Author Topic: Chain Reaction... (Read 51198 times)

clemon79 · « **on:** August 01, 2006, 09:57:28 PM »

Sorry. That betting round thing was the final straw. That round is SO broken. It encourages teams to bet low and then not get rewarded if they pull the answer out, and bet high when it's a gimme. It forces players to bet when they don't even want to guess. And more often than not it's going to set up anticlimactic situations like we had tonight.

And they actually found a way to get me not to care about Instant Reaction.

I really wanted to like it. The Cullen version of the show is one of my very favorite shows ever. This blows.

Blanquepage · « **Reply #1 on:** August 01, 2006, 10:18:03 PM »

I'm sure it's predominately accepted that the 1986 USA version was far inferior to the original Cullen version.
20 years later, they've somehow managed to do worse. Astounding.
Even Blake Emmons had more of a personality on the USA premiere than Dylan did tonight.
Gamewise, the Speedchains didn't do anything for me at all. The revelation of the last letter of the word bugs the hell out of me as did the whole dance around "Chain Smoke" with the contestants having to supply every form of the freaking word.

I share the same sentiment as Chris; I too really wished that I'd come to like it. So much for that idea.
I don't hate this show, and I'll watch it for at least the rest of the week and hope that I warm up to it.

--Jamie

Matt Ottinger · « **Reply #2 on:** August 01, 2006, 11:20:14 PM »

I now take back all the bad things I ever said about how they're doing Lingo wrong.

Well, actually I don't, but at least now I know how much worse it could have been.

What's next? Eye Guess without hiding the answers? Three on a Match with two columns?

Pass the Buck with...well, actually, maybe I WOULD like to see how they'd change Pass the Buck.

cacLA8383 · « **Reply #3 on:** August 01, 2006, 11:40:06 PM »

[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'125955\' date=\'Aug 1 2006, 08:57 PM\']
Sorry. That betting round thing was the final straw. That round is SO broken. It encourages teams to bet low and then not get rewarded if they pull the answer out, and bet high when it's a gimme. It forces players to bet when they don't even want to guess. And more often than not it's going to set up anticlimactic situations like we had tonight.

And they actually found a way to get me not to care about Instant Reaction.

I really wanted to like it. The Cullen version of the show is one of my very favorite shows ever. This blows.
[/quote]

I'm with you on that, Chris. I'm also with you on the fact it just plain sucks.

Robert Hutchinson · « **Reply #4 on:** August 01, 2006, 11:50:10 PM »

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'125967\' date=\'Aug 1 2006, 11:20 PM\']Pass the Buck with...well, actually, maybe I WOULD like to see how they'd change Pass the Buck.
[/quote]
Give an unacceptable answer, and a buck tramples you.

weaklink75 · « **Reply #5 on:** August 01, 2006, 11:55:38 PM »

It's a C+ at best for me...

I agree with those who say they shouldn't be given the last letter of the words. That is just not right to do in a game like this.

The betting round makes no sense, as it forces a team that's behind to bet big early, and if they don't get the first word or two right off, they're done (I think I would have at least been OK with it if the final chain was just higher money for each word, like $400-$500-$600-$800-$1000...at least it makes the last few words important even if a team is way behind)..

The Speedchain makes a little sense, but you could done something like a betting round there to improve it (say, give the top and bottom word,then offer them the choice of going for $300 if they can get it with no extra letters, $200 for the first letter of one of the words (their choice), or $100 for the first letter of both words- and for the last one, double the money)

Now I always liked the bonus round format, but for just double or triple the money? They couldn't have made it $100 a correct answer, $15,000 for 10?

On the positive side, I do like the graphics, especially the "railroad station message" letters....and the host doesn't want to make me throw something at the TV....

Let's just hope some of the problems were just early taping bugs, and they ironed them out...I don't know though...

PYLW · « **Reply #6 on:** August 02, 2006, 12:12:12 AM »

Haha, I called it. It definitely doesn't translate well on television. Man, what a terrible game show. Dylan Lane is too hyper, the edits were terrible, the contestants were terrible, and I love the crowd shots. Did you notice? Not one smiling or laughing face. Basically, we all wanted to just leave at that point.

StarFace is so much better.

