Post by pip on Jul 26, 2021 14:42:47 GMT
The Royal Flush
by Milt Creighton
SPOILERS AHEAD!
Do not read further if you don't want this gamebook to be spoiled for you.
This is the second and last entry from Milt Creighton in the series. Unlike in his previous effort (The Dynamiters), the atmosphere of this adventure is faithful to traditional author Gerald Lientz’s style. Unfortunately, the clue / deduction system is still vastly underused, and you will still spend a lot of time checking clues and deductions that ultimately will not matter when it comes to winning the game.
Expect a lot of mandatory dice tests in this adventure. None of them are particularly difficult in themselves, but there really are a bunch of them, and in several cases a single failure will result in a game over.
Skills
For this adventure, I recommend lowering your Scholarship and Intuition skills, and giving the extra points to Communication and Athletics.
Walkthrough
Keep in mind that when I tell you not to bother doing so or so, it’s because, as long as you are using this walkthrough, it has no use when it comes to getting a good ending. Of course, taking these optional paths might still provide useful clues when it comes to solving the case in your head, or if you’re not strictly following the walkthrough. We’re just focusing on the easiest way to solve the case gamebook-wise here.
Chapter 1: The crime scene
After the introduction, you will be asked if you want to investigate the crime scene or talk to the officers. You will get to do both, but start with the crime scene.
You will have to take an Observation test, with multiple possible results, for a chance to check Clue B, Clue C, or both. You need to score at least 5+ to find at least one of the clues. If you fail to find anything, the game will continue, but you’ve already lost.
Chapter 2: Questioning colleagues and relatives
Talk to the officers next, and question the sergeant. You will need to pass a Communication 6+ test, or he will refuse to talk to you and, as above, the game will continue but it will already be lost. The next Communication test will not matter. If you do not do it automatically, choose to question the other soldiers when you are offered to do so.
Don’t bother stopping the soldier who is in a rush. Question the rest of the soldiers instead, who will talk to you if you pass a Communication 7+ test. If you fail, it’s the same as above, you’ve already lost.
The soldiers will mention McNeal’s girlfriend, Sally Barnes, who lives in East End, and can provide you with Clue E if you visit her. If you don’t, you will get to choose between other options which can provide you with either Clue F or Clue G. Travelling to visit Sally would normally seem to be the riskier option here, since you know time is of the essence in this investigation, but, strangely enough, it is the safest option to avoid a game over, so do that.
You will need to pass a Communication 6+ test to be able to talk to Sally (if you fail, same as above, the game is lost), who will provide you with Clue E. When you return, you will have to roll two dice (no skill involved). If you roll 11 or 12, you will be informed that McNeal has died from his wounds, ending your investigation prematurely. If you roll anything lower, you may continue.
Chapter 3: First visit to Holmes
Holmes will lengthily review your clues and deductions with you. At some point, you will be asked if you have both:
- Clue B and/or Clue C
- Clue E, Clue F or Clue G (we went for Clue E in the walkthrough)
If you don’t fulfill both requirements, Holmes will tell you you haven’t discovered enough evidence, and the game will be over. Otherwise, you will be allowed to continue.
Chapter 4: Questioning Weathersley
Shortly afterwards, you will be presented with different options, including questioning the sentry of the Wellington casern. Do that. Based on the information you receive, choose to visit Weathersley. A random dice roll (no skill involved) will determine if he is currently home. If you score 6 or less, he won’t be home, but all you have to do is choose to wait for him to return, and he will. If you score 7 or more, he will be home.
Whatever happens when you question Weathersley does not actually impact your chances to win. At some point, you will catch a glimpse of a photo of a woman, and Holmes’s dialogue in the next chapter will be slightly different based on whether you asked Weathersley about the woman or not, but that’s it.
When you are done, you will be offered to inspect McNeal’s belongings or question the soldiers again, but it doesn’t matter what you do because none of it will impact the rest of the game. Eventually, you will be asked if you want to find Treadwell or visit Holmes. Choose to visit Holmes.
Chapter 5: Questioning Weathersley... again
No matter what you did, Holmes will tell you off for not sufficiently pushing Weathersley about the woman, and will tell you to go back and find him again. Choose to break into Weathersley’s flat, as that gives you more chances to win than to wait for him.
You will first have to take an Observation 6+ test.
If you pass the Observation test: you will then have to roll two dice (no skill involved) and, if you score 7 or plus, Weathersley will agree to cooperate. If you score 6 or less, you will get another chance with an Athletics 8+ test. If that also fails, you will get one last chance with a Communication 7+ test. If that also fails, the game will be over.
If you fail the Observation test: you will then have to succeed with a Communication 7+ test to get Weathersley to cooperate. If that fails, the game will be over. Note that, in my edition of the book, the sections you need to turn to based on that Communication test have been swapped. I do not have access to other editions, so I don't know if this mistake exists in all of them.
