Omega virus
Encyclopedia
Omega Virus is a talking electronic board game
released by Milton Bradley
in 1992. It involves collecting weapons and room keys to destroy the computer virus
which has taken over a space station
.
, and Dream Phone.
s; four folding cardboard-and-stand panels with a slot for the player's access cards, and four commandos.
Commandos and probes are the primary pawns of the game. They came in four colors: red
, green
, blue
, and yellow
. Each player starts out in the color-sector that matches their commando, each of which has a corresponding docking bay. The probes are placed in a peg in the central console that corresponds to each sector.
Play begins by selecting the number of players and the duration of the game. Each player then enters a secret code which would prove useful in accomplishing the game's objective.
The commando is the only pawn available initially; it moves three adjacent
squares to enter a room. Rooms are entered by typing their three digit identifier into the console. Regardless of a player's color, green rooms are the only accessible ones at first.
Game actions are communicated through two voices, one of the besieged Battlestat computer
and the other of the Virus itself. The computer said phrases like 'Help me. We are running out of time.' while the Virus mocked the computer and the players. One would inevitably hear 'You human scum' or 'You fools' in a gratingly smug voice at some point during the game. The Virus also enjoyed inter-player attacks: 'Green is attacking yellow. How amusing! Green, take your best shot.'
Within a room, a variety of results could occur. One is that the electronic console would say "Nothing here." in which case the turn is relatively futile. The player might also find a beneficial item: these consisted of colored access cards, which enabled the player to enter different colored rooms; a probe (more later); and one of the three weapons needed to defeat the game's antagonist
, The Omega Virus. On the negative side, one might be attacked by the Omega Virus itself. At the end of the turn, the console would say "code
XX" where XX is a two digit number. If the code matched what the player put in as their secret code at the beginning, the Omega Virus is known to be located in that room. Also on the negative side, a player could be transported to a random docking bay.
In the event of an attack by the Omega Virus, the player would be given the option to, depending on the number of weapon
s the player possessed, press one to three buttons out of a possible four in total (0,1,2,R). If the player did not press the same buttons that the Omega Virus has attacked with, an item (access card
or weapon
) would be destroyed. Additionally, if two players ended up occupying the same room, they could attack each other. The procedure is much the same, except the attacking player would be asked to push one to three buttons to launch an attack. The defense is the same method as if the Omega Virus were attacking.
A player could stumble across their corresponding probe in one of the rooms. The probe pawn was placed next to the player and then a second turn was granted in the form of moving the probe. The probe could move any number of spaces that are connected, but could not bypass rooms within a single turn. This enabled a player to explore the board more rapidly. It, like the player's commando pawn, could also initiate and receive attacks.
As the game progressed, the Omega Virus would "shut down" sectors he did not occupy. In this case, the cardboard flap would be folded over the said sector and all players in it were teleported to another sector's docking bay of their choosing.
Through the player's explorations, once the code and all three weapon items were found, the player was to go to the Omega Virus room and then attack the virus using the same attack methods as before. A player who guessed the correct button to press was declared the winner. Otherwise, the timer
ran out and the game was lost for all parties.
Board game
A board game is a game which involves counters or pieces being moved on a pre-marked surface or "board", according to a set of rules. Games may be based on pure strategy, chance or a mixture of the two, and usually have a goal which a player aims to achieve...
released by Milton Bradley
Milton Bradley Company
The Milton Bradley Company is an American game company established by Milton Bradley in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1860. In 1920, it absorbed the game production of McLoughlin Brothers, formerly the largest game manufacturer in the United States, and in 1987, it purchased Selchow and Righter,...
in 1992. It involves collecting weapons and room keys to destroy the computer virus
Computer virus
A computer virus is a computer program that can replicate itself and spread from one computer to another. The term "virus" is also commonly but erroneously used to refer to other types of malware, including but not limited to adware and spyware programs that do not have the reproductive ability...
which has taken over a space station
Space station
A space station is a spacecraft capable of supporting a crew which is designed to remain in space for an extended period of time, and to which other spacecraft can dock. A space station is distinguished from other spacecraft used for human spaceflight by its lack of major propulsion or landing...
.
Creator
Michael Gray designed the Omega Virus board game. He also created the boardgames Mall MadnessMall Madness
Mall Madness is a shopping themed board game released by Milton Bradley ....
, and Dream Phone.
Gameplay
Omega Virus consists of a folding game board, an interactive electronic console that holds the game's weapons, probes and access cardAccess Card
Access Card may refer to:*Access .*Health and social services access card .* A smart card used to gain access somewhere....
s; four folding cardboard-and-stand panels with a slot for the player's access cards, and four commandos.
