The round starts with each member of the Empire being shown a question and its answer. One by one, the team members choose a Rebel they want to challenge with that question. If the Rebel answers correctly, there's no penalty. If the Rebel answers wrong, he/she takes a hit. If a Rebel sustains two hits, he/she is eliminated from the game. Once a Rebel takes a hit in the first round, though, he/she is protected for the rest of the round and the Empire members must challenge other Rebels.
After the Empire has their turn, the Rebels get their chance. Like before, they see a question and its answer, and try to challenge one member of the Empire to answer it. If an incorrect answer is given, the Empire takes a hit, and it takes 8 total hits to defeat the Empire.
Starting with the member of the Empire who answered the most questions right in the first round (if there's a tie, it goes to the leftmost player), the player is shown another question and answer, and must challenge a Rebel to answer it. If the Rebel is correct, he/she takes control; otherwise, he/she takes a hit and the Empiree retains control. The Empire wins by eliminating all four Rebels, while a Rebel wins by causing the Empire's eighth hit. The winner(s) either receive or split $10,000.
Once during the game, a Rebel in control can choose to use the Ace in the Hole, which challenges all four members of the Empire to answer a multiple choice question in which four out of the five answers given are right. One by one, each member of the Empire must select an answer. If the wrong answer is chosen, the Empire takes one hit for each right answer left on the board, making the maximum damage four hits. There's a catch to the Ace, though: a Rebel can only use it if he/she hasn't taken a hit yet, because doing so requires that Rebel to sacrifice one hit. Also, if the Empire manages to avoid the wrong answer completely, the Rebel takes a second hit and is eliminated.
If the Empire wins: The member of the Empire with the most correct answers and successful challenges is deemed the "General". The General gets 40% of the team's score (the rest get 20%), and it is the General's decision alone whether or not to continue to the next phase of the bonus round. In the first phase of the round, the Empire must answer 4 questions correctly in 35 seconds. Each member of the team must answer a question correctly, and has to keep answering questions until he/she gets one right. If successful, the Empire's winnings grow to $50,000.
The second phase requires the team to answer 5 questions right in 25 seconds, plus whatever time was left over from the last phase. If this goal is met, the Empire wins $250,000. The third and final phase challenges the Empire to get 6 questions right, with 15 more seconds added to the clock. Winning the third phase wins the Empire $1,000,000. If at any point the team runs out of time, they lose 90% of their winnings.
If a Rebel wins: The rules are essentially the same, only that the rebel makes all the decisions, answers all the questions, and wins all the money.
Now that this idea has a bonus round, it's a lot more cohesive. I would've rather had an idea that allowed Empire members to turn on each other, but then again I'm not fond of games that have a cut-throat element. The Ace in the Hole gives the Rebel a chance to do a lot of damage to the Empire, but at the risk of being eliminated him/herself. That should scare Rebels off from using it right away.
I still think the gameplay could be tightened up a bit somehow. The whole Empire/Rebel concept might come off as a bit hokey.
Now that the idea is complete, all it needs is a little polish.
I'd like to give this one a little more time.
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