Once upon a time....

Well there are the stupid points that shouldn't even be there that you can shave... Like the dog poo in the back room of the Fun House... Don't mess with it at all and you don't need to worry about those points... In Roswell, don't turn the stove off after you've used it...

Looking at things like the Zedra I think gives you points, but has no point in the game, I think you get points for looking at the family photo... Just the stupid things that regular people wouldn't really think to do... I don't think looking at the dog food on the desk really has any real point in the game...

Waiting for time to expire and all the points to count down sounds like a great start for trying to get the lowest score... Also avoid any conversations you can...


At the Cabin, do you really need to watch the video of the Alien to advance in the game or can something like that be left out as well??? I don't think you really need to uncover the body in the Cabin either to advance in the game... Don't move the papers in the Cabin to reveal the blood...

This is going to require a lot of thought for everything that can be shaved... I'll see what else I can think of... Just save often, that way if you collect some points and realize that there's no real reason to have done that, you can reload and skip whatever it was...

An interesting challenge. Wish this had come up a couple weeks ago when I wasn't in school.

Sounds like you can achieve your goal without being in Gamer Mode. Don't forget that using the hint system will also burn points. Also, I think there are conversation choices that cause you to lose points when talking with some characters.

A loyal Tex Murphy fan,
Hammerhead

Hammerhead wrote:Also, I think there are conversation choices that cause you to lose points when talking with some characters.

While this is true, I believe Jim is trying to do this and achieve the Date with Chelsea at the end of the game... So he wants the best possible outcome, with the least possible points... So he will still have to be nice in the conversations...

As for Gamer and Entertainment, you could attempt it in both modes... True though there are a lot less points in Entertainment mode, so that would cut a lot of things out...

Not sure if using Hints would be considered cheating at this though... I guess that would be up to Jim to decide... lol

answer the right questions with the first conversation with chelsea gets you the date but I am sure you will loose it if you are not a nice guy throughout the game.

Thanks for the great comments, suggestions and encouragement.

Currently I am in Day 4 and it is going well. As far as the cabin is concerned, I decided NOT to go there at all. The only thing of value there is information which is NOT critical to the game.

Also, I find I have to save the game often, just in case. For example, I took the news clipping off the shelf in Tex's rec room but did not examine it. However, when I tried to go to the police station, it wasn't on the map. Also, I did not look at Rusty's, went to the police station, chose "A Rusty reminder" but I could not ask Mac about the funhouse.

Something else I did: when in Horton's office, the only thing I took was the key to the water tower. Everything else is irrelevant as I was able to talk to Crazy Gary, ask about Horton, and go to the tower to turn on viewing device.

So far I have NOT purchased the Yucatec made easy book and I'm hoping that will not prove bad later on. Also, I did not pick up Nilo's note or the crossword puzzle or the vending machine.

Someone said this would take a lot of thought and that is VERY true. I mean, try not doing things we've done for 10 years is tough! Still, it is a fun challenge that brings an added bonus: new territory.

Well, I ran into an interesting problem on day five. After getting the puzzle box from Reagan (which the NSA probably stole from Archie and Croos gave it to her), I ended up at Tex's office where I realized I needed Malloy's tapestry. I decided NOT to get the tapestry earlier from Malloy's crate because I thought I could solve the puzzle without it (stupid me - I've only played this game about 300 times). No problem, right? Just go to the Acme Warehouse and get it! Guess what? The crate is gone! So, I have to go all the way back to Day Two and pick up where I left off. Sheesh! Some PI I would make!

I heard you can get away not going to the cabin & but without the tapesty how would you open emily's box

Reagan was really Malloy's daughter, so why do you assume that the Puzzle box was given to Archie and then stolen and given to Reagan??? Even Fitzpatrick assumes that Archie's Box was a ploy to throw the NSA off and says so in a phone conversation if you ask him about Archie's box after Archie tells you that it got stolen...
{I'll admit, I haven't read the book yet, so if the book adds information that I don't know about, please clarify for me}...

Curious to way you go the other way???


Also very sorry to hear you have to go all the way back to Day 2 from 5... That's gotta put some stink in your eye...

page 312 in PD novel. Jackson Cross admits to taking Archies box and killing him.

No I understand that the NSA breaks into Archie's place and takes his Box... In the game you have the option to stop him from being killed though...

What I'm asking is if it states in the Novel that Cross gives this box to Reagan in order for her to get Tex to open it???
I'm just curious as to how Jim is coming to that conclusion... Fitzpatrick assumes that Archie's box was just a ploy to throw the NSA off, according to the game of course... If the Novel is different, I'll accept that...

Witt, Fitz, Reagan, Garden House, and Emily's boxes are the only ones used in the game... In the Novel is Archie's box part of the Pandora Device???

First, Malloy sent out 5 boxes and you need the parts from all five boxes to assemble the Pandora Device. So, Emily, Fitzpatrick, Archie, Elijah Witt and Oliver Edsen received boxes. But, Archie's was stolen, apparently by the NSA, which means Jackson Cross. He and Reagan are in cahoots, he gives the box to her, she gives it to Tex. Fitzpatrick's assessment was only speculation. Besides, Reagan and her father were NOT close and we can assume he did not trust her. So then, why would he send her one of the boxes?

Second, I had a hunch about Malloy's crate and decided to test my theory. I thought that maybe, just maybe, the crate disappeared because Malloy died. So, I loaded a game just previous to his death, went to the warehouse and retrieved the tapestry. Whew!

Third, yes, we have both books in pdf. You can send me an email and I will send them to you, Plumgas. [email protected]

I'm definitely going to have to replay PD, and soon... I thought that RM was on that list of people who received boxes...
But since you're in the middle of playing it, I'll take your word for it...

That is true though, they weren't close and she admits to that... So it's very reasonable that she wouldn't have gotten a box...
And it would be nice to know what became of Archie's box, even if it had been nothing but a ploy for the NSA...

So I see what you're saying to make sense...


Unless it's in the book, which is on my reading list {give me a break I only found out there was a book last year}, but unless it's in the book I'd like to know what the Attraction was between Emily and Malloy... I can surely see Malloy's attraction, but what was Emily's attraction??? He wasn't holding out on millions that no one knew about was he???


Emily: Thomas is my husband.
Tex: Forgive me for sounding Stupid, but your Thomas Malloy's Wife?

Classic line that one...

Well, if Malloy sent out more than 5 boxes then it was not with the five mentioned on the postal receipt from the warehouse.

Speaking of great lines like the Emily/Tex conversation, I went to the Cosmic Connection and after asking about Thomas Malloy I realized I did not examine the slide from Emily's puzzle box. So, I went to the Garden House, examined the slide and went back to the CC. The brief discussion between Tex and Archie is priceless. You have to try it.

So don't look at the Slide of the Power Cell from Emily's box until after speaking with Archie the first time... Alright I'll do my best to keep that in mind... Seeing how you aren't saying anything, it must be a good scene...