Re: Freddy Pharkas - some help, please?

[Rath Darkblade]

So I started playing "Freddy Pharkas", not having played it since the FDD days (1994 or 5 or so?) But I didn't get very far, alas, before becoming stuck.

I'm trying to mix a medicine for "Mom", the key to which is mixing 15 ml of bismuth and 30 gm of phenodol, and then making it into pills. I put the bismuth in the cylinder, weighed out the phenodol in the 'balance', put them together in a beaker and stirred them. Then I tried to put them in the pill machine, but the game tells me: "You need at least one metal before making pills. It'll be years until gel caps are invented".

I don't understand. The manual says I have to make pills, and that's what I'm trying to do. Any idea what I've overlooked? Spoilers are welcome.

Thanks!

[Tawmis]

So I started playing "Freddy Pharkas", not having played it since the FDD days (1994 or 5 or so?) But I didn't get very far, alas, before becoming stuck.

I'm trying to mix a medicine for "Mom", the key to which is mixing 15 ml of bismuth and 30 gm of phenodol, and then making it into pills. I put the bismuth in the cylinder, weighed out the phenodol in the 'balance', put them together in a beaker and stirred them. Then I tried to put them in the pill machine, but the game tells me: "You need at least one metal before making pills. It'll be years until gel caps are invented".

I don't understand. The manual says I have to make pills, and that's what I'm trying to do. Any idea what I've overlooked? Spoilers are welcome.

Thanks!

So...

1. Pick up the Graduated Cylinder and put it on the work table
2. Pick up the bottle of Bismuth Enterosalicyline and click on the Graduated Cylinder until it reads 15ml
3. Replace the Bismuth on the shelf.
4. Pick up the beaker and click on the work table
5. Pick up graduated cylinder and click on beaker till it reads 15ml
6. Put graduated cylinder back on the shelf
7. Pick up Phenodol Oxytriglynchlorate and click 6 times on the Balance on the right side of the table
8. The Balance should say 30gm
9. Put the phenodol back on the shelf
10. Pick up Balance pan and click on Beaker
11. Beaker should read 45ml
12. Replace Balance pan on the scale
13. Pick up Glass Rod from the bunch and click it on the beaker to automatically mix/stir the mixture
14. Click the glass rod on the waste receptacle on the side of the work table to throw it away
15. Click the beaker on the pill machine on the left
16. The pill machine should read 45ml
17. Replace the beaker on the shelf.
18. Pick up empty Medicine Bottle and click it 7 times on the Pill machine (do this slowly to allow time for the pills to be created)
19. The medicine bottle should now read 21 pills
20. Put the medicine bottle on the work table
21. Pick up the cork and cork the bottle
22. I have no idea how I ever beat this game without a hint manual.
23. Nevermind, just found my hint manual in my Freddy Pharkus box.
24. I remember the wife and I playing this game together and struggling.
25. Hope this helps. I think this is what you need, if I am reading my hint book correctly.

[Rath Darkblade]

Wow! Thanks for going to so much trouble, Tawm. I just tried what you said, and found out what I did wrong ... I was using the test-tube and the 5gm measuring spatula, which I didn't need at all.

So I went ahead and dispensed to everyone else, and got to the end of Act 1, anywho. Now it's time to deal with the ... urrghh ... farting horses. Ugghh. I think I'm going to be sick.

By the way, is it possible to play the CD version with subtitles? I can understand most of what people are saying, but a word here and there just escapes me.

[Rath Darkblade]

I was about to ask again if you have any ideas whether it's possible to use subtitles in the CD version of Freddy Pharkas. (The CD version of QfG4 also has subtitles). But I looked it up and found this ... and with a few tweaks with ScummVM, I created what I was lookin' for. Thanks!

Anyway, I've got to the end of Act 2, dad-gum-it. (Whoops, I'd better stop using Whittlin' Willy's idioms). I like "Blazing Saddles" very much, so of course I like FP too (although "Blazing Saddles" is about much more than just farts and swears, of course - though some rather puritan folks would swear "Oh, it's just fartin' an' swearin'! I'd never heard such filth in all my born days! Well, I never!" and so on).

[Tawmis]

I was about to ask again if you have any ideas whether it's possible to use subtitles in the CD version of Freddy Pharkas. (The CD version of QfG4 also has subtitles). But I looked it up and found this ... and with a few tweaks with ScummVM, I created what I was lookin' for. Thanks!

