1,000 Game Manuals/1000gamemanuals.iso/Colecovision/Fortune Builder.txt

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Fortune Builder


GAME DESCRIPTION

FORTUNE BUILDER has it all! Educational and fun, FORTUNE
BUILDER lets you plan, build and run your own community.
Race against time to achieve your financial goal in a
One-Player Game or compete with another tycoon in a Two-
Player Game. Either way, FORTUNE BUILDER is a challenge.

Your community will be laid out on a map of undeveloped
land, consisting of a seacoast with beachfront, two mountain
ranges, midlands, a river and a lake, with a main highway
running north and south. You'll start with a fixed amount of
cash, enabling you to buy and build a large variety of
properties: hotels, condos, marinas, factories, malls, gas
stations and numerous other facilities. The challenge is to
build them where they will draw the most traffic, thereby
increasing profits. And all the while, you must keep an eye
on bulletins that may affect your efforts, watching for
changes in everything from consumer trends to the weather.

FORTUNE BUILDER teaches problem solving and helps you
learn, in a way both fun and realistic, about economics,
geography, sociology, investments and the effects of the
environment and current events on industry and the marketplace.

GETTING READY TO PLAY

MAKE SURE THE COLECOVISION OR ADAM UNIT IS OFF
BEFORE INSERTING OR REMOVING A CARTRIDGE.

One-Player Game
Use the Port 1 Controller.

Two-Player Game (Simultaneous Play)

Player 1 uses the Port 1 Controller. Player 2 uses the Port 2
Controller. In the two-player game, the screen is split in two.
Player 1 uses the top half of the screen as a play area; Player
2 uses the bottom half. Whenever either player builds a property
on his half of the screen, that property also appears on the other
player's half of the screen. Both players make their decisions and
use their Controllers to record those decisions simultaneously.

Choose your challenge

Press the Reset Button. The FORTUNE BUILDER Title
Screen will appear on your TV. After a brief pause, FORTUNE
BUILDER moves automatically into a demonstration of
play, showing how roads are built and how properties are
placed along them. When you are ready to start playing,
press any button on the Hand Controller. The Game Option
Screen will appear. It shows a list of eight game options
divided into four Skill Levels for each of the two versions
of the game (One-Player and Two-Player). The lower the Skill
Level, the more money you start with (and the easier it is to win).

Skill 1 (Game Options 1 and 5) Players start
        with $100,000,000 each.

Skill 2 (Game Options 2 and 6) One-Player Game
        starts with $50,000,000. Two-Player Game
        starts with $25,000,000 each.

Skill 3 (Game Options 3 and 7) One-Player Game
        starts with $25,000,000. Two-Player Game
        starts with $5,000,000 each.

Skill 4 (Game Options 4 and 8) One-Player Game
        starts with $2,500,000. Two-Player Game starts
        with $1,000,000 each.

Select a game option by pressing the matching number on
your Controller Keypad.


HERE'S HOW THE GAME WORKS

Welcome to the world of high finance! In this section, we'll
walk you through a typical game, showing you what the
screen will look like when you play FORTUNE BUILDER. Unless
the text tells you otherwise, all references in this section
are to a One-Player, Skill Level 1 game.

As the game begins, you are looking at a tract of undeveloped
land (Map Screen--Keypad Button 1). Enterprising person that
you are, you sense a vast potential for development
and profits awaiting someone like you . . . the budding real
estate tycoon. Your goal--to make a cool $250,000,000. If
you are playing a One-Player Game, you have five years to
earn it; then the consortium you've put together for this
project will demand an accounting. If you're playing a Two-
Player Game, there's no time limit; but the consortium
expects you to reach the same goal before your opponent. The
Two-Player Game continues until one player has built his
fortune and is declared the winner, or until one player goes bankrupt.

There's already a main highway running north and south and
you can see partially constructed roads to the east and
west. You'll want to build a network of additional roads
connecting the ones already existing, so that cars may travel
freely over all the terrain. More roads mean more potential
places to build. The calendar says it's January of the first
year of your construction program, so there's no time to waste!