Commandos and probes are the primary pawns of the game. They came in four colors: red
Red
Red is any of a number of similar colors evoked by light consisting predominantly of the longest wavelengths of light discernible by the human eye, in the wavelength range of roughly 630–740 nm. Longer wavelengths than this are called infrared , and cannot be seen by the naked eye...
, green
Green
Green is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 520–570 nanometres. In the subtractive color system, it is not a primary color, but is created out of a mixture of yellow and blue, or yellow and cyan; it is considered...
, blue
Blue
Blue is a colour, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 440–490 nm. It is considered one of the additive primary colours. On the HSV Colour Wheel, the complement of blue is yellow; that is, a colour corresponding to an equal...
, and yellow
Yellow
Yellow is the color evoked by light that stimulates both the L and M cone cells of the retina about equally, with no significant stimulation of the S cone cells. Light with a wavelength of 570–590 nm is yellow, as is light with a suitable mixture of red and green...
. Each player starts out in the color-sector that matches their commando, each of which has a corresponding docking bay. The probes are placed in a peg in the central console that corresponds to each sector.
Play begins by selecting the number of players and the duration of the game. Each player then enters a secret code which would prove useful in accomplishing the game's objective.
The commando is the only pawn available initially; it moves three adjacent
Adjacent
Adjacent is an adjective meaning contiguous, adjoining or abuttingIn geometry, adjacent is when sides meet to make an angle.In graph theory adjacent nodes in a graph are linked by an edge....
squares to enter a room. Rooms are entered by typing their three digit identifier into the console. Regardless of a player's color, green rooms are the only accessible ones at first.
Game actions are communicated through two voices, one of the besieged Battlestat computer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
and the other of the Virus itself. The computer said phrases like 'Help me. We are running out of time.' while the Virus mocked the computer and the players. One would inevitably hear 'You human scum' or 'You fools' in a gratingly smug voice at some point during the game. The Virus also enjoyed inter-player attacks: 'Green is attacking yellow. How amusing! Green, take your best shot.'
Within a room, a variety of results could occur. One is that the electronic console would say "Nothing here." in which case the turn is relatively futile. The player might also find a beneficial item: these consisted of colored access cards, which enabled the player to enter different colored rooms; a probe (more later); and one of the three weapons needed to defeat the game's antagonist
Antagonist
An antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
, The Omega Virus. On the negative side, one might be attacked by the Omega Virus itself. At the end of the turn, the console would say "code
Code
A code is a rule for converting a piece of information into another form or representation , not necessarily of the same type....
XX" where XX is a two digit number. If the code matched what the player put in as their secret code at the beginning, the Omega Virus is known to be located in that room. Also on the negative side, a player could be transported to a random docking bay.
In the event of an attack by the Omega Virus, the player would be given the option to, depending on the number of weapon
Weapon
A weapon, arm, or armament is a tool or instrument used with the aim of causing damage or harm to living beings or artificial structures or systems...
s the player possessed, press one to three buttons out of a possible four in total (0,1,2,R). If the player did not press the same buttons that the Omega Virus has attacked with, an item (access card
Access Card
Access Card may refer to:*Access .*Health and social services access card .* A smart card used to gain access somewhere....
or weapon
Weapon
A weapon, arm, or armament is a tool or instrument used with the aim of causing damage or harm to living beings or artificial structures or systems...
) would be destroyed. Additionally, if two players ended up occupying the same room, they could attack each other. The procedure is much the same, except the attacking player would be asked to push one to three buttons to launch an attack. The defense is the same method as if the Omega Virus were attacking.
A player could stumble across their corresponding probe in one of the rooms. The probe pawn was placed next to the player and then a second turn was granted in the form of moving the probe. The probe could move any number of spaces that are connected, but could not bypass rooms within a single turn. This enabled a player to explore the board more rapidly. It, like the player's commando pawn, could also initiate and receive attacks.
As the game progressed, the Omega Virus would "shut down" sectors he did not occupy. In this case, the cardboard flap would be folded over the said sector and all players in it were teleported to another sector's docking bay of their choosing.
Through the player's explorations, once the code and all three weapon items were found, the player was to go to the Omega Virus room and then attack the virus using the same attack methods as before. A player who guessed the correct button to press was declared the winner. Otherwise, the timer
Timer
A timer is a specialized type of clock. A timer can be used to control the sequence of an event or process. Whereas a stopwatch counts upwards from zero for measuring elapsed time, a timer counts down from a specified time interval, like an hourglass.Timers can be mechanical, electromechanical,...
ran out and the game was lost for all parties.