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Category Connect 4
SOS' new team challenge

Did you enjoy Book Shelf Bingo? Interested in trying out a new team challenge? Join us for Category Connect 4!

IMPORTANT: This challenge will move quickly since we'll all be playing on the same board. Because of that, members who choose to play should be 110% sure they are willing and able to read one book a week before signing up.

How to Play:

[The Basics]

TEAMS ~ There will be 4 players per team. Members who sign-up, will be put into teams using . Each team will have their own team thread, where they will be required to share their book choices, as well as post their completed book read date, rating and review. You are welcome to chat about whatever you'd like with your team, get to know each other better and HAVE FUN!

CHIPS ~ Each team will have a different colored chip.

GAME BOARD ~ There will be ONE game board for this challenge. The board will be posted on it's own thread where all teams can view it at any time. Each team's chip color will be listed below it, for quick reference of team statuses.

[Game Play]

BOOK CHOICE ~ Instead of shelves, this challenge will be using categories (hence the game's name "Category Connect 4"). The categories will be exactly like normal reading challenge categories (eg: book with red cover; star on cover; character who's a shifter; etc)

Categories will be announced once a week.

Whenever a book cover category is announced, all members must share the cover of their book choice to show that it meets the requirement.

As with Book Shelf Bingo, all members are required to post the date their book was read, rating given and review upon completion of their book choice. As soon as all team members have done that, your team can choose where to place your chip.

CHIP PLACEMENT ~ Once every member of the team has read, rated and reviewed their book, team members will decide, as a group, where they'd like to place their chip.

On the board thread, each team's captain will post where they'd like to 'drop their chip' (eg: B3) and I will update the board graphic accordingly.

How to Win:
The first team with 4-in-a-row WINS! :D



Please feel free to ask any questions here. I've created a separate thread for those that wish to sign-up.

Start of the game will be determined soon. I'm aiming for sometime in June. But, it will depend on how much interest we have and how long the add'l prep takes to complete. I'll create an group event and update this thread as soon as the start date is determined.

Let the questions begin ...
I have no doubt this sounds much easier in my head than "on paper", but hopefully you can envision how it will go.

Throw out any questions you have and we'll make sure everyone has a clear picture before signing up and starting the game.

It sounds like fun! Doesn't sound all that hard....just have to make sure to read fast! LOL And get someone good at strategy to decide where to place the chips......that ain't me!

:) Thanks, Cindy. Yep! It'll need a chess thinkin' mind and same as you -- that's not me. :) Here's hopin' someone on my team will be!

I think I understand everything pretty well. Let me see if I understand this though. So we can choose as a team where to put our chip when we we've all read/rated/reviewed our books. So we can put a chip where another team has a possible chance to get 4-in-a-row to...sabotoge them?

Yep! ;)

I'm working on the game board/chip choice page now. That's where one member from each team will post their team's chip placement when all members have RR&R'd their book for the week.

Chip placement posts can only be made on this page after all members have RR&R'd. Members are free to chat about it on their team thread prior to that though.

So, even though categories will only be posted once a week, chips will be placed as team's finish that week's books. Just like they did for their bingo stamps. Only this time, with this game, time will be more critical (as you've guessed).

To be fair, the chips will be placed in the order the posts were made. So, in the event that I can't log on one day, I'll see the order as posted when I am able to update the board.


Make sense?

Yes ma'am! I am so evil, already thinking about how I can keep another team from getting 4-in-a-row.

Lethal as...the Devil.

LMAO!! >;)

I've already got some team names for certain colors. Wonder which one I'll get?


Who wants to play with me? JOIN US!
.... sending out psychic vibes to all SOSers ....

Hey Steph! Sounds real fun! And easier to find books for it, if it's no shelves! I have a question though: I might just be blind, but have you stated when it will start? I really can't find it. I just want to be sure it's when I'm graduated (or real close), otherwise I guess I'll just have to be a lurker again for a while... :)

Thanks, Rebecca. :) Nope, no shelves. You'll pick your books by using the category named weekly. Just like a regular reading challenge.

