Article-I.D.: ukma.2373
Posted: Wed Nov 13 09:47:44 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 14-Nov-85 07:34:55 EST
Distribution: na
Organization: U of Kentucky, Mathematical Sciences, Lexington KY
Lines: 140
I hit the old arcade again yesterday after months of ignor-
ing the poor thing, and what did I find? A `Trivial Pursuit'
video game. Being a fan of the board game, I went over to take a
look. With just a slight glance I decided to try it. (Expanding
the mind you see...)
So I stuck my token in. A quick glance at the high scores
showed three people with scores of about 600,000; the rest with
scores of about 20,000. The game is simple to play. First you
choose one of four characters to represent you on the playing
board... yes there is a playing board. The board is rectangular,
with various catagories marked by certain squares. In each of
the four corners is a square that allows you to try for a ``Pie
piece''. If you get all four, you ``win''. But I'm getting
ahead of my story.
I choose the last pictured character on the screen; a roman
gladiator type. The machine started me in the upper lefthand
corner, and showed the two squares I could move to. You move by
pressing one of two buttons, depending on which way you desire to
move. I pressed the button that allowed me to move clockwise.
My little character moved to the left, but he himself was split
into two parts -- his back half moved first, and then his frount
half!
But that was ok. Now it was time to answer the question --
excitement began to build.... the question was asked.... and in-
stead of the usual fill in the blank that real _Trivial Pursuit_
has, or a multiple choice that might be expected on a video game,
the machine showed one answer and asked whether it was right or
wrong. After carefully considering all the posibilities, I de-
cided it was wrong. I pressed the red button, and another answer
appeared. ``Right or wrong -- You decide'' the machine de-
clares... this time it was the correct answer, so I pressed the
green button. A fanfare exudes from the machine and I smile to
myself with pride at my accomplishment.
So I continue on in a similar fashion. I move around the
board getting most of my answers correct, and I get one or two
wrong... Then the machine askes for the Scottish equivilent of
the name `John'. Aha, says I, no question there -- *my* name is
the Scottish equivilent of John! The first answer was incorrect
(it wasn't `Sean'), the second answer was incorrect.... But wait!
This machine says the Scottish equilent of `John' is `Ian'! I
know that it's incorrect - but how do you argue with a video
game?
But I continue playing, despite the machine's indiscrepen-
cies. And I begin to notice a few things. The number of squares
that you are allowed to move never changes. And then I notice
something else.. could it be? Surely not... but it is!!!
The answer to *EVERY* question, is the second one given. In
other words, at each question, you press the red button, then the
green and you have answered the question correctly. So I moved
between my two favorite catagories (sports and leisure, arts and
literature) answering all the questions correctly. When I had
about 100,000 points, I got bored (and my hands started to hurt
from pressing buttons..) and I began moving around the board and
picking up my pie pieces. When I had the last one, the machine
announced I had won, gave me about 500,000 bonus points, and end-
ed the game.
I was *thrilled*.
Sean.
--
Sean L. Gilley Phone: (606) 272-9620 or (606) 257-4613
{ihnp4,decvax,ucbvax}!cbosgd!ukma{!ukgs}!slg, slg@UKMA.BITNET
Watches are a conspiracy by Swiss confidence men.