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Documentation for:
Larry Vales II:  Dead Girls Are Easy
Final version, release v1.0
Questions, comments, threats: sparkles042@hotmail.com
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Not exactly showered with fame after the success of his last assignment, Larry Vales is again the low man on the totem pole back at the precinct.  Still an officer of the traffic division, his old partner, Charlie Striker, has been promoted a long way beyond him to the rank of captain.  As if facing this every moment of his career wasn't depressing enough, Larry is about to take part in the most eventful, dangerous, and scatological day of his life.  The dark city secrets Larry will uncover on this day will shake Stagnant, Tennessee to its core.

Or it WOULD, if anybody really gave two poopoos about the traffic division.

It all begins when his car is on the verge of breaking down and his girlfriend is shoved out a motel window.  Only Larry Vales can take a simple little thing like a murdered girlfriend and turn it into such a big production...

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Larry Vales II:  Dead Girls Are Easy will have you once again taking the role of put-upon traffic warden, Larry Vales (who, by the grace of Ben Croshaw, has learned how to walk like a proper human being since the last adventure).  Your own mission in this game is to discover the identity of the murderer, and, most importantly, survive yourself.  

Along the way you'll meet up with many colorful, bizarre characters and solve quite a few sensical, easy puzzles (mwo ho ho), experiencing many plot twists and story devices.  This game is made to progress like a motion picture, and I trust I'll manage to pull it off effectively enough.  But if at any point you feel lost, I'll offer a few hints.

Also tell me which characters you enjoy, and which you don't.  I'll know who to integrate into future games by what you tell me in this vein.  Keep a list of any bugs and email them to sparkles042@hotmail.com, for the benefit of future versions, or ache with the consequences.

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GAMEPLAY:
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In case you're not familiar with the interface used in this game, I recommend running out and buying a whole lotta great early nineties adventure games from Sierra.  Seriously.  Head straight for Space Quest 5 and Freddy Pharkas:  Frontier Pharmacist.  But if you'd rather have me explain it to you, I'll try.

The interface in this game is one of "icons" (say it with me.)  The mouse cursor will change as you command it to reflect the active icon.  Left clicking will make use of it over whatever area of the screen you have placed it.  For example, if the cursor is an eye (which means look), and you drag it over Larry, left click and you'll get a message about looking at Larry.

You can view the available icon choices by moving your cursor to the very top of the screen, triggering a drop-down menu of your choices.  Right clicking can cycle through the available icons as well.  You will always have the hand (interact with/take), the eye (look at/examine), and the mouth (talk to/eat/drink).  Most of the time you will also have a shoe (move to) which allows you to relocate Larry on the screen.  This won't trigger any action other than making him walk.  This option will disappear in close-up views.

Close-up views will appear when talking to certain characters or when using certain items in the game.  The close-up allows you to see things in greater detail (I suppose...).  To exit a close-up, click the hand icon on the background.

A crucial aspect of the game is the inventory.  When you interact with certain objects on the screen, you will collect them in your inventory.  Move your cursor to the top of the screen and click on the knapsack icon to view your inventory.  From here, you can click the binoculars on your objects to examine them, or you can click the arrow on them.  If you do this, click OK next, you'll have the item in your hand.  The cursor will change to reflect the item you have ready.  Now you can click this new icon on areas of the screen to use your object WITH something else.  To use an inventory item, make sure the CENTER of the item is lined up with the area of the board you wish to use it with before you click.

The most important inventory item (once you find it) will be the map of your home town, Stagnant, Tennessee.  Click this item on Larry and he'll be able to navigate the town.  You won't get very far without using the map!  The starred areas are the areas available for exploration during the course of this game.  LOOK at them to see what they are, and use the HAND to visit there.

You can also save and restore your place in the game so you won't have to start over or watch the introduction next time (the road-sign pointing off saves, the yellow sign with the merging streets restores).  The question mark gives you notably less information about the game than this readme does, and the STOP button will exit the program.  Whew!

Of course, the best way to learn is by playing yourself.  Fool around in the first couple of rooms of the hotel and see what sort of messages you get.  Try everything, it's the best way to familiarize yourself with the controls.

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HINTS:
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I'll offer three degrees of hints for you.  First, some general hints for overall gameplay, if you don't want anything to be spoiled for you.  Second, I'll walk you through the first act.  Skip this if you are not having difficulty starting.  Third, a complete walkthru of the game is included in the zip file.

a) GENERAL HINTS:

Look at everything!  EVERYTHING!  Some things might not look like they do anything (condiment rack, anyone?) but there's no harm in finding out.  

