Lately whereas hitting up the Hulu app and not using a plan, I stumbled upon The Ground, a sport present hosted by Rob Lowe that’s apparently already produced three seasons. Spoiler alert: I’m now obsessive about it. I’ve tried to persuade a minimum of twenty folks to look at it, and I’ve spent extra time than I’m prepared to share desirous about what my class can be. I’m all in, but in addition, I would like to speak about the way it badly wants a rule change.
Earlier than I get into it, let me clarify the principles rapidly in case you’ve by no means seen the sport present. In brief, 100 folks stand on a big, evenly divided board. Everybody has their very own sq. and a class they’ve chosen that they’re notably educated about. One girl may need forms of flowers, and one other girl may need twentieth Century artists. A randomizer picks one contestant, and that contestant should decide one individual in an adjoining sq. to face off towards in a heads up trivia match about their class.
The loser of the duel goes dwelling, and the winner will get the opposite individual’s sq. and carries on with both their very own class if it wasn’t performed but or the opposite individual’s class if that one wasn’t performed. Afterwards, the winner can determine whether or not to maintain enjoying or return to the ground and let the randomizer select another person. Whoever is the final one left wins $250,000.
The Ground is a enjoyable idea and Rob Lowe works nicely because the host, however sadly, it tends to reward actually passive play. The randomizer solely chooses contestants who haven’t performed but. So, a majority of people that win their battle merely return to the ground and wind up sitting on their two squares, whereas everybody else eliminates one another. It basically incentivizes hiding.
I want I may knock the technique, however below the present guidelines, not enjoying is one of the best ways to set your self as much as win the cash on the finish. The present has tried to introduce some bonuses to get contestants to be extra aggressive. Whoever has probably the most squares (or items of the ground) on the finish of every episode wins $20,000, and should you win three consecutive battles, you get a time increase of 5 further seconds which you need to use throughout any heads up battle of your selection sooner or later. These carrots do persuade some folks to maintain going, however there are nonetheless approach too many who stay passive.
Right here’s my answer. Proper now, the randomizer solely chooses contestants who haven’t performed earlier than. Which means should you win one battle, you may sit round and keep away from enjoying once more (if somebody doesn’t decide you) till each single different contestant has performed at the very least as soon as. Which means you may sit there whereas 50 or 60 individuals are eradicated with out doing something. I don’t like that. I believe the randomizer must be recalibrated to doubtlessly select anybody who hasn’t performed or has performed precisely as soon as.
Let’s stroll by way of a sensible instance. Let’s say you’ve got one sq. and also you both get picked by the randomizer or challenged by one other contestant. You battle and win. Now, you’ve got two decisions, you may both return to the ground, the place you may take a break however are nonetheless liable to being picked by the randomizer, or you may maintain going and play as soon as extra, with the motivation being you not solely decide up one other piece of the ground but in addition then make your self resistant to the randomizer.
Now let’s say you win once more, then you definately nonetheless have a compelling selection. You may return to the ground with out worrying about getting hit by the randomizer, or you may maintain going and attempt to win the third duel to select up the time bonus. That’s now two consecutive selections the present has given the contestant that provide a excessive threat, excessive reward situation.
It’s a fragile stability. I do suppose ready to combat one other day is an inexpensive technique. I don’t suppose the present ought to pressure contestants to simply maintain enjoying time and again, however I wish to see extra winners who’re at the very least considerably aggressive throughout the earlier episodes. Which means the gamers should be incentivized a bit extra to remain and maintain enjoying. The time bonus and the cash on the finish of every episode assist a little bit bit, however I believe requiring them to play a second time to be immune from the randomizer would actually assist and doubtlessly persuade a better share of individuals to play a 3rd time in an effort to attempt to get the time bonus.
The Ground has already been renewed over at FOX for an additional season and can return to the TV schedule on Wednesday September twenty fourth. In preparation, you may get caught up with outdated episodes which might be accessible to stream with a Hulu subscription. It is a actually enjoyable sport present that might finally grow to be an all-time nice. It simply must maintain evolving a little bit bit to grow to be the very best model.