                                BUZZWORD

Typed by THE SCRIBE.  Edited by PARASITE.


GETTING STARTED
     After an introductory message, you will see an initialization
menu as follows:
          F1     START PLAY
          F2     NEXT OPTION
          F3     PREV OPTION
          F10    STOP

     Press  the  F1 function key (we'll talk about  BUZZWORD's  32
different modes later) and you're ready to move on.

          F1     ALTER LEVEL
          F2     CANCEL PLAY
                 or
          TYPE CARD NO.

     Type in the the 3-digit number of the CATEGORY CARD you  wish
to use.

THE CATEGORIES
     At the heart of BUZZWORD are the CATEGORIES.   Each  category
is  made  up of a group of associated buzz words  (i.e.  a  list).
Imagine trying to guess words from these categories:

          NO NUTRITION        Things other than food that people
                              put in their mouths.

          BY POPULAR DEMAND   Favorite parlor games.

          NATURE'S WRATH      Ill winds and other unpleasantries
                              from Mother Nature.

          ME AND MINE         What you come with when you're born
                              (Body Parts).

          FRENCH CONNECTION   Words and/or phrases beginning with
                              French.

     A  category can hold as many as 50 different  answers.   Each
answer  is  up  to  14  characters  long,   including  spaces  and
punctuation.

     Each  time  a category is selected,  9 answers  are  randomly
selected  from  the total set of  answers  available.   The  total
number  of  answers  available  varies  with  the  level  of  play
selected.

     Your  BUZZWORD  SAMPLER  package  comes with  a  set  of  200
categories.  40 categories have been developed for each of 5 broad
areas of subject matter which we call:

          FUN FOR ALL AGES --------- HICKORY STICK
          PLAY ON WORDS ------------ LEISURE WORLD
                    BUZZWORD CONNECTION

     The variety of subjects and topics created will provide many,
many  hours of enjoyable brain teasing fun for both young and  old
alike.

     All  of  the  categories can  be  played  repeatedly  without
danger  of "knowing all the answers;" and as the level of play  is
increased  from  BRIGHT to GIFTED,  BUZZWORD is a game  that  will
stretch the limits of both your knowledge and your psyche.

     For  starters,  try a simple one,  such as ME AND MINE  (Card
Number 005).   Type the card number, hit [Return] and you're ready
to begin
     NOTE:   It is important to type the card number exactly as it
appears on the card -- including leading 0/s

THE CLUES
     After  you  have selected  your  category,  9  letters,  each
accompanied  by a number,  will pop into the windows in the  upper
right  hand corner of your screen.   These are your Clues  --  the
first letter of each answer and the answer's length.

     The window in the bottom right hand corner tells you how many
of  each  letter of the alphabet are in the set of  all  remaining
answers.   Generally, the exact count of each letter is displayed.
If  a + sign occurs,  this denotes ten or more occurances  of  the
letter.  Each time a correct answer is given, the remaining letter
counts are updated.

     The  number  next  to  the key  indicates  how  many  spaces,
punctuation marks, and numerals the remaining answers contain.

PLEASE NOTE:
     In BUZZWORD,  spaces,  punctuation marks,  and numerals count
when determining the length of an answer.  For example, the answer
NEW YORK has a length of 8 characters -- not 7 as you might expect
in a crossword puzzle.   That is,  the space between the words NEW
and YORK is counted.  Actually, by doing so, the player is given a
valuable  clue which informs him/her that an answer contains  more
than  one  word,  or contains punctuation as part  of  its  normal
usage.

     Guess away,  and as you do,  remember that there are up to 50
Buzzwords  in each category.   Also,  remember to use  the  letter
counts  in  the lower right hand window to  your  advantage.   For
example,  if your guess contains two K's,  you could glance at the
lower right hand window to see if there are any K's left.  If not,
you know that your guess is incorrect.   Use the BACKSPACE key  to
delete the last character you've typed.

