Snakes and Ladders

[radegund]

We played Snakes and Ladders this afternoon, on a board that I drew and the Oyster coloured (he is all about making games at the moment).

We couldn't find any dice. So we played without one. We mimed rolling and throwing, and then declared what number had come up.

Nobody went down any snakes - though we had a few lucky escapes :-) The odd thing was, we only went up one ladder each. Both of us, apparently deliberately (well, definitely in my case!), passed up the opportunity to land on a ladder at least once.

The Oyster won. But only just. He got to 98, then kept rolling more than he needed to get to 100 (we were playing the rule that you have to turn and come back if you have jumps left over), until I was up in the 90s. He won eventually, and then we played on until I reached 100.

I'm fascinated by how the Oyster acted given that we both knew, from the outset, that he was going to win. Our agreement was unspoken, admittedly, but nonetheless inviolable. I expected him to roll a series of sixes, or at least to roll numbers that would take him up ladders whenever he could. But not a bit of it. I think he was more concerned with realism than with victory. And he didn't want to trounce me, either.

---

I'm reading Alfie Kohn's No Contest: The Case Against Competition at the moment. Provoking of much thought. Perhaps when I've finished it I'll be able to make better sense of our Snakes and Ladders game.

Comments

[pisica.livejournal.com]

We couldn't find any dice.

...neither you nor Niall are recovering roleplayers??

Anyway, it sounds like a fun game! :)

[radegund.livejournal.com]

Ahahahaha! Good point!

No.

I should have said the Oyster couldn't find any of the three D6es we had knocking around.

And I had NO desire to point him at the actual, as such, dice box. Because that way madness lies.

[natural20.livejournal.com]

But... dice are wonderful and can do no ill! Apart from d4s obviously. But wow, that really is amazing, it just... well, as you know, I have a passing interest in games and I'm bowled over that he played like that. It's intriguing in the extreme!

[radegund.livejournal.com]

Ha. Yeah, dice are wonderful and can do no ill until the entire box of them is either (a) upended all over the slidey new floor and MUGGINS HERE has to pick them all up again because - in the immortal words of the three-year-old Oyster - "children have Mamas"; or (b) gradually eroded, die by die, for various arcane purposes, until there are none left when we need them.

But yes, very, very interesting behaviour, innit. We shall be watching his progress closely.

[natural20.livejournal.com]

But that's what dice are for! Er, right, ok, real answers, yeah point a) true and awkward, however point b) happens, it is the way of dice, never shall it change, sadly. Dice aren't permanent possessions, merely transitory pieces of plastic that come into your life, are random, then leave.

[pisica.livejournal.com]

I'm guessing from your username you have extensive experience of b). :)

*goes to reload Cthulhu icon that was cut when I lost my paid account*

[pisica.livejournal.com]

Hmmm. Madness? I have round d6s, and a d12 with Japanese characters, and a friend has a d6 that has a five on every surface... ;)

[ailbhe]

I will be *fascinated* to hear more about the competitiveness thing. I think part of perfectionism is competitiveness against *oneself* (tired, may be clumsy phrasing, not sure) and would *love* to hear more of what you're learning through reading that book.

[radegund.livejournal.com]

I shall report back :-)

[mollydot.livejournal.com]

I suppose it's boring if you get a six every time.