On March 12th, 2006, at 5:00 P.M. EST (11:00 P.M. GMT), the XYZZY Awards Ceremony was held at ifMUD. Below is the transcript of the event, including side-comments that those in attendance made on the #peanut-gallery channel. Should you not wish to see those comments, an expurgated version is also available.

 

lpsmith says, "Next up! 'Best Individual Puzzle'."
eileen gives a big thumb's-up to aaronius
Rob says, "I'm stuck already!"
Ben cheers
Kelby claps.
lpsmith pulls out the list of the nominees.
DarkStar claps
Emerald claps.
[peanut-gallery] McMartin says, "I7 is, of course, entirely trivial and frivolous; just ask zarf and Emily"
djfletch is puzzled
Eluchil looks for the exit
Rob looks up the winner in the walkthrough, spoiling everything
Celestianpower arrives from the west.
Celestianpower resumes his seat
lpsmith says, "Navigating the mansion in Delightful Wallpaper, by Andrew Plotkin as "Edgar O. Weyrd""
cendare says, "Best Individuality Puzzle: separating from one's parents... oops.""
Eluchil claps
Newington claps
lambda cheers
a_magical_me cheers wildly
Kelby claps mildly.
Ben claps
Rob claps
DavidW yay puzzles
Emerald cheers, not having done that yet.
inky claps.
Baryon applauds navigably
McMartin claps. Somewhere a door closes
lpsmith says, "Choosing the present in Floatpoint, by Emily Short"
DarkStar cheers
Rob claps
Guest2 goes home.
Kelby exclaims, "Emily! Go!"
Emerald claps.
McMartin applauds
Newington applauds
[peanut-gallery] Gunther says, "SPOILERS"
DavidW says, "me likes all the shiny tricksome puzzles"
Baryon claps presently
Eluchil cheers in a white sweater
inky claps
lambda cheers
lpsmith says, "The piano puzzle in Madam Spider's Web, by Sara Dee"
Rob claps
Eluchil claps
Ben claps
djfletch claps
lno arrives from the west.
Kelby applauds.
Emerald says, "yay piano!"
McMartin claps
[peanut-gallery] Rob says, "nobody doesn't like sara dee"
Baryon gives a big hand to the piano
DavidW says, "play it again, Madam!"
Rob says, "an amazing 2 octave span"
lpsmith says, "The reactor puzzle in M?bius, by J. D. Clemens"
nm claps on
Eluchil claps
[peanut-gallery] Emerald says, "yay piano puzzle that I solved by myself"
Rob claps for 8 bit characters
McMartin applauds
Newington claps this and anything he's missed
Emerald claps.
Baryon applauds greatly
Kelby claps.
Ben claps
DarkStar claps
djfletch claps twice
[peanut-gallery] Allen asks, "when will someone write a clavichord puzzle?"
Flit also claps
cendare claps. cendare claps.
JDC knew that umlaut would be irksome.
[peanut-gallery] DavidW says, "Someday."
lpsmith says, "Final puzzle in Strange Geometries, by Phillip Chambers"
Ben claps
Kelby claps strangely.
Baryon applauds flatly
[peanut-gallery] Rob says (to Allen), "maybe you have to write it!"
RootShell_ifreviews says, "calps"
DavidW says, "claps"
Emerald claps.
Eluchil claps from side to side
Rob claps in a non-euclidean manner
lelandpaul claps.
McMartin applauds from beyond space and time -- or does he?
lambda applauds
RootShell_ifreviews says, "lol ... this is really really funny"
lpsmith reaches in his pocket for the envelope.
Ben claps hyperbolically
lpsmith says, "Whoops, didn't bring the envelope with me."
Flit drumrolls
lpsmith walks offstage down the east stairs, and picks up the envelope.
DavidW asks, "what?"
lpsmith walks back towards east stairs, but they disappear just as he gets there. He walks around to the west, but the east stairs reappear, and the west stairs disappear. Throwing up his hands, he walks backstage, then comes out again, causing the west stairs to reappear. Triumphantly, he takes the stage, and opens the envelope.
Rob says, "if his pocket folds in on itself it's either the moebius or the strange geometries"
lpsmith exclaims, "Delightful Wallpaper, by Andrew Plotkin!"
Emily says, "yay!"
inky says, "woo"
DavidW says, "YAY"
aaronius applauds
JasonD exclaims, "awesome!"
Eluchil laughs then claps
McMartin cheers
Roger says, "Delightful."
Rob says, "just as weird, I guess"
Newington claps
Rob claps
Ben cheers
Emerald says, "Yay wyerdo mansion!"
olethros says, "hoooray!"
a_magical_me exclaims, "Woohoo!"
nm claps
Kelby says, "Yay... ANd there is much rejoycing."
DarkStar cheers loudly
VictorGijsbers applauds.
[peanut-gallery] Rob asks, "is that what the game was like?"
eileen claps and claps
lambda cheers madly.