THE LEVELS
     BUZZWORD  can  be played at three different levels  which  we
call  BRIGHT,  NIMBLE,  and  GIFTED.   Each of the  answers  in  a
category is assigned a number as follows:
     1 = BRIGHT = Well Known
     2 = NIMBLE = More Difficult
     3 = GIFTED = Sometimes Obscure/Tricky
     At  level  1,  only BRIGHT answers will appear  in  the  nine
windows.   If you play level 2, the program will select BRIGHT and
NIMBLE answers, and so on.

     You  can  play each round at a different level if  you  wish.
The  level  may  be changed prior to specifying  the  card  number
desired.

     If  you're  playing doubles,  the level for each round  is  a
delicate matter.   We recommend,  however,  that the loser of  the
previous  round  be  given  the option to  select  both  the  next
category to be played, as well as the level it is to be played at.

THE SCORE
     In BUZZWORD, you can score three different ways:
          A. By guessing an answer correctly
          B. By capturing the POT
          C. By winning a round

A. GUESSING CORRECT ANSWERS:
     You get 100 points for the first correct answer.   From  then
on,  the number of points a correct answer is worth depends on how
many  empty boxes are in the same row and column as the  word  you
guessed.  The point count is as follows:
          EMPTY BOXES    POINTS
               0           100
               1           200
               2           400
               3           600
               4           800

B. CAPTURING THE POT:
     The  first  time  a correct answer is given a  bonus  of  200
points is put into the POT.   With each subsequent correct answer,
the number of points in the pot doubles.

     This  is  where you can really earn your points --  giving  9
correct answers in a row will give you a bonus of 51,200 points.

     If your next guess is wrong, you lose the bonus.  In singles,
this  means that the pot will be reset to  0.   In  doubles,  this
means that the pot will be transferred to your opponent.

     In  singles,  if you PASS (by simply hitting  [RETURN]),  the
contents of the pot will be added to your score.   PASS again, and
the computer provides a free answer -- and perhaps a little relief
to your overtaxed brain.  However, these maneuvers will cost you a
strike, and reduce the maximum number of points you can earn.

     In  doubles,  if you PASS (again by  hitting  [RETURN]),  the
contents  of  the pot will be added to your  score.   In  doubles,
however,  these  maneuvers  will cost you  a  strike,  reduce  the
maximum number of points you and your opponent can earn,  and give
control of the game to your opponent.

WINNING A ROUND:
     That  number  next to the category title is called  the  card
value.  It indicates how many points winning the round will  bring
you -- 1000 to 5000.

     In  singles,  the  card value increases only when you  win  a
previous  round.   If  you  guess five or more of  the  9  answers
correctly,  you win the round and collect the card value.   If you
do not,  the round is over and the card value -- which you do  not
collect -- remains the same for the next round.

     In doubles,  the card value increases when one of the players
wins the round.   In doubles,  the winner of the round is NOT  the
player who has accumulated the most points.   It is the player who
provides the LAST correct answer.  Regardless of the actual number
of points accrued by each player during the round,  the 'loser' of
the round chooses the next category and level.

THE PLAY
     When starting a round,  each player starts with three to five
strikes (the actual number of strikes depends upon the game option
being played).   In the upper left hand corner of your  screen,  a
line  of  Z's  denotes the number of strikes  remaining  for  each
player.  You use up one strike each time you guess incorrectly, or
when you PASS.

     BUZZWORD is played in three rounds.   In singles,  this means
that after 3 rounds of play -- you get something extra -- a  bonus
round.  In doubles, this means that after one player has won three
rounds,  that  player has an opportunity to play the bonus  round.
Remember,  in doubles, it is possible for a player to be behind in
points,  but  be ahead in rounds won.   The bonus round can  often
decide  the  game's outcome by providing the opportunity  to  come
from behind.

     In  the bonus round,  it's your task to correctly  unscramble
and  type the Buzzwords as they are presented while a timer  ticks
relentlessly  down  to  zero.   The  bonus  round  gives  you  the
opportunity  to  earn an extra 25,600 points -- if  you  correctly
unscramble  all  9 answers.   PASSing is permitted  in  the  bonus
round,  but  --  there is no going back.   Once a  word  has  been
passed,  it  cannot  be  tried  again even  though  there  may  be
sufficient time remaining.  This feature needs to be reckoned with
when playing the bonus round.   Also beware!   An incorrect answer
will  cause the pot to be reset to zero so sometimes PASSing is  a
must.

