

Ron: ?Hare and Tortoise. Which would you rather play, ?Hare and Tortoise or Cosmic Encounter?

Marty: I'd rather play almost anything than ?Hare and Tortoise. Which would you rather play, Cosmic Encounter or Snowman Meltdown?

Ron (nearly stumped): Hummina hummina hummina.

Marty: Tough choice: something that's actually fun to play versus sheer egotism.

Ron (whining): Well, if we played Snowman Meltdown I could take notes and improve the game!

Marty: You've sure got a lot of Cosmic Encounter stuff in the living room if you're going to say Snowman Meltdown...

Ron: On the other hand, I could always design my own powers for Cosmic Encounter. So I guess I'll say Cosmic Encounter. But which would you rather play, Cosmic Encounter or ?Trivial Pursuit?

Marty: ?Trivial Pursuit.

Ron (incredulously): ?Trivial Pursuit? You'd rather play ?Trivial Pursuit than Cosmic Encounter?

Marty: I love Trivial Pursuit. Which would you rather play, ?Trivial Pursuit or WhichWouldYouRatherPlay?

Ron: WhichWouldYouRatherPlay. Which would you rather play, WhichWouldYouRatherPlay or AlienCity?

Marty is stumped. Ron wins the game.

Repeat ad nauseam.

--Ron Hale-Evans


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