Rules
Rules
DISCLAIMER: This is an internet adaptation of -- and is loosely based on -- the game show The Big ShowDown which aired on the ABC television network in the mid-'70s. No challenge is implied or intended to the production companies (Don Lipp/Ron Greenberg Productions), ownership or others affiliated with The Big ShowDown. This is done out of respect for the show which deserved a much longer run. The author of this website hopes the show will return in some capacity. The material contained herein (including questions and most images) was created and written by the author of this website.
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: To survive a series of three showdowns and earn the right to roll a pair of special dice for up to CY$100,000.
QUALIFYING: The game of Net ShowDown begins with a qualifying period of a few days. A question with a numerical answer (such as "What was the world's population in the year 1975?") will be posted to the Net Games Yahoo! Groups mailing list. If a visitor to the site/subscriber to the mailing list wishes to participate in the game, he/she must e-mail the host 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.
If we already have a returning champion, we'll look for two challengers for qualifying. If no champ, we'll look for three players.
MAIN GAME: The main game of Net ShowDown consists of the three players participating in a five-grand showdown and a ten-grand showdown -- with two of the three players playing a final showdown.
FIVE-GRAND SHOWDOWN: Before it begins, a payoff point of 8 or 9 is established at random. Then, six categories are displayed on the board such as this...
TV TRIVIA HORSE RACING COMIC BOOK HEROES "X" MARKS THE SPOT THE '80S OPERA
The first category listed is worth 1 point, the second worth 2 points, the third 3 points and so on to the sixth category for 6 points.
To start the five-grand showdown, a question from the 1 point category is given to the three players -- for the point and control of the board. Each player responds with the answer plus a number between 1 and 100. The player closest to the pre-determined "buzz-in" number, provided by randomizer.org, will have his answer revealed. If correct, (s)he earns the point and the right to pick the next category. If incorrect, the next closest player's response is revealed (correct answer earns the point and control; incorrect answer -- even if it was what the first player gave as an answer, which won't be included in a transcript -- and we go to the third player).
Whether or not that initial 1 point question was answered correctly, it is replaced with a new 1 point category.
The player who responded correctly and came closest to the buzz-in number picks from any of the six categories. After the category is chosen, its question is presented to the three players and they'll respond with their answers and numbers from 1 to 100 as before. Whether or not the question from the chosen category is answered correctly, its category is replaced with a new one and the correct answerer who came closest to the buzz-in number picks a new category. Anytime all three players do not respond with the correct answer, the chosen category is replaced with a new one and the players are automatically given whatever question is at the 1 point category position for that point and control of the board.
This process is repeated until someone reaches the payoff point. As the game progresses, a player's point total can never go higher than -- and cannot pick a category that would take him/her over -- the payoff point. In the event one player chooses a category at a value that would put another player over the payoff point, that player is blocked from answering that question. In the event two players would go over the payoff point because another chose a category with too high a value, only the controlling player deals with that question (no need to submit a buzz-in number, just the answer).
The player who reaches the payoff point successfully wins up to CY$3000. A standard pair of dice is rolled and the total value of the dice is multiplied by CY$250. The winner collects the cyber-monetary value of the roll. All cyber-cash won throughout the game is a keeper regardless of his/her finish in the main game.
Afterward, the payoff point is then increased by 7 or 8 at random and then the players continue to build on their scores. Play resumes with a question from the 1-point category. The player who hits this second payoff point wins up to CY$3000 (again, dice roll times CY$250) and the right to play the sidegame Odd Job.
Before this mini-bonus game, the host will program randomizer.org to roll a single virtual die 100 times (see a sample list of results here). Each odd number on the die is assigned a cyber-cash value as follows...
CY$50
.
CY$500
.
CY$5,000
.
The player will pick a set number from 1 to 100 (in this same example, let's set the player chose set #62). If the player "rolled" an even number (staying with this same example, set #62 results in the roll of a 4), (s)he wins CY$250 and another roll (next roll in the list). If the player rolled an odd number (set #63 results in the roll of a 5), the player wins CY$50 for a roll of a 1, CY$500 for a 3 or CY$5000 for a 5.
When Odd Job ends, so does the five-grand showdown.
TEN-GRAND SHOWDOWN: Before it begins, we add 7 or 8 points to the payoff point at random.
This showdown is played exactly like the five-grand showdown with the three players building on their scores from the previous round -- and starting with the 1 point question for control of the board plus that point.
Hitting this third payoff point of the game is worth CY$3000 (again, exact payoff by dice roll) and one more payoff point before the final showdown is determined (increased by 7 or 8 points).
The player who hits the fourth payoff point of the game wins the right to play The Dice Diva's Delight -- a sidegame worth up to CY$10,000.
Before the mini-bonus game, the host will program randomizer.org to roll a single virtual die 100 times (see sample results here). Each number on the die is assigned a prize or cyber-cash amount as follows...
?MYSTERY?
CY$500
CY$750
CY$1,000
CY$2,500
CY$10,000
The player will pick a set number from 1 to 100 (in this same example, let's set the player chose set #2). The player can then take the prize or cyber-cash corresponding to the rolled number or pass it up for the next set number -- which (s)he must take (in this same example, the player felt (s)he can do better than a 2 for CY$50, (s)he'd go to set #3 which yields a roll of a 5 and a payoff of CY$2500).
