Wheel of Fortune gameplay elements

[WhirlieBird74]

[quote name=\'Jimmy Fiono Coyne\' post=\'245575\' date=\'Aug 8 2010, 02:55 PM\']- Beginning in the late 80s in the bonus round, the contestant was given RSTLNE automatically.
- The speed-up round time to guess the puzzle was reduced to 3 seconds instead of 5 in..was it 2002?
- In season 14, the top 3 players of the week returned on Friday to compete.

--Jamie[/quote]

Actually, the time to solve a puzzle in the Speed-Up Round was cut from 5 to 3 seconds at around May 1998.  I was a contestant from the 1/27 and 1/30/1998 shows, and our solving time was 5 seconds.  This is one rule change I'm glad they changed.  Five seconds was way too long.  On my first show, we played six rounds, and started on rounds 1/4.  

The second show didn't have a speed-up round, as, after five rounds, there literally was no time left to edit in a 6th round.  Thank God.  Had my (yellow) opponent, Susan Fisher solved the 4th or 5th rounds with $1,986 or more, I would have narrowly lost my 2nd (Friday Finals) game.  When Susan lost control in round 5, I knew the puzzle solution, spun the wheel (hoping for $5,000--but landed on $600), called 3 L's in the puzzle and immediately solved a very poignant puzzle:

I KNEW IT ALL ALONG

Pat's reaction was:  "I figured, as much!"

[Sodboy13]

"And after Round 1, Sally, thanks to the Jackpot space, the trip space, and the Prize Puzzle, you have $26,758!  We'll scuttle through two-and-a-half all but meaningless rounds before we see if I can land this thing on $5,000 in a single try, but probably will get it on $300 instead, after this!"

[Mark McNeil]

Originally when you landed on a prize, you immediately picked up that prize wedge then guessed a letter for the money amount that was underneath.

[ET206]

[quote name=\'Mark McNeil\' post=\'245609\' date=\'Aug 9 2010, 12:37 AM\']Originally when you landed on a prize, you immediately picked up that prize wedge then guessed a letter for the money amount that was underneath.[/quote]

I always preferred this game play over the current "land on the wedge, call a letter, then pick it up" method.

[Jeremy Nelson]

[quote name=\'Sodboy13\' post=\'245607\' date=\'Aug 8 2010, 10:36 PM\']"And after Round 1, Sally, thanks to the Jackpot space, the trip space, and the Prize Puzzle, you have $26,758!  We'll scuttle through two-and-a-half all but meaningless rounds before we see if I can land this thing on $5,000 in a single try, but probably will get it on $300 instead, after this!"[/quote]
...and that's exactly how I feel after a Prize Puzzle. I honestly wouldn't be opposed to prize puzzles, wedge prizes, and gift tags not counting toward a player's final score.

[pacdude]

[quote name=\'Jeremy Nelson\' post=\'245612\' date=\'Aug 9 2010, 01:09 AM\'][quote name=\'Sodboy13\' post=\'245607\' date=\'Aug 8 2010, 10:36 PM\']"And after Round 1, Sally, thanks to the Jackpot space, the trip space, and the Prize Puzzle, you have $26,758!  We'll scuttle through two-and-a-half all but meaningless rounds before we see if I can land this thing on $5,000 in a single try, but probably will get it on $300 instead, after this!"[/quote]
...and that's exactly how I feel after a Prize Puzzle. I honestly wouldn't be opposed to prize puzzles, wedge prizes, and gift tags not counting toward a player's final score.
[/quote]

THIS.

/stupid prize puzzle.
//i woulda won it all.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'SRIV94\' post=\'245582\' date=\'Aug 8 2010, 01:13 PM\'][quote name=\'chad1m\' post=\'245572\' date=\'Aug 8 2010, 01:36 PM\']Because it's a lot easier to make it a blanket rule than to say "we'll add $1,000 UNLESS you land on $5,000 because you don't need any more money, you greedy heathens."[/quote]
You're not the one doing the landing--this is Sajak's spin.  Adding the $1,000 to a lower amount makes sense.  Adding it to the $5,000 I think is overkill.[/quote]
Chad's right here. Having to explain why you're not adding the $1000 is just ugly and looks cheap.

[Craig Karlberg]

When the show first started, the categories were usually the general types(People Places. Things. etc...).  Now we have things like On the Map, What Are You Doing? & my favorite, as Charle O'Donnel would say, "ROCK ON!".  Is it me or have categoreis become too speciffic?

[TLEberle]

Not too specific so much as misleading or useless.

[toetyper]

PROPER NAME

UTAH JAZZ

'nuff said

/in the  BONUS round no  less'

[SRIV94]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'245614\' date=\'Aug 9 2010, 12:49 AM\'][quote name=\'SRIV94\' post=\'245582\' date=\'Aug 8 2010, 01:13 PM\'][quote name=\'chad1m\' post=\'245572\' date=\'Aug 8 2010, 01:36 PM\']Because it's a lot easier to make it a blanket rule than to say "we'll add $1,000 UNLESS you land on $5,000 because you don't need any more money, you greedy heathens."[/quote]
You're not the one doing the landing--this is Sajak's spin.  Adding the $1,000 to a lower amount makes sense.  Adding it to the $5,000 I think is overkill.[/quote]
Chad's right here. Having to explain why you're not adding the $1000 is just ugly and looks cheap.
[/quote]
See, I'm not sure an explanation is needed.  Wasn't it the case that when the "add $1,000" nugget was first implemented that it didn't apply if Sajak landed on the $5,000?

[CeleTheRef]

I would absolutely be OK if a Toss-up was played before each round, but only for the first spin of the round, and not money.

That is how it works currently in Italy.   There is an opening toss-up for €500, plus another at the beginning of each round which gives the first spin and a €500 head start (it can be lost to bankrupt or spent on vowels).  There are usually 5 rounds in an episode, which means 6 toss-ups every game.

Regardless of that, my biggest problem lies with the Prize Puzzle and its steroid-like effect on gameplay.

Oog, this certainly doesn\'t help.

In Italy additional prizes like trips or Surprises don\'t count towards the final score.
 
In Spain instead the prizes count, but they aren\'t really game breaking.  I like how they put the Jackpot round in the end as it is usually enough to win the game with it alone.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'SRIV94\' post=\'245625\' date=\'Aug 9 2010, 07:30 AM\']See, I'm not sure an explanation is needed.  Wasn't it the case that when the "add $1,000" nugget was first implemented that it didn't apply if Sajak landed on the $5,000?[/quote]
If it was, then it was a stupid rule and should have been changed to its current state.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'toetyper\' post=\'245624\' date=\'Aug 9 2010, 06:58 AM\']PROPER NAME

UTAH JAZZ

'nuff said

/in the  BONUS round no  less'[/quote]
Really, enough was said when you banged on this particular drum the first time.

[Matt Ottinger]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'245631\' date=\'Aug 9 2010, 01:16 PM\']Really, enough was said when you banged on this particular drum the first time.[/quote]
The FIRST time?