Police Quest: In Pursuit of the Death Angel (1987)

Police Quest: In Pursuit of the Death Angel
Developer: Sierra On-Line Publisher: Sierra On-Line Platforms: DOS, Amiga, Apple II, Apple IIGS, Mac OS Classic, Atari ST Released in US: December 1987 This game has unused text. This game has debugging material. This game has a hidden level select.

As Officer Sonny Bonds, pursue the titular Death Angel! And other drug pushers! And traffic violators! And car keys!

Possibly the only Sierra series where players will get mad when the puzzles make too much sense.

Debug Functions

Main Debug Commands

Press ALT+D or type the command stink bug to enable some debugging functions. These features are disabled upon entering a new room.

Here's the complete word list:

• SET PRIORITY: Sets Sonny's priority variable.
• RELEASE PRIORITY: Sets Sonny's priority variable to 0.
• TP: Teleports to the appropriate room.
• POSITION: Sets Sonny's X and Y positions.
• GET OBJECT: Puts the appropriate object by ID into the player's inventory.
• GIMME GIMME: Puts every object into the player's inventory.
• OBJECT ROOM: Displays the room number for the appropriate object.
• SET VAR: Sets a chosen variable to a given value.
• SHOW VAR: Displays the value of a variable.
• SET FLAG: Sets the appropriate flag.
• RESET FLAG: Resets the appropriate flag.
• SHOW FLAG: Displays info on a flag (Can be either set or not set).

Stage Select

Trying to load Logic 106 (or just typing TP 106) will prompt a level select menu. The "levels", in this case, are specific points in the game's plot. Thankfully, the game will supply you with the appropriate items once the level is loaded.

Other

Type OBJECT NUMBER to bring up an item reference page. Due to the game's resolution, the last item -- Handcuffs -- is not displayed.

Press ALT+X, or type SHOW POSITION or ROOM to display Sonny's X and Y coordinates and the current room number.

Press ALT+M to display info on memory use.

Press ALT+P, or type SHOW PRIORITY to display priority settings for the current room.

