Trivial Pursuit: A New Beginning

You've looked at the front of this box, and scanned the screenshots. You're probably wondering what this is all about. No, it's not more of the same.

In your hands you have a major new development in the concept of Trivial: Pursuit. A team of Oxford Programmers have collaborated with Horn Abbot (the originators of the Board Game) to produce a whole new way to play the biggest selling game in the world.

It's 2045 AD and the Earth is a dying planet. Centuries of pollution have left their legacy and the world has become victim of the greenhouse” effect. You, your family and your friends are lucky enough to have access to a number of laser-driven rockets which can propel you far away from the solar galaxy to a star constellation which contains the planet "GENUS 2". However, it has been agreed that only those who have a superior knowledge of 'Genus Trivia' will be admitted. It is not going to be that easy after all!

Different, certainly, but it retains the pure good fun of pursuing trivia that the whole family (Mum & Dad included!) enjoy enormously.

Introduction

As the title suggests, Trivial Pursuit: A New Beginning is a brand new version of the world's favourite board game especially created for your computer. The basis of the game is still the answering of delightfully trivial questions but the rest is completely new, and even more entertaining. The program has been designed to make the game as friendly as possible and is largely self explanatory. The rules for this new game are outlined below, and the loading instructions are shown on the back of this card.

Object Of The Game

Trivial Pursuit: A New Beginning is set far into the next century. The Earth is a dying planet and you have been assigned the task of carrying civilisation to the only known planet fit for human habitation outside the solar system - Genus 2.

Each player will pilot a laser driven rocket into space, and the game is a race to find the first player to be accepted by the elders on Genus 2. If you are playing the game on your own, then the task is no less difficult - you will have to try to get to Genus 2 alone. The journey through space is a hazardous one, and you will have to travel through six galaxies before Genus 2 can be approached. Each of the six galaxies contains many planets, but only a few of these planets contain an object which you must collect in order to gain access to the next galaxy. Each galaxy contains a different type of object hidden on a few of the planets. The only way to search the galaxy is to select a planet and land on it to see if there is an object to collect. A native will ask you a question, and only if you answer it correctly will you be allowed to continue without losing time and giving the next turn to another player. If you answer correctly on a planet with an object then you will be allowed to take it back to your craft and travel to the next galaxy. Only when you have collected an object from each of the six galaxies will you be allowed to land on Genus 2. Finally the elders of Genus will have to be convinced that you are truly a Trivia expert before they will allow you to settle there. Don't worry about fear of flying - the computer will navigate your ship for you - all you need to do is to put your thinking cap on and answer trivial questions!

How To Play The Game

1. Getting Started

The first screen you will see is the start up menu screen which will set up the game for you. The first thing to do is to type in each player's name - you can have 1-6 players. Now press ENTER/RETURN without entering a name and the highlight will move to NEW GAME on the menu. At this point you will have a number of options (It will be assumed that you have a mouse or joystick for control.

If not, the instructions for using the keyboard are given on page 5. If you press the fire button the game will start. If you move the highlight up or down the menu then you can access the various facilities available by pressing the fire button. See the panels on the right for more details.

2. The Loading Bay

The first game screen is the loading bay on earth from where your intergalactic journey starts. Each player in the game is represented by a playing 'piece', which the computer has chosen at random for each player. The players are lined up in the bay anxiously waiting to be asked a question by the station commander, who is none other than the notorious 'TP' from the Genus 1 version of the game. Each player will be called up in turn by TP and asked a question. The status bar at the bottom of the screen gives the name of the current player, the type of question that is being asked, and can display the time limit if applicable.

After the question has been asked the player must declare his answer to the others, and then press the fire button. TP will then give the correct answer and the player's piece will display a speech bubble with YES and NO responses.

Either can be highlighted accordingly to whether you move to the left or the the right. Once you have highlighted the suitable response press the fire button. If you were wrong then you will take your place at the back of the queue and have to try again until you have satisfied TP that you are up to manning one of his ships. If you were correct then you will leave the loading bay and your ship will blast off into outer space!

3. Spacecraft

The next screen finds you at the controls of a very modern and sophisticated craft in a galaxy far from home. You can select any planet in the galaxy by moving right or left - automatic homing devices will centre your ship onto the nearest planet in view. The name of each planet is displayed at the top of the craft. As you become more experienced in the game you will discover that sometimes the name of the planet hides a clue as to the question type which you will be asked if you land on it.

