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Community Playthrough #27: Tex Murphy: The Pandora Directive
I know I said that I was going to play evil Tex, but I simply don’t have it. I try Lombard Street…
I’m still going with it but it’s hard work. It just isn’t Tex. I know there’s a couple of things later on in the game that I’m not going to like doing if I stay on the evil path so I may just switch before then.
Life is what it is.
Like Harald I’m going for the gold, so:
1 yes, give
2 yes, give (I’m also hoping not having it anymore will provide more challenge later on)
3 give
4 yes
5 yes, err no
6 
Out of curiosity: which of the paths is considered canon for Overseer? Or does it not matter?
3 of the 4 endings on the BB path does create a somewhat logical paradox regarding overseer.
I know I said that I was going to play evil Tex, but I simply don’t have it. I try Lombard Street…
I should still be possible to achieve one of the BB endings despite of the answers to these questions.
You have to play the game, to find out why you are playing the game! - eXistenZ
Time to start the playthrough of DAY 2 of the game, as soon as you get to DAY 3 you should save the game at the earliest possible moment and stop playing.
You have until Friday the 21 of March evening CET time-zone to complete this chapter. Don’t worry if you happen to fall a bit behind in this chapter, as I will add extra time to chapter 3 in order to ensure everybody has caught up before we proceed to chapter 4.
This chapter is a more normal sized chapter than day 1, with more objectives and puzzles to complete, but is still not one of the longest chapters in the game. It is also one of the chapters were the difference between Boulevard of Broken Dreams and Lombard/Mission Street will be most visible.
The action that will “trigger” day 3 or rather the “point of no return” towards day 3, will be when you visit Chelsee for the 2nd time, when she is actually home, so try to delay this for as long as possible and work on as many objectives and talk to as many people as possible, before going to Chelsee’s apartment (the 2nd time).
Tip/Hint of the day: If you are worried about running out of cash, then you can delay redeeming the pawn receipt until later in the game.
Tip 2 of the day: You might be better of going to The Flamingo alone, though it is not nearly as much fun.
p.s.: Please post when you have completed day 2 even if you have nothing more to share, so I can keep some track of how many if any, have fallen behind, and estimate how much extra time I will need to add to day 3.
Edit: A more accurate description of the point of no return is that it will happen when you visit Chelsee after having talked to Gus Leach, this will normally be the 2nd time time you go to her apartment, but it can also be the 1st or the umpteen time.
You have to play the game, to find out why you are playing the game! - eXistenZ
Now that there are only a few hours left until we start the next day, let me ask a few questions to round up this chapter:
1) Did you find the money to the orphans? And did you keep it or did you do the right thing?
2) [spoiler]Did you find Nilo’s wallet? And did you give it to him or did you
do the right thingdo as Nilo deserves?[/spoiler]3) Did you pay Louie the money you own him, or are you going to threat your best friend like a doormat? **YOU HEARTLESS BASTARD**
4) Did you find the drug dealer money?
5) Did you find a bottle of single malt for Crazy Gary? Did you even find and talk to Gary
6) Did you pay Nilo the extra cash for the code to the door?
Regrettably, when I started Day One I did little to no exploring, and pretty much did things in the order they were handed to me. Now that I realize the options I will go back and try to accomplish some things once Day Two is started. However, St Patrick’s Day weekend is upon us, so I may be doing things other than playing TPD. Maybe late Monday or Tuesday.
1. No, and thus No
2. No
3. No and No
4. No
5. No and No
6. Yes
For whom the games toll,
they toll for thee.
Regrettably, when I started Day One I did little to no exploring, and pretty much did things in the order they were handed to me. Now that I realize the options I will go back and try to accomplish some things once Day Two is started.
There is no need to go back to a previous save to do these things, they can all be done during Day 2 instead, or for that matter even later in the game.
You have to play the game, to find out why you are playing the game! - eXistenZ
I know I said that I was going to play evil Tex, but I simply don’t have it. I try Lombard Street…
I’m still going with it but it’s hard work. It just isn’t Tex. I know there’s a couple of things later on in the game that I’m not going to like doing if I stay on the evil path so I may just switch before then.
I think I know what you are referring to, and it is also not something I’m looking forward to 
, but I think I will persevere and stay on BB, and I am looking forward to the BB scene in this chapter 
You have to play the game, to find out why you are playing the game! - eXistenZ
I think I know what you are referring to, and it is also not something I’m looking forward to
I’m curious. The path you are taking seems to require you to be as obnoxious as possible. But it also seems that you can’t proceed in the game unless you manage to get a date with Chelsee. And that requires you to be, at least, moderately pleasant.
