                                POLICE QUEST

TIPS

For one thing, keep in mind that you will be dealing with a very "modest"
and simple parser (the parser being the programming structure that analyzes
typed-in commands), which means that you can't give complex orders. In
fact, many words that are being used in the descriptions of certain
locations are not recognised by the program - this can be frustrating, but
on the other hand is should be obvious that a word that isn't recognised is
unnecessary to solve a particular situation.

Example: if you type "look table" and the computer responds with something
like "There's an oak table with four chairs next to it" then it's quite
likely that "look chairs" or "examine chair" will result in "What's a
chair?". Illogical but that's the way it works.

Another feature inherent in these games is the "one solution only" symptom.
Although various commands me be used to the same effect ("look", "check"
and "examine" are the same thing, so are "take" and "get") each situation
needs a particular phrase to solve. So when you wish to get the drunk into
your custody and he starts giving you a hassle about not having done
anything wrong you need to test his sobriety (or lack of it). If you type
"test man", nothing happens. But "give test" does the job for you - you'll
see that finding the right command can be a bummer.

Last but not least, this kind of game is not logical. A perfect example:
once you've arrested "Hoffman", you can do everything that's necessary to
take him to jail - cuff him, read his rights, bring him to jail. But when
you're at the city jail and you take off his cuffs he'll shoot you - unless
you've taken his gun away while he was on the ground in the spot where you
arrested him. If you wish to take away his gun ("search man") outside of
the county jail where's there's all the room in world and nothing to keep
you from searching your suspect, the program says "you should have thought
of that when you had him on the ground". And although a whole parking place
is at your disposal, you can no longer put the man on the floor and get his
gun. Which means that, if you've saved your game after putting the suspect
in your patrol car, you can start all over again. And this, my friends, is
what I truly and positively dislike about any game: Lack of logic.

And yet, all in all, Police Quest is an o.k. game to play because there's
lots of variation and a good deal of interesting stuff to do. That, and
some witty remarks and situations (big dude in jail cell: "Hey man, get me
outta here, I didn't know copying disks was illegal!") should keep Sierra
fans happy.

Good luck with Police Quest and when you're on the streets, remember that
there's small choice in rotten apples.

SOLVE

Fighting crime in the streets of Lytton used to be a mostly nice & friendly
job with just the occasional serious offence that comes with the territory
- or so Jack says. Fact is, he's been a member of the department much
longer than me - I never thought of my job as merely "nice & friendly".
What with dope dealers, murderers, rapists and other hoodlums on the
streets these days Lytton is no longer a nice quiet town. So it's up to us
to keep it as much of a safe place as is humanly possible.

It was the morning of what might have been just another day in the field
and I was waiting for Dooley's briefing to help me & the public safely
through another day. I went into the locker room, took my gun and ammo,
loaded, took my briefcase and walked into the briefing room to get the
latest news.

Hi everyone to another glorious day in the business of solving adventures.
Not a fantasy or s.f. role-playing simulation this time, but the latest
text/graphics adventure from the guys that created Leisure Suit Larry,

Sonny Bonds is the name of the blue-uniformed police officer that you're
supposed to guide through traffic accidents, arrests, seductions and many
other situations that will prove a definite health hazard if not properly
executed. Police Quest is a "typical" Sierra game that features a good deal
of variation, a reasonable deal of dry wit (not as much as Larry but then
this is supposed to be a more or less serious challenge) and all the
advantages and disadvantages inherent to this particular kind of game. You
are advised to make a lot of different save positions and keep them on a
(backup) disk because you may find that a fatal mistake is not always
obvious at once; and when you find out that you made an error two hours of
play before and you don't have a save position prior to that point you can
get very frustrated. Believe me.

Now, Sonny Bonds, must you always be late for briefing?

Briefing was short and if it wasn't for the Lytton Tribune and the other
note my time there would have been wasted. So I read the news, got myself a
radio and the keys to my patrol car and checked a couple of things on the
computer. Then, ready...set...go! checked the car and its contents and boy,
driving sure is a hard thing in Lytton these days. But as usual I survived
and after driving aroun town for a while looking around a bit I got a call
from the station about a traffic accident. I called in, responded to the
news and shortly arrived at the scene where some silly dude (who later on
appeared to have been shot) had tried to enter a building with a car - and
without bothering about such things as an entrance.

I reported the situation and, while waiting for help, talked to an anxious
looking young man who seemed positive that the accident was not an accident
at all but the result of a brutal murder. The news he gave me neatly fitted
some other scraps of information but it wasn't enough to build a case on so
I waited for my relieve and subsequently drove to Carol's Coffee Castle
where Steve was waiting for me. Good coffee and an interesting telephone
conversation kept me thinking while I hit the streets again, ready to write
a million tickets.

I hadn't gone two miles when some hot red sports car jumped a red light and
disappeared around a corner. I followed that car for a long time before
finally the driver realised it wasn't going to work and slowly drove over
to the curb. I took my ticket book and pen, called in, and walked to the
little red car.

And found a spoiled rich girl with the looks and manners of a 20th century
Cleopatra. She tried to talk me into something but a professional man
doesn't yield to temptation (aargh!) so I kept cool and checked her
license, wrote a ticket, ignoring all kinds of abusive language and finally
making it back to my own car where I discovered that I was profusely
sweating and had completely forgotten to sign the ticket and hand it to
her. Well, you can't win 'em all.

After that poor excuse for a policeman's work I decided to make up for it
first chance I got - and that chance came all too soon. When I entered
Carol's I saw some bikes standing in front of the door and I just knew
there was going to be trouble. I talked to Carol and got invited
(instructed is more like it) to ask the guys to be less liberal in using up
her parking space. So I went next door into Wino Willy's beer joint and was
immediately provoked by some unshaven beer-drinking half-human motorgang
hoodlums but the good use of my nightstick quickly reminded them of the
"force of the law" and with a polite excuse they removed themselves. And
their bikes.

