Playing Tic Tac Toe

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Depending on which rules are selected, Tic Tac Toe can be played many different ways. However, if the game is played with the defaults, the game instructor will control most if not all of the flow of the game.

Team 1 by default will be selected first to answer the question. After a team verbally chooses a square, the Instructor displays the question by clicking the square with the mouse, pressing the arrow keys to highlight the square and then pressing the enter key or by using the Wireless Host Transmitter.

Note: You cannot select a previously selected square.

If the team answers incorrectly, the answer is shown and the other team now gains possession of the board.

If the team answers correctly, the square is awarded and the other team now gains possession of the board.

The game is over when a team gets 3 in a row, there's a Cats Game, the preset Match Length time expires or there are no more questions.

Note: To exit the game, move the pointer to the top of the screen to display the Game Setup dialog box, and select Quit Program.

The following pages walk you through the steps to start the game. Good Luck!

To play the sample game, click on the sample game either on the Library Games screen or select the game in Tree View and click on the Play Game shortcut.

After clicking the Play Game button, you are given the option of starting the game from various points in the game sequence:



In our example, we'll start with the Display Game Logo. This displays an opening (mostly blank) screen with a start button in the bottom right hand corner. (If you selected to Show Prompts for Keyboard Navigation, you will see keyboard prompts on the bottom of the screen as well.)



To continue, press the Space Bar or click the Proceed button (a right-pointing triangle):

() in the lower right hand corner of the screen.

Note: If you did not set Keyboard Navigation option to Show Prompts or Display Prompts When Needed, no prompts are displayed and only the start button is displayed. For more information, see "Keyboard Navigation" in Part VIII.

To continue, press the Space Bar, or click the Proceed button in the lower righthand corner of the screen. This will show the Game Instructions.
The Team Names defined in Team Setup are displayed next. To continue, press the Space Bar, or click the Proceed button at the bottom righthand corner of the screen.


Suggestion: This is an excellent time to introduce all the players to each other before starting the match!

Note: You can edit Team Names on-the-fly and set/reset scores at the beginning of a game by activating the Game Setup dialog box and using the Edit Names and Edit Scores options.

Place the cursor in the field(s) for the team name you wish to change and enter the new name(s). When finished editing team names, click the Enter button next to that field, then click outside the Game Setup screen to return to the game.

Teams' scores can be modified using the same procedure. Place the cursor in the Edit Scores field for the desired team and enter the adjusted score. Click the Enter button next to that field, then click outside the Game Setup screen to return to the game.



The Match 1 screen is displayed. To continue, press the Space Bar, or click the Proceed button.



By default, Team X goes first. The starting team is highlighted. If you want to change possession to Team O at anytime during the game, roll your mouse in the upper left hand corner of the screen to access the Navigator:



Click the Give Possession button next to Team 2 to give them possession.

Use the mouse to click and select a question. The question is displayed and the Instructor reads it aloud.

Note: If a question has a sound file associated with it, and if you have selected Include Sound Play button (when editing the question), you may click the sound icon to (re)play the sound.

If a question has a video associated with it, use the video control buttons below the movie display area to start, stop, advance, or rewind the video clip.

The Ring-In Timer is displayed at the bottom of the screen as a colored bar; it starts automatically and gets shorter as the timer counts down.

After a team rings in, the Instructor "selects" that team by clicking their team scoreboard (Team 1, Team 2, etc.) on the screen, or by pressing their team number key on the keyboard. If you have implemented an optional Gameshow Pro 4 Wired or Wireless Buzzer System, the first team to ring in is identified automatically, and that team's scoreboard is selected for you. Then the Answer Timer begins counting down.



If a team answers the question incorrectly, the Instructor should click the Incorrect (slash) button on the right or press the minus (-) key to deduct the Point Value of the question from that team. The other team can now ring in; the Instructor then clicks their team scoreboard or presses their team number key. Optional Gameshow Pro 4 Wired or Wireless Buzzer Systems make it possible for the other team to ring-in as well. Teams who have previously given wrong answers are automatically locked out unless Incorrectly Answering Teams May Attempt a 2nd Answer is selected.

For correct answers, the Instructor should click the Correct (check mark) button on the left or press the plus (+) key. The answer is displayed, and the square is automatically given to that team. The Correct and Incorrect buttons are not available when the answer is displayed.

If no one answers correctly and the Ring-In Timer expires, the Instructor has the option of displaying the answer by clicking the Answer button or allowing another team to ring in.   The Instructor can also click the Info button to provide additional information (if defined) about a question.       The Instructor also has the choice when building questions to include a Hint button which provides teams with a "hint" to help correctly answer the question if needed.   The Proceed button, to the right of the question, returns to the puzzle board.

Note: Multiple Choice (multi-answer) questions play slightly differently. The Instructor selects the team that rang in first and listens to that team's answer. The Instructor can either mark the answer as wrong using the Wrong button below the team's scoreboard (as discussed above) OR the Instructor can click the letter next to the answer the team selects. If it is the wrong answer, that team's score is reduced by the Point Value of the question, and the timer bar is activated for the other team to ring in. Right answers display in yellow type.