The Amazing Online Race…
My family busied themselves in the living room, knowing that the two-hour-long task I was about to undertake would require my full and total concentration. I sat nervously at my keyboard, anxiously awaiting an instant message from a stranger I had never met or even spoken with. For the third time, I needlessly rechecked my Trillian instant messaging client, verifying that its chatting functions still… well… functioned. I leaned back in my chair and glanced at the lights on my DSL modem, confirming the green status light that indicated a solid Internet connection. The inability to receive electronic messages in the next few minutes would mean disqualification and subsequent elimination.
I was nervously awaiting the start of the fifth season of The Amazing Online Race.
An unauthorized knockoff of the CBS primetime smash hit, The Amazing Race, this simulated version was created and hosted by an unknown face on the Internet known simply as Robert. A random search on Google had originally led me to his site, where I filled out an application much simpler than that required for the CBS version — I should know! A few days later, I received an email from Robert containing a list of 25 team names on which mine, Team Tango, was listed. I made it! Experience led Robert to accept 25 teams, knowing that only half would show up to the actual race. Turns out he was right, and 14 people shared my plight, eagerly awaiting the drop of the flag, emoting droll insights such as “im gunna suck at this” and “american idol is ggaayy”.
At 7:54 p.m. EST, the moderator told the chat room attendees to be quiet, a sign that the first clue was to presented. As is typical in any crowd where the majority of people are in middle and high school, the room erupted into a myriad of shouted comments, with others yelling “shush” and “quiet!!!” Four minutes later, Robert posted the first URL to go to. We were off!
I quickly clicked on the link, and a Route Info card popped up onscreen, similar to that seen on the CBS series. In fairness to the creator of the online series who has chosen to use the same clues for the next several seasons, I will not reveal his actual hints. I frantically followed the instructions on two subsequent sets of Route Info cards, and then received my first Detour, a choice between two online games. At this point, I lacked the knowledge that some of the 14- and 17-year-olds had in that I had never played these games. Later, one of them told me via chat that he already knew that one of the games was faster, so he chose that path. Three frustrating attempts later at what turned out to be the more difficult game, I completed it, leading me to a Roadblock wherein I was required to quickly race through a series of fast Route Info cards. Accurate typing skills were paramount! The first leg was complete, the game going so fast that I never found out what place I was in at the end of the round.
After a short four-minute break, the next URL popped up in an instant message. Three more Route Info markers later, I ran into the next Detour, a choice between a puzzle and a confusing 3D-style maze built of huge blocks. Initially, I chose the puzzle, not realizing, of course, that it was broken and that the instructions were missing, one of dozens of errors and mistakes found throughout the game, increasing the challenge and the heavy reliance on luck. Rapidly changing my course of action, I zoomed through the maze, hitting the odd deadend or two on my way. A quick Roadblock and a few Route Info cards later, I experienced the “travel” portion of the game, mandating a one-minute delay before obtaining the next clue. Of course, I looked at the HTML and figured out the location of the next clue and gained 30 seconds or so. I stepped on the virtual Pitstop Mat in fourth place. My inability to complete the first task quickly had cost me dearly! I had to catch up!
Another agonizing four minutes passed, and I received the next clue to begin leg 3. Two Route Info markers, then the next Roadblock popped up. This one involved downloading free demo software and reading words on specific screens to get the answer. Fortunately, my DSL connection gave me a good leg up over the 56Kers, but tied me up with the other DSLers and those with cable modems. Only moments later, I was at the Pitstop Mat. “You are doing good!”, Robert said to me in a private chat. Number three!
After a fast four-minute intermission, a predictable length by this time, the next clue popped up. One, two, three Route Info tasks to complete, then the Detour offered me a choice of games to play. As if I was in a complicated maze where you can usually choose the same direction in which to turn to eventually get out, I always chose the first option. Two attempts, and I was through! This Roadblock was an elimination one, making the wrong choice meant you were out, a decision made purely by chance. Fortunately, I chose correctly and moved on to the next series of Route Info cards. Too fast, this time, to dally around getting my score. I moved on as fast as possible.
I was on leg 5, the final stretch. I knew I had made up a lot of ground during the last several rounds. Four more insanely fast Route Info markers, and I was ready for the final Detour. This time I went against my previous pattern and picked the second option, which turned out to be the best Detour decision yet made. Completing that led me to a whole new puzzle that would have cost too much precious time to solve properly. Poking around in the HTML gave me the answer I needed, and I knew I was rounding the corner to the finish line. At 9:38 p.m., only an hour and forty-four minutes after the race had begun, I was on my last task. I was ecstatic; the task involved a piece of software, the basics of which I was already familiar, and I had successfully tested this particular program just minutes before the start of the race because I had an inkling that it would be required. No one had completed one of the online races in less than three hours!
Alas, through no fault of my own, after sixteen minutes of waiting for the software to make the required connection, I learned that I had arrived at the final Pitstop Mat only to be crowned second. The player who arrived first, Team Viper, had beat me by almost fifteen minutes, and I had beat the third place team by only a few undetermined minutes. That meant, of course, that while my software was stuck in limbo mode, unable to obtain a proper connection to the final destination, another team snuck in around me a full minute after I should have arrived to see the black-and-white checkered flag first!
Five players completed the race, two dropped out, one was eliminated, and the remaining teams never finished.
No prize. No fame. No glory.
And yet, I had to change my shirt, I had sweat so much. What a fun evening!
Hey there, Richard! Just letting ya know, good article, but I’m sorry for sneaking into first, lol! Keep up the cool site!!