The start date hasn't been set yet. I'm waiting a bit for people to have a chance to read over everything, ask questions and sign-up. We're aiming for sometime in June.

Hope you can join us. If not, we always love to have cheerleaders. Good luck w/school! :)

I hope I can join! Will definitely cheer otherwise, lol. I graduate the third week in June, so it's kinda in the middle of it all, but the grades should all be done this month! So that'll technically make me free. ;)

I'll wait some more and see! I should know if I'm done around this week. Thanks. :)

NP :) Good luck w/school!

Thanks!

I applaud your evil genius! Seriously, it really sounds like fun and being able to sabotage makes it even better! LOL :) It sure sounds like the making of an interesting and fun challenge!

Sounds like fun. I'm in!

Will we get to see the possible categories before hand so we can make sure we have something on hand? I would also like to know because I don't read Horror for example and don't want to have to read one for this. I don't want to let my team down because I don't have an "orange" book on hand and it's called and I can't get one from the library fast enough.

Steph, you mention 'drop their chip', so I'm assuming it's just like Connect Four, where, because of gravity, your chip placement has to be the bottommost available spot in a column, right? If not, if we can pick anywhere, just ignore me. :)

I'm intrigued by this. I've been wanting to join on the bingo fun!

But I have a question...how long do you think the game will last? I usually go on vacation in August and I think this has the potential to last a few months.

Actually that's a good point DG. Maybe each team can have 5 members so that if 1 is on vacation, there would be coverage - if 4/5 people finish - then you would get your chip.

For the category reads, does it have to be a UF/PNR series book to qualify or does any book that fits the category (regardless of genre) work?

Mary wrote: "Will we get to see the possible categories before hand so we can make sure we have something on hand? I would also like to know because I don't read Horror for example and don't want to have to rea..."

The full list of categories that will be randomized for the wkly announcements will not be shared. BUT, you can pop over to the category list examples thread to get an idea of what will be used. I've pulled from the list everyone put together + added a few others (which I think will be easy enough for everyone).

The colored covers category will be flexible. So, if 'orange cover' is announced and you have one that looks like this or even they'd be ok. As long as the majority of color on the cover is the color named it'd be ok.

There are many other categories besides color though. I tried to limit colors to ones that were most predominate in these genres. In fact, there are only six colors listed (out of 64 categories) and no orange. ;)

Laura Lulu wrote: "Steph, you mention 'drop their chip', so I'm assuming it's just like Connect Four, where, because of gravity, your chip placement has to be the bottommost available spot in a column, right? If not,..."

Yep! Exactly! It'll work just like the original game. So, chips will "fall" to open slot in the column. But, I'll ask that the rep from each team still state exactly which spot they wish there chip to be placed by using the 8-1 a-h markings. Mainly just to make sure I'm placing the chip in the right spot. Of course, they'll only be able to play in the bottommost spot, as you've mentioned, so if they pick a spot above that it wouldn't count.

Does that make sense?

D.G. ~Saucy Vixen~ wrote: "I'm intrigued by this. I've been wanting to join on the bingo fun!

But I have a question...how long do you think the game will last? I usually go on vacation in August and I think this has the pot..."

DG I hope you'll join us! There's no telling how long it'll last. But, I can say that R2 of Bingo went from 6 Mar - 22 May. This game should go a lot faster than that considering a team only needs 4 in a row to win and chips will be placed weekly. Of course, if we have a bunch of strategically thinking people who are good at blocking, it could last a bit.

AH wrote: "Actually that's a good point DG. Maybe each team can have 5 members so that if 1 is on vacation, there would be coverage - if 4/5 people finish - then you would get your chip."

Since we're getting into summer and vacation time for many people, we may allow chip placement after all but one member of each team has read, rated & reviewed their book. I'll get back to ya on that one.

Diane ~Firefly~ wrote: "For the category reads, does it have to be a UF/PNR series book to qualify or does any book that fits the category (regardless of genre) work?"

