[comp.sys.mac.games] Lurking Horror Questions

helyer@titan.tsd.arlut.utexas.edu (Andrew Helyer) (12/07/90)

I have Infocom's game Lurking Horror.  I began playing it several years ago
and made some progress then I quit.  I am now able to begin playing it again
and need some reminders.

The questions are kind of detailed which may be  ****SPOILERS**** to some
people.  Topics include: the hacker, the urchin, the alchemist, the brown
                         building, a blocked trap door, rats, tunnels.


***** Again, possible SPOILERS ahead *****


I am not necessarily looking for the answers.  Hints would be better.  Or
simply confirmation that I am (once again) on the right track.  I should have
saved my games more often back when I played it.

1) The hacker.  If I remember right the hacker has the master key and you get
   it by giving him some hot chinese food.  But so far, when examining the
   hacker's keys, he does not have the master key.  Does it take a certain
   (or random) amount of game time for the hacker to get the key?  Or, is
   there something I might have done wrong (or still need to do) to aquire
   the master key?

2) The urchin.  I figure the urchin has something of value for me.  I have
   never found out what it is.  It may be the parka, or something in the
   parka.  I have offered the urchin several items and he only seems interested
   in the Funny Bones.  But then I still can't get him to give me anything.
   Am I following the right course of action?  Is it possible that I don't
   get items from the urchin but he does something later for me?

3) The alchemist.  I know that if I show the Dr. the suicide note he will give
   me a "tour" of his lab.  He puts me in a pentagram and begins to recite a
   chant.  I know that if I cut the pentagram line with my knife, I can exit
   the pentagram.  But I still end up dying.  I don't seem to be able to do
   anything with the "Elixir of Life" and I can't leave the room.  My inventory
   consists of:  Flashlight, Knife, Crowbar, Note, Axe, Funny Bones, Coke,
                 Flask of Cold Liquid (Liquid Nitrogen?), Stone w/ inscript.,
                 Electricians gloves, rubber boots
   Am I missing something?  I noticed that the mist sort of protects the Dr.
   and am wondering how to protect myself.

4) Trap door.  Down in the basement there is a manhole cover.  Going down you
   find a brick tunnel.  Go one direction to the altar.  The other direction
   takes you to the cinderblock tunnel.  Above you there is a trap door.  But
   when you try to open it, it is blocked.  Looking through it reveals a room
   that appears to have some equipment in it (storage room?).  I thought I
   might be able to pry it open, but no hope.

5) Brown building.  Seems like once I get through the door at the top of the
   brown building there is some observatory or something.  If I remember right,
   a bird or some other creature come by and I have to throw the stone at it
   to kill it and keep whatever it is I found.

I also remember the rats and the steam, and even some kind of tunnels in dirt
with several urchins.  Figure I've asked enough though.

Any help will be much appreciated.  Please e-mail your responses so that it
doesn't clutter the newsgroup.
--
The opinions here are my own.  (but you can have them if you want)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Andrew Helyer				|
Applied Research Laboratories		|  "When the hammer comes down, the
P.O. Box 8029				|   chickens will scatter."
Austin, Texas 78713-8029		|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~