The next chapter in crime-fighting Sonny Bond's short & daring career was
the prolonged pursuit of a very erratically driving very drunk dude whom I
merely had to give a test to convince him of better places to be than on
the street in his own car. I checked his license and read him his Miranda
rights and witnessed how the jailer shared my opinion and when I left the
drunk in his custody, replaced my gun and went to my car I really felt like
I'd done a good job protecting the public - but much more was to come.

I called in and realised that now was as good a time as any to drop a
request for promotion to narcotics, so I left a memo in the basket and did
all the things necessary to change clothes and hit the streets in my
Corvette. I was still thinking about the infamous Gremlin's actions (kind
of funny so I didn't even bother to find out who it was) and made my way to
the Blue Room.

Inside, I played some music and drank some wine and listened to a sad story
from Jack and suddenly I didn't feel like dancing and drinking anymore.
Luckily someone reminded me that it was my turn for late duty so I got out
fast and returned to the police station just in time for another visit to
the briefing room where I located an interesting note and (once outside)
also established that my memo was "under consideration". How nice.

I hit the streets once more and before long I was in pursuit of that
Cadillac - a very dangerous driver and a very hard job but after many
attempts to escape he finally realised he wasn't going to shake me and
parked his car. Seeing that we were supposed to be dealing with a very
dangerous criminal here I called in and requested backup.

Following the entire procedure and not forgetting to take the man's weapon
from him I booked one Marvin Hoffman but we both knew that this was not his
real name. Found some interesting things in his car before I brought him to
jail on a charge of Drug Trafficking - hoping he would stay there for an
indeterminate time.

A message from Morgan (I had been promoted!) convinced me that an
indeterminate time would prove to be no time flat if I didn't find some way
to prove that Hoffman was dangerous and should be denied bail. I checked
some notes and files and found that one Hoffman was the same as one Jason
Taselli (not only the faces matched but also the tattoo) and quickly went
to court where I boldly asked the clerk to let me in for an emergency.

Judge let me in and gave me a chance to offer her the file and the poster
and explain my case, I told her something about that flower tattoo and when
I left the courtroom I had a no-bail warrant for Mr. "Hoffman". I went to
jail and arrived just in time to prohibit Taselli's premature release from
custody. I think I made the jailor's day there; he was real friendly to me.

My next operation in the field of narcotic warfare was breaking up and
busting two dudes dealing in the park. With gorgeous but professional Laura
as my backup, and never forgetting the correct procedure to follow, we
found lots of interesting stuff (not sugar!) and booked both suspects.
After this little success, things rapidly went downhill. First of all, I
got the news that Jack's daughter had died of an overdose, and another
thing was that the guy I'd booked earlier on, Jason Taselli (alias
"Hoffman") had escaped from jail and was later on found dead in the grove -
I had to identify him and once more saw that tattoo. Then Sweet Cheeks
Marie got busted but Morgan had a good idea and in order to nail the
infamous Death Angel who was responsible for most of the bad news spreading
around town it was suggested I got Marie released from jail - if she agreed
to help the hotel operation, which she did.

The things you have to do to be a narcotics agent; I even had to bleach my
hair. So, after thorough briefing, I left everything that might give me
away in the police station and kept the things that might come in handy and
went on my way to the Place of the Clue: the Hotel Delphoria.

I got a room there, made some calls and soon found myself playing poker
with two illegal gamblers and - oops! - the Death Angel himself. He seemed
impressed with my play and asked me to join in for a private game later on;
I accepted. But first I got myself a voice transmitter so as to be able to
keep my backups informed.

Later that night I played some more poker, won, and was invited to join
Frank "Death Angel" in his private room. What I didn't know was that he'd
found out my true identity - as I soon discovered when he aimed a gun at my
undervalued hulk. But right then my backups arrived and in the heat of the
firefight the Death Angel was severely wounded.

Strange, he didn't even try to fly away. Must not have been an angel after
all.

Medals, decorations, praise, and a 97-year no-parole sentence for Jessie
"Death Angel" Bains were the result of my short but eventful career as
Lytton Police Officer. Not bad for a few days' work; I'll make Captain yet.
Perhaps I'll see you on the team soon.

                           Police Quest Map

The Map
-------
the map is an essencial part, as it states where many things are.

- = road

It's rather rough, and not to scale, but i'll serve the purpose. there is
a highway going diagnoly, but i didnt put it in. Have fun!

p|Palm-----+-----+-----+-----+------+-----+------+------+------+-----------|
a|         |1st  |2nd  |4th  |5th   |6th  |7th   |8th   |9th   |10th clear |
r|Oak------+-----+-----+-----+------+-----+------+------+------+-----------|
k|         |     |     |     |      |     |      |      |      |     water |
w|Fig------+-----+-----+-----+------+-----+------+------+------+-----------|
a|         |     |     |     |      |     |      |      |      |     drive |
y|Peach----+-----+-----+-----+------+-----+------+------+------+-----------|
 |         |     |     |     |      |     |      |      |      |      +++> |
d|Rose-----+-----+-----+-----+------+-----+------+------+------+-----------|
r|         |     |     |     |      |     |      |      |      |           |
i|Lilly----+-----+-----+-----+------+-----+------+------+------+-----------|
v|         |     |     |     |      |     |      |      |      |           |
e|Poppy----+-----+-----+-----+------+-----+------+------+------+-----------|
 |         |     |     |     |      |     |      |      |      |           |
 |RiverRoad+-----+-----+-----+------+-----+------+------+------+-----------|

  Brought to you on behalf of

   The Billionarre Boys Club:
