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Community Playthrough #27: Tex Murphy: The Pandora Directive
Also had a couple of crashes in Autotech, but the game has that auto-save feature that seems to work so well that they weren’t much of a hassle restarting
So, in case of doubt, always ask Louie
Always ask Louie first before trying anything else, I thought you already knew that 
Even if he can’t help you, he always has a nice comment, like:
I don’t know what to tell ya. I don’t spend much time on the roofs around the neighborhood.
or:
I hope ya ain’t messin’ around with those guys, Murph, I hear they ain’t so easy to work with.
Seriously, I kind of like that you can’t make any shortcuts simply because you have played the game before and know what you need to do, you still have to jump through the hoops and ask people first. Okay it might not be 100% realistic that an item doesn’t appear at a place before you know you need it, and it isn’t even a 100% consistent as I just bought an item I have absolutely no reason to suspect I might need later.
In fact just for the fun of it, I decided to buy everything in the store 
Finished day 3 and enjoying it. The game was still completely open to me after the triggerpoint btw. I could still go everywhere. Only after completing the stealth bit (took a few tries) the game automatically moved to day 4.
I actually knew that, but as it is completely illogical to do anything but chase the killer, I decided that I wouldn’t complicate things with a long and possible spoilerish explanation, and instead just post the logical trigger point.
BTW I’m somewhat impressed that you bothered to solve the Rusty lock puzzle on paper, instead of just using trial and error.
You have to play the game, to find out why you are playing the game! - eXistenZ
Seriously, I kind of like that you can’t make any shortcuts simply because you have played the game before and know what you need to do, you still have to jump through the hoops and ask people first. Okay it might not be 100% realistic that an item doesn’t appear at a place before you know you need it, and it isn’t even a 100% consistent as I just bought an item I have absolutely no reason to suspect I might need later.
I agree with you, I was not criticizing the game because the steps needed are logical, but sometimes knowing the final step already might confusing.
In fact just for the fun of it, I decided to buy everything in the store
Nice visors, but 515738 points?!? what is going on there?
In fact just for the fun of it, I decided to buy everything in the store
Can you actually see anything while your wearing one of those visors that don’t work?
In fact just for the fun of it, I decided to buy everything in the store
Nice visors, but 515738 points?!? what is going on there?
Well, in order to afford all the items in the store, I first had to find a super secret extra stash of cash that is only know to the initiated of the Phenomenally Honourable Order Thoroughly Ostracising Some Hilarious Obscene Platypus (don’t ask about the name). And finding all that extra money also gave me an incredible boost in score.
Or perhaps, in order to afford all the items in the store, I had to convert points to cash so many times that it caused an overflow in my negative score turning it into a very high positive score.
Or perhaps….
Edit:
Can you actually see anything while your wearing one of those visors that don’t work?
I am still struggling to get Tex to put them on, but if I manage that, then you will be the first to know.
You have to play the game, to find out why you are playing the game! - eXistenZ
Or perhaps….
ArtMoney!!! 
The truth can’t hurt you, it’s just like the dark: it scares you witless but in time you see things clear and stark. - Elvis Costello
Maybe this time I can be strong, but since I know who I am, I’m probably wrong. Maybe this time I can go far, but thinking about where I’ve been ain’t helping me start. - Michael Kiwanuka
Or perhaps….
ArtMoney!!!
Oh shame on you Iznogood - you didn’t…... did you?
Well never mind about that I just thought of something to do with those visors - the name Geordi LaForge does ring a bell - are you sure that they are not really toasted sandwich makers? in which case 10 bucks sound like a bargain! (It would explain why they don’t work .... as visors!)
Or perhaps….
ArtMoney!!!
Oh shame on you Iznogood - you didn’t…... did you?
No, I didn’t, I swear 
I wouldn’t dream of doctoring the save file, hack the game or use any kind of shenanigans like that!
Instead I owe it all to being a grand master master journeyman novice of:
Phenomenally honourable order thoroughly ostracising some hilarious obscene platypus
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Okay, perhaps I had a bit too much free time today, but after sincerely trying to buy that visor and just getting a “I don’t think I need that” response from Tex, well I wasn’t going to let details like that stop me.