Is there a good Tex/bad Tex fence we have to straddle in order to finish the game?
For whom the games toll,
they toll for thee.
By the way, I’m also re-reading the book in parallel to replaying the game. (Day 1 was chapters 1-2.) Is anyone else doing the same?
Since nobody’s replied to this, I’m going to assume that I’m the only one reading the book in parallel and that I should say a few words about it. There are two Tex Murphy novels: UAKM and TPD. The former was written after the game was made, whereas the latter was written while the game was being made (and might depict some of Aaron Conners’ original ideas for the story?). The PD novel is a pretty good book; the writing is witty and the story was adapted so that it reads like an actual novel rather than a glorified walkthrough (hello GK1 book!).
There will be more differences later, but the intro and Day 1 are very similar between the game and the novel, even sharing some dialogue. (The murder scene in the intro is missing from the book, since Tex is the narrator.) Here are a few points of interest:
1) An interesting bit from the prologue: This year we bid adieu to the ozone layer and enact a time reversal. At least we don’t have to reset our watches. The banks still open for business at nine, only now it’s 9:00pm. The Surgeon General decided that sunlight was becoming almost as hazardous as cigarette smoking and real butter.
I’ve played the Tex Murphy games countless times and read the book once before, but it’s actually the first time I’ve realized that the games take place at night. I mean, I know it’s dark all the time, but it’s the first time I’ve fully grasped that people are sleeping during the daytime and living at night.
Incidentally, if the murder in the intro occurred while the woman was sleeping, then why is it night?
2) There’s an awful lot of smoking in the book. Probably the biggest difference between the novel and the book at this point is that Fitzpatrick isn’t smoking his expensive Cubanas in the game. (Tex is obsessed with them and very, very eager to get Fitz to give him some.)
3) The book’s description of Nilo is too delightful not to quote in full: As usual, Nilo was behind the front desk, sprawled over a chair in the corner, reading a skin mag. A soggy cigar stub smouldered between clenched jaws and cracked lips. It wasn’t a Cubana. He looked up, his eyes bulging out, and he almost swallowed his stogie as he struggled to his feet. “Hole it right dere, ya sneakin’ piece of snot!” Spittle flew everywhere.
Don’t ask me why it was changed from “piece of snot” to “piece of slop” in the game. (And again with the Cubanas!)
4) An interesting bit from the book that seems significant in retrospect. I’m putting it in spoiler tags, because you probably don’t want to have your attention drawn to it if you haven’t played the game already:
[spoiler]From Tex’s description of Fitzpatrick: He wore no glasses or corneal inserts, and his eyes seemed uncommonly clear and focused. Sure, maybe he had radial keratotomy or TDA surgery, but they didn’t explain an indefinable something about his eyes, somehow foreign, yet compelling. [/spoiler]
By the way, I’m also re-reading the book in parallel to replaying the game. (Day 1 was chapters 1-2.) Is anyone else doing the same?
There is a book? I have to buy a book? WTF, this game is difficult enough!
For whom the games toll,
they toll for thee.
I’ve played the Tex Murphy games countless times and read the book once before, but it’s actually the first time I’ve realized that the games take place at night. I mean, I know it’s dark all the time, but it’s the first time I’ve fully grasped that people are sleeping during the daytime and living at night.
I have also just realized it too - and only after your explanation. Up until now I just assumed everything happened at night because it is sort of a “Noir” detective game, and the genre in general tends to take place at night 
I’m curious. The path you are taking seems to require you to be as obnoxious as possible. But it also seems that you can’t proceed in the game unless you manage to get a date with Chelsee. And that requires you to be, at least, moderately pleasant.
It is a bit more complicated then that, you don’t have to be constantly obnoxious or always do the wrong thing. Kurufinwe actually wrote something interesting about it earlier:
I’m sure we’ll discuss this in more detail over the course of the playthrough, but what I find so interesting about this path is precisely that it’s not unlike Tex at all. It’s a butterfly effect of sorts: Tex being slightly more aggressive/angry/sarcastic than usual (maybe he’s having a bad day) leads to different events which in turn affect his perspective on things. It’s really very cleverly done.
