The Raleigh Typhoon

[ncwebguy]

While reading the Independent's North Hills East article, I saw an ad for this event.

It sounds like it could be fun, and hopefully more challenging than the N&O's scavenger hunt from a year or two ago! Plus there is cash and prizes (and bragging rights!) up for grabs!

The "playing field" is roughly bound by Glenwood Ave., Seaboard Station, Person St. and Davie St. It starts at 1:30 (you don't have to get up early for it!) and runs till 8 with an afterparty at the Office.

I don't like the requirement to have $10 to buy things, but supporting downtown merchants is always a Good Thing.

An Urban Planet team could probably do well...

[DPK]

I might be up for this if a few others are willing to get involved too. "Team Urban Planet, we probably know Raleigh better than you."

[Justin6882]

That does sound pretty fun - count me in if we decide to do it.

[DPK]

Count me out, sorta. I just joined up on a team with some friends.

One of the reps said that there's currently about 20 teams registered.

[JDC]

On our side of the International Date Line, it's known as a hurricane.

Jus' sayin'...

[DPK]

Haha, alright so who else put themselves through this?

There were 4 of us and we had a lot of fun. There was a huge turnout, and I think that was our major gripe. Not that the turnout was huge, but that the clues list was a bit too short. There were only about 20ish clues, plus a few bonus clues. Each clue had a point total attached to it. The problem is that too many people (us included) were able to get through the entire list. We ended up getting one of the bonus clues wrong so we didn't win, but whatever.

If they do this again, which I hope it becomes a yearly thing, they need to add more clues than it would be possible to humanly accomplish during the allotted contest time. No matter where you went, there were contestants. You never felt like you were actually winning. It almost felt too easy. More clues would have made for more strategy. At the end they started turning teams away from being judged if they didn't get some of the harder clues because one team already got the full 200 points.

I don't think they fully expected that high of a turnout. For what it's worth they handled it as best as they could and I had a good time so that's what matters I guess, haha. Although that $1000 would have been better.

[miamiblue]

If they do this again, which I hope it becomes a yearly thing, they need to add more clues than it would be possible to humanly accomplish during the allotted contest time. No matter where you went, there were contestants. You never felt like you were actually winning. It almost felt too easy. More clues would have made for more strategy. At the end they started turning teams away from being judged if they didn't get some of the harder clues because one team already got the full 200 points.

[ncwebguy]

I couldn't be a team of one, so I didn't partake. But I did notice a lot of people around downtown with arm bands, maps, and digital cameras, so that was good to see.

The N&O ran a puzzle hunt on Labor Day a few years ago, but it was only five locations and easy "clues". They created a phone number you had to call to get a phrase to write down. It was kinda fun, free to participate, and had a $5,000 top prize, but it was more of a drawing than an actual competiton.

I understand that it is difficult to balance hard vs. fun, but the local contests haven't been much of a contest yet.

I would like to help run something like that, but I seem to find out about them when it's too late to be of much help...