DavidW says, "hee hee"
JDC cheers.
Flit exclaims, "oooooooeee!"
Baryon cheers
[peanut-gallery] olethros says, "I imagine"
djfletch says, "hurrah for puzzlement by walking around"
lelandpaul applauds wildly, yet thoughtfully.
Eluchil exclaims, "Zarf! Zarf! Zarf!"
[peanut-gallery] DavidW says, "sorta yeah"
Emerald applauds heartily.
[peanut-gallery] inky says, "the first half, eyah"
[peanut-gallery] McMartin says, "That makes two mazes and one apartment for zarf's XYZZY collection"
[peanut-gallery] olethros asks, "like the sand game but with stairs?"
[peanut-gallery] inky says, "the second half was different"
lpsmith says, "Once again, Zarf could not be here today, but we'll be sure to solicit recipes from him later."
[peanut-gallery] olethros says, "Graham would roll on his turning chair"
[peanut-gallery] Rob says, "now jacek will have more fodder to gripe about"
inky hastily updates the chalkboard.
Rob draws 'kilroy was here' in the corner.
lpsmith pulls out another letter from a fan.
[peanut-gallery] djfletch says, "He could at least have left us a list of ingredients to get."
[peanut-gallery] Ben says, "Cheese."
lpsmith says, "S. C. from New York writes: "After many years of paying off debt, I finally did it! But now, I'm not sure what to do with my money. What's the best investment strategy?""
[peanut-gallery] Rob says, "send it to nigeria"
Varicella takes the stage.
Varicella says, "There are certainly a great number of options."
Varicella says, "For straight wood, I might go with Karges. For upholstery, I'd probably pick Baker, though many would tell you to go with the relative newcomer E.J. Victor. For classic, of course, there's none that beat Kindel. Stay away from Vaughan-Basset."
[peanut-gallery] nm says, "invest in commercial IF"
Varicella says, "Don't forget, though, that in the end, only one thing matters:"
Varicella says, "Ask yourself sincerely, "Do I look good next to this?""
[peanut-gallery] Emily says (to nm), "hi Howard"
DavidW says, "hee"
Emily says (to Varicella), "yay"
Kelby exclaims, "Primo!"
lelandpaul chuckles quietly.
Ben applauds Varicella.
DavidW says, "yes. Primo advice."
[peanut-gallery] Rob says, "I don't get it. how unseemly"
Eluchil sits down with tears of laughter in his eyes
lambda claps for Vericella
[peanut-gallery] olethros says, "you are not alone"
McMartin applauds in a refined manner
olethros claps uncertainly.
Ben claps seemily.
cendare walks into a wall, just for old time's sake.
Kelby applauds with just the right amount of panash. Mustn't be unseemly, now.
inky hops onstage and performs a quick incantation.
nm claps in a cordial manner
dfan was up to his irresistably broad shoulders in trouble.
Enchanter_PC appears in a puff of smoke.
inky says, "whew, I can never remember if it's aimfiz or zifmia"
VictorGijsbers says, "How unseemly."
Allen says, "aimfiz? That's the LAME fireworks spell"
inky asks (of Enchanter_PC), "so, do you have any investment suggestions for S.C.?"
Dave walks out from under the archway south of here, although you didn't notice him approaching it from the other side.
DavidW says (to Allen), "That's filfre."
Gunther says (to Allen), "no, that's FILFRE"
Enchanter_PC says, "Oh, I'd suggest a quelbo spell for some quick cash if you can find the coconuts, then set up a 401(k) and caskly it."
Rob says, "feel free to filfre"
Enchanter_PC exclaims, "You can use zemdor to triple your investment, but don't forget to save a vaxum spell for the IRS!"
[peanut-gallery] Rob says, "yay caskly"
Allen says, "oops, DOH"
Dave asks, "what have I missed?"
[peanut-gallery] Rob asks, "zemdor?"
[peanut-gallery] Roger says, "Make money frotz"
Eluchil points to chalkboard
[peanut-gallery] Rob says, "I don't remember zemdor"
Enchanter_PC says, "now, if you'll excuse me, my gloth spell is out of control"
Enchanter_PC vanishes.
[peanut-gallery] DavidW says, "zemdor's in ZGI."
[peanut-gallery] Gunther says, "do not confuse ZEMDOR and ZIMBOR"
[peanut-gallery] Rob says, "huh. wait, I've played that. although only once"
[peanut-gallery] DavidW says, "And was mentioned in an earlier game."
Grocible claps randomly
[peanut-gallery] Rob says, "so I don't remember the names of the spells."
[peanut-gallery] nm says, "and ZGI has been up over the past year with strong fundamentals"
[peanut-gallery] Baryon says, "Zimbor burns down cities, if I recall"
DavidW claps for Enchanter.
[peanut-gallery] Gunther says, "since one will make your city burn for three days"
[peanut-gallery] Rob says, "hm, it's probably been long enough I could replay it"