A quick glance at the Finance Screen (Keypad Button 3)
gives you the money picture, and it looks good. You've got
$100,000,000 in cash to work with (at Skill Level 1) and you
can take out loans when you need extra funds for those
large, expensive ventures. Always try to be sure to borrow
when the interest rate is low! At the end of each month, you'll
see a report on income received and payments made during
that month. In addition, before each December's financial report,
the entire map scrolls across the screen to display your
development. Now go to the Build Screen and pick your project!

Time to build (Build Screen--Keypad Button 2). Run through
your options (see USING YOUR CONTROLS to find out how).
You may want to start out with a modest development--
some additional roads, a gas station, some apartments or
condo units, for example. Or you might head straight for the
beach or mountains and build your dream resort complete
with hotels, casinos, marinas, ski lodges, restaurants and
other properties to attract crowds of vacationers. Don't
forget shopping centers and industries--factories, coal mines,
offshore oil and fishing boats. Shortly after you begin building,
you'll see the results of your investments. As new roads
you construct make the various facilities accessible, cars
begin appearing near them. The more attractive your developments,
the larger the number of visiting cars and the more
income you earn.

Not all construction is good construction, though. The cost
of building a property varies, depending on where you build.
The computer lets you know the cost of building each type of
property in a specific location. You can see the cost of a
property by placing the small black Frame (hereafter referred
to as the Frame) on the spot on the Map Screen where
you want to build and then finding that property next to the
blue arrow on the Build Screen. The cost of construction will
appear under "COST IN 1000's" on the Build Screen.

Moreover, if you try to build a project when you don't have
enough cash to pay for it, the computer will alert you. You'll
hear a buzzer while on the Map Screen, and you'll automatically
return to the Build Screen. When this happens, make
another selection, or go to the Finance Screen and negotiate
a loan. If you try to build in an inappropriate place (building a
cinema in the ocean, for example) the word "SORRY" appears
on the Build Screen under "COST IN 1000's." And, if
you try to build on a spot where property already exists, the
word "YOURS" or "SOLD" appear under "COST IN 1000's."

As time marches on and your five-year limit approaches (or
your competitor nears his goal) sound strategy and astute
play will "make you or break you." You might have to borrow
large sums or sell some property to get cash for a big
construction "push." Events beyond your control (reported in
the game as News Bulletins) can then hurt you badly if you
aren't prepared. On the other hand, good news can greatly
increase your income and your net worth if you are in a
position to take advantage of it. Will you reach your goal
before time runs out? If you do, you'll hear a congratulatory
fanfare for your financial savvy. If you don't (or if you go
bankrupt), you'll hear a dirge!


THERE'S MORE!

In the next section, you'll find detailed information on how to
use your Hand Controllers to play the game. In addition, a
separate booklet has been included with this game; the FORTUNE
BUILDER Strategy Guide. The Strategy Guide explains all of the
details you'll want to know to enhance the
enjoyment, understanding and learning value of FORTUNE
BUILDER. There are sections on Strategies and Tactics, financial
tips, and the effects of News Bulletins. There's also a
comprehensive guide to each of the 29 properties you can
build, including the symbols for each, construction do's and
don'ts and details on how the various properties interact
with each other. You'll find it an invaluable aid in sharpening
your FORTUNE BUILDER skills!

USING YOUR CONTROLS

1. Control Stick

* Move the Control Stick left, right, up or down to move the
Frame across the Map Screen to the place where you want
to build.

* When the Build Screen is showing, move the Control Stick
up or down to view the selection of properties for sale, lining
up the one you want to build next to the blue arrow.

2. Side Buttons

* When the Build Screen is showing, pressing either Side
Button selects the type of construction project from which
you can choose properties--Resort, Highway or Commerce.

* When the Finance Screen is showing, pressing either Side
Button selects the transaction you want to conduct--Borrow,
Repay or Sell.

3. Number Keys

* Press Keypad Buttons 1-8 to select a Game Option before
beginning a game.

* Press the appropriate numbered Keypad Buttons to enter
dollar amounts when conducting transactions on the Finance Screen.