     The  time  limit  for the bonus is determined  by  the  total
number of games actually won.   In singles,  this is a function of
the  number of rounds that you were successful in providing  5  or
more correct answers.  It will vary from 30 seconds to 60 seconds.
In doubles, the time limit will always be 60 seconds.

NOTE:   You do not need to play the bonus round.  If you wish, you
can  pass  the  bonus  round and collect a  few  points  for  your
discretion.   In some cases, these points may be enough to surpass
your opponent and win the game.

THE CARDS
     Why cards?   After all,  this is a computer game,why not  let
the computer automatically select the categories?   The cards  are
actually one of the strong points of the BUZZWORD game.

     Using cards allows BUZZWORD to be tailored to each player  by
setting aside those categories that are too difficult,  or hold no
interest for the players.

THE OPTIONS
     BUZZWORD is not one game, but thirty-two!  Each time that you
are about to begin a new game, the simple push of a key [F1 or F2]
can send you into ever more challenging play.
     The BUZZWORD Options include:

          SINGLES OR DOUBLES  : Just like the title says.

          THE MODES           : GREEN, BLUE, PURPLE, RED
                    GREEN     : First letter of the answer and
                                length of answer shown
                    BLUE      : Only first letter of the answer
                                shown
                    PURPLE    : Only length of answer shown
                    RED       : Neither first letter or length
                                shown

          THE LETTER COUNT    : ON/OFF
                    ON        : Total number of each letter of the
                                alphabet shown in bottom right
                                window
                    OFF       : Total letter count only

          THE TIME            : ON/OFF
                    ON        : A 30 second clock ticks away as
                                you rifle your memory for the
                                answer
                    OFF       : Allows plenty of time to think

     It  should be apparent that as less clues are provided and  a
time  limit  is  imposed,  BUZZWORD becomes more  and  more  of  a
challenge.   We  offer  the following  suggestions  when  choosing
among the various options:

     >  IF THE TIMER IS ON,  you will usually want to PASS  rather
than allow the time to run out.  Otherwise, a blank answer will be
treated as an incorrect answer.

     > FOR DOUBLES, IF THE TIMER IS NOT SELECTED, the players must
agree on some other mutually acceptable way to control the  amount
of time allowed to provide an answer.   In general,  we  recommend
that the TIMER be ON when playing doubles.

     > WHEN THE LETTER COUNT IS ON,  extremely valuable clues  are
provided.  We recommend that this be considered the norm.

THE NOTES
     BUZZWORD  is  a game of words -- words that  can  be  spelled
numerous ways, words that have synonyms and words that can contain
spaces or hyphens, or both.

     There are a few simple rules you should know before you  type
in that crucial answer that's going to win the game for you:

     > Buzzwords are usually in the singular, except when the word
or  phrase  is exclusively used in the plural  (Hash  Browns,  for
example).

     > Saint (as in Saint Louis,  Missouri) is always  abbreviated
St. (as in St. Louis, Mo.)

     >  In categories with people's names,  only the last name  is
used.  The  inevitable exception to this rule occurs only  if  the
description of the category says so.

     >  When  "the" is the first word of a book,  movie  or  other
title, it is omitted.

     >  Numbers  can  be both spelled out  or  shown  as  figures,
depending on how they naturally appear (e.g.  the book "1984"  and
the play "Two for the Seesaw".

     > Because it is difficult to remember whether to use a  space
or a hyphen, BUZZWORD will accept either one as correct.

     > Here are our standard spellings and usages of a few country
names that appear in BUZZWORD.
          UNITED STATES (not America)
          SOVIET UNION (Russia is used only when referring to the
          pre-revolutionary country.)
          WEST GERMANY
          EAST GERMANY
          CAMBODIA (not Kampuchea)
          ROMANIA (not Rumania)

     In  addition to what one might consider  "normal"  lists,  we
have  introduced something very new,  and special  into  BUZZWORD.
This is the concept of what we call "The BUZZWORD CONNECTION." The
best  way we've found to describe these categories is through  the
standard phrase:
Words or Phrases Beginning With          .

