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Author Topic: Improving the Winner's Big Money Game  (Read 9767 times)

Dbacksfan12

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Improving the Winner's Big Money Game
« on: August 13, 2019, 02:18:42 PM »
I got to thinking about this the other day when watching a SotC rerun...

As a endgame in itself, the WBMG isn't terrible.  However, as some of us have discussed previously, its a bit out of place on Sale.  I was trying to brainstorm some ways to improve it.  I came up with a couple:

Idea number one was taking the winner's main game score and giving them an extra second for every $10 earned.

Idea number two was lengthening the round to 45 seconds, awarding progressively nicer prizes for each puzzle they were able to solve.  The car would be awarded for solving nine puzzles.
They could then quit the show as a retired champion, or try again for more with the chance to win the (reinstated) cash jackpot.

Any others?  Or is the WBMG best left alone?
« Last Edit: August 14, 2019, 12:37:11 AM by Dbacksfan12 »
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WarioBarker

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Re: Improving the Winners Big Money Game
« Reply #1 on: August 13, 2019, 03:13:04 PM »
I'd fix three of my big sticking points:
* Change the clock to the style used on Scrabble, possibly even expand it to count off to the thousandths place. Each word popped in at a rate that wasn't exactly 1-per-second, and from what I've seen it was impossible to buzz in on a fresh puzzle if you started it with 01 on the clock.
** On that note, maybe start the clock after the first word pops in?
* Award a small cash consolation for each solved puzzle if the WBMG isn't won, say $500. This would give a decent reason to continue playing if it's obvious the endgame won't be fully won.
* Oust the rule that champs are forced to retire if they lose the car-level WBMG. Subsequent attempts would still be for the car, with the $50,000 bonus still being the level after that.
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chrisholland03

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Re: Improving the Winners Big Money Game
« Reply #2 on: August 13, 2019, 03:34:53 PM »
If I have to have it, I'd ditch the car win pre-req for the chance at $50k.  Other than that, I can't come up with anything that improves it.

If I don't have to have it, bring back Shopping, Syndicated style.



TLEberle

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Re: Improving the Winners Big Money Game
« Reply #3 on: August 13, 2019, 03:51:41 PM »
They’re not going to have tech to granularity of the millisecond when the eye cannot track it.

Puzzles need to have more text that helps pin the answer besides “sports team
“fictional character” and the like. I’d either go to the clue screen or shuffle form from Matchmates.

Money Game seeds a cash jackpot that can be cashed out on day seven after the car for five wins, all daily prizes for day six, game eight for double cash and all prizes.
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JakeT

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Re: Improving the Winners Big Money Game
« Reply #4 on: August 13, 2019, 07:56:02 PM »
If I have to have it, I'd ditch the car win pre-req for the chance at $50k.  Other than that, I can't come up with anything that improves it.

If I don't have to have it, bring back Shopping, Syndicated style.

I totally agree...$otC was all about the shopping, getting those glamourous prizes for the ridicuously low prices and earning your way to bigger and bigger prizes...$otC never needed any sort of bonus round...simply the decision to buy the current prize offered or risk it and play on...without the shopping, the magic of $otC was gone for me...

JakeT

MikeK

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Re: Improving the Winner's Big Money Game
« Reply #5 on: August 13, 2019, 08:44:04 PM »
Bring back the Winner's Board.  The WBMG has no redeeming qualities in this household.

The topic of the end of Sale's run came up in a conversation at Trivia Nationals last weekend.  For as much as I despise the WBMG, I have a similar amount of love for both Instant Cash and the upping of the 2nd Instant Bargain's value.  Early last week, a massage chair with built-in speakers, plus a cast-iron fireplace worth in excess of $3000 was bought as a 2nd IB.  (On top of that, it was sold for $5 and there was a Sale Surprise.)

SuperMatch93

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Re: Improving the Winner's Big Money Game
« Reply #6 on: August 13, 2019, 09:33:54 PM »
As a word game it's not bad, but it belongs on a different show. The shopping was the only end game that fit the theme of the show, IMO.

