RiotACT Sim Challenge is on. Norvan Vogt faces the Sims this Thursday - TIME CHANGED

With all the easy-to-make jokes aside, it sounds like an interesting opportunity to evaluate the thought processes of some candidates, away from the prepared speeches & sound bites environment. Given the high stakes of ACT politics, a computer game seems to have the right level of gravity.

I want to see a candidate from the LDP do it. They’d sit there doing nothing, waiting for the invisible hand to kick in.

Sleaz274,

we’ll schedule them at pretty irregular intervals depending on which candidates are keen to take up the challenge, and how that fits in with their campaign schedules. Looks like i might have to bring Norvan’s challenge forward a few hours to finish up at 7pm.

I think this is a brilliant idea and well done for putting it together I say. What better way to evaluate a candidate than meeting, having a beverage and a casual muck around… beats reading policy websites and listening to sound bites for the next 3 months.

JB any idea what time it will wrap up? I have training and we don’t finish until after 2030 h… will they always be held on thursdays?

Actually, this is not a bad idea at all.
You get to go to the pub and ask the candidate whatever policy question you’re personally interested in, and have a beer & a laugh at the same time.
Could be more fun than going to the usual meet-the-candidates meetings.

dodgybranchopolous said :

I think this is a crap idea. What does it prove and how could it possibly be entertaining to punters?

You obviously have no concept of the value of simulation. That it is presented in this format as a game does not lessen the value of its challenges nor the observations that can be drawn from how the participants play it.

This is a great idea. I’ve never heard of such a thing elsewhere, but it sounds like a great excuse to watch a computer game on a big screen, beer in hand.

To all the haters, I am reminded of the words of Sean Connery: “Suck it, Trebek!”

(also, captainwhorebags for the SC2K win!)

And ‘feel free to start your own damn site’ is still just as relevant today as it was several years ago.

Thursday is already absolutely chockas for me, but I’ll try and make it along anyway.

dodgybranchopolous said :

Ok, insult my intelligence because I have an opinion, nice one.

WTF??!!

If you’re so intelligent, I’m sure you can find ‘non sequitur’ in the dickshunary.

Ergo, what JB just said: Attendance (and comment) is not compulsory if it’s not your glass of tea.

Actually dodgybranchopolous it’s not so much your intelligence as your personallity we’d be worried about.

Attendance is not compulsory.

Sim City??? Well don’t forget your Warhammer, Star Trek pyjamas and 80’s porn mags that you just can’t throw away.

NERDS!!!

………….what time does it start?

Ok, insult my intelligence because I have an opinion, nice one.

Ergo you’re a tosser.

dodgybranchopolous said :

Dodgybranchopolous: I think this is a crap idea.

Well then, genius, don’t go.

dodgybranchopolous said :

What does it prove and how could it possibly be entertaining to punters?

You’d have to attend to find out.

Ergo –> Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm; looks like you’re in a pickle!

I think this is a crap idea. What does it prove and how could it possibly be entertaining to punters?

I reckon it’s a cool twist on the town hall meeting ideal. Great idea, hope it goes well.

neanderthalsis said :

Is Todd Carney being invited along as an honorary judge? ABN being his regular haunt, I think he could provide valuable insight to the perceived performance of the participants and a novel way of showing his displeasure at poor decisions.

Apologies to Monty python and said in a silly french accent:

“Ha, I wee all over you…”

… and at half time you could call le garçon de pisse over for a bit of light relief.

*heh heh*

What S4anta said (apart from the ‘typically Canberran’ phrase as I contend there’s no such thing).

Good on you, JB and Jazz. Politics and computer games really aren’t my thing, and if anyone made a voting decision based on a candidate’s performance at this I’d be highly surprised (or at least mildly disturbed), but it sounds like a diverting piece of pub stuff, and preferable to being door-knocked. I’ll get there if I can make it.

Fixture list is a little up in the air but we’ll provide advance notice of all of them,

And yes, there will be a running total of comparative outcomes.

and will carney need someone to help give him a bronx cheer at appropriate points in the fight?

dunno why you don’t just get all the candidates at once and have them play ‘monopoly’ but. prob’ly give us a better sense of how they’d run a government…

I still think this is a ridiculous idea, but the tribe has spoken. So let’s hope it goes well!

Can we PLEASE PRETTY PLEASE have a ‘fixture list’ of when the other candidates will be appearing? And also a ‘league ladder’ thread showing results?