4. Special Keypad Uses

The Keypad Overlay is a special feature of your FORTUNE
BUILDER game that makes it easier to play by showing the
special uses for the keys. These uses include:

Keypad Button 1: During game play, press Keypad
MAP Button 1 to get to the Map Screen. This is where
properties are placed when they are bought. You'll
see your community take shape there as you build your
development.

Keypad Button 2: Pressing Keypad Button 2 takes
you to the Build Screen. The Build Screen is where
you will find listed all of the things you can buy and
their cost.

Keypad Button 3: When you press Keypad Button
3, you'll see the Finance Screen. There, you can
take out and repay loans, sell properties and see
the current status of your finances: Net Worth, monthly
Income and Payments, Interest Rates and Cash on hand.

Keypad Button 5: Press Keypad Button 5 to view
the entire FORTUNE BUILDER map. All transactions
are temporarily interrupted. The screen scrolls first
to the west, then to the east, allowing you to see your whole
community and the areas remaining to be developed. The
screen then returns to the way it was before you pressed
Keypad Button 5.

Keypad Button #: Keypad Button # has three main uses in game play.

* BUILDING PROPERTIES: When the Build Screen is showing
and the blue arrow is next to a property you want to buy,
press #. This automatically sends you to the Map Screen,
with the property you selected flashing inside the Frame.
Use the Control Stick to move the Frame to the spot where
you want to build. Press # again, and the property you
picked is placed in that spot. Repeat this process for each
property you want to build.

* COMPLETING FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS: When the Finance
Screen is showing, use Keypad Button # to borrow
cash, to repay a cash loan or to sell a property. When
borrowing or repaying, enter the amount you want to borrow or
repay by using the numbered buttons on the Keypad, then
press # This completes the transaction, and you will see the
result immediately reflected in your financial statement.

When selling a property, place the Frame over the property
you want to sell while the Map Screen is showing. Then go to
the Finance Screen and press either Side Button until you
get to the "Sell" option. You will see the property you want
to sell inside the Frame. Press # again, and the sale is
complete. The result will be immediately reflected in your
financial statement.

* STARTING OVER: Press # after a game to return to the
Game Option Screen.

Keypad Button *: To pause the game, press * on
the controller. The game screen disappears, but the
FORTUNE BUILDER theme music continues to play.
Press * again, and the game screen reappears at the point
at which you paused.

NOTE: If you leave the game unattended for five minutes,
the screen will go blank. At this point, the Calendar will stop,
but the game music will continue to play. To return to the
game screen, press *. The game will resume at the point at
which the screen went blank.



----------



STRATEGY GUIDE

Playing hints and construction tips to enhance your FORTUNE
BUILDER game! Strategy and Tactics, the Financial Page,
Special Bulletins, and a complete developer's guide to all 29
FORTUNE BUILDER properties!


STRATEGY AND TACTICS

This section covers tips and advice for fortune builders. There
are strategies for both One-Player and Two-Player games. Try
some or all of the following ideas the next time you play!

* Sabotage is a useful tactic in Two-Player Games. You can
sabotage the other player's operations by building properties
that have an adverse effect on the income of existing properties
owned by that player.

As an example, let's say that Player One heads for the beach,
building a resort complex designed to attract crowds of
wealthy vacationers; a shorefront hotel, casino and marina.
Player Two, in an effort to thwart Player One's attempt to bring
in the big bucks, constructs a smog-spewing factory next to
the marina, slicing its profits in half. Or picture this: Player
Two heads west into the mountains to put up a ski lodge, ski
lifts, a mountain campground and some condos. Player One
counters by surrounding this recreational area with coal
mines. What an unkind cut! One that hits Player Two right
where it hurts--on the financial report!

Another Two-Player Game tactic that can drive your opponent
crazy, although it may stretch your own resources, is
to build properties in the secluded area to which the other
player has just built a road or bridge.

* In some cases, building a property identical to one your
opponent has built, near the same location as his, is a good
strategy. You'll reduce his income, but you should realize you
won't be helping your own. Do this only when you have a lot
of ready cash and your opponent doesn't. It'll hurt him a lot
more than it'll hurt you!

