ROBOT CITY HINTS & TIPS FILE (HINTS.TXT)

CAUTION: To avoid reading secrets you don't want to learn, 
read the WHAT IS IN THIS FILE? section below before paging 
ahead or printing this file.


WHAT IS IN THIS FILE?

PART 1: How to Play
Part 1 covers some fine points of playing Robot City 
without giving away the game's secrets.

SHOULD YOU READ PART 1?
Yes. Expert computer game players might not need these 
tips, but we suggest that everyone read them.


PART 2: Special Aspects of Robot City
Part 2 gives hints on some of the more unusual features of 
Robot City. Some of the hints will tip you off about 
things that happen in the game, but no more than a movie 
preview will tip you off about what happens in a movie.

SHOULD YOU READ PART 2?
Probably. We think that most players who read this section 
will enjoy the game more. Some experienced players might 
prefer not to read this, but be warned: the more you think 
you know about computer adventure games, the more likely 
Robot City will catch you unawares.


PART 3: Specific Hints
Part 3 gives very specific hints and tips, the kind you 
would get from a hint book or from an on-line bulletin 
board.

SHOULD YOU READ PART 3?
This is up to you. You should read this file only if you 
are stuck, or if you are the kind of player who wants to 
experience the story as quickly as possible without 
spending a lot of time solving problems. 

Refer to Part 3 if you are unable to proceed without a 
specific hint or answer that is not found in Parts 1 and 
2.


**********************************************************

PART 1

Q: How do I get started? 
A: Read the Robot City User's Guide Booklet. The "Playing 
the Game" section of the User's Guide booklet will tell 
you most of what you need to know about getting around in 
Robot City.

Q: I see a door across the room. But when I try to walk 
there, I'm never quite lined up with it. What's wrong? 
A: When you move around in Robot City, you are moving in 
forward steps and ninety degree turns. When you turn left 
or right, you are still standing in the same place, but 
are facing in a different direction. When you turn, you 
turn a square corner. So if you're facing north and you 
turn left, you would be facing west. If you turn the same 
way four times, you would come back to the same view where 
you started.

A common problem occurs with this kind of movement 
system when there's something you're trying to get to, 
such as a door or a control panel, and you can see it but 
it's not right in front of you. Suppose you can see a door 
in the direction you're facing but the door is in the left 
side of your view, not in the center. You're facing the 
correct direction, but you're not standing in the correct 
place to use the door. What you want to do is step to the 
left — but you can't! You can only step forward or turn to 
the left. What you have to do is turn to the left, then 
step forward, then turn back to the right. 

If you haven't played other computer games that use this 
kind of movement, you may find that it takes some practice 
to get used to it.

Q: I know how to move around, but there's a control panel 
I can't get to. It's always off to one side or the other, 
never right in front of me. 
A: If you can't face something squarely no matter how much 
you reposition yourself, then you don't need to use it.

Q: There is a door that won't open. Why?
A: Step forward as close to the door as you can. Make sure 
the door is centered in your view. Some doors open 
automatically. If a door doesn't open by itself, look for 
a button to click that might open the door. If the door is 
part of an elevator, you may need to go up or down before 
the door will open. (You may have to turn around to find 
the elevator controls.)

If there's no way to open a door, don't worry about it. Go 
somewhere else. Later you may come back and find that 
things have changed.

Q: I can't pick up an object. 
A: If you see something that looks as though you can pick 
it up, but the Grasping Hand doesn't appear when you move 
the cursor on top of the object, try changing your 
position to get closer to it, perhaps by facing the object 
from a different direction. Some small objects cannot be 
picked up at all because they are not useful.

Q: How can I avoid a robot I don't want to talk to? 
A: If a robot isn't moving, you can ignore it by moving 
forward past the robot or by turning away. (If you do want 
to talk to the robot, click it to get its attention.) But 
if a robot is determined to talk to you, you can't avoid 
it. When a robot blocks your way, you have to convince it 
to let you pass.

