Contents

Overview
How to Play
Game Commands
Submitting Categories
Feedback
Start Playing

Overview

The concept and IRC implementation for Ridiculist was created by Kenrick J. Mock.

Ridiculist is a team trivia game hosted by a bot named RiBot. In Ridiculist, you become a member of one of two teams. RiBot will provide a category - such as, "Things a Policeman Says" - and players must type in answers that fit the category, e.g., "Stop or I'll shoot" or "freeze".

RiBot randomly picks ten answers out of its database - there are other answers that RiBot knows about, so the category will be different the next time it is encountered. This means you may come up with an answer that is actually correct, but isn't one of the answers the bot has selected for this round. You won't get points for these answers.

The first player to give an answer that the bot has selected will earn a point for his team. Competition may be fierce, so you must be quick! However, you can always count on your teammates for support. The first team to reach 30 points wins the game. You will need to be quick and have enough knowledge about a category to give many possible answers if you want to win!

How To Play

The following is a short game transcript:

Note that in this example, only Goober would get credit for "cockatiel" if that is an answer, since Goober gave this answer first. After a minute and 30 seconds has elapsed, RiBot will announce the answers, who gave what answer, and show the updated scores. There is no deduction for incorrect answers or answers not selected by RiBot. Again, you might have a correct answer for the category, but it may not be one of the ten answers that RiBot is thinking of.

Special Rounds
Every once in a while, RiBot will select one of three special rounds of game play:

• Double Round - double points are earned, but you have half as much time to give your answers.
  
• Equality Round - only the first five answers are accepted from each player, so choose your answers carefully!
  
• Champion Round - before the round starts, each player votes for one champion. The player on each team that receives the most votes will be that team's champion. Only answers from the champion will be recognized! In fact, if you aren't one of the champions and you type in a correct answer during the round, that answer will become invalid, and your champion can't use thatanswer!
  
  To vote, enter:
  • rb nickname

  to vote for player "nickname." You will have 45 seconds and may vote for yourself or ANY player on ANY team, but once you vote, you cannot vote for somebody else. If no votes are received for a player on your team, then your team will forfeit the turn!
  

  • Strategy hint - you may choose to vote for one of the "less experienced" players on the other team to give your team's champion a better chance. But if no one on your team gets a vote, then your team will forfeit!

Game Commands

The commands that RiBot recognizes are listed below. These commands may be given publicly in the room or in a private message to RiBot without the word "rb".

rb join team 1	Join team 1. When you first enter the room, you will automatically be placed on a team. This lets you change to the other team if you've been assigned to team 2.
rb join team 2	Join team 2.
rb name team newname	Names your team "newname."
rb show category	Shows the current category.
rb show comment	Shows the current category comment.
rb show scores	Displays scores for the current game.

RiBot does not keep track of scores since this is a team game and not an individual game. The following command is accepted in private messages only:

/note 'message'

Stores 'message' in a log file. Use this to send in bug fixes or other messages of things that should be fixed. We will periodically read through the log file and process the information.

Submitting Categories

Feedback

Start Playing

• Click here to enter room Ridiculist and begin playing Ridiculist using our Java Chat applet.