Itachi

OH, I feel bad for not taking my long time adoptee Nishikikaze. The problem is I've been following him long enough to know he doesn't tend to do well at that level. Well, congratulations to him and to those who supported him. Also, who did I take in the Hoshihikari bracket? I thought I was going to go for him... maybe it's just 20/20 hindsight kicking in... is that the Nakanokuni bracket?

Makushita Game: Standings Nagoya 2005 Position Sum Top 3 Shikona Top 3 wins Top 2 wins Top 1 wins Sum 1 1 Susanoo 11 9 5 25 2 2 Doitsuyama 11 7 5 23 3 10 Yubiquitoyama 8 7 6 21 4 5 Hamanoyama 9 8 4 21 5 4 Itachi 10 7 4 21 6 9 Kaihayaiha 9 6 5 20 7 12 sashimaru 8 6 5 19 8 8 Zenjimoto 9 7 3 19 9 7 Torideyama 9 6 3 18 10 3 sekihiryu 11 6 1 18 11 15 Asashosakari 7 5 4 16 12 6 Oshirokita 9 4 3 16 13 16 Kintamayama 7 5 3 15 14 18 Gusoyama 7 5 3 15 15 20 Feginowaka 7 5 3 15 16 21 Takamueda 6 4 4 14 17 19 Flohru 7 4 3 14 18 13 Senpai 7 5 1 13 19 11 Randomitsuki 8 4 1 13 20 23 Holleshoryu 6 3 3 12 21 17 Sakana 7 4 1 12 22 14 Tamanaogijima 7 5 0 12 23 22 Hakanonami 6 4 1 11 24 24 Gernobono 5 3 1 9 Here is my attempt at posting an excel file. The columns aren't lining up regardless of how I arrange them on my own speadsheet in excel so I'd appreciate tips on how to fix it up. Anyway, the columns after the shikona are the number of wins under top 3, 2, and 1. The last column is the sum as I suggested. The first column is obvious, the second is the rankings under top 3 as presented by Randomitsuki. Though I lost a spot under this, I think it better reflects the original stated object of the game which was to pick the winners of each bracket. We all get consolation points for picking top 2 and 3 but the biggest reward goes to top 1 picks. Oshirokita sits just above the median and so he would be the last 8-7 when the scores are translated to records of 15. What do you think? I'm sure Yubi-zeki likes it better. Itachi

My suggestion is that we take the sum of our top 1, top 2, and top3 records. This would give Yubi-zeki 3 points for each of his game best 6 correct picls and reduce the punishment he takes for only finding 2 other top 3 finishers. I believe Susanoo would still be the winner but those who failed to find many Top 1 picks would not be disproportionately rewarded. With only 8 rikishi per bracket, finding the top 3 is only one away from a 50/50 guess. No wonder the mk/kk line is right at 50/50 when done this way. What would the standings look like with the sum method?

Happy Birthday Manekineko! It's still July 21st here in Vancouver so I'm not too late? On the day you were born I went to see a memorable movie with my father. Can you guess which one? (I was 8)

I'll second Oshirokita's points. I don't like the moving floor idea. If we implement the 'new wave' idea then new players wouldn't get too far behind. I'd love to see an annual run where each one continues even as the next one starts. Hopefully Randommitsuki can get some support to manage the extra editions simultaneously. I wish I had the time and expertise to automate something for us but I just don't right now. I look forward to picking up my second wave whenever the second surfing game starts but I don't want to ditch my first wave so soon. I'll bet the first wave of the game will see a lot of retirements as Oshirokita and co. build a huge lead on the bulk of competitors. This will help reduce the workload for tracking multiple editions of the game. Perhaps when it comes down to only a few of us still riding the first wave of the game, we will take it upon ourselves to track it while the gamemaster focuses his efforts on the newer editions. Eventually, each of us will have a heya of rikishi that we're surfing with. ... so many ideas, so little time....