Once you have decided on which planet you choose to investigate, press the fire button or descend to the surface. If you press down on your joystick or mouse while in the craft you will access the menu icon.

If you press fire at this point you will be returned to the main menu screen. Your controls will tell you how many objects of the required six you are carrying - when the objects are gathered the wedges indicate that you are carrying them.

4. The Planets

If your chosen planet does have one of the objects you are seeking, then it will be laid out in fromt of you once you have landed. An alien chief will then ask you a question in the same manner as TP in the loading bay.

Go though the same procedure to answer. If you answer correctly then you will collect the object and be transported on to the next galaxy. If you were wrong then the next player will receive a turn.

If you have chosen a planet without an object, then your aim will be to answer the question put to you by the alien correctly so that you can continue without losing a turn.

5. Genus 2

Once you have collected all of the six objects which you require, then your craft will be manoeuvered to Genus 2 and you will meet your final test. You will have to satisfy the elders of Genus 2 that you are genuinely trivial before you will be allowed to stay. Choose which elder to ask a question from by moving the joystick left and right and pressing the fire button. These devious characters have made things more difficult by ensuring that only one of them has the ace question to answer. If you have chosen the wrong elder then you will still be asked a question. If you get it right then you will have a better chance of getting the ace question next time, because one of the elders will leave, and you will get another chance. If you are wrong then you will have to wait until the next turn. This will allow the players lagging behind to catch up! If you have chosen the correct elder, then it is up to all of the other players to choose which question type you will be asked. They will be allowed to look at your performance chart to decide which question you should be asked - if they're unfriendly then they will ensure that it is the one you find most difficult. Still, it is up to you to get it right. If you fail then you will have to convince the elders from the start on your next turn. If you succeed, then you have won the game!

Menus...

The menus let you make some basic choices in the game. Move the highlight up or down and press Fire to make your choice.

Main Menu

Continue Game: If you have stopped the game for any reason you can carry on from here.
New Game: Starts a game from the very beginning.
Edit Players: Make some changes to the pioneers!
Score Chart: Find out how you and your fellow pioneers are doing.
Timer: Set a time limit for answering questions.
Miscellaneous: This brings up the menu described below.

Miscellaneous Menu

Music: Turn the music questions on or off.
Graphics: Turn the graphics questions on or off.
Sound FX: Turn the sound effects on or off.
Credits: Find out about the people behind the game.
Load Questions: Bored of the current questions? Load some more.
Exit: Return to the Main Menu

Hints For Playing The Game

If a player answers a question correctly, the planet explodes. However if the question is answered incorrectly then the planet remains.

If you try to remember the names of the planets landed on by other players, then you will know which non object planets to avoid. If a player lands on an object planet but gets the question wrong, you can go straight there when its your turn!

Game Controls

All versions support joystick operation.

Tape Loading

Inside your pack you will find two tapes. One marked 'Genus II Edition' and the other marked 'Question Pack' (This contains the questions only).

Insert the rewound 'Genus II Edition' tape into your cassette recorder and type:

CHAIN"" (RETURN)

When the program has finished loading, the game will contain the first block of questions. The Question tapes contain a number of question blocks, which load as required once each new block has exhausted in question data. Follow the instructions on screen as they appear. These tapes contain over 3000 questions in all.

Disk Loading

Insert the disk into the disk drive and press SHIFT-BREAK.

Upon loading, each version will contain the first block of questions. If you wish to start with one of the other blocks of questions, choose the "Load Questions' option from the Miscellaneous menu, and you will be asked which number block you wish to use.

Credits

New Beginning Concept: Dominic Wheatley & Mark Strachan
Game Design: Paul Holmes & Oxford Digital Enterprises
Developed by: Oxford Digital Enterprises who are: Dave Pringle, Richard Horrocks, Kevin Ayra, Andrew Thompson, Jason Kingsley, Geoff Quilley and James Cowling

Copyright: Trivial Pursuit is a Trademark owned and licensed by Horn Abott International Ltd.
Published by Domark Limited, Ferry House, 51-57 Lacy Road, Putney, London SW15 1PR. Telephone: 01-780 2224.