ColecoVision Cartridge Instructions for 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 every- thing 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 prop- erty 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 deci- sions simultaneously. Choose your challenge Press the Reset Button. The FORTUNE BUILDER Title Screen will appear on your TV. After a brief pause, FOR- TUNE 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 di- vided 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. Un- less the text tells you otherwise, all references in this sec- tion are to a One-Player, Skill Level 1 game. As the game begins, you are looking at a tract of undevel- oped land (Map Screen--Keypad Button 1). Enterprising per- son 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 ex- pects you to reach the same goal before your opponent. The Two-Player Game continues until one player has built his for- tune 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 con- necting 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 re- port, 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 for- get shopping centers and industries--factories, coal mines, offshore oil and fishing boats. Shortly after you begin build- ing, 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 devel- opments, 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 re- ferred 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 automati- cally 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" ap- pears 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 con- struction "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 posi- tion 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 FOR- TUNE BUILDER Strategy Guide. The Strategy Guide ex- plains 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, fi- nancial 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--Bor- row, 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 Fi- nance 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 show- ing 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 Fi- nance Screen is showing, use Keypad Button # to borrow cash, to repay a cash loan or to sell a property. When bor- rowing 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 com- plete. The result will be immediately reflected in your finan- cial 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 proper- ties 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! ù Another Two-Player Game tactic that can drive your op- ponent 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 develop- ment planning. It takes time to build access roads and con- struct 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 ex- pand 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 man- datory 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, put- ting 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 ar- cades. Then there are natural disasters; floods, avalanches, tor- nados and the like. Good weather messages affect you, too. Hot spells luring crowds to the beaches and record snowfalls bring- ing skiers to the mountains can occur during the game. Market trends are a powerful influence on your properties and your in- come. 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 proper- ties 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 suc- cessful 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 con- structed 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 in- come 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 amuse- ment 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 central- ly 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 ac- comodate 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 inexpen- A sive 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, every- where, and they'll be a real income booster!