*************************************** * * * HOW TO SOLVE * * * * WITNESS! * * * * PRESENTED BY: NEABBS * * * *************************************** >>WITNESS<< IS A PRETTY STRAIGHT- FORWARD LITTLE MYSTERY. IT'S NOT AS COMPLICATED OR INVOLVED AS DEADLINE, YET ITS' ATMOSPHERE AND DETAIL MORE THAN COMPENSATES FOR ITS' QUICK SOLV- ABILITY. ACTUALLY, "THE WITNESS" CAN BE SOLVED BY NEVER HAVING TO LEAVE THE SITE OF THE MURDER! HOWEVER, ALOT OF THE FUN AND INTERESTING NUANCES OF THIS GAME WILL BE MISSED BY FOLLOWING THIS QUICK-FINISH, SO BEFORE I REVEAL IT STEP BY STEP, I'LL GIVE YOU A FEW "THINGS TO TRY". THIS IS FOR ALL THOSE TRUE ADVENTURERS WHO MIGHT JUST BE LOOKING FOR A NUDGE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. THE GAME IS SUPPOSED TO BE PRETTY AUTOMATIC FOR THE FIRST PART, SO UNLESS YOU'RE WANDERING ABOUT OUT- SIDE THE HOUSE FOR MAPPING PURPOSES, START THE GAME BY DOING THE FOLLOWING: N,N, "RING THE BELL" LINDER'S BUTLER, PHONG, WILL ANSWER THE DOOR. YOU CAN NOW DO ANYTHING FOR ONE MOVE, THEN PHONG WILL SHOW YOU INTO THE LIVING ROOM, WHERE YOU WILL MEET LINDER AND HIS DAUGHTER, MONICA. IT MIGHT HELP HERE TO ASK MR. LINDER AND MONICA ABOUT ALL THE OTHER CHAR- ACTERS IN THE GAME (THIS IS A MUST IN ALL INFOCOM MYSTERIES!). DO THIS BY SAYING "ASK LINDER ABOUT (MONICA OR MRS. LINDER OR PHONG, ETC.). AFTER A BIT (10-12 MINUTES), LINDER WILL TAKE YOU INTO HIS OFFICE. HERE YOU SHOULD "SIT IN THE WOODEN CHAIR" WHEN HE ASKS YOU TO. HE WILL THEN FILL YOU IN ON THE BACKSTORY OF THE GAME AND WILL SHOW YOU A NOTE, WHICH YOU MIGHT BE POLITE ENOUGH TO READ. NOW, IF YOU SIT THERE AND WAIT, MONICA WILL ENTER AROUND 8:35 AND STICK AROUND FOR A MOMENT TALKING TO HER FATHER BEFORE HEADING OFF TO GO TO THE MOVIES. IF YOU WAIT UNTIL AROUND 9:03, LINDER WILL HEAR THE DOORBELL; PUSH THE BUTLER'S BUTTON TO SIGNAL PHONG; THEN DIE FROM A BULLET SHOT THROUGH THE OFFICE WINDOW. BEFORE LINDER IS KILLED, YOU MIGHT WANT TO TRY THE FOLLOWING AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS (OR DOESN'T...): 1. TRY PUSHING THE BUTLER'S BUTTON AND SEE WHAT LINDER DOES. 2. EXAMINE THE WINDOW AND ASK LINDER ABOUT WHAT YOU FIND THERE. 3. EXAMINE THE CLOCK AND TRY OPEN- ING IT. 4. TRY STANDING UP AFTER YOU'VE FIRST SAT DOWN IN THE CHAIR. THEN WAIT UNTIL 9:03 (I'D SAVE THE GAME FIRST!). AFTER THE MURDER OCCURS, TRY THE FOLLOWING: 1. EXAMINE THE WINDOW AND ANALYZE WHAT YOU FIND THERE. 2. EXAMINE THE KEYHOLE IN THE CLOCK. 3. TRY PUSHING THE BUTLER'S BUTTON RIGHT AFTER THE MURDER. THEN TRY PUSHING IT AGAIN AFTER MONICA GETS HOME (AROUND 11:00). 4. IF YOU "SEARCH PHONG", YOU WILL FIND THE KEYS YOU NEED TO UNLOCK ALL THE LOCKED DOORS IN THE HOUSE. 5. GO INTO PHONG'S ROOM AND EXAMINE THE BOOK HE'S READING. HE'S USING A VERY INTERESTING BOOKMARK. SHOW THIS TO PHONG AND MONICA AND THE TIED-UP STILES (HE'S IN THE LIVING ROOM. 6. FOR FUN, TRY CALLING THE RESTAUR- ANT'S PHONE # THAT'S ON THE MATCHBOOK (ADELINE 1308). 7. ANALYZE THE FOOTPRINTS YOU FIND IN THE MUD OUTSIDE THE OFFICE PORCH.. THEN COMPARE THE PLASTER CAST DUFFY MAKES TO STILES' SHOES AND ALSO TO THE MUDDY BOOTS YOU FIND ON THE PLATFORM BY THE FRONT DOOR. ALSO, SHOW THE MUDDY BOOTS TO PHONG. 8. SHOW STILES THE: MATCHBOOK; THE NOTE LINDER GAVE YOU; AND THE MUDDY HANDGUN (YOU FIND THIS OUTSIDE BY THE OFFICE PATH) 9. BEFORE MONICA GETS HOME (11:00), UNLOCK AND OPEN THE WORKSHOP DOOR (IN THE GARAGE) THEN GO IN- SIDE THE WORKSHOP AND "WAIT FOR MONICA'. WATCH WHAT SHE DOES WHEN SHE DRIVES IN AND ENTERS. 10. OF COURSE, ASK EVERYBODY ABOUT EVERYBODY ELSE; SHOW EVERYTHING OF INTEREST TO EVERYONE; AND TRY ACCUSING PHONG, MONICA AND STILES. NOW, FOR THOSE OF YOU LOOKING FOR A QUICK FINISH, HERE'S THE STEP-BY-STEP: (BREAK OUT IF YOU DON'T WANT THE ANSWER) SOLUTION: N,N, "RING BELL", (DO ANYTHING FOR ONE MOVE, SUCH AS 'I'), (PHONG WILL LEAD YOU INTO THE LIVING ROOM), "ASK MONICA ABOUT HER MOTHER", "WAIT", (LINDER WILL SOON TAKE YOU TO HIS OFFICE), "SIT IN THE WOODEN CHAIR', 'WAIT UNTIL 9:04' (ANSWER YES WHENEVER IT ASKS IF YOU WANT TO KEEP WAITING), (LINDER WILL BE SHOT AND KILLED), "GET UP", "HIDE BEHIND THE LOUNGE", "WAIT UNTIL 12:05" (ANSWER YES EVERYTIME IT ASKS), (SOMEWHERE AROUND MIDNIGHT, MONICA WILL COME BACK INTO THE OFFICE, GO OVER TO THE CLOCK, UNLOCK IT AND REMOVE SOMETHING), "STAND UP", "ACCUSE MONICA", "WAIT FOR DUFFY", "ARREST MONICA". THE PROGRAM WILL THEN OFFER YOU A SYNOPSIS OF THE ACTUAL EVENTS. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<*>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>