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Mafia 62: Tour D'Apolyton

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  • Mafia 62: Tour D'Apolyton

    Mafia 62: Tour D'Apolyton (Race of Death).


    The air was filled with the aroma of Gauloise and garlic and Camembert and bicycle oil. And it was also filled with the sound of the good natured banter between the riders and the teams as they gathered in the Apolyton ‘chat room’, prior to the race: The ‘Tour d’ Apolyton A virtual cycle race through all the lands of this esteemed site.

    The various participants were matched with famous riders past and present and the riders then rode in their sponsors team colours. Once started, to the riders it would be like a real cycle race.
    Before each stage the teams would prepare their strategy for the day and program it into the ‘cycletron’. This would reconcile the various race plans in real time, to produce the daily winners, their times and placings. Of course, the organisers of the race had prepared the circuit to include a few surprises.!

    However powerful the ‘cycletron’ was though, it was known to be prone to a number of in-game bugs. Adding an engine to the bike would be spotted easily by the ‘media circus’ and officials, accompanying the race, but it was thought there would be attempts to make use of other exploits.

    So for all intents and purposes, to the riders it would feel like a real race and yes they do have to pedal the bikes and wear the ‘total surround’ helmets.

    Floyd Landis was there with team Rah,with his long, lean, ferret lycra. He was busy applying extra water repellent to his fur suit. Francisco Cepeda certainly a high galibier rider, for team Sparrowhawk, was pacing about. He looked fearsome in his ogame crystal outfit with the battlecruiser logo. But he was a friendly enough soul and was chatting to Eugene Christophe of team Duke O’ York who looked dapper in his top hat and tails. Distinctive racing apparel indeed but a firm favourite with the crowds and it didn’t seem to impede his progress. Nevertheless he was fixated on checking his bike, every so often.

    Over near the wall mirror was Joop Zoetemelk of team Tuberski He was in an Olympic gold tight fitting suit and reading the race programme in double Dutch. But he was well respected by the other riders, even if they jibbing him for being a few seconds late. Then all eyes turned to watch Joane Somarriba of team Leirosa enter the room. She wore a striking silvery green and yellowy bronze outfit. The organizers were a little worried about the distractive nature of the VERY tight fitting lycra suit with the Chinese princess logo but decided the teams would be single minded in trying to win the race.

    Lance Armstrong for team LordShiva entered the chat room and there was a spontaneous round of applause. You don’t get to win the Tour de France a record seven consecutive times, without being someone special. Lance is known to fully analyze and ride key parts of the upcoming Tour course beforehand, so many would have spotted team LordShiva around many parts of the Apolyton circuit already, several times.

    Eddy Merckx riding for team Rasputin may have felt a bit annoyed that his five Tour de France wins was surpassed but times and circumstances were different and so he and Miguel Indurain (also a five time winner), for team Adagio were comparing changes in technology and riding styles when they were joined by Bernard Hinault ( a five time winner as well) for team Jonny . Miguel Indurain on the bike, seemed never to struggle or lose his composure. That, along with his quiet nature, led some to characterize him as an extra-terrestrial or a robot but he just laughed and Bernard Hinault laughing added that he was once known as the Badger. ‘That’s an extraordinary coincidence’ said Miguel Indurain. And they looked at him surprised.

    ‘ I was the first to win it five times’ chimed in Jacques Anquetil as he and team Spaced Cowboy joined the ‘five time’ winners group. ‘And I’ll get the Yellow Jersey on day one’ he added. Actually thought the ‘fivers’ club, you might well do so.

    ‘Hey’ said Greg LeMond ‘don’t forget about me. I won it three times and then had that unfortunate turkey shooting incident’. Team Ben Kenobi was thrilled
    to have Greg as their top rider in the team.

    ‘And Miguel, don’t forget I stopped your winning run’ pointed out Bjarne Riis for team Nikolai .’if it hadn’t been for that crash ,who knows’.

    ‘Don’t ignore me ‘ said Louison Bobet the first ever to win the race three times in succession. And his team sponsor Will9 agreed. And not many did ignore him: the most striking feature of Bobet the man rather than rider was his ambition to behave like a Hollywood matinée idol, a sort of David Niven character in a dinner suit. A rival to Duke O’ York perhaps.

    Just then Silvère Maes representing team Whoha came through the doors and joined the ‘2 and 3’ wins group. ‘As usual you are late’ chipped Bjarne Riis.

    ‘My, this is some elite gathering’ said the race organizer MC. ‘ a huge welcome to riders and teams. I know this is a unique race but for now just relax. The race begins tomorrow. We in Apolyton are delighted to see you participate.’ ‘May the best team win’.

    With that the official opening proceedings ended and the riders and team started to retire to their private quarters.

    The race will commence at 09.00 hours/ heures.