Q: A robot is talking to me. How can I get it to go away 
so I can do something else?
A: When you're talking to a robot, you can't move away or 
use the SET button until the robot leaves. When you come 
to the end of the current topic of conversation, look for 
a choice on your list of things to say such as "That was 
all I wanted to know" or "Excuse me, I have to go now." 
Statements such as this tell the robot that you don't want 
to talk any more. 
 
Q: How do I read a Journal Page that I found?
A: The Inventory Menu lists all the pages you've found on 
one bar. For example, if you've collected three pages, the 
Inventory Menu will display a bar that reads "Journal 
Pages: 1 2 3." Click the number of the page you wish to 
select. Clicking the words "Journal Pages" or the blank 
part of the bar to the right will not have any effect. For 
example, click the number "2" to select the second page. 
If you have only one page, click the number "1." Once 
you've selected a page, you can click the "Read" Menu Bar 
and the "VIEW DATA" button to display the contents.

Q: Can I give Alpha a different Skill Cube than the one I 
put in when I assembled him?
A: Yes. Go to the place where you originally built Alpha. 
Then turn around and talk to Alpha. Tell him to return to 
the repair bay. He will stand in the repair bay and allow 
you to choose a different cube to insert. You can only 
tell Alpha to go to the repair bay if you are already 
standing at the repair bay yourself.

Q: I got inside a walking robot vehicle. How can I get out 
of it?
A: You must return the vehicle to the exact location it 
was in when you entered it. The words "Exit to Lift" will 
then appear on a button on the vehicle's control panel. 
Click this button to get out of the vehicle.

Q: A robot told me to wait. What should I do?
A: Most things that happen in Robot City are triggered by 
your actions. If you stand still and wait for something, 
nothing will happen. Stay active. If you're waiting for a 
robot to return to you with information, stay in the area 
but keep moving around. Find another robot to talk to in 
the meantime. Also, remember that it's not always best to 
do what the robots tell you to do.


**********************************************************

PART 2

Getting Out of the Apartment 
You've found the door, but there's a robot there telling 
you that you can't leave. Don't give up. These robots are 
highly advanced. They can change their minds. (Of course, 
they're not so highly advanced that you can't fool them 
sometimes.) Keep trying.

Operating Computer Terminals 
You operate computer terminals by clicking to push buttons 
or choose from menus. Many computer files fill more than 
one screen. Look for buttons that display additional 
information from the same computer file, as well as 
buttons that move you from one file to another. 

Finding Your Way in the Streets 
The most unusual thing about Robot City, besides the fact 
that only robots live there, is the way that the streets 
and buildings rearrange themselves as you move around. You 
can usually retrace your steps and go back to where you 
came from, at least for a few blocks, but there are no 
guarantees. Humans have been known to get lost very easily 
and to have trouble finding the places for which they're 
looking. Making maps doesn't help. 

Here is some advice for negotiating the streets of Robot 
City:

1. Know where you're going or what you're looking for. 
Yes, it is possible to just wander around in the streets, 
exploring, until you find interesting things. But this is 
only for the most patient and adventurous players. It will 
save you a great deal of time if you figure out the name 
or the general location (sector number) of the place you 
want to go before hitting the streets. When that's not 
possible, you should at least have some idea of what 
you're looking for, so you can ask the robots you meet in 
the streets about it as you go.

2. Learn to use the Transit System. 
Once you know the name or sector number of the place 
you're going, use the underground Transit System to get 
there. Keep in mind that the Supervisor robots control the 
Transit System, so you will need to ask the Supervisors 
for Transit System access to each sector after you learn 
that you need to go there. 

When you enter a Transit Pod, the places you can travel to 
are limited to those shown on the pod's destination menu. 
If you're certain that the Transit System goes to your 
destination, but it doesn't appear on the pod's 
destination menu, then you'll need to take more than one 
ride. Choose another destination from the menu (such as 
the Apartment or Compass Tower), and see if your final 
destination comes up on the next menu when you arrive 
there. If you're lucky, the Transit System will take you 
to the very street you want. If not, then at least you'll 
be in the right sector, a lot closer to your ultimate 
destination.