* Cooperation may also be a tactic to use, especially when
sabotage has had the effect of reducing the income of both
players. Make a pact with your opponent; you won't sabotage
his beach development if he leaves your campgrounds alone!

* Fishing boats begin to earn income almost immediately,
as they don't need road access and fishing is a year-round
industry. For this reason, they're good to buy during the first
few months of the game.

* The time of year has a lot to do with strategic development
planning. It takes time to build access roads and construct
properties, and it takes time for traffic to "discover"
these new developments. Plan ahead! Start building your
beach resorts in the fall and your mountain ski resorts in the
summer. Then they'll be "open for business" as soon as the
season begins!

* At the higher Skill Levels, you may find that the best
strategy is to borrow heavily at the beginning of the game,
when the interest rate is low. You'll need plenty of cash to make
your planned projects become reality, but be sure to keep your
loan payments up-to-date!

All of the ideas noted in this section are tried-and-true FORTUNE
BUILDER strategies. In the course of play, you'll discover
numerous tactics of your own for fortune building that may
become part of your own strategy. No two games are exactly
alike! Each higher Skill Level gives you a new goal to achieve
and a greater challenge to be mastered.

THE FINANCIAL PAGE

The FORTUNE BUILDER world is an accurate reflection of real-life
economics, interest rates and money supply, and how they
relate to financial gains and losses.

You can only build with available cash. Lacking cash, you must
borrow. However, all borrowing involves monthly interest
payments that are automatically deducted from your ready cash.
Although the interest rate starts out low, it tends to increase as
the total debt (accumulated by both players) rises. Keep an eye
on the interest rate! When it gets high, borrow cautiously.

At the end of each month, both your income and your interest
payment for that period are automatically computed and entered
in the financial report. If you cannot meet interest payments, the
bank automatically increases your debt and deducts the amount
due from your ready cash.

You can sell any property, except roads, bridges, tolls, fishing
boats, ski lifts, oil wells, and parks, to the bank for its purchase
price, as another means of raising cash. Roads and bridges are
automatically deeded to the state when built. They can't be sold
and they are not counted in your net worth


SPECIAL BULLETIN

Be alert for the sound of repeated "beeping". That means that
a very important message is about to cross the center of the
screen. Pay close attention to these special bulletins; they're
going to affect your income--for better or worse!

Bulletins affecting income represent trends and they continue
to appear as long as they are relevant. Try to cash in on the
trends indicated. Thus, "WINTER OLYMPICS BRING RECORD
CROWDS TO MOUNTAINS" might send you scurrying to expand
the resort development you've started in the region. Both
new properties and properties that you already own in that area
will benefit from this good news. The result: increased profits
and greater income.

Bulletins that directly reduce your ready cash appear only once.
There's nothing you can do about such rotten luck! The mandatory
payment indicated by the Bulletin will be deducted before
you can sell off the property in question. "RESTAURANTS FAIL
WITH BOARD OF HEALTH . . . LARGE FINES COLLECTED"
means the income from all restaurants you own will be cut
drastically. During the subsequent month, you'll see the loss
under CASH and NET WORTH on your financial report.

* There's strength in the unions, too. Professional athletes,
coal miners, hotel workers, and others may go on strike, putting
the bite on your finances. But when a bulletin comes across
telling you that the strike has been settled, you can breathe a
little easier--the income from those properties is restored to
normal.

* Other Bulletins that may come across the screen can relate
to government actions, such as legislative decisions that can
close and reopen certain facilities, like casinos and video
arcades. Then there are natural disasters; floods, avalanches,
tornados and the like. Good weather messages affect you, too.
Hot spells luring crowds to the beaches and record snowfalls
bringing skiers to the mountains can occur during the game. Market
trends are a powerful influence on your properties and your
income. Dieting crazes, recreational vehicle booms, television
hits and Christmas buying fever all affect the public. Those
ever-changing Bulletins add a new dimension of surprise,
discovery and excitement to the game!