In fact one of the things that will irreversible (I believe) bump you away from Mission Street is such a butterfly effect, where something that appears to be the best and most logical dialogue option will have some unforeseen and negative consequences. (I am intentional being vague)
Is there a good Tex/bad Tex fence we have to straddle in order to finish the game?
I am not quite sure what you mean by this?
There are also some options that are clearly good or bad, especially near the end, but your “path” might already have been locked before this, and it might only determine which of the endings on the specific path you will get.
You have to play the game, to find out why you are playing the game! - eXistenZ
I’ve loaded and started it just to see if everything works… and it does so far. I’m not sure if I’ll manage to keep up with the pace of this playthrough (and knowing my reputation you’ll KNOW I won’t be able to do it ), but at least I’ve made an oath to finish TPD before tackling another Tex Murphy adventure (again, it can mean I’ll never play another Tex Murphy adventure, but you never know 
)
I’ve skipped intro as for now, but I’ve caught a glimpse of it and the FMV seems to hold up solid enough - it may be of a little lower resolution, but no big deal. Everything (props and actors) reminds me very much of Black Dahlia.
I like how you can free roam the room, though changing between modes is slightly confusing at first. (along with somewhat “slower” GUI like when you’re switching before the two menus) But at least it’s got the subtitles, which is a breath of fresh air after JP3.
Recently finished: Four Last Things 4/5, Edna & Harvey: The Breakout 5/5, Chains of Satinav 3,95/5, A Vampyre Story 88, Sam Peters 3/5, Broken Sword 1 4,5/5, Broken Sword 2 4,3/5, Broken Sword 3 85, Broken Sword 5 81, Gray Matter 4/5\nCurrently playing: Broken Sword 4, Keepsake (Let\‘s Play), Callahan\‘s Crosstime Saloon (post-Community Playthrough)\nLooking forward to: A Playwright’s Tale
Welcome aboard Diego, and well you never know, you might be able to keep up. The first chapters are relative short, and I will give more time for the longer and more difficult chapters.
And yeah TPD and Black Dahlia are somewhat similar both in style and story.
You have to play the game, to find out why you are playing the game! - eXistenZ
So now the plot starts to thicken:
Somewhat spoilerish picture 1 [spoiler]It’s Alive!!![/spoiler]
Picture 2 [spoiler]It’s definitely NOT Alive!!![/spoiler]
[spoiler]A 100 year old film of an alien autopsy operation, and a man that has been dead for several months? What can it possibly mean, and how does this relate to our missing persons case, and what is up with the “government issued shells”? Well I’m sure that whatever it means Tex is just the right guy for the case![/spoiler]
I have to admit, this is the one part about the game that has always troubled me. Not the alien thing or the dead guy in itself, but we have just found a corpse that has clearly been murdered, and as a conscientious law-abiding respectable PI (*cough*) we should immediately contact the police and inform them of this murder. As it so happens we have a friend who is a detective in the San Francisco Police Department, so naturally we rush to him to tell him all about it, right? - Wrong! It is not possible to tell him anything about it whatsoever 
Okay, I know that involving the police would mean that we would have to answer a lot of questions that we really don’t want to answer, and it might interfere with our own investigation, not to mention that we found government issued shells and the alien film, that both means that it might be best to be a bit discrete about this, and of course this isn’t even Mac’s jurisdiction. But it still feels wrong to just leave it like this and not tell anybody about it.
Time for something a bit lighter - Quote of the day:
Mac: Well, my wife ran off with my best friend.
Tex: I didn’t know you had any friends, Mac.
Mac: I do now. *Bah-da-da-tsssss*
You have to play the game, to find out why you are playing the game! - eXistenZ
1) Did you find the money to the orphans? And did you keep it or did you do the right thing?
2) [spoiler]Did you find Nilo’s wallet? And did you give it to him or did you
do the right thingdo as Nilo deserves?[/spoiler]3) Did you pay Louie the money you own him, or are you going to threat your best friend like a doormat? **YOU HEARTLESS BASTARD**
4) Did you find the drug dealer money?
5) Did you find a bottle of single malt for Crazy Gary? Did you even find and talk to Gary
6) Did you pay Nilo the extra cash for the code to the door?
1. Yes. Did the right thing.
2. Yes. I am avoiding him until I need something from him and can use the item as leverage.
3. Yes
4. No
5. No. Yes I found him. Offering him $1800 isn’t good enough, apparently. It has to be a bottle of single malt or nothing.
6. I don’t actually recall. Since I’m spending money like water, probably yes.
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