Version 2.28

Ever wonder how the same people win every week? They know the tricks of the trade. By reading through these tips and strategies, you too can walk away from NWR Trivia a winner.

Type Fast

Half of the questions in NWR Trivia are usually the type that you know off the top of your head. Just about everyone else in the chatroom knows the answer off of the top of their heads too. Because everyone knows the answer to the question at the same time, it would make sense that the person who can type the fastest would get the point, would it not?

If you've been on a computer for more than a month, you know that typing fast is a big time-saver. If you can't type at least 30 words a minute, you're not going to have a chance on the speed questions. Learn to type faster if you want to be good, without looking at the keyboard especially, which you should do anyways for the rest of your computing days.

Look for the Answer

By now you've probably figured out that we ask some questions that no one could possibly know the answer to. Well, we wouldn't ask a question if it didn't have an answer, that's for sure. That's why they invented the internet, where you can find the answer to anything. For the longest time, we here at PGC have accepted the fact that many people use sites like GameFAQs and Google to find the answer to a trivia question. Usually, the more efficient searcher wins the day, and the point, rather than the one who is a speedy typer. This levels out the playing field a bit, since it really gives anyone on a decent connection the chance to score.

Remember, it doesn't matter if you find the answer and copy/paste it into the channel, or you type it out knowing off the top of your head. If you give us the right answer first (on one line), you get a point.

R.T.D.Q.

Read the damn question. This is an all-too common mistake during trivia, and it's bound to nab someone eventually. Sometimes, questions are long and complex. If you don't read a question fully, you might miss the second part to a two-part question, or you might miss the "not" part of a sentence (what car isn't in this game; who did not see the book; etc.). Also, questions are sometimes intentionally worded in a strange way. If you see something strange in a question, the answer itself might be off the beaten path.

It's also important that you see under which restrictions the answer needs to be in. The answer always needs to be on one line, but sometimes you'll need the answer to be spelled correctly, without abbreviations, or to generalize. If you type out something quickly and fudge up on it, someone who can type swiftly could take the correct answer right out from underneath you. It's happened many times before.

Stealing Answers

It's possible for you to cheat in this game. In fact, not only is it possible, it's completely legal. The most common mistake is that someone answers only one part of a multi-part question. If two different people each say one part each of a two-parter, quickly copy what each of them said onto one line and steal the point away. If someone misspells an answer that requires correct spelling (and you know how to spell it, as mentioned above), spell it right and score.

Related to stealing answers is saving them. The less you type, the better your chances, so if someone answers with something that isn't an answer, save yourself the trouble and don't answer with it yourself. Even if it was an answer, they would get it right anyways (since they said it first). Regardless, if there are enough wrong answers out there, you could eliminate all the wrong ones, and come up with one or two legitimate answer contenders.

Talk Less, Score More

A huge error by many players is not focusing all efforts on the trivia questions. The pace of trivia is very fast (a question every 90 seconds, if things go well), and if you're too busy commenting on a previous question or complaining about answer order, you're probably going to miss the next question. The all-too common mistake of typing out a comment as the next question flashes on screen happens on every question, and many times, the question that you're missing is an easy one that you know the answer to. Nothing sucks more than seeing someone else get a question right before you even have the chance to type out your answer.

This is why a warning comes up before every question. When the telltale "Next Question..." warning appears, this means a new question will appear in anywhere from 7-20 seconds. If a lot of people are talking, it could be quick. If it's a bit more calm, it might be a longer wait. However, if you're poised and waiting for that next question, you'll always be ready and never caught off-guard. For those that would rather talk and be happy without a chance for points, more power to them.

Team Strategy

The biggest thing to realize in Team Trivia is that there are bonus points to be had. How? If both members of a team score once, that's one bonus point. If they both score twice, that's two bonus points. Spreading your points around (when possible) is an important factor if you hope to win in Team Trivia.

For example, if one team has one player with 1 point and another with 4 points, that's 5 trivia points plus 1 bonus point, for a total of 6. However, if another team has one player with 3 points and another with 2 points, that's 5 trivia points plus 2 bonus points, for 7 total points. The team that distributes points will win, although both teams scored the same amount of trivia points.

Because of this, you'll want to try to pick a partner that has a reputation for scoring. Once you think you've found someone you can work with, stick with them. Also, it might be a good idea to keep a PM window open with your partner, because if you can feed them the right answer, and they get a point, your team might benefit from a bonus point you may not have gotten had you answered the question yourself. You're really going to need to work with your partner to win the day in Team Trivia.

Other Tips

It helps when to know what types of questions are coming. Usually, easier questions are put in the first half of trivia, and harder ones in the second, with the last five generally being the hardest of trivia. If you need to play catch-up, it gets harder in the second half, so score early, if it can be helped.

Trivia lasts for at least an hour, sometimes up to 90 minutes if it's a particularly rough round. A break does happen in the middle, but it's usually not for too long, so try to be fresh and prepared for a period of time. We don't stop for your bathroom breaks. (We do, however, stop for the host's.)

Look at the Trivia Archives. Every week, results, stats, questions and answers are posted in the Talkback forum. If you read up on past questions and quiz yourself, you'll get a much better idea of what you're up against. Also, see who answers what types of questions, so you'll know who you're up against.

Don't guess. All questions are designed to be un-guessable, so trying to guess will just waste valuable searching time. People who guess have no desire to score, let alone win. They just hope they'll get lucky, which they never will. Since you can't get a question right by mindless guessing, don't do it. You're better off trying to find the right answer straight away.