DEVELOPERS GUIDE

The following is a comprehensive guide to all 29 FORTUNE
BUILDER properties. Included are graphic representations and
costs varying according to the building site selected for each
property. There are also construction tips, telling how properties
are affected by the proximity of other properties; and other
special advice for FORTUNE BUILDER players. Except where noted,
all properties must be situated along roads or have road access.

ROAD $25,000--$100,000: Roads are vital to successful
fortune building. All properties, except ski lifts,
fishing boats and ocean oil rigs need roads for access.
Roads can be built anywhere, except in water and on mountain
slopes and peaks. Roads cannot be sold.

GAS $100,000--$200,000: All those cars can't get to
your properties without gas stations along the road!
Build plenty of them, but not too close together, or a
resulting price war could drive profits and income down.

MOTEL $400,000--$1,000,000: Motels along the
road are an ideal lure for weary travelers. Just don't
build them too near each other or near cottages and
large hotels, or you will decrease the income they produce.

TOLL BOOTH $400,000--$1,000,000: Toll booths can
only be constructed as segments of roadway. Once constructed
they can't be sold. Toll booths are useful in
decreasing income to surrounding properties, while producing
modest income themselves.

BRIDGE $1,000,000--$10,000,000: Bridges are very
expensive to build, but they are necessary for access
to the two islands and for crossing the river. Bridges
constructed in deep water are much more costly than those in
shallow water. Try to find the shortest route across the water,
building the least number of bridges necessary.

APARTMENT $800,000--$1,200,000: Apartments
benefit almost all properties except ski lodges, cottages
and campgrounds. They interact nicely with factories,
cinemas and stadiums. Too many apartments clustered
together, however, will bring in fewer dollars.

CONDO $150,000--$300,000: Don't forget to build
plenty of condos in mountain and beach resort areas,
as well as in the midlands and near shopping centers
and industries. Condos only decrease the income from
camp-grounds, so be sure to build them everywhere else,
whenever you can.

MALL $4,000,000--$6,000,000: Large malls will dwarf
the small general stores, and won't generate much income
near ski lodges, cottages or camps. Everywhere
else they're big moneymakers, especially as part of a complex
including a fast food restaurant and a cinema. Place them near
apartments and condos, to draw in the numerous local residents.

FAST FOOD $150,000--$200,000: Those fast food
restaurants are real gold mines! To bring in the most
traffic, build them near any place where people work;
factories and coal mines, entertainment districts, shopping areas,
malls, cinemas and stadiums. Fast food restaurants will reduce
the income of nearby restaurants, ski lodges, cottages and camps.

RESTAURANT $400,000--$1,000,000: What's the
ideal location for restaurants? Near hotels, motels,
casinos, ski lodges, condos, cinemas and stadiums;
they'll lure more traffic to those facilities. Don't put them near
campgrounds or cottages. Vacationers wanting to get away from
it all don't frequent restaurants and may even stay away from
cottages and camps near them, reducing their income.

ARCADE $200,000--$300,000: Arcades attract
crowds and can bring in big bucks, but not if they're
near coal mines or oil wells. They generate the most
income when they're near malls, fast food joints and amusement
parks, and have a reciprocal effect on those properties.

FACTORY $3,000,000--$5,000,000: Factories can be
built on any terrain, but they produce the most income
built near places where people (including factory
workers) live; near apartments for example. They are especially
powerful income producers in close proximity to power units.
Avoid building factories near cinemas, hotels, boardwalks, ski
lodges, casinos, and anywhere people go for recreation, unless
you want to devalue these facilities.

POWER UNIT $500,000--$600,000: Power units bring
in the most income when located near factories,
stadiums, ski lifts and coal mines. They reduce the
attractiveness of other properties, thereby reducing the income
derived from those properties.

CINEMA $400,000--$1,000,000: Cinemas interact
best with restaurants and hotels. Good films are big
box-office; bad films are box-office poison. Watch those
headlines! Cinemas have an adverse effect only on the income
from ski lodges.

OCEAN OIL $10,000,000--$15,000,000: Oil rigs don't
require road access to produce income. They can be
constructed only in the ocean, and their cost depends
on whether you build in shallow or deep water. Keep them well
away from your beach resorts, or profits from these facilities will
go down! Oil rigs are very expensive to build, and only produce
income when a big oil strike occurs. (Watch those News
Bulletins!) Then profits soar!