Btw: I only changed the score to give you a hint, that the whole picture was doctored.
You have to play the game, to find out why you are playing the game! - eXistenZ
Ok, bored waiting for day 4 now. So, started a new game file to try out Evil Tex route! Plan to play as I normally would throughout CP and see where I end up, but after I’ve completed each day I can switch and see what’s different.
Got the ‘insufficient memory” on going to Flamingo at end of day 2, fix described by Kurufinwe worked for me too. I also prefer the drunken version of the conversation with Emily.
Didn’t mind the lock puzzle at Rusty’s, but did fluke it on 4th or 5th attempt. Kudos to HandsFree for doing it properly. Could be worse – e.g. lockpicking in Still Life.
Cheers
Nod
Btw: I only changed the score to give you a hint, that the whole picture was doctored.
Ah, I didn’t realize the whole thing was doctored. I just wondered why on earth you’d Photoshop just that number.
And when point/money numbers in a game are higher than they should be, I immediately think of memory tinkering like what can be done with ArtMoney.
It’s how I make my characters rich in RPGs (because I mainly care about the story and not so much about the combat challenge, so being able to buy the best equipment immediately suits me fine).
Btw, to add blank lines in your post, you don’t need to change the colour so we won’t see the white characters on each line. Just having a space on each line will do.
The truth can’t hurt you, it’s just like the dark: it scares you witless but in time you see things clear and stark. - Elvis Costello
Maybe this time I can be strong, but since I know who I am, I’m probably wrong. Maybe this time I can go far, but thinking about where I’ve been ain’t helping me start. - Michael Kiwanuka
Time for some thoughts on Day 3!
After two days in which the investigation progressed fairly slowly, day 3 was busy, going from learning about a stalker/killer to killing him in less than 24 hours. It’s not completely clear how it all connects to Malloy, but I guess we’ll learn more on day 4.
I’m of two minds about the day’s gameplay. On the one hand, there was plenty of interesting investigating to do. On the other hand, it all felt very contrived. Why is it so hard to find anything about the Black Arrow Killer or Lucia Pernell? Why does it require talking to everyone on the street rather then using the Internet? Why does Dag Horton have a torn-up photo of his work place in his pocket? How did the police manage to overlook the Autotech pass in Sandra’s room? Why is it so damn easy to break into a NSA facility??? etc. The book deals with all this in a far less contrived way, but that doesn’t leave as much room for gameplay.
A few words specific to the Boulevard of Broken Dreams: I’ve already written quite a lot (in this thread and elsewhere) about this, so I’ll try to be brief. To me, this is how you do choices in games. There’s a chain of logic to the events, with direct causality, not some vague Hollywood-karma bullshit, but you don’t really know where this chain is going until you get there.
I guess it’s a philosophical thing. There are few people in the world I hate more that those who think they know what consequences their actions will ultimately have (whether they think they derive that knowledge from religion, or some philosophy of history, or some economic theory filled with equations, or whatever). It’s just an excuse to do horrible things while telling themselves that they know it’ll all turn out for the best in the end. At the end of the day, you can’t know with certainty what consequences your actions will, and you have to try to do the right thing based on the situation at hand, not some illusory knowledge of the future.
(major spoilers for day-3 BBD) Tex didn’t want Emily to die when he decided to push away Chelsee, or when he was excessively abrasive with Gus Leach. But because he did those things, he lost the precious few seconds that would have allowed him to save her. Sometimes life surprises you, and not in the best way.
I don’t think Chris Jones and Aaron Conners set out to create some philosophical fable when they designed TPD. But I think the game is that, on top of everything else it is (a great investigative mystery, a fun noir story, an overall great game). I love it.
Still, for all that happened on day 3, let’s be honest: the only thing that really mattered happened at the very end:
REGAN! REGAN! REGAN!
Miscellaneous excerpts from my notes:
* Let’s start the day off with a jigsaw puzzle!
* Louie about Tex and Chelsee after the break-up: “It’s like steak and ice cream. They’re both good, but they don’t go together too well.”
* The newspaper is hilarious.
* I love, love, love Lucia Pernell.