Wow! I went from 15th to 5th between the last two updates! Just when I was starting to hang my head in shame - I can't very well go mk in the game I begged for!

Ok, that was amusing. I'm Windows XP, .mpg, and Lawrence Obi! I feel pretty good about it.

Perhaps we could all start as Tsukedashi and drop down from there...

To me it's Oguruma-beya that looks the best. 8-2, they have the best record for a heya with at least 10 participating and more than half of their heya in action. Tokitsukaze at 6-1 looks good too but they only had 7 rikishi which is less than half of their total -most of them weren't on the dohyo. As a long time supporter of Nishikikaze, I've always had an affinity for Oguruma. I almost selected Takekaze in Benchsumo and now wish I had (sort of). Of course I probably would have dropped Jumonji for him and Jumonji won with the odds against him on day 1. I see Jumonji's Michinoku (4-1) is up there too but only 5 of their 15 had a bout. What heya was the winningest last tournament? To date (counting only active rikishi)? That last one should be a bit of a job for the data hounds. I don't expect an answer but I'd like to see one...

The popular selection that surprised me the most was Gokenzan, these 2 quotes are from our own Kaikitsune. The man sounds very washed up, are people hoping for a miracle? Danishiki's database was invalubale for this game, I plugged a lot of names into it <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I have to agree with this comment. I was really surprised that so many favoured this broken relic in that bracket. Nakao is pretty heavy too if you were going for size and sekitori experience but those guys are kind of old and were never very good in Juryo so why expect them back? Hananosato, Hakuba, and Hoshikaze may be small but they are relatively young and may not have found their ceiling yet. Even Matsumidori seemed a better prospect to me. I have to admit I've given up on Hakuba but I may yet be proven wrong. I don't see their matches though, so I could be way off.

I am thrilled with the response to this game. 23 is more than I had hoped for too. I enjoyed browsing through the Makushita results last night while the Juryo bouts went on. Usually I end up crashing before the days matches are over and have to wait until morning to check my game results but now I had 15 little races to check on in the third division. Good fun. As for the average pick thing, I think it's important not to miss the 'obvious' good picks that most players will know about so there will be a few that all good players will have. Then, there will be some dark horses - rikishi who have gone unnoticed by most but are in a great position to win. It's better not to be with the crowd in those brackets. I never played Paper Oyakata so I can't respond to that comment but I feel I'm in good company when I look at the names of players who also often picked with the popular choices.

I just wanted to keep this topic near the top so all would be participants get a reminder when they visit this sub-forum. Also, I wonder if anyone has heard about Wakakirin. He miised all of last tournament with some sort of injury. What was it? Is he ok now? How is Gojoro? He also dropped down. I wonder if he's in free fall or if he's going to bounce back to Juryo in a few tournaments again. It's been a while since his last comeback to Sekitoridon. Him and Wakanojo dropped way way down and Gojoro came all the way back to yoyo between Makuuchi and Juryo for a while as I recall.... I have selected too many foreigners in my Makushita picks. I tend to notice them a bit more as they move up to this division but at some point, many of them slow right down and drift around in Makushita/Sandanme for a while. Does Nakanokuni still qualify as a prospect or will he just yoyo around well below Juryo until giving up and returning to China? There are several Monglolians who don't seem to mind treading water at these ranks. At what point do we stop expecting them to make a run towards the salaried ranks? There are also a few former Juryo guys who never did all that well as sekitori. Masutsuyoshi was never all that great but he did spend a lot of time in and out of Juryo. Is he done? What about Kotonomine and guys like that? I never thought he'd get there in the first place but he did and he didn't last long. Should we expect to see him up there again? As much as I'd like to pick my long time adoptee Nishikikaze, I can't say I expect much from him at his current level (in the 30s). Also there is a pretty good prospect in his bracket as I recall (it's not in front of me now). Well, I'd like to hear a bit more chatter about this division. I hope Randomitsuki's efforts won't be in vain - with no one participating. Itachi