After listening to Weathersley’s story, choose to stay there. Do not talk to inspector Gregson (all he really wants is to listen to you explain the case so he can take credit for it, resulting in a bittersweet game over).
Chapter 6: Wrapping up
If you pass an Intuition 6+ test, you will be asked who was McNeal’s accomplice. Say it was McGill. Again, do not tell Gregson. If you pass an Observation 6+ test, choose to read the letters and you will find incriminating evidence leading you to the German embassy. Again, do not tell Gregson, and you will head for the embassy.
If you failed either test, you will instead visit Holmes, who will review the case with you. No matter what you have checked and no matter what you answer (even if your conclusions are wrong!), you will be allowed to continue and Holmes will send you off to the German embassy himself.
Chapter 7: Arresting Steincastle
At this point, you will need to pass a bunch of tests, the first of which is an Observation 6+ test.
If you pass the Observation test: you then have to pass an Athletics 7+ test, or the game will be over. The next Intuition test doesn’t matter. Choose not to call the police even though Holmes suggests it. You will then have to pass both an Artifice 7+ test and an Athletics 8+ test, and you will win. If you fail either, the game will be over.
If you fail the Observation test: you then have to pass an Athletics 5+ test, or the game will be over. After that, you will take an Artifice 6+ test. If you succeed, you will then have to pass an Athletics 7+ test to win (a failure at that last test means the game will be over). If you fail the Artifice test, you get one last chance to win by passing all of the following tests: Athletics 6+, Athletics 6+, Artifice 7+, Athletics 7+. If you pass all of them, you will win. If you fail any of them, the game will be over.
Mandatory tests
As I was saying in the introduction, even though none of the tests are very difficult in themselves, there really is a bunch of them that you absolutely need to pass (too many, IMO).
Observation 5+
Communication 6+
Communication 7+
Communication 6+
Communication 7+
Random roll of 10-
Then either:
Observation 6+, then either a random roll of 7+, Athletics 8+, or Communication 7+
Or:
Communication 7+
Then either:
Observation 6+
Athletics 7+
Artifice 7+
Athletics 8+
Or:
Athletics 5+
Artifice 6+
Athletics7+
Or:
Athletics 5+
Athletics 6+
Athletics 6+
Artifice 7+
Athletics 7+
Best skill configuration AFAIK: boosting Communication and Athletics to +2 by downgrading Intuition and Scholarship gives you a measly 27.5% success rate
by Milt Creighton
SPOILERS AHEAD!
Do not read further if you don't want this gamebook to be spoiled for you.
This is the second and last entry from Milt Creighton in the series. Unlike in his previous effort (The Dynamiters), the atmosphere of this adventure is faithful to traditional author Gerald Lientz’s style. Unfortunately, the clue / deduction system is still vastly underused, and you will still spend a lot of time checking clues and deductions that ultimately will not matter when it comes to winning the game.
Expect a lot of mandatory dice tests in this adventure. None of them are particularly difficult in themselves, but there really are a bunch of them, and in several cases a single failure will result in a game over.
Skills
For this adventure, I recommend lowering your Scholarship and Intuition skills, and giving the extra points to Communication and Athletics.
Walkthrough
Keep in mind that when I tell you not to bother doing so or so, it’s because, as long as you are using this walkthrough, it has no use when it comes to getting a good ending. Of course, taking these optional paths might still provide useful clues when it comes to solving the case in your head, or if you’re not strictly following the walkthrough. We’re just focusing on the easiest way to solve the case gamebook-wise here.
Chapter 1: The crime scene
After the introduction, you will be asked if you want to investigate the crime scene or talk to the officers. You will get to do both, but start with the crime scene.
You will have to take an Observation test, with multiple possible results, for a chance to check Clue B, Clue C, or both. You need to score at least 5+ to find at least one of the clues. If you fail to find anything, the game will continue, but you’ve already lost.
Chapter 2: Questioning colleagues and relatives
Talk to the officers next, and question the sergeant. You will need to pass a Communication 6+ test, or he will refuse to talk to you and, as above, the game will continue but it will already be lost. The next Communication test will not matter. If you do not do it automatically, choose to question the other soldiers when you are offered to do so.
Don’t bother stopping the soldier who is in a rush. Question the rest of the soldiers instead, who will talk to you if you pass a Communication 7+ test. If you fail, it’s the same as above, you’ve already lost.
The soldiers will mention McNeal’s girlfriend, Sally Barnes, who lives in East End, and can provide you with Clue E if you visit her. If you don’t, you will get to choose between other options which can provide you with either Clue F or Clue G. Travelling to visit Sally would normally seem to be the riskier option here, since you know time is of the essence in this investigation, but, strangely enough, it is the safest option to avoid a game over, so do that.