Talk to everybody, as well.  A lot of characters are for entertainment value only, but you never know when one will further the plot for you.

If you think you're stuck, roam around town a bit.  Some areas will change or become available to you only during certain acts.  It's important to check back at some locales regularly!

If you are REALLY TRULY stuck and can not figure out what to do next, let me know at sparkles042@hotmail.com.  If it's my fault, I'll be able to clarify it in future versions.  If it's not...well...I'll tell you to crap in your hat.  Either way you're a winner!

b) ACT I WALKTHRU:

Look at everything, it'll give you a good feel for the game.  Head one screen east for a laugh.  (Or at least a giggle.)  Head inside Ulcer King and try to use the bathroom.  Need to be an employee?  Leave the restaurant and follow the sidewalk around back.  Beware of the wet paint!  Inside, steal the frymaster's crown, then show it to the cashier.  He'll want a drink before you can use the restroom, so head into the back again for the soda machine.  It's broken, of course.  This is a puzzle game, you know.  Dip the empty cup in the dumpster.  It's just as good.  Now you can use the bathroom.  Head into the back room again, and use the sponge you found to get some oil from your car.  It's too hot to take from the fryer, so soak it off the frymaster's head instead (eeeeucccch).  Go back around front.  This last puzzle is all yours.  You'll need to figure out how to obscure that graffitti on your car.  Boy, the rear of that building looks mighty shiny...

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The soundtrack (should you choose to accept it):
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Opening theme--
"Doublepark My Heart (Larry's Theme)" by Mark Lovegrove (thanks Mark!)

Shadowy intro--
"Ain't No Sunshine" by Will Bithers

Fast food--
"19th Nervous Breakdown" by Mick Jagger and The Rolling Bears

Police cutscene--
"Monday, Monday" by The Mothers and The Fathers

Streetwalkin'--
"Waterloo" by Abbacaca

Motel--
"Comfortably Numb" by Pink Uncle Floyd

Pizzaria--
"My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue)" by Neil Young'un

Police station--
"Won't Get Fooled Again" by The Whom

Holding cells--
"Back On the Chain Gang" by The Let's Pretenders

Morgue--
"She's So Cold" by Mick Jagger and The Rolling Bears

Pharmacy--
"Casey Jones" by The Grateful Bastards

Laboratory--
"Point of No Return" by Topeka, Kansas

Camp Value--
"The Wind Cries Mary" by The Jimmy Hendrix A Posteriori

Boxing--
"Don't Fear the Reaper" by Blew Oy!-Ster Cult

Credits--
"All Together Now" by The Silver Bea'les

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About the author:
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Philip J Reed, VSc has appeared on WCAT News 21 as an anchor-person, roving reporter, and interviewer.  He is slated to star (well, not STAR) in a local soap-opera program at The Richard Stockton College of NJ, in which he will play a shockingly heterosexual character named Skittle.

He is the author of "Glenn, With Two Ens," which may one day be published.  Larry Vales was a minor character in that (and most of the rest) of the things he has written.  He is engaged to the lovely (and devoted...she let him spend all his time building computer games for crying out loud) Virgina Fallon.

He has drawn two-years'-worth of Guitarman comics that nobody will ever see.  "The Great Guitarman" runs currently on a sporadically-weekly basis in excised format in local paper The Argo.  Guitarman does not have sideburns.

Philip J Reed, VSc, is not quite the harmonica virtuoso he wishes he could be, but he has recently taken up the guitar and already knows seven chords.  Let's hear it for the boy.

His favorite color is blue, his favorite singer is Bob Dylan, his favorite band is The Who, his favorite song is "The Impossible Dream," his favorite book is Catch-22, his favorite album is Quadrophenia, and he really quite enjoys all facets of British humor, especially the "Mr. Neutron" and "The Cycling Tour" episodes of Flying Circus.

Reed was tragically gunned down outside of Mick's Clambar in Harlem, NY, July 17, 1974.

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Where credit is due:
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Ben Croshaw
  - Altered my still frames to provide great walk animation

Mark Lovegrove
  - Provided Larry Vales theme tune (still waiting on that final version, Mods!)
  - Much help with publicity

Ian C. Smith
  - Scripting on the Top's Storage panel sequence (sorry I was too dumb to actually be able to use it...)

Captain Mostly
  - The playtester's playtester

Space Coyote
  - Ditto

The BEATLES do not appear courtest of Apple Corps. Ltd.
Whitebread B. Nubbin, the Flatulent Potato Bug, however, does.