3. If you are lost, use the Transit System. 
If you've gone a long way searching for a location, and 
you think you might have missed it or wandered into the 
wrong sector, enter a Transit Station and use the System 
to return to the place you started your search and try 
again.

4. Search thoroughly. 
Once you enter one of the enclosed square intersections 
that join the streets together, look on all sides and 
check out all the streets that connect to that 
intersection before entering any other intersections. This 
will guarantee that you don't accidentally pass by your 
destination.

5. Learn to recognize familiar streets.
As you explore Robot City, you will notice that many 
streets look the same. When you see a street you've seen 
before, it doesn't necessarily mean you've returned to the 
same location. Robot City constructs most of its streets 
using a standard set of patterns. But when you're looking 
for a new location, look for streets that are different. 
Look for buildings, shapes, and features that you haven't 
seen before. For example, when looking for the Compass 
Tower, look for a very large building with a square moat 
around it.

Searching for Journal Pages.
If you're looking for Journal Pages, you'll need to look 
carefully. Some of them are well hidden. The ones that are 
outdoors can all be seen from your normal walking path 
along the streets. (You don't have to constantly turn 
toward the side walls when you search, though once you see 
one, you may have to turn to the side to be in position to 
pick it up.) Some of the ones that are indoors are harder 
to find; you may have to look in places you wouldn't 
normally turn toward. 

Finding Clues to the Murder 
To solve the murder, you will need to find clues about 
what happened, as well as solid evidence to prove your 
case. Conversations with robots, data stored in computers, 
objects you find, messages you receive, and locations you 
visit all contain clues. You'll need Alpha's help to 
examine the evidence and build your case.

As you learn more, remember that revisiting places you've 
already been to, or asking questions you've asked before, 
can be worthwhile, especially if you have new information 
to work with. Also, different robots know different 
things, so sometimes asking different robots the same 
question can reveal additional clues.

Asking Yes/No Questions 
Often you may ask a robot a question that can be answered 
with a simple "Yes" or "No," such as "Have you seen a 
robot acting strangely?" If the robot answers "No," keep 
asking the question of different robots you meet. 
Eventually, you may meet one who has the answer you're 
looking for. 

Accusing a Suspect 
As you find evidence and clues, discuss the case with 
Alpha by asking Alpha to review the investigation. He will 
help you sort through your findings, and he'll tell you 
where your evidence is conclusive and where it's weak. If 
you end the conversation by saying, "I'm going to tell a 
Supervisor that [SOMEONE] did it," then when you talk to a 
Supervisor in the Compass Tower, you can do so. Of course, 
the Supervisor may or may not be convinced.

Making Progress in Robot City
You can't ever be completely stuck in Robot City. You can 
die, or reach a point where the game ends in an 
undesirable way, but short of that, no setback is 
permanent.

If you miss out on critical information by choosing the 
wrong choices when you're talking to a robot, you will get 
other chances to discuss that topic again, or to find the 
same information some other way. 

The robots can be very stubborn. Always remember that even 
though they are intelligent, they are not human. Their 
logic is not always based on common sense. 

Sometimes all you need to convince a robot is the correct 
line of argument, and the correct line is often not the 
most obvious one. 

Sometimes, though, arguments alone won't work. If you 
don't succeed in several tries, it may mean you need to 
accomplish something else first. Listen carefully when a 
robot tells you the reasons why it will not do what you 
want. This information can be a clue to what you need to 
do to change the robot's mind.

If you don't have any ideas for what to do next, ask 
yourself these questions: 
• Have you talked to Alpha recently?
• Have you talked to any robots on the street or any 
Supervisor robots lately? 
• Are there any missing objects that you can search for, 
or ask the street robots about? 
• Are there locations you haven't visited in a while? 
• Have you learned or acquired anything new that might 
give you access to something new in an old location? 
• Is there a location where Alpha might be more useful 
with a different Skill Cube?

