Copyright: Copyright © 1997. All Rights Reserved


See the contents for more info.


File Menu

This menu allows the user to

•	start a new game

•	set the option to enable or disable the sound option

•	exit the program.


Help  Menu

This menu allows the user to

•	search the contents for help

•	display information about the game


New  Game

Selecting this menu option or clicking this toolbar button will promt the user with a confirmation dialogue asking them if they wish to abort the current game and start a new one. Should they wish to start a new game the user will be prompted with the standard startup dialogues before playing the game.


Exit Game

By selecting this option from the File Menu or clicking on the Exit Icon from the toolbar the player will be prompted should they wish to exit QuizMaster or not. If No is selected the user will be returned to QuizMaster otherwise the game will exit.


Help Contents

This displays the Contents of the Help File from where you can navigate quickly through the help file for QuizMaster.  This cna also be achieved from within  the help file by clicking on the Contents button the the top toolbar.


About QuizMaster
About

This menu option displays the QuizMaster About box telling you the name of the application as well as the current version and the credits of the game.


Game Type

Upon starting QuizMaster, the user is prompted to select one of the following game types:

Single Player

Multiple Players

Single Player

This option is selected by default. To continue, the user must click the Play button.

Multiple Players

This option should be selected if two or more players wish to play. Once this game type has been chosen, a default of two players is set. Should more players wish to play, select the appropriate number of players.

NOTE: A maximum of four players can be selected. To continue, the user must click the Play button.


Categories and Questions

The Categories and Questions window which is displayed only when starting a game, allows the user to select preferred categories as well as the number of questions to be asked from each category. The following categories are available:

Arts And Literature

Entertainment

Geography

History

Music

Science

Sports

Categories

The user must select five of the available categories. Should the incorrect number of categories be selected, the following warning message will be displayed:

Questions per Category

The user should also select the number of questions that they would like to be asked per category. This is done by either entering the value or using the up and down arrows provided. The default is set at five questions while the minimum that one can have is two and the maximum is thirty five. Click OK to continue.


Player's Names

This facility is available when the user starts a new game. It allows each player to enter their name in the space provided. (There is a maximum of eleven characters permitted.) The user will be prompted to enter the players names according to the number of players previously selected. The dialogue box will not allow a blank entry as a player's name.


Main Game Console

Below is what the main game console looks like. Descriptions of the panels follow below:

Current Player Panel

This panel the name of the current player. The player whose name appears, should choose a category and answer the next question.

Choose Question Category Panel

The player can select a new category for each question that has to be answered. Note: Once a category has been selected and the question appears, the player cannot change categories

again until the question has been answered.

Question Panel

The Question panel displays the question that the current player has to answer.

Answer Choice Panel

This Answer Choice panel provides a multiple choice option for the answers. Therefore, for each question, the player has a choice of four answers. Only one answer is correct.

Game Status Panel

This panel continuously prompts the player on what to do during the game.

Score Panel

This panel displays the players current score. (See section 6 for info.)

Image Panel

This panel displays an associated picture with the current category and is situated in the top right corner of the game console window.

Comment Area

This area displays the game name and current version.


ToolBar

Lightning Bolt Icon

This icon starts a new game. If this icon is pressed, a confirmation screen appears which gives the player the option to cancel the new game or continue the present game.

Question mark Icon

This is a shortcut to the help contents provided.

Information Icon

This icon provides a brief description of the game, the current version installed and the programmers who have written the game.

Door Icon

This is a shortcut to exit the game. A confirmation screen will also appear asking the user if they wish to exit the game or not.


Scoring

The scoring panel works as follows:

If the player answers the question correctly, he/she is allocated two points

For every incorrect answer, one point is deducted from the players score


Sound

The sound feature works as follows:

If the player answers the question correctly, an applauding sound is played

For every incorrect answer, an appropriate sound is played notifying of the users mistake

The sound feature is on by default and can be toggled from the File menu or by pressing CTRL+S together. The other sounds in the game include the intro sound when starting QuizMaster and the Info Jingle that is played when opening the About Box.


Statistics

The statistic window is displayed at the end of every game. It displays the following information for each player

•	The players names

•	The percentage of the questions which the players have answered correctly.

•	The players final score

A cheering sound is played when the game is completed and the statistics are displayed.


Databases
Database Structure

Each category has it's own database table constructed of questions and answers. Should a user wish to add more questions to the database they can do either of the following:

•	Use the Database Desktop to add records to the database tables

•	Purchase the upgrade pack with loads of new questions for each category


About
About QuizMaster

This project was conceived by the Programming 3 class in October 1997 as a year-end project. This was the first time that Delphi was introduced into the Programming 3 curriculum and was both a learning and enjoyable experience.

We decided what project would involve both an adequate learning curve on Delphi as well as making it enjoyable and ensuring the final product would prove useful in some way. So we decided to develop QuizMaster - a multi player general knowledge game for the Windows 95 and Windows NT environments.

QuizMaster is an enjoyable, relaxing game that tests the players general knowledge. It asks the player questions from categories ranging from The Arts to Sport. It can be played by either one or multiple players, thus enabling a quick test your knowledge round for a single player or an evening of amusement playing against ones associates or friends.

The following people were involved in the development of QuizMaster:

Lead Programmers : 	Demitri Baroutsos

Gerard van den Berg

Documentation & Help :	Michelle Matter

Glynn Zeederberg

Testers :	Alex Baroutsos

Demitri Baroutsos

Michelle Matter

Jenn A. Moss

Connie Staton

Gerard van den Berg

Glynn Zeederberg

Database Design : 	Demitri Baroutsos

Michelle Matter

Glynn Zeederberg

Graphics : 	Alex Baroutsos

Demitri Baroutsos

Special thanks to Alex Baroutsos and Corel for their contributions and ideas on Graphics and Design Layout. And many thanks to all the individuals who contributed their time, expertise and enthusiasm to the successful completion of this program.

QuizMaster is Copyright © 1997. All Rights Reserved.

Delphi is a registered trademark of Borland International.

This program may be freely copied and distributed as long as no modifications are

made and it is not sold. For updates and more info check out the CyberSoft

Applications website at : http://cyberclassifieds.co.za/software/


Starting QuizMaster

When you start QuizMaster you will be presented with the following splash screen. This appears while the program initializes itself and sets up the databases for the category questions.

After which you will be presented with the following dialogue windows which are described later on in this help file:

Game Type

Categories and Questions

Player's Names

Main Game Console

Once the game has been finsihed which happens once all the questions that have been chosen for each category have been answered, another dialogue box appears showing you game statistics.

Throughout the game (if the option has not been turned off) sound effects follow correctly and incorrecly answered questions.

As each question is answered the player's scores are updated accordingly.


Game Console

The game console consists of the menus, the toolbar and the main playnig area.

The menu is split up into:

The File Menu

The Help Menu

The toolbar has the following icons:

The Lightning Bolt

The Question Mark

The Info Icon

The Exit Door

The game console is explained in detail in the Main Game Console section