And I’d like to second the nomination of Todd Carney for onsite judge. He could piss off any troublemakers, and piss on anyone with a flatter face than him.

hehe, i’m interested to see how many candidates build a monorail to solve whatever transport issues they’re generating by not building two lane roads

Corker of an idea Johnboy. Well done for coming up with it. I might even wander on down and have a squiz myself. Divine pizza’s in there at All Bar Nun.

johnboy said :

6.00pm

Thanks (also just noticed it in the red box /doh )

6.00pm

It does seem just a bit of fun, nothing to serious/boring.

What time on Thursday?

Is Todd Carney being invited along as an honorary judge? ABN being his regular haunt, I think he could provide valuable insight to the perceived performance of the participants and a novel way of showing his displeasure at poor decisions.

Apologies to Monty python and said in a silly french accent:

“Ha, I wee all over you…”

S4anta said :

I think its a bit of fun, and i dare say alot of comment will be garnished from the participants while they are mashing a keyboard with leisure. I say sit back and see what comes of this.

Nothing like a bit of irrevrency during an election campaign, we are in Australia after all.

Secondly, seeing it is in a pub and the candidates are putting themselves on the line how’s about we all pop along and have a chat to them as they go about doing it. You may even be able to add to the debate rather than being typically canberran and sh!tcanning an idea because it is painted in mission brown and wearing a beige cardie.

and sandals with socks?

I think its a bit of fun, and i dare say alot of comment will be garnished from the participants while they are mashing a keyboard with leisure. I say sit back and see what comes of this.

Nothing like a bit of irrevrency during an election campaign, we are in Australia after all.

Secondly, seeing it is in a pub and the candidates are putting themselves on the line how’s about we all pop along and have a chat to them as they go about doing it. You may even be able to add to the debate rather than being typically canberran and sh!tcanning an idea because it is painted in mission brown and wearing a beige cardie.

Eureka! I have it!

Samuel Gordon Stewart decided in the end not to run at the last federal election and gave up blogging to give himself plenty of time to practice ‘cos he guessed this was coming up.

Smart kid, that Samuel.

Sounds like a good idea. If you’re going to go to a pub and have a beer, might as well get a chance to laugh at some candidates whilst you do it.

Reticulating Splines!

Mælinar – *spoiler alert* I’ve seen S04E13 said :

Like putting the power station in the middle of a residential area ?

Would that be a POLICY issue or a SIMCITY issue ?

That’s…worrying, there mate.

I don’t think it’s a bad idea, but it seriously won’t affect my vote. Sounds like it’ll be just a bit of fun – nothing wrong with that.

Whose good authority?

SimCity. I have it on good authority that a lot of MLAs run this… not all know it’s a game. It’s a serious planning tool.
Might explain ACPLA’s performance. A pity the cheap land in SimCity isn’t replicated in real life.

Actually we have no intention of trying to overly mimic the ACT.

Simply because we have no wish to spend the rest of our lives debating with nerds as to how we failed to represent the real world.

The candidates will have the same landlocked city to knock themselves out in. There might be some other similarity to Canberra but we’re not going to promise more than that.

Does SIMCITY properly simulate the ACT Land Sales and Development Application process?
Nothing like making it realistic where you get a bargain on the land and get to chuck up any sort of building wherever you see fit.

I love the idea, will try and bring a few to cheer/boo them on.

Well you’d like to think they’d back their talent, and it is a level playing field.

Policy promises are a bunch of lies, surely someone wants to see some decision making? And how it works out?

Sure it might not represent all their policies in playing a game, but I still think it’s a fantastic idea even if it is just a bit of fun. Curious to see the results.

I think the SIMCITY thing sounds like fun and could be very informative. I would think that it would be a two-edged sword for the candidates however.

Like putting the power station in the middle of a residential area ?

Would that be a POLICY issue or a SIMCITY issue ?

I dont know, maybe its just me, but I think I care more about actual, you know policy issues…

Thanks guys. Your endless positivity is really appreciated.

No seriously. A chance to see a candidate demonstrating city management skills rather than just talking to a camera combined with getting out and talking to people while having a drink.

I can see what a total downer that would be.

Why not invite us to your brilliant events?

Waiting… Waiting…

I might give my vote to whichever candidates don’t participate 😉

*yawn*