Pay attention to what you see, hear, and read. When you 
ask questions, be thorough, but don't ask at random. Don't 
just ask every question on the menu because it's there. 
Think about what you might have seen or done to make Derec 
want to ask that particular question. Then, pay attention 
to the answers you get.

**********************************************************

PART 3

Q: After I see the meteor land at the start of the game, I 
see a dark control panel in front of me, but nothing is 
happening.

A: Click one of the green square buttons (any of the group 
of eight) to the right of center on the center control 
panel.

Q: Why does nothing happen when I click the choices DARLA 
gives me on the screen?

A: Click the small numbered squares at the bottom of the 
DARLA menu screen. Choose the number that matches the 
number of the option you want to pick.

Q: I've played the game before and I already know all the 
information that DARLA can tell me. What's the fastest way 
out of DARLA?

A: When the first menu appears, choose "Nothing" (option 
5). When DARLA asks if you want information about the Laws 
of Robotics, choose "No" (option 2). Then just wait for 
DARLA to shut down.

Q: How do I get out of the Apartment the first time?

A: The first time you open the front door, you will talk 
to the Valet robot. The Valet will not let you out, but 
you can ask questions if you wish. The second time you 
open the front door, you will talk to Euler. Euler will 
not let you out either, but you can learn more about 
what's going on. The third time you open the front door, 
you will probably meet the Valet again. If you do, tell 
the Valet that you need medical care. If you meet Euler 
instead, make him go away (you can talk to him first if 
you wish), then open the door again to speak to the Valet.

Q: I escaped from the Apartment once, but I got captured 
by a Hunter and thrown back in. I've tried everything but 
Euler and the Valet won't let me out.

A: You need Alpha to be helping you to escape the 
Apartment a second time (after getting captured or knocked 
out by the rain). Repair Alpha and then try again.

Q: How do I connect the wires on the robot in the corner?

A: After clicking the magnifier to move it into position 
over the disconnected wires, drag the end of each wire 
down to the hole where it connects. When you drag a wire 
to the correct hole, you'll hear a click sound (similar to 
the sound of fastening a seat belt buckle). When you drag 
a wire to an incorrect hole, you'll hear a short buzz 
sound. There are eight wires all together (one of them is 
already connected when you begin). If a wire seems to be 
"missing," it is hidden behind another wire.

Q: After I connect the wires on the robot, and the panel 
opens to reveal the Skill Cubes (colored squares), how do 
I install a Skill Cube?

A: Drag a Skill Cube (the colored squares that appear on 
the left when the panel moves) to a socket (one of the 
black square holes that open up on the robot's chest). 
Only three of the Skill Cubes (the green, blue, and orange 
ones), and only one of the sockets (the top right one) 
will work. Just drag one of the working Skill Cubes to the 
working socket.

Q: After I connect the wires and install a Skill Cube, how 
do I start up the robot?

A: Click each of the robot's arms to attach them to the 
robot's shoulders. Then click each of the robot's small 
antennae (the white pointy things on the counter behind 
the arms) to attach them to the robot's head. The robot 
will then start up by himself.

Q: How do I get to the Compass Tower?

A: From the streets, enter the Transit System through any 
door marked TRANSIT. Board the Transit Pod and click 
"COMPASS TOWER" when it asks you to select a destination. 
After the ride, turn left to exit the pod and then go 
forward until you are back to the street. Turn left. Go 
forward down the street until you can't go any farther. 
You are now in a small enclosed square of streets. Walk 
around the square by going left, forward, right, forward, 
forward, right, forward, left. You will now be looking 
down a new street toward the Compass Tower. Go forward as 
far as you can go, then turn left. Ahead of you, you will 
see a door on the left under a bridge. Go through this 
door, up the elevator, across the bridge, and into the 
door of the Compass Tower.