I would've given $100 a puzzle if it wasn't won, however.
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SamJ93

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Re: Improving the Winner's Big Money Game
« Reply #7 on: August 13, 2019, 09:50:20 PM »
I've thought that instead of the WBMG, maybe a hybrid of the Shopping and Winner's Board formats would work. 21 squares, with each square having a "purchase" price of $5-50 using the contestant's score from the main game.  In addition to 9 matching prizes, the letters C, A and R are behind 3 squares, leading to a car if the contestant uncovers all 3. After matching a prize, the contestant has the choice to stop or continue spending their money to try and match more prizes. If they stop, the leftover money carries over to the next game if they win--so while the prizes are never at risk, there is still incentive to continue on and try for the lot.
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parliboy

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Re: Improving the Winner's Big Money Game
« Reply #8 on: August 14, 2019, 12:18:38 AM »
The WBMG puzzles are against a clock that never stops.  Do not hit the buzzer to guess.  Just shout out answers or pass. 

Each answer is a clue to the meta puzzle.   Hit the buzzer before it hits zero, solve the meta puzzle, and win. 

Done. 
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beatlefreak84

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Re: Improving the Winner's Big Money Game
« Reply #9 on: August 14, 2019, 12:23:59 AM »
I was thinking about this a while back while watching Robin's run on the show.  You know, maybe it's the fact that I didn't even know there *was* another bonus round until years later (when I was younger, the WBMG was the bonus round in play during the first-run Sale episodes) that is influencing this, but I don't hate the WBMG as much as some do.

To be honest, I don't particularly care for the shopping endgame, mainly because it isn't really an endgame.  It's just waiting to see if the contestant will take a prize and retire, or continue to play.  The Winner's Board was better, but taking 10 shows to clear it seemed a bit long.

I will agree that the WBMG does seem out of place with a game that's all about shopping and that it took any semblance of risk out of the endgame.  But, I honestly liked it (and still do); it's a quick, high-stakes bonus round with some fun puzzles (at times!).

Here would be my suggestions for fixing it:

-Each WBMG is a flat $5,000 until the player goes for the car or the $50,000.
-There is no risk to play on until the player wins 4 WBMG's (don't have to be consecutive).  At that point, the player may continue to play for the car, risking all WBMG winnings (the $20,000).  Winning another WBMG wins the car and a shot at the $50,000.  However, if the player loses the WBMG while playing for the car, he/she must play for the car again on the next show, and continues to do so until winning it.  Losing a game along the way costs the WBMG winnings to that point.
-Upon winning the car in the WBMG, the same offer is extended as for the car, except the prize jumps to the $50,000 grand prize.  Winning another WBMG wins the $50,000 along with the prior $20,000, the car, and any front-game winnings.  The champ then retires undefeated.  However, losing a WBMG means having to play another game and try the WBMG again for the $50,000.  Losing a game along the way costs the $20,000 plus the car.

Pros of this method:

-Players can win the car in 5 shows instead of 7, thus avoiding some of the "Welp, that car's not going anywhere!" syndrome that plagued the show many weeks, including weeks where, before the car was even introduced, we knew no one would win it.  At least, at the start of each week, the car would be vulnerable.
-Players who are good at the main game, but not the WBMG, can still continue to play and not be forced out because they lost WBMG #7.
-A very good player can win the "lot" in as few as 6 shows (as few as Alice took), but most contestants will take more.
-Risk is reintroduced, though not until players have had a chance to earn some money to make the risk interesting.

Cons of this method:

-Progress toward the "lot" is dependent on performance in the WBMG instead of the front game.
-Only the strongest front game players would likely risk their car and $20,000 to try for the $50,000, especially since it may take them more than one show to get it, unlike with the Winner's Board.
-Players who are risking WBMG winnings will likely become extremely Instant Bargain and Instant Cash-averse in the front game, thus potentially forcing more players to play the game like Alice.