Anyway, I've got to the end of Act 2, dad-gum-it. (Whoops, I'd better stop using Whittlin' Willy's idioms). I like "Blazing Saddles" very much, so of course I like FP too (although "Blazing Saddles" is about much more than just farts and swears, of course - though some rather puritan folks would swear "Oh, it's just fartin' an' swearin'! I'd never heard such filth in all my born days! Well, I never!" and so on).

Awesome about the sub-titles. Yeah, I've never attempted it so I wouldn't know. And I have FFFP files, so I would have used DOSBox and not been familiar with ScummVM settings.

[BBP]

No it's not possible without a hack to play Freddy CD-Rom with subs. Just like KQ5, and LB2 .

[Rath Darkblade]

Umm - BBP, I played the Freddy CD-ROM with subtitles last night, using ScummVM. *points up*

[Rath Darkblade]

Welp, I finished playing FPFP (for the first time in about - oh, I don't know - 25 years or so? Huzzah for Freddy.

This time 'round, I noticed a few (all right, many MANY) things that I didn't notice the first time 'round. For instance:

- Did you notice the Monty Python reference? Try to open the door to the general shop in Act 4.
- The very, very many (oh, so many) silly names ...
- Leisure Suit Larry's great-great-grandfather, of course - and voiced by Jan Rabsom, too!
- The end shot - Freddy on a rearing horse, on top of the Sierra logo!
- The funny deaths. So many funny deaths. Loads and loads of 'em.
- And, of course, Srini ends up being a medicine man...

I'm sure I forgot something, but ... oh well. Yes, this game was compared to "Blazing Saddles" - except, of course, Al and Josh couldn't put in any "Saddles"-type swearin', drinkin', or racist cowboys to be conquered ...

Oh, wait -- of course! Now I know why this game was compared to "Blazing Saddles":

1. In the movie, the town of Rockridge is built on oil mines.
In the game, the town of Coarsegold is built on oil mines.

2. In the movie, the Big Bad (i.e. Hedley Lamarr) wants to get those oil mines, and will stop at nothing to do so.
In the game, the Big Bad (i.e. Penelope Primm) wants to get those oil mines, and will stop at nothing to do so.

3. In the movie, the Big Bad is stopped by the new sheriff of Rockridge..
In the game, the Big Bad is stopped by the new (self-appointed) sheriff of Coarsegold..

4. Halfway through the movie, the hero has a sexual encounter with Lili van Schtupp, who then joins his side.
Halfway through the game, the hero has a sexual encounter with Madame Ovaree - but she was always on his side.

5. Last, and most important: neither the movie nor the game are timid about stereotypes.
The movie displays racist stereotypes more overtly (well, it was the 70s), but the racist characters are ultimately defeated. So that's OK.

The game displays ... some stereotypes, but less overtly (well, it was the early 90s, and political correctness was just starting). On the other hand, none of these stereotypes (e.g. the characters of Hopalong the cook, Dominick the Indian, and to a lesser extent Srini the "other-kind-of-Indian") are malicious, so they're not all that offensive. (Of course, some of the PC brigade will disagree, but they probably won't play this type of game!)

All in all, I think the presence of stereotypes is a good thing. The setting is late-1880s, so it'd be stupid to pretend that California back then was just like California now.

Of course, there's always this: More than you ever wanted to know about FPFP (from LarryLaffer.net)

And these - miscellaneous deaths!

Did you try to ...

- allow snails to slime town?
- fail to counteract laxative in water tower?
- allow city to burn down?
- jump on the wrong end of the teeter-totter, so the baking soda smashes you?
- allow Aces Hall to win all the town through poker?

In Act IV ...
- try to shoot the cowboys from the balcony?
- try to shoot "Aces" Hall?

In the school room battle:

- you do NOT to grab the student slate?
- you do NOT grab the other saber?
- you do NOT press forward during the sword fight?
- you do NOT hurl your ear at Kenny?

Inventory trouble

Did you try to ...

- eat the chemicals, pills or medications?
- eat the sample of horse flatulence?
- eat the medicine for horse flatulence?
- NOT construct the gas mask properly, so you breathe the horse flatulence? (Several messages)
- eat the snail?
- drink the beer?
- drink the contaminated water tower from the spigot?
- drink the contaminated water sample from the bottle?
- take the anti-laxative before adding it to the water tower?
- eat 20 fifty-pound sacks of baking soda?
- shoot yourself with your gun?
- eat the steaming pile of horse crap?
- breathe nitrous oxide (aka laughing gas)?

Enjoy!