Q: How do I get past the Supervisor robot blocking the 
entrance to the Compass Tower?

A: Tell the robot that you need to enter at once, that 
it's the only way to prove your innocence, and that this 
is because the murder victim may have left clues behind. 
You can also lie and say that the murderer is chasing you, 
but this may cause problems later. 

Q: How do I begin investigating the murder to prove I 
didn't do it?

A: Go to the Murder Scene and talk to the robots there.

Q: How do I get to the Murder Scene?

A: The easiest way is to go to the Compass Tower and ask a 
Supervisor where the murder happened. Ask whether you can 
go there and investigate. After you do this, the 
Supervisor will set the Transit System to allow you access 
to Sector 12. Explore the streets of Sector 12 until you 
find the body.

Q: Alpha doesn't seem to have much to say about the murder 
evidence. What's wrong?

A: Alpha must examine the murder scene himself. When you 
talk to Ryberg at the scene, ask if Alpha may examine the 
area. After Alpha has scanned the scene, ask him for his 
assessment of the murder scene and he will have a lot to 
say about the evidence.

Q: How do I get the Witness robot to give me the Isaac at 
the murder scene?

A: You must have Alpha helping you. The Witness will not 
give you the Isaac, but you can tell her to give it to 
Alpha.

Q: What's the Isaac good for?

A: If you have it, you can view the hidden Project Log 
files in the computer in the Upper Compass Tower.

Q: How do I get past the robot to the elevator in the 
middle of the Compass Tower?

A: You need Alpha helping you to get to the elevator and 
to the upper level of the Compass Tower. First, make the 
robot explain in detail why you are not allowed to enter. 
Then point out that Alpha is not a Robot City robot, so he 
can go with you and protect you. Keep trying until you 
find a line of argument that works.

Q: Where is the computer in the Upper Compass Tower?

A: At the top of the elevator, turn and walk around the 
elevator shaft. Then go through the door. The violet 
pillar ahead of you has a control panel with colored 
triangles. This control panel activates the computer.

Q: Why can't I get the target cursor to appear over the 
panel with the colored triangles in the Upper Compass 
Tower?

A: You can face this panel from two directions, but you 
can only click it from one. After you step through the 
door into this room, turn to the right, step forward, then 
turn around. You will now be in position to click the 
control panel.

Q: How do I operate the panel with the colored triangles 
in the Upper Compass Tower?

A: You need to adjust the color in the top triangle to 
match the color in the bottom triangle. The red, green, 
and blue triangles in the middle are buttons that change 
the amount of red, green, and blue respectively that is 
blended into the color of the top triangle. Each click 
increases the amount of that color, unless that color is 
already at maximum, in which case another click starts 
that color again at zero. Each color has four possible 
levels including zero.

If you cannot figure out the colors, you can solve this by 
trying all of the possible combinations. You do this as 
follows:

1. Click the red button four times.
2. Click the green button once.
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 three more times.
4. Click the blue button once.
5. Repeat steps 1 through 4 until the terminal activates. 
This should happen by the time you have clicked the blue 
button four times.

Q: What is the difference between the "P" and "Q" buttons 
in the computer panel in the Upper Compass Tower?

A: If you click the "Q" button (for Quit), the terminal 
retracts and the walls of the room go back to being 
transparent, allowing you to exit the room. If you click 
the "P" button (for Pause), the terminal pauses but 
remains extended, with the walls remaining opaque. You 
cannot leave the room in this way, but you can see the 
monitor on the wall and the secret door.

Q: How do I open the secret door in the Upper Compass 
Tower that appears when the computer terminal is extended?

A: You cannot open this door until late in the game after 
you have solved the murder and saved the city. After 
you've done that, the door opens when you click the button 
on it.

Q: How do I get to the sector where the murder weapon can 
be found?

A: First, learn everything you can about the murder weapon 
from the Witness robot and from Alpha at the scene of the 
murder. Then, ask robots in the streets whether th