DISCLAIMER:
Net Definition is based on the CTV game show Definition -- created by
Nick Nicholson and E. Roger Muir and produced by Glen Warren Productions for CTV in Canada. No challenge to the show's
ownership is implied.
Rules
IMPORTANT NOTE TO PLAYERS: As with other net game shows, you are not playing for real money and/or prizes. This is for entertainment purposes only.
OBJECT: Solve a series of Hangman-style puzzles, each revolved around some sort of pun and/or word play.
QUALIFYING: When we search for a challenger (or two players in the event a champion has retired), we play a qualifying question with a numerical answer (such as "How much money in cash and prizes was given away on Bob Barker's last episode as host of The Price is Right?) will be posted to the Net Games Yahoo! Groups mailing list and the Net Definition website (http://www.dougmorris.net/definition). If a visitor to the site/subscriber to the mailing list wishes to participate in the game, (s)he must e-mail traxproductions@att.net to answer the question with a number. If (s)he is close enough to the numerical answer, the player will get to play in the main game.
MAIN GAME: The game consists of up to four rounds each worth an amount of cyber-money. The first round is worth CY$250, the second round is worth CY$500, the third for CY$750 and the final round pays CY$1250 to its winner.
A round starts with a cryptic clue, or "definition", to the answer. For example, the definition to this puzzle...
ABCDEFGHIJKLM
NOPQRSTUVWXYZ
NOPQRSTUVWXYZ
..... ......
...is "Smart pedestrians do this."
On a player's turn, (s)he may select two letters of the alphabet -- the first to give away and the second to take. When giving away letter, the controlling player is giving it to his/her opponent with the idea that letter is not in the answer. When taking a letter, the controlling player is selecting a letter with the hope that chosen letter appears at least once in the answer.
When a chosen letter is discovered to be in the answer, a player earns the right to one guess at the answer. If the letter was given away, the controlling player's second letter ("to take") is ignored and the opponent may guess. If the letter was taken by the controlling player, (s)he may take a guess.
In the CY$250 round, control of the definition starts with the challenger (if no returning champion, the player closer in qualifying starts first). When the second and third round starts, the loser of the previous round starts. Should the fourth round be necessary, the winner of the third round has the option of taking control first (and in the process, going ahead and choosing letters to give away and take) or let his/her opponent take control first.
Adding to the earlier example, in a game between Player A and Player B, Player A is the challenger. With the definition "Smart pedestrians do this," Player A gives away an X to Player A and takes an E for himself. It's revealed there's no X but there is one E.
ABCD
FGHIJKLM
NOPQRSTUVW YZ
NOPQRSTUVW YZ
....E ......
The X and E are removed from the unused letter board and Player A is given a chance to answer -- but has no idea. Control then passes to Player B, who gives a Z away and takes an N.
ABCD
FGHIJKLM
OPQRSTUVW Y
OPQRSTUVW Y
....E ......
Both letters are removed from the unused letter board -- but there's neither a Z nor an N in the answer. So Player B loses his turn and control goes back to Player A. Player A gives away a U and takes an L. Turns out there is a U -- therefore, no comment is made on the L...
ABCD
FGHIJKLM
OPQRST VW Y
OPQRST VW Y
....E ..U...
...and Player B has a free guess. If Player B answers incorrectly, control still goes to Player B -- who picks a W to give away and an S to take.
ABCD
FGHIJKLM
OPQR T V Y
OPQR T V Y
....E ..U..S
There's no W in the answer but there is an S -- entitling Player B to a second consecutive guess. Player B guesses "Price Trucks" and is ruled incorrect. Control goes back to Player A, who give a Q away and takes a D.
ABC
FGHIJKLM
OP R T V Y
OP R T V Y
D.D.E ..U..S
There's no Q but there are two D's in the answer. Player A guesses "Dodge Trucks" for what a smart pedestrian does...