My picks are in! Blocks 41-44, 53-56, and 57-60 were the toughest - as in no one particularly standing out to be picked. I think almost everyone will have the same pick for the 5-8 block but there is an interesting alternate choice. There are also two very tempting options in the 21-24 section. I hope I can make kachikoshi. Itachi

Thanks Randomitsuki! I can't wait to get started. I'll have an entry for you soon. I hope other lower division followers will pick up on this. Itachi

Run for cover. That does not look so good, considering the results from last year. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Good point - I've come to expect the opposite of what I hear about Tochiazuma's pre-basho preparedness. Still, he has had a few decent tournaments recently. I think he'll get at least 9 but no more than 11 (what a BOLD prediction 'eh?)

I may change this pick but for the moment I'm favouring Kageyama. Tochifudo is sort of tempting but I'm not using a Joker on this one. Kageyama!

I have enjoyed playing on the Kisedo Go server when I had more time... I love the game of Go but it does require fair sized blocks of uninterrupted attention. On another note, I am currently locked out of Zelderex as I have activated 'Vacation Mode'. Hopefully Jejima and Brewdude read this as I am unable to contact them through our normal in game communications. In addition to the upcoming sumo tournament that will will commanding my attention, I have a baby due soon and an important exam to prepare for (as well as an employer and a wife who would prefer I don't log in to maintain my forces so frequently!). I'll be staying away for at least a week but more likely 2 or 3. I do have a cunning plan to return but remain inactive. I may arrange for my brother (and/or other clan members) to farm me regularly while I remain in the game but largely inactive until the end of July. As long as I can count on Ozumo Beya members to keep my bank balance at safe levels I can stay active but inactive if you know what I mean. In this way I can subsidize the efforts of my teammates even without taking time from my overriding committments. This doesn't mean I have abandonned my ambitions in this game however. To support me while visiting the game to see what it's all about that we grown busy men (and women) should feel compelled to spend our valuable time at it, click on my humble link. http://zelderex.com/?topic=47549

Here I am again, trolling for clicks. That's trolling as in a fishing technique not as in being a troll in the usual chat room sense! Thanks in part to the 3 sumoforum members who have already clicked my link, I have made it to the top 100 in this game. I'm about 19 away from where the sekitori line would be but I am not strong enough to hang around here at my current support level. I will have to take it slow for a while and fall to a lower rank where I can safely accumulate the funds I need to build some stronger infrastructure. On the brighter side, my brother and I have been battling side by side against the forces of evil and for the greater glory of the Ozumo Beya Clan. He serves as Sargeant and I as Captain after our recent promotions. Daverinuk is doing a good job as interim leader while Brewdude is on a bit of a vacation. General Jejima has also been playing a major role in organizing communications and providing valuable guidance in Ozumo Beya techniques. We have 66 members now - most of whom have no connection to sumo fandom. It is a testament to our winning personalities or our winning techniques - the most important one being teamwork. Whether or not you have the time or inclination to step in and battle with us, you can help our team just by clicking on any one of our links. It just takes you to the game site so you can be tempted by it and we get a bit of extra game $ to spend on strengthening our armies and facilities. Beware, once you begin playing, it's hard to stay away. It is good harmless fun though. http://zelderex.com/?topic=47549

Thanks for a third time sumo forum members! I've now received 3 clicks from viewers of this thread. Since I last groveled, I've been promoted to seargent (sp?) in the game and I've loitered in Makushita for a while before dropping down to thrash some easy Sandanme opponents. Our clan is working very well together. Brewdude, our leader, has coordinated attacks on some other clans which have been well carried out. My brother - who knows nothing of sumo but still bought me a souvenir from their Vancouver Jungyo when I was out of town (in Aomori as it happens) has joined us (as Frobro - his hair can get very curly like an afro) and has, I believe cracked the top 200 by now (in about five days of play!). It sure is getting difficult to afford new upgrades since I become a target whenever I accumulate half of what I need. Your clicks for me or Jejima, or any of us add a bit to our daily allotment which ultimately adds to the boost we get once a day where we get a scheduled influx of $$ to purchase things. If we time things right, we can dump a few things to lower our rank and then use your click funded daily bonus to buy back what we need to exploit our lower ranked neighbours and plunder enough $$ to buy our next enhancement. The Ozumo clan has been throwing its weight around quite a bit lately. Any support for any of us enhances our ability to squash the competition. Here's the link to boost me. The other players have links on their messages as well if you prefer to boost them. Hey, my brother didn't think he'd play but now he's hooked! It's quite fun. Check it out and join us. http://zelderex.com/?topic=47549 Itachi

