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Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 12:44 am
by Alastair
terri wrote:I found the XF25 file. The files in there do not all correspond to what it is that Juan has. I don't know what to do now.
Terri, you don't need all the ROMs, ATARIXL.ROM and ATARIBAS.ROM will suffice for this game. Just remember to set Atari > Machine Type to XL/XE and to make sure there is no tick next to Atari > Options > Disable BASIC.

Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 1:47 am
by terri
Thanks Alastair,

It didn't work out quite as simply as you thought, but, not being a complete dolt, only half a one, I managed. Had to make the screen bigger, got several error messages, and I think I am now set to go.

I've printed all the posts and see how far I get.

Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 3:40 am
by Juan
Alastair wrote:I seem to be in the same place as everyone else, though I have fixed the crossbow and loaded the bolt which no-one else has mentioned.


I did that. I even shot the rat with it (just for testing purposes.) The crossbow is very likely to be used with the Phantom. Figuring out how to trap him is the thing.
I have also found the use for the lamp, it glows red in the presence of poisonous air.
OK, I suppose it's for use down in the sewers then. That's hardly necessary, though, as the game warns you when you are entering the noxious air area.

Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2009 3:42 am
by terri
I have tried to catch up.

I got into the phantom's lair, but how to get out and back into the opera house? I tried carrying the pin, using the wedge, dropping the pin by the door once you have opened it, etc. but to no avail.

You can handcuff the rings even though the game does not list them in your inventory.

How does one get out from there?

Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2009 5:47 am
by Juan
terri wrote:I have tried to catch up.

I got into the phantom's lair, but how to get out and back into the opera house? I tried carrying the pin, using the wedge, dropping the pin by the door once you have opened it, etc. but to no avail.

You can handcuff the rings even though the game does not list them in your inventory.

How does one get out from there?
From the Phantom's lair, go East, then Go door, then Go trapdoor, and you are back in the theater again.

Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2009 11:41 pm
by terri
This does not work if you have handcuffed the rings.

What about the ventilation shaft? Can one go up and down this?

Are we sure there is not a bug in the game?

Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2009 2:29 am
by terri
You can also leave if you GO ORGAN, and play it, and you are whacked on the head (whether or not you have handcuffed the rings).

Seems to me that the sequence in which you do things is important.

If you listen at the rooftop with the valve open, the music reverberates. If you listen with the valve closed, it is muffled.

One question is with the wool? When does one drop it down the shaft? Do you even need to drop it down the shaft or just leave it in the vault?

And should the organ be up or down?

There appear to be two messages: one when you see the Phantom press the switch and one where you do not. I have got only the latter, not the former, and I don't know what that depends on.

I have tried most combinations, as I am sure all of you have, and I am getting mixed up with all my saved games.

Now what?

Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2009 4:24 am
by Juan
terri wrote:This does not work if you have handcuffed the rings.
It depends on whether the organ pit is up or down. If you lock the rings without pressing the switch, you can still get back to the theater.
What about the ventilation shaft? Can one go up and down this?

I have tried quite a number of things, but none worked, except putting the chloroform-soaked cotton down the shaft. If you try to go into the shaft you plummet into the Phantom's lair and die.
Are we sure there is not a bug in the game?
Unfortunately, no. The game seems to be working fine so far, but we should not discard this as a possibility.

Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2009 5:22 am
by Juan
terri wrote:If you listen at the rooftop with the valve open, the music reverberates. If you listen with the valve closed, it is muffled.
That might explain what the valve is for. It seems to open the shaft to the Phantom's lair.

One question is with the wool? When does one drop it down the shaft? Do you even need to drop it down the shaft or just leave it in the vault?
And should the organ be up or down?
That's what I have been struggling with all this time. I suppose that you have to knock him out with the chloroform while he's playing the organ.

If you lock the organ pit while it's either up or down, go back to the theater, then to the roof and listen, now "it seems a bit too quiet!!" He does not play the organ while it's locked.

Soaking the cotton with chloroform and putting it in the organ pit and then going to the roof does not seem to work either. The Phantom just keeps playing music, apparently unaffected by it.

Has anyone succeeded in opening the stagedoor?

Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2009 12:25 am
by terri
Yes, I have noticed all those things you mentioned.

And no, I have not succeeded in opening the stagedoor. Since there are other ways, in and out, this may be a "red herring location".

When you hear the organ "reverberating" that, to me at least, seems to be a good time to put the choloform in the shaft. And to get down there quick. But then he is gone when you get there. So is it a question of keeping him in there? By closing off all other means of escape? Or handcuffing the rings so he can't lower the organ? Seems to me I tried that and it didn't work. Or else he is there, just this info is not written. Is there anything else to do when you are in the pit?

I also wondered whether closing off the vent so the chloroform stays "trapped" in there is necessary?

As this is a good game despite all this, it leads me to believe we are missing something. Someone may need to "crack the code", and then we will all go "aah".

Entering the pipe seems to be a "die" location. Since, in the listings, there is nothing further to this, this may be what it is, rather than what it seems to be.

I still say there has to be a correct sequence of events. Why would there be these "messages" in the listings, if this wasn't a thing to try.

Have you gotten the message that you see the Phantom actually pressing the switch?

Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2009 8:40 am
by Juan
terri wrote:And no, I have not succeeded in opening the stagedoor. Since there are other ways, in and out, this may be a "red herring location".
That stagedoor seems to be the same one that you can also see from the dingy alleyway.
I also wondered whether closing off the vent so the chloroform stays "trapped" in there is necessary?
I tried that without raising the organ pit, and it didn't seem to work. Maybe I'll try it again but with the organ pit up.

As this is a good game despite all this, it leads me to believe we are missing something. Someone may need to "crack the code", and then we will all go "aah".
I think I managed to locate one of the programmers, Steve Calkin:

http://www.bignose.uk.net/bignose/products.html

He (or at least I suppose it's him) has a web site with a guestbook:

http://www.labworth.co.uk/aboutme.html

I left him a message asking for any help he could give us.
Have you gotten the message that you see the Phantom actually pressing the switch?
I'm not sure, I can't remember right now. I tried so many things already that I forget if I ever saw this message about him pressing the switch.

Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2009 7:15 pm
by Alastair
terri wrote: Have you gotten the message that you see the Phantom actually pressing the switch?
Yes, in the sewer/entering through the grille sequence the messages you receive depend on whether or not you left the trapdoor open (you hear no music and the phantom disappears), or closed (you hear music and the phantom presses the switch before disappearing). I am not sure if this is important for the solution, or is for atmosphere only.

Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2009 9:11 pm
by Alastair
Juan wrote: I think I managed to locate one of the programmers, Steve Calkin:

http://www.bignose.uk.net/bignose/products.html

He (or at least I suppose it's him) has a web site with a guestbook:

http://www.labworth.co.uk/aboutme.html

I left him a message asking for any help he could give us.
Have you heard anything back from Steve Calkin?

Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2009 6:19 am
by Juan
Alastair wrote:
Juan wrote: I think I managed to locate one of the programmers, Steve Calkin:

http://www.bignose.uk.net/bignose/products.html

He (or at least I suppose it's him) has a web site with a guestbook:

http://www.labworth.co.uk/aboutme.html

I left him a message asking for any help he could give us.
Have you heard anything back from Steve Calkin?
No, unfortunately he has not answered yet.

In other news, I have also found the Commodore 64 version of this game:

http://www.gamebase64.com/game.php?id=5414&d=18&h=0

So for those of you who don't want to tinker with Atari emulators, now there is no excuse not to give this game a try. Maybe those of you who know more about programming can actually take a look at the program itself and figure out what in blazes is it that you are supposed to do to defeat the Phantom.

Re: Opera House and QA for the Atari 400/800

Posted: Fri Oct 08, 2010 11:06 am
by dave
Having seen the discussion on the Brew, with a reference here, I've taken a look: both the Atari and C64 games are in basic (though you have to get the C64 version from a memory dump). So it may be possible to see whether there's any bugs in the games.

The problem here is that I haven't played the game through, so I'm not certain what may be bugged, or what is causing a problem. If somebody could ask direct questions or PM me a walkthrough to get up to speed, that'd be useful!