* [spoiler]NSA = “National Surveillance Agency”???[/spoiler]
* “Suicide, I think.” L.O.L.
* Oh great. Another jigsaw puzzle.
* DH is a creepy psychopath, definitely not some agent just doing his job.
I am at the end of Day 3 and have found it enjoyable so far. However, and this is a big however, I have now died about 12 times trying to kill DH. I have found out a few things. 1. You can’t hide behind the AC unit and have any chance of getting to DH in the time it takes for him to look at his watch. 2. If you stand by the base of the stairs in plain sight, he can’t see you. 3. It would seem that you must start your attack prior to him looking at his watch. And, 4. This interface is frustratingly horrible when speed and stealth are involved.
I’m not sure how many more tries I’m going to give this action sequence. Maybe another 12. If I’m still in the ground after that I’m not sure Day 4 will see the light of day. 
For whom the games toll,
they toll for thee.
a) Why is it so hard to find anything about the Black Arrow Killer or Lucia Pernell? Why does it require talking to everyone on the street rather then using the Internet? b) Why does Dag Horton have a torn-up photo of his work place in his pocket? c) How did the police manage to overlook the Autotech pass in Sandra’s room? d) Why is it so damn easy to break into a NSA facility???
Let me try to answer those questions, as I see it:
a) It isn’t really that hard, talk to a few of your friends and rummage through some trash cans and Bob’s your uncle. Okay the most natural thing would be to check the internet, but obviously Tex is not really a man of the 21st century and prefers the old fashioned ways. Besides who says the internet still exists? There is absolutely no mention of it in the game!
b) Perhaps it isn’t his photo?
Perhaps it is a picture Malloy has taken, and Dag has found it while searching for Malloy. Who knows, it might even be a picture take by that P.I. who also investigated the NSA some time age and ended up committing suicide, perhaps Dag kept is as a sort of souvenir?
c) Did the police actually investigate this?
Mac actually says “We didn’t handle the case” on the subject.
Perhaps it was handled right from the start by the NSA who would only want to cover everything up.
d) Well there is that guard at GP mode.
But also the building is not an official NSA building, but is a cover operation meant to look like a normal civilian business, having too much security would be a dead giveaway that something fishy is going on.
See, with a bit of imagination it is possible to come up with plausible explanations for (almost) everything in this game.
* Louie about Tex and Chelsee after the break-up: “It’s like steak and ice cream. They’re both good, but they don’t go together too well.”
He he, I also loved that one myself, the full quote is:
Louie: I’m sorry to hear that. But maybe it’s for the best. It’s like steak and ice cream. They’re both good, but they don’t go together too well.
Tex: Yeah you’re right, Louie, ‘cause I’m the steak and every woman that I’ve ever met is a toxic dairy product. I’m better off lactose-free *
* [spoiler]NSA = “National Surveillance Agency”???[/spoiler]
Yeah, I have been wondering about that myself, perhaps the developers were simply afraid of getting in trouble if [spoiler]they made the real NSA the villains in a game.[/spoiler]
* DH is a creepy psychopath, definitely not some agent just doing his job.
Yep, and so is his boss!
* I am taking a lot of screenshots during this playthrough.
You have to play the game, to find out why you are playing the game! - eXistenZ
I have now died about 12 times trying to kill DH. I have found out a few things. 1. You can’t hide behind the AC unit and have any chance of getting to DH in the time it takes for him to look at his watch.
1. Yes you can - but you need to run!
You can run in the game by holding down the “R” key, and you will need to do so in order to take down DH.
Alternatively you can also adjust the movement speed in the game, so you are constantly running, that is what I prefer myself.
Also note that I have reduced the mouse sensitivity, which I find makes the controls generally easier to use.
Hmm - Perhaps I should have posted something about this already in the introduction of this CP.
You have to play the game, to find out why you are playing the game! - eXistenZ
Time for some thoughts on Day 3!
How did the police manage to overlook the Autotech pass in Sandra’s room?
Maybe the police simply doesn’t like pixel-hunting 
(there were an awful lot of papers in that apartment)
d) Well there is that guard at GP mode.[/spoiler]
So Tex cleaning up the floor only happens in GP mode?
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