SPOTLIGHT ON EUROPE
 Jonathan Rawle, 1998, 1999


Introduction
------------

Spotlight on Europe is a quiz testing the user's knowledge of countries and
geographical features of the continent of Europe. Features are highlighted
on a map of Europe and the user must identify them, selecting an answer from
a choice of six.

Any combination of the eight categories can be attempted together. These
categories are:

- Countries
- Capital cities
- Cities
- Rivers
- Islands
- Peaks
- Inland features
- Seas & coastal features

The aim is to give as many correct answers as possible in two minutes.


Playing the game
----------------

The program is fully multi-tasking, and installs on the iconbar as usual.
To begin a new game, either click the iconbar icon with select, or choose
the 'New game...' option from the iconbar menu.

You will now see the list of question categories. You can try the categories
one at a time, choose any combination of categories, or select all the
categories together. The computer will choose a random category out of the
ones selected in this window for each question.

Click on the button at the bottom of the window to start the game.

You will see the first geographical feature to be identified highlighted on
the map of Europe, and a list of six answers to choose from. Either click on
the answer of your choice, or enter the corresponding number from the
keyboard. If you choose the correct answer, the program will move on 
immediately to the next question. If you answer incorrectly, the computer
will highlight the correct answer for you. You must select the correct
answer before you can continue with the next question.

When your two minutes are up, you will be told your score and asked to enter
your name for the score table (if you have done well enough!)


Future improvements
-------------------

Here are some of the ways in which I may improve the program in the future:

- Adding a larger number of features to each category (although the problem
  then is that they become too obscure!)
- Extending the map further east so that it can include Europe's highest
  mountain (Elbrus), the entire length of the River Volga, and some extra
  cities.
- Making the highlighted part of the map flash for all types of question (at
  present, only cities and peaks flash). This was the case in 'Spotlight on
  Britain', but is more difficult to implement in a multi-tasking
  application.

If you have any other comments or suggestions, please contact me via the
e-mail address below.


Credits
-------

My thanks to J. David Barrow, author of 'Spotlight on Britain' which gave
me the idea for this program. SLOB was featured in the August 1994 issue of
Acorn User, and on the first AU cover CD-ROM.

I have recently updated SLOB to take into account the country's new 
administrative areas, and if J. David Barrow would like to get in touch, I
would be delighted to send a copy.


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Other software by the author is available free to download from my web site.
It includes 'Elements', a periodic table database; a desktop poker patience
game; a millennium count-down program; various utilities and desktop sillies


 ________________________
(________     ________   \
         |   |________)  | __________________________________
         |    _      ____/ Jonathan Rawle
 ________|   | \__   \___  e-mail: jrawle@starmail.com
(____________/    \______) http://www.thepentagon.com/jrawle/