ABC
FGHIJKLM
OP R T V Y
OP R T V Y
DODGE TRUCKS
To win any round of Net Definition, the player must e-mail the host with the correct spelling of the answer. As noted before, plays on words and puns are involved in Net Definition. So for the definition, "A question from a zoology student," the answer may be "WHAT'S GNU?" The definition of "A reminder from a man's ex-wife" may lead to the answer "REMEMBER THE ALIMONY".
The first player to score at least CY$1500 wins the game, becomes champion and plays the A to Z Round for up to CY$50,000. Should the player win the first three consecutive rounds of the game, (s)he then plays two consecutive A to Z Rounds for a possible CY$100,000 total payoff.
A TO Z ROUND: In the bonus round, the player is given a bonus definition -- such as "The perfect gift for your enemy."...
ABCDEFGHIJKLM
NOPQRSTUVWXYZ
NOPQRSTUVWXYZ
..... .........
...before any letter is revealed, the champion may take one guess for CY$50,000. If (s)he is incorrect or has no idea, letters are placed on the board in alphabetical order.
BCDEFGHIJKLM
NOPQRSTUVWXYZ
NOPQRSTUVWXYZ
...A. .........
Staying with this example, it's revealed there's one A in the answer. The player may take a guess here for CY$1000 per space left blank (in this case, CY$12,000 is at stake). If (s)he is incorrect or has no idea, we reveal at least one occurence of another letter in alphabetical order.
DEFGHIJKLM
NOPQRSTUVWXYZ
NOPQRSTUVWXYZ
...A. C..C.....
It's revealed there are no B's in the answer -- but two C's. The champion plays for CY$10,000 here. If no correct answer, we go back to the alphabet until we find at least one more occurence of another letter.
JKLM
NOPQRSTUVWXYZ
NOPQRSTUVWXYZ
.I.A. C..C.....
It's discovered the letters D, E, F, G and H do not appear in the answer -- but there is one I -- lowering the value of the bonus puzzle to CY$9000.
LM
NOPQRSTUVWXYZ
NOPQRSTUVWXYZ
.I.A. C..CK....
Still no correct answer given to "The perfect gift for your enemy" -- where it's discovered there's no J but there is a K. If the player guesses "Rival Crockpot"...
LM
NOPQRSTUVWXYZ
RIVAL
CROCKPOTNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
...(s)he wins CY$8000.
MISC: Should a player miss a deadline giving away a letter and then taking one for himself/herself, we will randomly choose one letter to give away to the opposing player and offer that opponent a chance to guess.
If a player misses a deadline with regard to who should start Round 4, we will randomly choose one letter to give away to the opposing player and offer that opponent a chance to guess. If a player misses a deadline to guess, that will count as a wrong answer.
Once a player loses a main game, (s)he must wait out the next three full episodes before trying a qualifying question. Should a player win three straight games, (s)he wins CY$100,000, wins a new car, retires undefeated and qualifies for the Mega Playoff.
MEGA PLAYOFF: As soon as four players qualify for this tournament, the Mega Playoff begins. Seeding is determined by how much cyber-money each player accumulated. Highest seed plays the lowest seed in one semi-final game; second highest seed plays the second lowest seed in the other semi-final game.
Each round in the tournament is worth CY$500 with CY$1500 still required to win in the semi-finals and CY$2000 in the finals. In the first round of each game of the tournament, the higher seeded player takes control first. In each of the remaining rounds, the loser of the previous round starts first. If the score is tied at CY$1000 in the semi-finals or CY$1500 in the finals, the player who created the tie has the option of taking control first (and in the process, going ahead and choosing letters to give away and take) or let his/her opponent take control first.
In the semi-finals, losing contestants each receive a consolation prize of CY$5000, in addition to his/her cyber-cash score. Each winning semi-finalist earns a bonus of CY$10,000 and the right play the A to Z Round. Should a winning semi-finalist sweep the first three rounds of the game, (s)he will play a double-header of the A to Z Round.
In the Mega Playoff, all the values in the A to Z Round double with a minimum guaranteed payoff of CY$1,000.
In the finals, the runner-up has his/her score augmented to CY$250,000 and the tournament winner has his/her score augmented to CY$1,000,000.