     If for example,  the category was BLUE  ...  CONNECTION,  the
clue would be the standard phrase:
Words or Phrases Beginning With Blue.

     Candidate answers would consist of all of the following:
          JAY            for BLUE JAY
          SKY            for BLUE-SKY
          BERRY          for BLUEBERRY
          SKY LAW        for BLUE-SKY LAW

     The standard BUZZWORD CONNECTION rules are:
          > The answer must be a legitimate word or phrase by
            itself.
          > The answer may be part of a larger word or phrase and
            often times is.
          > The word or phrase is usually found in a dictionary,
            but may be one that is connected with a famous
            person, place, movie, or book (for example, the "Red
            Baron").


BUZZWORD CARDS

<<< FUN FOR ALL AGES >>>

CARD           CATEGORY            CARD           CATEGORY
==============================     ==============================
 000   EVIL BEASTIES                001   A RAINBOW OF COLORS
 002   COMMON MEASURE               003   STRANGE ORCHARD
 004   THINGS THAT BITE!            005   ME AND MINE
 006   BIRDS OF A FEATHER           007   PEOPLE AT WORK
 008   OLD MCDONALD                 009   A TRIP TO THE ZOO
 010   MELTING POT                  011   FROM HERE TO THERE
 012   SPORTS WORLD                 013   FAMILY TIES
 014   THE WATER CLOSET             015   ON THE BEACH
 016   UNDER THE BIG TOP            017   PLAY BALL
 018   JOYOUS NOEL                  019   SANTA AND FRIENDS
 020   TRICK OR TREAT               021   A TIME FOR TURKEYS
 022   EASTER TIME                  023   2 ALL BEEF PATTIES
 024   IN THE KITCHEN               025   THINGS THROWN
 026   SEEING RED                   027   PREPARE TO STOP
 028   AMERICAN MAMMALS             029   ANIMAL SOUNDS
 030   SCOUT IDEALS                 031   A PIECE OF TIME
 032   INSIDE PARTS                 033   NO NUTRITION
 034   TO START THE DAY             035   A COWBOY'S LIFE
 036   THE LAST COURSE              037   ROOM AT HOME
 038   IT'S A HOLIDAY               039   ANIMAL YOUNG

<<< HICKORY STICK >>>

CARD           CATEGORY            CARD          CATEGORY
==============================     ==============================
 040   INDIAN TRIBES                041   NEW TESTAMENT
 042   EARTH, AIR, AND WATER        043   WE PRONOUNS
 044   THE OVAL OFFICE              045   PREPOSITIONS
 046   IN OUR GALAXY                047   NATIONAL PARKS
 048   NATIONAL CAPITALS            049   THE WATER IS FIND
 050   NATIONS OF EUROPE            051   NATIONS OF AMERICAS
 052   MIDEAST NATIONS              053   SHAPES
 054   FIRST NAMES BASIS            055   EASTERN US CITIES
 056   WESTERN US CITIES            057   NATURE'S WRATH
 058   HOLY PLACES                  059   KENNEDY CLAN
 140   MOUNTAIN RANGES              141   OLD TESTAMENT
 142   UNCOMMON MEASURE             143   ADAM, EVE, AND CO.
 144   EXECUTIVE DEPT.              145   STATE CAPITALS
 146   GRAMMAR                      147   THE .... STATE
 148   EARLY US AUTHORS             149   THE BARD
 150   NATIONS OF AFRICA            151   NATIONS OF ASIA
 152   RIVERS OF THE WORLD          153   WATER EVERYWHERE
 154   EXPLORING NEW LANDS          155   WATERGATE REUNION
 156   HOLY ONES                    157   NATO NATIONS
 158   THE SUN NEVER SETS           159   WWII ALLIES

