Desert Bus

[JackSlack]

I have little else to add, except that my experience echoes that of TorachiKatashi. I've found this year to be almost wholly non-interactive. The challenges open for a minute thing is insanely frustrating; it's like the Ask LRR frustrations except exaggerated due to the number of people all fighting to get in.

In the end, I wound up submitting a 20 dollar challenge, it got accepted, and I paid it, and it looks like it'll never be done, because it was a few hours later by the time they got to it, and by then I'd gone to sleep.

I've really not enjoyed this Desert Bus, and I admit, my experiences almost completely mirror that of TorachiKatashi.

Edit: That said, Kathleen did just read out my little love note to Duckay. That made me smile. So there is that.

[Lavos]

Bill doesn't remember me anymore T______T

[nonjabiru]

For anybody that missed it, there's a Desert Bus app on the iTunes app store and Android marketplace. Features everything you've come to know and love from the original game. Best part, the developers of the app are giving all the money to Child's Play.

[Evil Jim]

Say, does someone have a list of all the contact email addresses relevant to desert bus? I can only remember contest@ & stuff@ & neither are appropriate to the donation issue I've run into.

[Avistew]

I believe there is contact@ and prize@ as well.

[tueidj]

About the iphone/android Desert Bus app: after last year's unoffical app we managed to get an official release in both the iOS app store and the android market. Unfortunately I was travelling for a few days before the start of DBFH5 and just got back to find Graham saying something along the lines of "why don't these people tell us about these cool things they make..." so whoops, my bad. But at least now the word is out and no doubt there will be a huge jump in sales which will be forwarded on as a donation at some point... hopefully a lot more than the $50 worth of sales we managed last year!

[Tapir12]

Say, does someone have a list of all the contact email addresses relevant to desert bus? I can only remember contest@ & stuff@ & neither are appropriate to the donation issue I've run into.

You could also try PMing King Kool since he has been checking the emails anyways, and he's there right now. (Warning, this advice might be completely invalid)

[Evil Jim]

Thanks! Kroze was actually kind enough to respond to my request for info & I've sent the letter to the appropriate address.

[Ringo803]

Newsbreak: Jenga is now the most intense game ever...

I can has Jenga highlight?

[Geoff_B]

I'm enjoying the parts I'm able to watch (which did not include the aforementioned Jenga - :'( ). This is my first Desert Bus so I have no previous experience to compare it to, although I can understand why they would limit challenges in the way they have - if they didn't they would be swamped and everybody would come away disappointed. And at the end of the day it is their event so they should have final say on what they do and do not do.

[Terminus]

Plus, again, this event is not about any of us. It's about charity.

[Geoff_B]

Plus, again, this event is not about any of us. It's about charity.

+1

[TheExemplar]

I also have enjoyed my experiences so far. I do have to admit that more craziness would not go amiss. But at the same time, it's kind of weirdly nice just to watch these supremely silly people interact with one another in an unscripted manner. Plus, Yahtzee's appearance was hilarious.

[the_lone_bard]

This years desertbus is still fun because it's desert bus.

But on the other hand, the auctions are less energetic and over the top like last years.

There is always so many people around that there is never any real down time, which is actually not that great of a thing because things stop being so special and it's alot less personal than last year when there were times when there was only 3-5 people around.

And yes, challenges are a big pain in the ass due to being open for all of 30 seconds at a time, and if you are so much as grabbing a drink you can miss the entire thing.

And i find that when the bids start flat-lining the crew is really just resorting to either opening challenges for another 30 seconds or throwing out a $5 challenge rather than last year when they were doing all sorts of crazy creative things.


That said, I'm still enjoying it, don't get me wrong.

[ad134]

DB5's Nun Fight by Paul and Storm:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKLMjQAEUn8

[TheExemplar]

DB5's Nun Fight by Paul and Storm:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKLMjQAEUn8

Exactly.

[Master Gunner]

I'm compiling a list of improvements for the challenge system for next year that I'll send to them when this is done (as well as test cases for the various systems). I'll also be including my resume and an offer to help with them, since hopefully with more eyes (and time between us), a more robust system can be created.

[ecocd]

How about dropping challenges entirely? It's clear now that Desert Bus has changed from its origins where it was people doing stupid things for charity with a few call-ins and a few auctions. Now it's primarily about the interviews, auctions-for-the-wealthy and giveaways. "Desert Bus 5" is a reboot, not a sequel.

I suggest we refer to Desert Bus 4 and previous as "Classic Desert Bus" and DB5 forward as "Modern Desert Bus."

To be clear, there's nothing wrong with Modern Desert Bus. This is how all of the telethons work on TV and they work incredibly well. I think the sooner we all accept that Desert Bus is now a commercial fundraiser, they happier we'll all be.

As such, next year, I suggest they set aside a night for dollar-backed challenges. Aside from that night, there will be no formal dollar-based challenges. Frankly, as a proportion of total money raised, the challenges just aren't worth the headaches, anymore. They can feel free to take requests from the audience during downtime for something to do, but the challenge system doesn't fit into Modern Desert Bus.

I would support them making this change this year. Please drop the challenges. They're alienating far more fans than they're pleasing.

[wolfflight]

Woot, Bus bought! Sweet app.

[empath]

Well, in the last couple of years it's REALLY gotten busy and feels kinda crowded, almost.

I dunno what it is, but it's like I have the opposite of ADD; as such, trying to remotely follow an IRC channel in four digits is just a recipe for a headache for me.

That, added to the time difference (all the cool stuff seems to happen after about 2am here, and when I get up at 8am it's still 'the graveyard shift') has made me 'cherry-pick' what I've been watching; I'll likely watch the heck out of the best clips that got recorded once the dust settles.

And, of course, having no money to spend until Dec.1 makes all these gorgeous and awesome auction items just an exercise in torment....urrr, big-box Planescape:Torment, with all those signatures...excuse me, I have to go get a fork and knife to dine on my own cardiac muscle now...

[Darkobra]

So. That Slashfic. Awesome.

[Keab42]

Congrats to Madrak on his challenge win.

[empath]

...yeah, there is THAT.

[TheExemplar]

"We shall NOT be testing myths on Buster."

[JustAName]

Slashfic, you say?