Should a player end up with a roll of 1 for the mystery prize, the mystery will then be revealed. It could be any amount of cyber-cash worth up to CY$10,000 or a virtual prize such as a vacation or sailboat -- or something lousy like a broken dish or a tiny toy boat.
Should a player initially pick a set that resulted in a roll of a 6 (set #8, #9, #11 and any other set with that successful 6), the mini-bonus game ends right there and then and (s)he collects CY$10,000 plus the mystery prize (whether the player likes it or not).
The players with the lowest score after the fourth payoff point is hit is eliminated from further play. If there's a tie for the lowest score, those involved in the tie play a tie-breaker toss-up question from the 1-point category. If the player closer to the secret buzz-in number answers the question correctly, (s)he wins the point and advances to the final showdown. If the player closer to the secret buzz-in number gives a wrong answer, his/her opponent automatically scores the point by default and goes on to the final showdown.
FINAL SHOWDOWN: For this round, only three categories (worth 1, 2 and 3 points each) are placed on the board as well as a "1 point wild card" category. The wild card will disappear and reappear as needed. As for the other three categories, they stay on the board throughout the final showdown. The players' scores will be reset to zero with a payoff point automatically set to 7.
The final showdown begins at the 1 point wild card worth a point and control of the board.
As before, a correct answer along with coming close-enough to the buzz-in number takes the points and control of the board. Anytime both players miss a question, the players are given a general knowledge question from the 1 point wild card.
Seven points without going over wins the game, the championship, CY$3000 more and the right to roll the Net ShowDown dice for a possible CY$100,000.
BONUS GAME - HUNDRED-GRAND SHOWDOWN: Before the endgame begins, the host will program randomizer.org to roll a pair of special dice 100 times with the 6s replaced with zeroes (see sample results here). One zero in a set will represent the word "Show" (if the zero is the left number of the set) or "Down" (if it's the right number of the set). Two zeroes in a set (such as in set #40 of this same example) counts as a roll of "ShowDown".
Afterward, the champion will initially select one of the 100 sets. In the event (s)he picks the set with the roll of "ShowDown" (double zeroes), the game ends and (s)he wins CY$100,000 immediately as well as a virtual brand new car.
If no "ShowDown", the total value of the dice roll is the payoff point. (staying in this example, if the player started with set #1 -- double 3s -- the payoff point is 6) After the free roll, the champion gets to see the results of the next 10 rolls/sets (staying in this example, after set #1, (s)he sees sets 2 through 11).
Anytime the payoff point is rolled, the champion receives CY$2500 plus "an extra roll" after the next 10. Anytime "ShowDown" is rolled, the game ends and (s)he wins a bonus of CY$50,000.
fter a total of "11 rolls", if there is no "ShowDown", the player gets to see as many of the next roll results as there are extra rolls. Here, a roll of the payoff point pays CY$1500 but earns no extra roll. Still, "ShowDown" ends the game with a CY$50,000 payoff.
If after all the "rolling" the champion earns no cyber-cash, (s)he collects CY$1000 consolation.
Regardless of the results of the bonus game, the champion returns in the next main game to defend his/her title.
MISC. RULES: If the answer to a question is a person's name, the last name can be accepted unless the question directs otherwise. If a player does gives more than a last name for the person in question and if any part of that name is wrong, the whole answer is counted wrong.
If the answer to a question is the title of a book, movie, TV show, etc., the exact title must be given (i.e. "Love Boat" alone can't be accepted when the exact title of the TV show is The Love Boat).
Spelling doesn't count when answering a question -- so long as you're close enough and the question and/or category doesn't request for an exact spelling.
Anytime there's a tie for distance with regard to closest to the qualifying question's answer or buzz-in number, the player who e-mailed the host sooner takes the tie-break edge.
A missed deadline with regard to...
responding to a question counts as if the player responded incorrectly.
picking a category counts as if all three players missed a question and we go to the 1-point category by default (should we be in the final showdown, we default to the 1-point wild card).
If you don't know the answer to a question, just e-mail the host with "pass" or "I don't know" or something like that; that lets us now you're still there.
In revealing results of sets of dice rolls, should a player start by picking a set near the end of the list and have to "keep rolling" past set #100, we'll go to the top of the list at set #1 and continue from there.
In the (somewhat unlikely, yet not impossible) event at least one 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 is not rolled in the 100 sets for the five-grand or ten-grand showdown, the 100 sets are discarded and replaced with a new group of 100 sets. Replacements will continue until at least one 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 is included among the 100 sets.
For the hundred-grand showdown, if there's no "ShowDown" roll in any of the 100 bonus game dice roll sets, those sets are discarded and replaced with a new group of 100 sets. Replacements will continue until at least one "ShowDown" roll is included in at least one out of 100 sets.
Once a champion or challenger loses a main game, (s)he must wait out at least the next three episodes before trying to qualify for another main game.
If a champion wins three straight games of Net ShowDown, (s)he retires undefeated and wins another CY$100,000. If (s)he hasn't won a virtual new car by then, the player will receive that virtual automobile. Any three-time champion qualifies for the Net ShowDown Quarter Million Playoff.
Also, if a player does not string together three consecutive wins but does win at least CY$100,000 in cyber-cash between the time (s)he enters a main game and the time she is eliminated from further play, the player enters the Quarter Million Playoff.
Participants in the tournament remain retired until the start of the Quarter Million Playoff. For rules, click here.
We all know this was long -- but once we play, it'll all make sense. For further details, e-mail Joe Van Ginkel by clicking on the "E-mail Joe" button below...