I know some people are gettin' burnt out on PNR/UF. I don't want people to avoid the game because they don't want to read those genres. SO ... I'll accept a book in any genre, as long as it meets the category requirement.

That being said, some of the categories are going to be such that only a PNR/UF book would fit. (EX: character type - vampire or genre - UF)

I'm still thinking.

I'm just worried that I won't have a book that fits when it's called. Let me look at that list a bit and decide.

Re: how long the game will last--look at it this way:

There are 64 slots on the entire board. If we have, for example, eight teams, it will take 8 weeks to fill the entire board. Which we probably won't be doing. Eight teams = 8 chips per week, 8 chips x 8 weeks =64. Voila. :)

As of right now, we have 21 yeses and 3 maybes. If those 3 maybes play, we have 24 players. 24 players is 6 teams of 4. So as of right now, with 24 players, it would take 10.5 weeks to fill the entire board.

Mary wrote: "I'm still thinking.

I'm just worried that I won't have a book that fits when it's called. Let me look at that list a bit and decide."

Totally up to you. Don't stress, hun, remember it's just a game and should be fun for all. We'll have another round of BSB later in the year. You could wait 'til then, since you now know what to expect w/it. AND, if CC4 goes well, we'll have a R2 of it at some point.

Laura Lulu wrote: "Re: how long the game will last--look at it this way:

There are 64 slots on the entire board. If we have, for example, eight teams, it will take 8 weeks to fill the entire board. Which we probably..."

LOL! I love how your mind works! I'm sure we won't fill the entire board. We'll have some strategical plays, but eventually someone will hit the winning spot. I'd imagine that'll happen before the whole board is full. But, that's just a guess.

I know we won't fill the entire board, silly. I'm just saying, if we filled the board, it would take this many weeks, so that's the absolute longest the game could take. For those worrying about vacays and such. :)

My question is - what happens if we get so good at sabotaging everyone, no-one wins?

Cause I can see that happening. LOL

Hehehe. I was teh QUEEN of sabotage in Tic-tac-toe.

Oh! Are re-reads allowed? Forgive me if that question has already been answered.

AH wrote: "Actually that's a good point DG. Maybe each team can have 5 members so that if 1 is on vacation, there would be coverage - if 4/5 people finish - then you would get your chip."

Steph wrote: "I'll get back to ya on that one."

Answer: ALL members of the team must read, rate and review their book before the team's chip can be placed.

@LLL ~ LOL! I know. :)

@Sandra ~ LOL! That certainly could happen. Hope it doesn't though.

@Lethal ~ LOL!! Ya'll are crackin' me up! :D

Yes, re-reads are allowed.

Hmm, If I play, I kinda want to be on Lethal's team because all her plotting scares me a little...

Yay! I'm in, though I'll have to get my book ordering sorted out quickly.

Vivian wrote: "Hmm, If I play, I kinda want to be on Lethal's team because all her plotting scares me a little..."

Muhahaha!

Right?! LOL! ;)

To show a cover in your post, click on "add book/author" at the top of the "comment" box. On the pop-up screen, click the "cover" button at the bottom, and type the book name at the top. Then, click on the cover for your book. If you don't see "your" edition, click on the "other edition" button below the "add" button next to your book. It's actually pretty easy once you give it a try!

Good luck!

Give that a try, Jessica and let us know if you have any problems gettin' it to work. You can test it here, if you want, then delete your message (or leave it). :)

LOL...feel like I'm playing "tag" with Steph!

You're it!

Now you are!

No, you!

I'd like to give this a try! I'll need help but this sounds like fun!

@Steph, no, seriously, it's you!

@Suzanne~great! It's fun, and everyone is super-helpful!

Suzanne--pop on over to the sign up thread, there's one spot left! :)

http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/5...

AHHH!!!! I'm so excited! Is June here yet?

LethalLovely~Perving Ain't Easy, Baby wrote: "AHHH!!!! I'm so excited! Is June here yet?"

Next week!!!