You will need to pass a Communication 6+ test to be able to talk to Sally (if you fail, same as above, the game is lost), who will provide you with Clue E. When you return, you will have to roll two dice (no skill involved). If you roll 11 or 12, you will be informed that McNeal has died from his wounds, ending your investigation prematurely. If you roll anything lower, you may continue.
Chapter 3: First visit to Holmes
Holmes will lengthily review your clues and deductions with you. At some point, you will be asked if you have both:
- Clue B and/or Clue C
- Clue E, Clue F or Clue G (we went for Clue E in the walkthrough)
If you don’t fulfill both requirements, Holmes will tell you you haven’t discovered enough evidence, and the game will be over. Otherwise, you will be allowed to continue.
Chapter 4: Questioning Weathersley
Shortly afterwards, you will be presented with different options, including questioning the sentry of the Wellington casern. Do that. Based on the information you receive, choose to visit Weathersley. A random dice roll (no skill involved) will determine if he is currently home. If you score 6 or less, he won’t be home, but all you have to do is choose to wait for him to return, and he will. If you score 7 or more, he will be home.
Whatever happens when you question Weathersley does not actually impact your chances to win. At some point, you will catch a glimpse of a photo of a woman, and Holmes’s dialogue in the next chapter will be slightly different based on whether you asked Weathersley about the woman or not, but that’s it.
When you are done, you will be offered to inspect McNeal’s belongings or question the soldiers again, but it doesn’t matter what you do because none of it will impact the rest of the game. Eventually, you will be asked if you want to find Treadwell or visit Holmes. Choose to visit Holmes.
Chapter 5: Questioning Weathersley... again
No matter what you did, Holmes will tell you off for not sufficiently pushing Weathersley about the woman, and will tell you to go back and find him again. Choose to break into Weathersley’s flat, as that gives you more chances to win than to wait for him.
You will first have to take an Observation 6+ test.
If you pass the Observation test: you will then have to roll two dice (no skill involved) and, if you score 7 or plus, Weathersley will agree to cooperate. If you score 6 or less, you will get another chance with an Athletics 8+ test. If that also fails, you will get one last chance with a Communication 7+ test. If that also fails, the game will be over.
If you fail the Observation test: you will then have to succeed with a Communication 7+ test to get Weathersley to cooperate. If that fails, the game will be over. Note that, in my edition of the book, the sections you need to turn to based on that Communication test have been swapped. I do not have access to other editions, so I don't know if this mistake exists in all of them.
After listening to Weathersley’s story, choose to stay there. Do not talk to inspector Gregson (all he really wants is to listen to you explain the case so he can take credit for it, resulting in a bittersweet game over).
Chapter 6: Wrapping up
If you pass an Intuition 6+ test, you will be asked who was McNeal’s accomplice. Say it was McGill. Again, do not tell Gregson. If you pass an Observation 6+ test, choose to read the letters and you will find incriminating evidence leading you to the German embassy. Again, do not tell Gregson, and you will head for the embassy.
If you failed either test, you will instead visit Holmes, who will review the case with you. No matter what you have checked and no matter what you answer (even if your conclusions are wrong!), you will be allowed to continue and Holmes will send you off to the German embassy himself.
Chapter 7: Arresting Steincastle
At this point, you will need to pass a bunch of tests, the first of which is an Observation 6+ test.
If you pass the Observation test: you then have to pass an Athletics 7+ test, or the game will be over. The next Intuition test doesn’t matter. Choose not to call the police even though Holmes suggests it. You will then have to pass both an Artifice 7+ test and an Athletics 8+ test, and you will win. If you fail either, the game will be over.
If you fail the Observation test: you then have to pass an Athletics 5+ test, or the game will be over. After that, you will take an Artifice 6+ test. If you succeed, you will then have to pass an Athletics 7+ test to win (a failure at that last test means the game will be over). If you fail the Artifice test, you get one last chance to win by passing all of the following tests: Athletics 6+, Athletics 6+, Artifice 7+, Athletics 7+. If you pass all of them, you will win. If you fail any of them, the game will be over.
Mandatory tests
As I was saying in the introduction, even though none of the tests are very difficult in themselves, there really is a bunch of them that you absolutely need to pass (too many, IMO).
Observation 5+
Communication 6+
Communication 7+
Communication 6+
Communication 7+
Random roll of 10-
Then either:
Observation 6+, then either a random roll of 7+, Athletics 8+, or Communication 7+
Or:
Communication 7+
Then either:
Observation 6+
Athletics 7+
Artifice 7+
Athletics 8+
Or:
Athletics 5+
Artifice 6+
Athletics7+
Or:
Athletics 5+
Athletics 6+
Athletics 6+
Artifice 7+
Athletics 7+
Best skill configuration AFAIK: boosting Communication and Athletics to +2 by downgrading Intuition and Scholarship gives you a measly 27.5% success rate