<<< LEISURE WORLD >>>

CARD           CATEGORY            CARD           CATEGORY
==============================     ==============================
 060   OLDEN DAYS OF COMEDY         061   BY POPULAR DEMAN
 062   TRACK JARGON                 063   GOLF NO TRICKS
 064   FOOTBALL NO TRICKS           065   THE TEAMS OF SUMMER
 066   THE TEAMS OF AUTUMN          067   TEAMS ON THE COURT
 068   THE BOWL GAMES               069   BALL GAMES
 070   LOOK MA, NO BALL             071   ONE MORE QUARTER
 072   MONOPOLY STOPS               073   TV CRIME FIGHTERS
 074   MODERN SOAPS                 075   PEOPLE OF MASH
 076   RIDING THE TUBE              077   REIGN OF SITCOMS
 078   OH HAPPY DAYS                079   ... IT'S SUPERMAN
 160   PLAYING BRIDGE               161   AND STILL WE PLAY
 162   A CHESS GAMBIT               163   THE SUMMER GAMES
 164   TENNIS ANYONE?               165   BAD BOUNCES
 166   DIAMOND SETTINGS             167   THEY WERE NO. 1
 168   PIGSKIN PASTURES             169   WHERE THEY PLAY
 170   THE WORLD CHAMPEEN           171   HEIS-MAN
 172   BLACK ON SILVER              173   WORD OF OPERA
 174   TEAMS ON ICE                 175   GREAT GIG IN SKY
 176   MOPTOP MEDLEY                177   THE MUSICALS
 178   WOMEN AND SONG               179   MOVE TO THE BOOTH

<<< PLAY ON WORDS >>>

CARD           CATEGORY            CARD           CATEGORY
==============================     ==============================
 100   MYTHICAL CREATURES           101   A MAN'S CASTLE
 102   U.S. MISSILES                103   31 FLAVORS AND MORE
 104   HOUSE WORK                   105   WORLD SHAKERS
 106   STRANGE FOREST               107   STICKS AND STONES
 108   WORKSHOP TOOLS               109   TYPES OF CONTAINERS
 110   THE GREEK ALPHABET           111   FASTENERS
 112   COUGHIN' NAILS               113   WAY TO GO
 114   MONEY, MONEY                 115   ANIMAL GROUPS
 116   TREASURE CHEST               117   THIRST QUENCHERS
 118   NOBLE WORDS                  119   MEN'S HEAD WEAR
 120   THEY LEFT A MARK             121   THE IMPORTS
 122   POPULAR DOG BREEDS           123   CANDY BARS
 124   U.S. WARPLANES               125   HEAD HONCHOS
 126   MAKING DINNER                127   CUTS OF MEAT
 128   ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES          129   MIXED DRINKS
 130   STAFF OF LIFE                131   WHAT'S YOUR SIGN?
 132   WATERY FORMS                 133   THE FAIRER SEX
 134   FACES OF THE EARTH           135   HOME BREWS
 136   MEXICAN COMIDA               137   HERBS & SPICES
 138   THE MALE ANIMAL              139   SIGN LANGUAGE

<<< BUZZWORD CONNECTION >>>

CARD           CATEGORY            CARD           CATEGORY
==============================     ==============================
 080   RED    ...                   081   EYE    ...
 082   SUN    ...                   083   WHITE  ...
 084   AIR    ...                   085   DOG    ...
 086   WATER  ...                   087   WORK   ...
 088   FIRE   ...                   089   SNOW   ...
 090   FRENCH ...                   091   HEAD   ...
 092   BLOOD  ...                   093   SIDE   ...
 094   BLUE   ...                   095   UNDER  ...
 096   CROSS  ...                   097   HOUSE  ...
 098   TAKE   ...                   099   HALF   ...
 180   FREE   ...                   181   CUT    ...
 182   HIGH   ...                   183   FOOT   ...
 184   DOWN   ...                   185   FORE   ...
 186   HAND   ...                   187   GET    ...
 188   DOUBLE ...                   189   ICE    ...
 190   SEA    ...                   191   BED    ...
 192   BLACK  ...                   193   UP     ...
 194   NEW    ...                   195   OUT    ...
 196   LONG   ...                   197   LIFE   ...
 198   BACK   ...                   199   GO     ...

End.
