The Amazing Online Race

A Review of The Race

As you all know, the Amazing Online Race is not like any other online reality games. This is in real time and it happens within 2 hours. And with those 2 confusing, frustrating and invigorating hours the whole season is done. There are no episodes but there are legs, there are no losers but there is a winner.

The race started in an AOL chat room when 6 teams were online. The race accepted 25 applicants but only 13 joined. Just enough, with two extra players to start the race. Players were so excited to start that they can't wait. They were typing and saying something every second because of excitement. They were cooperative because when I said that the race is going to start and asked them to keep quiet, they did. Finally, the go signal was about to be given. A new season to start. A past season to end. New players. New winners, but an undetermined first placer. Before the race starts, Team Pollo asked me, what if we loose the clue? Will you give it to us? I said "No! You have to ask it from another player" I can't help any player because I am the host and I want to have a fair game. I said, "Players, get the AIM screen name of other players so you can ask them for clues if you miss one". But sadly, Team Pollo did not listen instead he did nothing.

The most waited go signal was given and all dashed to the first clue. They all left the AIM chat room once they read the first clue, the players got more than what they expected from this race. That’s what makes them enjoy the race. The players dashed through leg 1 and Team BeeBee was the first one to be on the pit stop. Just after that, I received an Instant Message from Team Pollo. He lost his clue. I can't give it to him. I asked him if he has some screen names of other players but he had none. Instead of giving him the clue he lost, I gave him the first clue in the race so he started all over again (what a bad start). Team Pollo, if you are reading this, this is not intended to humiliate you or anything but to remind you of what you and the other players have done.

The players got stuck in leg 2 because of challenges. They were confusing but fun. Because of this frustration and confusion, Teams begin to quit one by one. One by one they dropped off and stopped the game. “It was so much fun but I had to quit. I’m stuck in this leg forever”, one player told me. As teams quit, one team managed to reach the first of five pit stops awaiting them. Team BeeBee pushed through and some players followed. But their happy times are not yet ending. It’s just the first leg. What about the rest?

Leg 2 started. Some got off from the pit stop and some haven’t arrived yet. Players begin to be so much confused than ever. But this is what it’s all about. Confusion. As they set forth to this new leg of the race, Team BeeBee, the winner, managed to push through again and got at the pit stop first. He was the only one there and he was also the only one who departed from the pit stop after the annoying 10 minute wait.

Leg 3. Team BeeBee was the star of the show. He managed to reach this leg and yet, he was very curious on what place in the race he would be in.

Leg 4 was started by Team BeeBee and the other players were still in leg 2. Stuck, doing the confusing challenges and just can’t cross the pit stop. Finally, one made it to the pit stop of leg 2. Team Slithy. But too late, team BeeBee was far before them. Then Team BeeBee arrived Leg 5. Team BeeBee dramatically slowed down in leg 5 and was there for quite some time. Players are catching up but they are too late. Team BeeBee was about to cross the finish line. The Amazing Online Race winner, Team BeeBee. He came in first place and dramatically finished the whole race of The Amazing Online Race. He did all the confusing challenges and overcame them. He was the fastest player yet to complete this whole race. He did it in less than 2 hours. Team BeeBee waited for the next arriving players while Team Tango, who got 2nd place last season, arrived and was there to congratulate the players. The teams arrive one by one with Team Slithy second followed by the others.

In what 13 players began, many quit, many suffered and only six (6) made it to the grand finish. They endured all the challenges and they finished with good spirits. When they were about to go, they asked, “can we join this game again?” But the answer was no. IT was hard to accept. Like the race.

Making The Race

The players took the race track the other players took before. They found it easy. Although I did not make any race track for this season, I improved the race by correcting certain errors in Route Markers (although I found some still) and reset some hit counters which counts the players in the pit stops and changed 1 detour task because the site that detour refers to is not available anymore.

Crossing the Finish Line

This was the first season most players crossed the finish line. 6 of them did it and 7 failed to do it. They all had fun as they said and you can find out how they crossed the finish line in the chat transcripts section. Thhe race is done, and thoughts boggle my mind, who will cross the finish line in Season 7? Who will win The Amazing Online Race next season?