I'll second the Hikaru no Go recommendation. I love Go and I haven't been able to read many manga but I went out of my way to read that one. I read a bit of Black Jack and liked it but I've been away from Japan too long to read well anymore. I need translated manga now. GTO was a fun read. Great Teacher Oni-...zuka zuke? My students lent that series to me - I sued to be a math teacher and anime fans started hanging around asking for help with their Japanese. They shared their translated mange with me. I'd love to read some Sumo themed manga. Preferably in english but one day I'll recover my Japanese reading skills enough to enjoy it in Japanese too. Itachi

Thanks again everyone - I was able to upgrade my barracks to hold 18 soldiers. Next I'll upgrade my blacksmith beyond axe, buy transport for a larger fighting force, and then fight some bigger foes! The increased income will make it possible for me to play a variation of the yo-yo strategy Jejima and Brewdude have recommended. Why not? It sure worked for Takatoriki and Kotonishiki! Kyokushuzan has earned a decent living with it. Without Gold Membership or a tremendous flow of clicks I'm not expecting to become sanyaku in this game but who knows how far my budget consciouss but blood thirsty approach could take me. Support the senseless slaughter and plundering of scores of virtual corporate armies by clicking my link (to visit the site of the game to see what it is) or on the link of one of our forum mates above. http://zelderex.com/?topic=47549 Thanks! p.s. I suppose we might have to have a clan vacation in July when the Nagoya basho starts. It's a good thing there is a provision in Zelderex for that. Itachi

Thanks whoever you are! Someone clicked for me since my last post and it could only have come from this forum. I hope you find the game fun to play, but if you are not interested in playing, then I will try to repay you with my exploits. If I can save up $6000 without being victimized then I can upgrade and make room for more soldiers! also, another 6000 would allow me to upgrade my blacksmith and buy more potent weapons - though mine seems plenty potent so far! If anyone else is willing to add to my Ozumo clan rampage fund just click on this link. No one has complained of viruses yet and I would've noticed for sure having been quite active on this site for the past week. http://zelderex.com/?topic=47549 Also, though I would appreciate any help, there are other sumo forum member that are also fishing, so feel free to help them instead of me. Itachi

I earned my first enemy! Some dude whose name starts with Z. I think it's a name from planet of the apes because his corporate name is the same thing with 'ape' on it. He had almost $1000 and only 14 units without any defensive soldiers at all so I jumped on him for some cheap cash and only got a couple hundred?! So I attacked again (3rd time in a minute including the spy mission) and still got less than $200. I went in AGAIN and got nothing - no dough! Of course I did select him because he was online (players often convert to full offense while they're online) and so maybe he was spending his $$ at the time. He tried to punish me but ... I've got 11 defensive soldiers with axes! ^_^ I'm out of fuel for another night but I had fun smashing things. Help me smash Ozumo clan enemies even more by clicking on my under used link. I've only received 2 clicks ever and neither was from this forum \ ^o^ / If you haven't helped anyone else yet and you want to help add another strong sumo forum player (Jejima, Brewdude, and Aderechelsea in particular are doing well) then why not throw Itachi a bone? Enough shameless groveling... If you prefer, help one of the other sumoforum players. I think we are collectively establishing a fearsome reputation. Join us and enjoy the battle yourselves. http://zelderex.com/?topic=47549 Itachi