FINAL DEMAND - HINTS
by J. Clay
Gilsoft
Spectrum 48
This is a very challenging game written with humour and difficult
puzzles. While some objects are needed to get to locations, the more
difficult puzzles (six of them) require logic, and one brute force and
luck. Although there is no introduction to the game, you are a tax
collector and need to find six debtors and get them to pay their debts.
There is no specific order in which to find the debtors, though certain
objects are needed to get to some of them.
First some hints:
Give potion to hare.
You need a mirror before you visit the gorgon.
There are some red herring locations (but you can get out if you have the
ball), and a fatal dead end (but you can avoid this if you follow the
map). You can avoid this entire area.
Say the map word at the stone west of the ledge after you've dealt with
the dragon.
When you say perform the action the ball tells you to do it seems to boot
you back to the beginning of the game. Don't be fooled! Check your
inventory. Make sure you've collected what you dropped.
Puzzle hints (not necessarily in order):
At the stones: NW = L, N = S, NE = P, HELP (not a stake), READ SIGN (you
see three letters in five rows – and a hint - beefy treat sounds a
vampire killer. Once you have figured out the word using the hints of
"beefy" and "not stake", head in those directions.
At the gate: Examine the cross – it has a star at its centre. Also notice
that the first letter of the gems spells S-T-A-R. Drop the correct gem in
the correct location.
Short list puzzle: This puzzle is a magic 3 X 3 square. All rows, columns
and diagonals must add up to 15. Hint: put # 5 in the centre. Then you
need to find two numbers that add up to 10. These are 9 and 1, 8 and 2, 7
and 3, and 6 and 4). Try these in various rows, columns, or diagonals
until they add up to 15. There are several possibilities, as you can
interchange the top and bottom rows, or the left and right columns.
Remember the order of the short list? Drop those items in the
corresponding square. Drop the map in the room with the 1, and so on. You
will know you are successful when you get the message "you hear a clang".
Mirrored ball puzzle: READ SIGN (21, 12, 18, 23, 22___3, 2, 19, 19, 26),
HELP (D = 6). While this would imply a simple, ordered, letter-number
substitution, there seem to be some mistakes. So I will give an anagram
hint: THIS POUPZY. Unscramble those letters to get the answer.
Block puzzle: Enter the 3 X 3 room by going W, NW. EXAMINE SEAL. You see
three rows: RYR, YRY, RYR. You need to create this pattern. All blocks
are initially red when you drop them, and each room changes colour at a
different rate as you keep getting and dropping blocks. So begin by
placing the blocks in the outside squares marked Y (i.e. the middle of
the top and bottom rows, and the middle of the left and right columns)
and then any other order should be fine. You will know you are successful
when you hear a grating sound. Return to the room with the seal.
Rotating room puzzle: the objective is to get all four of the numbers to
light up. I'm not sure it there is a logical approach to this. An even
number of moves are needed. It can happen that you turn a dial and
extinguish a number! I just blundered until I hit on the right
combination. Once that happens, an object materializes in the centre of
the room, so you have to get back in, take the object, and then back out
to the room with the door on the south.
Terri Sheehan
2005-05-25
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