I likely put way too much thought into an endgame for a show that's been off the air for 30 years now, but there you have it.  Enjoy!

/this saved me from working on a manuscript...

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chrisholland03

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Re: Improving the Winner's Big Money Game
« Reply #10 on: August 14, 2019, 10:55:10 AM »
I've had thoughts that align with what was posted above, but honestly it just makes the game more complicated and harder to integrate.

Specifically --

Contestant gets 8 attempts at WBMG.  Contestant stays at prize level until it's won.  At the end of the 7th attempt, contestant makes a decision to risk their WBMG winnings for the chance at all 8 WBMG prizes ($5k - $10k, car, $50k).  The bonus for a contestant that is 7/7 on WBMG is a risk-free shot at the $50k.

 

BrandonFG

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Re: Improving the Winner's Big Money Game
« Reply #11 on: August 14, 2019, 02:13:14 PM »
One thing I liked about Temptation ‘07 was the Wipeout-style bonus game that built your bank (Knockout?). Maybe play a series of puzzles for one minute, no buzzer to stop the clock. You simply add $25 or $50 to your bank for each correct answer, then decide to buy something or return the next day.

I’ve mentioned this before, but I believe this and the Winners Board were the results of NBC wanting a bona fide bonus round on its shows. I dunno if this remedies that issue, but if a contestant needs $95 to buy the lot, and wins $70 in the front game, it might make the bonus round I proposed a little more interesting.
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Neumms

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Re: Improving the Winner's Big Money Game
« Reply #12 on: August 14, 2019, 04:48:50 PM »
Hearing "let's go shopping" was the highlight of the show. I propose still selling the major prizes like the car for $530, but also playing the bonus round for Bonus Bucks, say, $10 a puzzle and/or $5 for each clue word you didn't need.

If you fared well enough, you get a choice: add these extra Bonus Bucks to your savings...or buy an instant Bonus Bargain AND come back the next day. Maybe it's $40 for a living room set, maybe bigger prizes (or cash bonuses) on successive trips back.

To be frugal or give in to temptation isn't a huge decision but it could go either way, so it's something interesting at the end of the show until you're risking boats and cars to keep playing.

whewfan

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Re: Improving the Winners Big Money Game
« Reply #13 on: August 15, 2019, 09:15:27 AM »
If I have to have it, I'd ditch the car win pre-req for the chance at $50k.  Other than that, I can't come up with anything that improves it.

If I don't have to have it, bring back Shopping, Syndicated style.

I totally agree...$otC was all about the shopping, getting those glamourous prizes for the ridicuously low prices and earning your way to bigger and bigger prizes...$otC never needed any sort of bonus round...simply the decision to buy the current prize offered or risk it and play on...without the shopping, the magic of $otC was gone for me...

JakeT

Jake, the problem I had with the first format was that it seemed anti-climactic to ask a player that won their first game if they wanted to bail out and take the first prize offered. Most people of course risked it to get something better. I don't know how often a champ would take the first prize and retire, I've only seen it happen once. I think they should've stuck to the second bonus format. One flaw with the second format was that there was no way to lose. Whatever was matched first was won. Perhaps what they could've done was have a "LOSE" square or something like that. I always thought they had changed to the WBMG format because the second format was a little like "Concentration" that you had to match prizes, and Classic Concentration was just starting at that time... I'm probably wrong but I remember thinking that at the time.

Unrealtor

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Re: Improving the Winner's Big Money Game
« Reply #14 on: August 15, 2019, 10:41:25 AM »
To continue the thread drift from "Improve the WBMG" to "Improve the SOTC post-game..."

Change the shopping format so that you can pick up prizes without retiring, and make sure that there are enough low-end prizes available that champs always have something in reach at the end of the show and have to decide whether to spend some of their bank or sock the whole thing away. Once you buy a prize, it's yours to keep (to borrow a saying from an NBC stablemate) but the cost of the lot doesn't change just because you already bought some of it.
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