    Slowly the smell in the atmosphere changed from musty cigarette, assertive gooseberry wine and signature cheese aromas to springy/flowery neutral scents. The race was on.
    Last edited by Hercules; February 13, 2007, 20:19.
    On the ISDG 2012 team at the heart of CiviLIZation

  • #2
    And now to sort out a table. The Mafia have been notified.
    Last edited by Hercules; February 13, 2007, 20:16.
    On the ISDG 2012 team at the heart of CiviLIZation

    Comment


    • #3
      Team Nikolai FTW!
      Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.-Isaiah 41:10
      I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made - Psalms 139.14a
      Also active on WePlayCiv.

      Comment


      • #4
        Great story, and some nice gags.

        I'll probably regret saying this, but I have a feeling this race will be lots of fun. Good choice of riders for those who didn't in the sign-up thread.

        Comment


        • #5
          Ha. my team will join the 6 times winners circle soon enough !!!
          GM of MAFIA #40 ,#41, #43, #45,#47,#49-#51,#53-#58,#61,#68,#70, #71

          Comment


          • #6
            The Prologue – Civ2

            The next day all the riders were in peak condition and ready for the race.

            ‘What about the jerseys’ asked Miguel. ‘what about dem’ said Joop.
            ‘Vell vous know’ responded Bernard, ‘who gets to wear le Rainbow, la Yellow, le Green et la Polka Dot et are we including le ‘Blanc’ et ‘la Pink’ et ‘ Prix de combate’

            ‘Sacre Bleu’ shouted Greg, ‘do we need this’

            ‘Oui’ said Bernard simply and so did Jacques.

            So after heated discussion and negotiation it was decided to hold a Prologue race to determine who could get to wear which jersey. Francisco Cepeda just yawned. Some of the others were just imagining Joane in any coloured jersey.

            ‘Right’ said Ming, ‘ here’s the rules.
            Prologues comprise a few minutes of individual, high-speed pedaling for every cyclist in the field. Winners of the brief event (it's always shorter than 100 turns) claim race leadership for the first official opening stage the following day, and in this race, the determination of who earns the right to wear the competition classification jerseys.

            So off they went, one by one, at timed one minute intervals. From the riders point of view in the ‘surround helmet’ gear, this was a race against the road conditions and the clock. Essentially there are 3 strategies: flat out from the start and hope momentum carries you through; or steady consistent paced measured riding; or steady start but save something for final sprint.

            It turned out most riders had not visited the Civ2 forum route before, so awarding the jerseys was not so difficult as anticipated.

            Bear with me as I get the race table sorted.
            On the ISDG 2012 team at the heart of CiviLIZation

            Comment


            • #7
              Code:
              code:
              mafia
              Last edited by Hercules; February 16, 2007, 16:27.
              On the ISDG 2012 team at the heart of CiviLIZation

              Comment


              • #8
                The race starts proper next.
                On the ISDG 2012 team at the heart of CiviLIZation

                Comment


                • #9
                  Day 2 Stage 1: Bush wacked

                  Next day the contestants arrived in the Apolyton chat room for the start of the race proper. This would be a 144.5km run through the landscape of Civ 3 and take approximately 3 hr 50 minutes. It is mostly a flat run through a standard size 70% Ocean, continents and 5 billion years with a temperate climate.

                  The riders entered their race plans into the Cycletron and donned the helmets. First out was Sylvère Maes, his plan was simple: get to the front as soon as possible and stay there. He also brought his puncture kit with him, even though his virtual support team could easily exchange bikes if need be. He had learnt from experience and a puncture had once cost him valuable seconds.

                  Close behind was Jacques Anquetil. He was famous for preparing for races by staying up all night before drinking and playing cards. And preparation for this race was no different. His game plan was stay up with the leaders and then sprint past them in the final kilometre. Bernard Hinault felt in control. Not for him a knees ups, he needed those knees for the high gears. His tactics was to ride an aggressive race, which he insisted was to deter and demoralize their rivals.

                  Joop Zoetemelk was strong, his rivals knew that: he did possess grit and determination even after he suffered a fractured skull. Like Jacques he preferred to ride in the slip stream of the champions and then nip in front near the finish. Greg Lemond’s plan was ingenious: don’t win any stage but always finish in the top three of each days racing. There was no love lost between Greg and the other riders and he never denied that.

                  Taking the novelty of the race in his stride was Eddy Merckx. Eddy feared no-one and in truth they feared him. His nickname was the ‘cannibal’ because he refused to ride tactically. He preferred to go flat out at all times. Often he would have his friend Lance round for lunch. Miguel Indurain’s big advantage, he felt, was a physique that was not only superior to average people, but also compared to his fellow athletes. His blood had the ability to circulate 7 litres of oxygen around his body per minute. But in one race he did admit his legs felt like wood.

                  There was no doubt about Joane Somarriba’s plan in this race with the boys. Keep them behind her and her team. It was a good plan. She hoped the other riders would be watching her team and she could escape from the ‘peloton’.

                  There was a Francisco Cepeda who was a missionary among the Indians of Mexico but this Francisco Cepeda intended to keep his head down and well protected. He had the most basic strategy of all: survive the race. Bjarne Riis on the otherhand planned to copy what had brought him success before. Stay with the pack then go on a solo breakaway about 30kms from the finish. But also taking care with his elbow and knee injuries.