STADIUM $4,000,000--$6,000,000: Stadiums draw
big crowds to baseball and football games, depending
on the season. These crowds, in turn, spend a lot of
money on food and lodging. Stadiums will hurt nearby amusement
parks, ski lodges, cottages or campgrounds, but do well
by fast food places, restaurants, power units and hotels.

COAL MINE S1,000,000--$2,000,000: Coal mines can
only be constructed on mountain slopes or in
timberland. It's best to build them near factories and
power units, which need the coal and will vastly increase the
income from the mines. Keep them away from residences and
recreation areas, which tend to lose customers when located next
to big mines, unless those areas belong to your opponent, and
sabotage is your game!

FISH BOAT $500,000--$750,000: Road access is not
required for fishing boats. They can be located in
shallow or deep ocean. When there's a good catch,
you'll net big profits. A general store nearby to serve
fishermen's' needs can be a gold mine.

GENERAL STORE $200,000--$500,000: These
handy stores are good almost anywhere, but keep them
away from condos. They'll decrease the income from
those properties. Building them near industrial areas and fishing
boat fleets will increase customer traffic in the stores.

HOTEL $4,000,000--$5,000,000: Hotels are powerful
moneymakers, especially if located in proximity to a
casino, cinema, stadium, boardwalk or restaurant. Build
resort complexes using hotels and these compatible properties
near the beach, in the mountains or even on an island. Just don't
place them near cottages and campgrounds, where the large
hotel crowds will annoy vacationers looking for peace and quiet!

BOARDWALK $4,000,000: Boardwalks can only be
constructed in shallow ocean, near the beach. Most
shoreline facilities are benefited by a nearby boardwalk
so be sure to include boardwalks in all your beach resort plans.

AMUSEMENT PARK $3,000,000--$4,000,000:
Amusement parks are great fun for everyone and they'll
draw big crowds, enhancing all nearby facilities. They'll
do well in any area; near the beach, in the mountains or
centrally located in the midlands.

MARINA $1,000,000: Marinas can be constructed only
in shallow ocean or in the lake. Boat owners will throng
to nearby properties, especially cottages, campgrounds,
restaurants and general stores. Apartments, condos and motels
tend to benefit from the near presence of marinas.

SKI LODGE $3,000,000--$4,000,000: Ski lodges
must be built on mountainsides or in the timberland.
Of course, you'll want to construct ski lifts to accomodate
the winter vacationers, and nearby restaurants and
the casinos will also benefit from the ski crowds. The ski lodges,
themselves will only be profitable during the winter months.

SKI LIFT $1,000,000: Roads are not required for
access to ski lifts. They must be constructed in the
mountains, either on the slopes or on the peaks, where they
are the only facilities allowed. Condos, cottages and camp-grounds
can also house crowds of skiers, so don't forget to build lifts
near them, too. The attraction of a nearby place to ski will
lure more lodgers to these facilities, thus increasing their profits.

CASINO $2,000,000--$4,000,000: Casinos are a big
draw for the "high rollers"! Casinos can make money
almost anywhere, but do best in resort areas, with
restaurants, hotels and boardwalks close by. The only place a
casino cannot be constructed is on the mountain slopes.

COTTAGE $30,000--$75,000: Cottages are inexpensive to
construct and will do weli anywhere, except near
campgrounds. Build them near the beach, the lake or
in the mountain areas. These resorts can always use extra
accommodations for vacationers.

CAMPGROUND $75,000--$150,000: Those campers
love their privacy! Try to build your campgrounds away
from dense developments and commercial property.
Near the lake, the river, the beach or high in the mountains is
best. Put a general store nearby for campers' needs and it will
do well for you and the campers.

PARK $5,000--$100,000: Although parks generate no
income on their own, they do increase the attractiveness
of surrounding properties and help to lure traffic to these
facilities. Park landscaping is an inexpensive process and helps
to beautify your developments, so build plenty of them,
everywhere, and they'll be a real income booster!