Adam Nedeff · « **Reply #7 on:** August 02, 2006, 12:12:30 AM »

[quote name=\'weaklink75\' post=\'125975\' date=\'Aug 1 2006, 11:55 PM\']
On the positive side, I do like the graphics, especially the "railroad station message" letters....
[/quote]

It's nice to see how far game show technology has come. Computer-generated Solari boards.

clemon79 · « **Reply #8 on:** August 02, 2006, 12:16:41 AM »

[quote name=\'PYLW\' post=\'125976\' date=\'Aug 1 2006, 09:12 PM\']
StarFace is so much better.
[/quote]
Holy damning with faint praise, Batman.

rebelwrest · « **Reply #9 on:** August 02, 2006, 12:30:36 AM »

It's a great game, but I wish the chains were like when Bob Stewart produced the show. I have to agree, the betting element is out of place. To take something from the USA episode, the last round would have the teams working together and deciding whether to take or give a letter to their opponents for $500 a word. The host is too stiff, this show should be a party atmosphere. I'll watch it but if nothing else is on, and I am trying to find better shows.

As an off topic thought, When the chain CRACK and MONSTER came up, I would have said a plumber.

cmjb13 · « **Reply #10 on:** August 02, 2006, 08:31:24 AM »

[quote name=\'PYLW\' post=\'125976\' date=\'Aug 2 2006, 12:12 AM\']
the contestants were terrible
[/quote]
After the show was over I couldn't help but think (and seriously, there's no hidden agenda based on my CR audition) "The team from Texas couldn't play worth a dime, but they look good so that's all that matters"

Don Howard · « **Reply #11 on:** August 02, 2006, 09:06:00 AM »

[quote name=\'Jimmy Fiono Coyne\' post=\'125958\' date=\'Aug 1 2006, 10:18 PM\']
Even Blake Emmons had more of a personality on the USA premiere than Dylan did tonight.
[/quote]
Further proof of how underrated he was. It's time to honor Blake!
As for this opening episode, I'll hold comment until a few more shows play to see how things fare when the host and crew are off their learning curves.

dmota104 · « **Reply #12 on:** August 02, 2006, 11:17:10 AM »

[quote name=\'Don Howard\' post=\'126013\' date=\'Aug 2 2006, 08:06 AM\']
Further proof of how underrated he was. It's time to honor Blake!
As for this opening episode, I'll hold comment until a few more shows play to see how things fare when the host and crew are off their learning curves.
[/quote]

I also will watch a few more shows and then review when ready. But, two problems I see...

\ Without spoiling for anyone who may have recorded CR and haven't watched, there was at least one instance where players guessed forms of a particular word and no second chances were offered. (For those who regularly watched the Canadian-based revival on Global or USA Network, you'll remember if a player guessed a form of the word, the judge would sound the Stewartian cuckoo bird and then Geoff/Blake would give the affected player a second chance. I'm sure the judge in the original series was just as lenient; I just can't remember an instance right now.) In other words, you had to be right on the money with a guess on CR 2K6 -- or it's nothing.

\ Other problem -- what happened to the days when a player called for a letter over/under (insert word here) and then the host would say something to the effect of "we can't give you the last letter"? When four letters are properly placed in a Lingo word and control goes to another team, Chuck and Shandi do not give the players a bonus letter.

FlashStash · « **Reply #13 on:** August 02, 2006, 11:50:20 AM »

[quote name=\'dmota104\' post=\'126026\' date=\'Aug 2 2006, 11:17 AM\']

\ Without spoiling for anyone who may have recorded CR and haven't watched, there was at least one instance where players guessed forms of a particular word and no second chances were offered. (For those who regularly watched the Canadian-based revival on Global or USA Network, you'll remember if a player guessed a form of the word, the judge would sound the Stewartian cuckoo bird and then Geoff/Blake would give the affected player a second chance. I'm sure the judge in the original series was just as lenient; I just can't remember an instance right now.) In other words, you had to be right on the money with a guess on CR 2K6 -- or it's nothing.

[/quote]

Just to clarify again, plural will be accepted for the singular, and vice versa...forms of the word must be exact.

FS

rialtus · « **Reply #14 on:** August 02, 2006, 03:20:31 PM »

[quote name=\'FlashStash\' post=\'126035\' date=\'Aug 2 2006, 10:50 AM\']Just to clarify again, plural will be accepted for the singular, and vice versa...forms of the word must be exact.[/quote]But only when the plural is formed by adding 's' or 'es' to the end of the word. Book and books are considered interchangable, but mouse and mice are not.