                  Floyd Landis needed no excuses, he knew what he had to do. He has the reputation as a strong climber and hoped, over the course of the tour, to gain advantage in the mountains. Once when young, Landis showed up wearing sweatpants because his religion forbade wearing shorts, but that wasn’t the case now.

                  Eugene Christophe just hoped he wouldn’t be unlucky again. He carried with him three puncture repair kits and his back up team had several replacement bikes and bike forks. No more for him, eternal second. Eugene looked with a kind of envy at Louison Bobet but did not envy Louison’s trouble with saddle sores, which plagued his career and made riding a misery. A bum deal that. So Louison’s plan was to end the misery each day.


                  Last to mount his bike was Lance Armstrong. Lance knew he was the one for the others to beat. He had an extremely high aerobic threshold and therefore could maintain a higher cadence (often 120 rpm) in a lower gear than his competitors. Because the leg muscles are taxed less with a high cadence pedaling style, they recover faster and the efforts can be sustained for longer periods of time. He felt supremely confident and had even carried his comb for his trademark sitting up in the saddle ‘combing his hair’ finish.

                  For all of the riders their game plans through the fields of Civ3 countryside, with the bonus wine resources, were going, well, according to plan. Lance had just crested a medium category hill, when out of the blue, a Charrolais Cow (a bonus resource) appeared in his path. Being who he was, Lance swerved sharply to the left. Unfortunately to the left there was nothing but a sharp 300metre drop. They found Lance in Bushes at the bottom. His race was over.

                  ‘Mon Dieu’ said the Tour Director and immediately stopped the race. Rider’s points and timings were noted. How had this awful ‘accident’ happened.

                  In the chat room, the Tour director, said some one of the riders must have infiltrated a worm or something into Cycletron when submitting their race plans. Eddy proposed that the remaining riders would have to deal with this scandal, themselves, before continuing. He proposed that they reflect on the race events and then nominate who they believed had ended Lance’s career.
                  Last edited by Hercules; February 15, 2007, 10:41.
                  On the ISDG 2012 team at the heart of CiviLIZation

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Back tomorrow.
                    On the ISDG 2012 team at the heart of CiviLIZation

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Second time in two games
                      THEY!!111 OMG WTF LOL LET DA NOMADS AND TEH S3D3NTARY PEOPLA BOTH MAEK BITER AXP3REINCES
                      AND TEH GRAAT SINS OF THERE [DOCTRINAL] INOVATIONS BQU3ATH3D SMAL
                      AND!!1!11!!! LOL JUST IN CAES A DISPUTANT CALS U 2 DISPUT3 ABOUT THEYRE CLAMES
                      DO NOT THAN DISPUT3 ON THEM 3XCAPT BY WAY OF AN 3XTARNAL DISPUTA!!!!11!! WTF

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Methinks Cannibal Eddy has had Lance for lunch for the final time.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          I blame you, since you did this last time too
                          THEY!!111 OMG WTF LOL LET DA NOMADS AND TEH S3D3NTARY PEOPLA BOTH MAEK BITER AXP3REINCES
                          AND TEH GRAAT SINS OF THERE [DOCTRINAL] INOVATIONS BQU3ATH3D SMAL
                          AND!!1!11!!! LOL JUST IN CAES A DISPUTANT CALS U 2 DISPUT3 ABOUT THEYRE CLAMES
                          DO NOT THAN DISPUT3 ON THEM 3XCAPT BY WAY OF AN 3XTARNAL DISPUTA!!!!11!! WTF

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            hmm , no boviosus clues there. (as there shouldnt be in round 1)

                            so as the guilty normally vote first or last (experience there folks from many games of GMing )

                            I hereby vote for the DukeoYork team. after all anyone wearing topat and coattails to a bike race is very suspicious.
                            GM of MAFIA #40 ,#41, #43, #45,#47,#49-#51,#53-#58,#61,#68,#70, #71

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Random first vote goes to Nikolai... without clues it has to be random
                              This space is empty... or is it?

                              Comment

                              • Working...
                                X
                                Rider Team Leadership Board
                                1. Floyd Landis Rah Yellow. 0.00
                                2. Lance Armstrong LordShiva 0.00
                                3. Joop Zoetemelk Tuberski 0.00
                                4. Eddy Merckx Rasputin Rainbow 0.00
                                5. Miguel Indurain Adagio 0.00
                                6. Greg LeMond Ben Kanobi 0.00
                                7. Bernard Hinault Jonny 0.00
                                8. Louison Bobet will9 0.00
                                9. Eugene Christophe Duke O’York Polka Dot 0.00
                                10.Francisco Cepeda Sparrowhawk Green 0.00
                                11. Joane Somarriba Leirosa 0.00
                                12. Jacques Anquetil Spaced Cowboy 0.00
                                13. Bjarne Riis Nikolai White 0.00
                                14.Silvère Maes whoha 0.00