Unused Text

ID	Message	Notes
General Logic
41	Locals missed it!	Oh, starting off with some weird lines this time. These don't even seem like they're in the right game.
42	Everybody missed!
44	Caught undressed in public, you spend the rest of your life in shame!	Should be used after removing your clothes. Something you can do, it just...doesn't use this text.
62	You are carrying a blank notebook.	Two messages checking the status of the notebook. Not really that noteworthy. ...sorry about that "joke".
104	Notebook? What notebook?
Logic 26 - Car Crash
25	To whom are you speaking?	There's only one person in the crowd who talks to you, so this is unnecessary text.
33	You can't see the driver very well from here.	The player always has a good view of the car, so this is also unnecessary.
43	"Why doncha get some help?"	Some helpful advice from the crowd that was excised.
57	This car smells of death.	This line is not unused by design, but by accident. Typing SMELL CAR erroneously brings up the message used for examining the car's license plate.
Logic 34 - The Blue Room
6	While everyone wishes Jack a "Happy Birthday," you notice the front door open, as one wild-looking female enters the Blue Room.	This is an older and less lively message announcing Hannah's entrance.
Logic 35 - Outside Carol's Caffeine Castle
1	From a distance you hear, "We've got your number, Pig!"	This would be exclaimed by the bikers after angering them in some way. They're generally angry guys.
Logic 36 - Carol's Caffeine Castle
8	Steve says, "Well, guess it's time to get back to the business of crime fighting!"	A quip from Steve that would be used after getting the call from Detective Hamilton.
62	You push the handle down and flush the toilet.	Superfluous text for toilet flushing. The game only needs to display a "Whoosssshhhh!" sound effect.
Logic 40 - Jail
17	"I'll have to process her paperwork before you can take her anywhere," says the jailer. "I'll send her over to HQ as soon as possible."	"Her" presumably refers to Sweet Cheeks Marie after she got caught and jailed. This mention of the paperwork needed to free her doesn't come up in the final product.
Logic 41 - Outside Jail
9	You can't reach the gun locker from there.	The used text for interacting with the locker from far away is the less helpful "You're not close enough."
21	The buzzer is out of reach.	Ditto with this bit of interaction.
31	If you close the door on this guy, he will doubtlessly sue!	Unused response for locking the back door of the cop car with Hoffman still in it.
Logic 42 - Sergeant Dooley's Office
11	The office is furnished with a desk and chair, a file cabinet, and a bookcase with a trophy on it.	These two earlier description of Sgt. Dooley's office give away every bit of detail in the room. The final game adds some much needed zest to this room's descriptive text: Each piece of furniture in this room was given its own unique LOOK message.
12	On one wall is a photograph of Sgt. Dooley with Chief Whipplestick. On the other wall hangs a Certificate of Accomplishment.
Logic 43 - Lieutenant Morgan's Office
23	"Sonny, you were selected because of your experience and years of good service to the force," says Lieutenant Morgan.	There's no situation in the game that really warrants this line.
66	"Sonny, I don't have time for anything now!"	This situation, however, comes up a lot, unlike this bit of dialogue.
Logic 44 - First Briefing
8	"Also, please contact any street informants that you may have. We need any line we can get on this stinking drug traffic."	This final bit of Dooley's first speech was eliminated.
Logic 48 - The Blue Room (Bartender Handler)
11	"Come back anytime, Sonny."	Like the rest of the bartender's messages, one of these messages would be picked at random. These lines would be used upon exiting the bar, but the bartender remains silent.
12	"See you later, buddy."
13	"Thanks, trooper. I appreciate your business."
Logic 49 - Narcotics Division Office
31	"Please feel free to research any and all files," Laura concludes.	This would be the last bit of Laura's introductory speech.
36	Not here, please! The keys belong on the key board.	The game only checks for the Cadillac Keys when the player types PUT KEYS in this room. This message could have been used for the other two sets of keys.
49	Don't interrupt Laura when she's speaking.	Input is disabled during Laura's speech, so this is impossible.
Logic 51 - LPD Computer Room
14	"I'd like to dance with you Sonny, but, ah, not at the moment! Ok?"	Sometimes these unused lines don't make a whole lot of sense out of their intended context.
Logic 55 - Courtroom
7	Judge Palmer reviews the FBI flyer and the file. To your great relief, she issues a No Bail Warrant for Mr. Jason Taselli, alias Marvin Hoffman!	A dry variant of the No Bail Warrant acquisition text. The finished dialogue is snappy and humorous. It's pretty much the complete opposite of the last three sentences you've read.
33	Judge Palmer announces, "Mr. Bonds, I will review these documents today and return them to your department this afternoon."	Since the judge's examination of the documents is immediate, this line no longer makes sense.
Logic 60 - Cotton Cove
1	Officer Steve Johnson greets you upon your arrival at Cotton Cove.	This is replaced with him actually greeting you. Through dialogue. What a nice fellow.
23	"Yep," you respond, "this is [String 6], alright."	"String 6" could be either Marvin Hoffman or Jason Taselli depending on the current game state.
Logic 64 - Hotel Delphoria (Lobby)
21	Leaving the hotel, you drop the room key at the desk.	You don't do this. You don't need to do this.
Logic 65 - Hotel Delphoria (Floors 2 to 4)
14	You knock, and hear a muffled voice from within say, "Mind your own business, dude!"	When knocking on the doors here, one of five messages (Messages 15 to 19) is randomly chosen. This sixth message is out of the random number generator's range, so it's never displayed.
Logic 67 - Apartment
22	"Ok, Sonny, here's your voice transmitter. I've tested it thoroughly to make sure works properly."	Well, it's nice to know that they're sending Sonny into danger with equipment that won't crap out.
57	As instructed, she heads for the elevator.	No need for a description of something that the player can clearly see on screen.
Logic 69 - Storage Room
8	"If you'll just step aside, I'll get back to my bar."	A message for trying to block Woody from leaving.
Logic 73 - Apartment (Marie's Logic)
8	SC [Var 242]/[Var 243]	A debugging string used to monitor the X and Y coordinates of Sweet Cheeks Marie. It's not referenced in the final room logic.
Logic 74 - General Stairwell Handler
14	And you thought there were no stairways in Lytton!	A nice bit of fourth-wall breaking that's never seen in normal play.
Logic 76&77 - Stairwell
14	You cautiously follow "Mr. Jessie Bains" up the flight of stairs.	Remember: Show, don't tell. Especially when you are a graphic adventure game.
Logic 78 - Bottom of Stairwell
14	You cautiously follow Jessie Bains up the flight of stairs.	Like the last message, but somehow less insightful.
Logic 109 - Phone Logic
39	The phone cord is not that long.	Another object-specific "Hey you can't get that from here" message that isn't used.
75	The telephone in this room is a kinky gold.	"Kinky" in this case meaning curled or tangled. Sonny is not a color fetishist. Are you?! Weirdo.
Logic 110 - File Cabinet Logic
14	Good thinking; maybe this will be of use.	A more general message for file pulling. Perhaps, at one point, you could get more than one file?
Logic 112 - Computer Terminal
3	COMPUTER DOWN.	The computer can't go down. You wouldn't be able to play the game!
38	Record not on file.	Two alternatives to the error message, "No record for input."
126	Didn't match [String 1]
Logic 116 - Newspaper
14	Since your shift is beginning, you discard the newspaper.	Hey, this text describes something you don't actually see on screen! This could have stayed...

(Source: Original TCRF research)

Early Draft

Early	Final	Notes
Logic 44, Message 17 My, my! What a filthy little mind we have!	Logic 0, Message 24 My, what a filthy mind you have!	The final text eliminates the patronizing "we". "The patronizing "we"" is an actual term. Check for yourself.
Logic 46, Message 6 The pigeonhole is a police officer's mailbox. He can receive love letters, subpoenas, nasty notes, and even departmental memos. You ought to check yours.	Logic 4, Message 24 The pigeonhole is a police officer's mailbox. He can receive love letters, subpoenas, nasty messages, and even departmental memos. You ought to check yours.	The pigeonhole is also an actual thing, but that's more obvious.
Logic 94, Message 8 You don't have the keys for this vehicle.	Logic 7, Message 7 You don't have the keys to this car.	All of the vehicles in this game are cars. No trucks or tanks here!
Logic 34, Message 28 There is a city-wide dragnet out on him right now and...	Logic 34, Message 58 "There is a city-wide dragnet out on him right now!!"	Both of these messages lead into another line (Message 27). The earlier draft splits the messages into two boxes. The final script squeezes both into one message box. Also note that the early line is missing quotation marks.
Logic 43, Message 7 You're in Lieutenant Morgan's office.	Logic 43, Message 1 This is Lieutenant Morgan's office.	Without this change the entire game would just fall apart. Complete bedlam!
Logic 48, Message 8 "Here you go, Sonny. This one is on the house."	Logic 48, Message 37 "Here ya go. That's on the house."	The finished text no longer refers to Sonny by name.
Logic 51, Message 22 The computer's blank screen indicates it's off.	Logic 51, Message 4 It works much more slowly when it's "off!"	Improve your game dialogue through some playful mocking.
Logic 95, Message 5 You observe a small, red, sports car fail to stop for that red light.	Logic 119, Message 5 Did you see that red sports car run that red light?!	The narrator suddenly got a lot more excitable!

(Source: Original TCRF research)