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Sikh, please!
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Jun 4, 2019 20:03
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| # ? May 3, 2024 05:14 |
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Color Commentary: Da Chief, Da Acronym, and Da Backstory The voting is currently tied up 2-2-1 at the moment, so this post is going to be about the book itself, rather than continuing the story. This book was actually the first Carmen Sandiego book, of any kind, ever made. According to Wikipedia, author John Peel "...'s research consisted of playing all the games, and this was followed by '[editor] Sharon Shavers and [him] work[ing] out a format for the series' before he commenced writing." Because of this, there's some early-installment... let's say, 'peculiarities'. Da Chief's still a guy! The Where in the World game show didn't begin until September 1991, and this book was published earlier in the year, so Lynne Thigpen hadn't made the role her own yet. (Peel ended up writing a total of eight Carmen Sandiego gamebooks, four of them in 1991 alone.) Acme Detective Agency isn't referred to in all caps yet (contrast ACME from later on). However, when the book uses 'VILE' (which'll come up later), it's always spelled 'V.I.L.E'. I don't think they ever say what it's supposed to stand for! Carmen Sandiego's backstory in this book is unique, and not long for this world. Her character card lists her as... "Former spy for the Intelligence Service of Monaco". Monaco?! This backstory got quietly written out somewhere between this book and 1997, when the only biographical information the Where in Time CD-ROM game provides about her is that she was a former ACME agent. (Yes, that's a spoiler in that game.)
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Jun 4, 2019 23:01
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I only remember playing one Carmen Sandiego game, but I forget what it's named... I do remember the plot, though, something about Carmen stealing a lot of treasures because they had some gems in them that combined to give a path to some big massive secret treasure?
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Jun 4, 2019 23:05
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Let's tie break with the Sikh.
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Jun 4, 2019 23:11
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Junpei posted:I only remember playing one Carmen Sandiego game, but I forget what it's named... I do remember the plot, though, something about Carmen stealing a lot of treasures because they had some gems in them that combined to give a path to some big massive secret treasure? That could be Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego: Treasures of Knowledge, but I'm not sure. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ [19] Interview - Sikh The Sikh is a bearded man who wears a white turban. His name is Singh. Then you find out that all male Sikhs are named Singh. You hope you never have to use the local phone book. "What can you tell me about the man I'm after?" you ask him. "Only that he was reading a book about learning Spanish. He had blue eyes, but I couldn't see his hair." "One last thing," you ask. "How come you're all called Singh?" "It means 'lion'," he tells you. "We are all brave lions here." Nice. Maybe you'd best not start a fight with any Sikhs! You decide to head back to New Delhi [151] to think over what you've learned. Where next? Should we talk to: The snake charmer? [34] The doctor? [133] Or should we head for: Argentina? [90] Puerto Rico? [40] Japan? [62] Score: 13 Case: Violin Suspect: Male, blue eyes Destination: speaks Spanish By the way: I thought the 'Singh' thing would be the book's first case of [citation needed], but it's not. As Wikipedia puts it, 'Male Sikhs generally have "Singh" (Lion) as their middle or last name (not all Singhs are Sikhs), and female Sikhs have "Kaur" (Princess) as their middle or last name.' You learn something new every day!
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Jun 4, 2019 23:27
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I too wonder what V.I.L.E. stands for. Perhaps the members of H.A.R.M. know? Lets see what the doctor has to say. achtungnight fucked around with this message at 23:40 on Jun 4, 2019 |
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Jun 4, 2019 23:36
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Snake Man
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Jun 4, 2019 23:42
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The book is a bit disingenuous by implying that every male Sikh's name is just Singh, but eh. The history of the Sikhs is pretty rad and  as well.
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Jun 4, 2019 23:43
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Would-be Inspector Grandalt here. I have the answer to what V.I.L.E. stands for. It stands for Villains International League of Evil. Also, our crook is either Justin Case or Ernest Endeavor.
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Jun 4, 2019 23:51
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[133] Interview - Doctor The woman doctor is dressed in a traditional Indian sari, a beautiful flowing and elegant dress, that's formed by winding a long piece of cloth around the body and pinning it into place. In the center of her forehead she has a red spot, which means that she's married. You ask her about the man you're after, and she nods. "I saw him," she tells you. "He came to me complaining he had a headache. Apparently, he thought we spoke Spanish in this country!" You thank her for your help and head back to the airport to check out your options [151]. Where next? Should we talk to: The snake charmer? [34] Or should we head for: Argentina? [90] Puerto Rico? [40] Japan? [62] Score: 15 Case: Violin Suspect: Male, blue eyes Destination: speaks Spanish Yep, this can happen - more than one person has the same clue. It'll come up again in at least one other case. However, there'll always be enough clues to unambiguously track where the thief went next. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Ibblebibble posted:The book is a bit disingenuous by implying that every male Sikh's name is just Singh, but eh. The book appears to have a slight tendency to simplify to fit word count / page count purposes. To use this current entry as another example, the forehead dot (called a bindi or pottu, as well as a dozen other names in various countries) can also have a spiritual significance in addition to just being a marker of marriage. There's a lot of context there that one link to Wikipedia feels insufficient to cover!
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Jun 5, 2019 00:01
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We need more info, both Argentina and Puerto Rico have Spanish as official languages. To the Snake Charmer! Also, yes, Treasures of Knowledge, that was it!
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Jun 5, 2019 00:07
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Snaaake
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Jun 5, 2019 01:19
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[34] Interview - Snake Charmer The snake charmer is playing a tune on his flute as you arrive. A deadly cobra in a basket is dancing in time to the music. The man stops playing. "Do you like the snake?" he asks. "It's charming," you reply. "But maybe you can tell me something about the man I'm looking for. He's a bigger snake than the one in your basket." "Indeed I can," the performer tells you. "He didn't like my snake at all. Said it reminded him of too many people he knew. Then he said he was going to an island next. He said that he hoped there weren't any snakes there. He was a funny person. I never heard of someone not liking snakes. You like snakes, don't you?" "Love them," you assure him. "Want to play with mine?" he offers. "Uh, some other time," you reply. "I'm in a hurry to get back to the airport." [151] Where next? We've run out of people to talk to. Should we head for: Argentina? [90] Puerto Rico? [40] Japan? [62] Score: 17 Case: Violin Suspect: Male, blue eyes Destination: island, speaks Spanish
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Jun 5, 2019 02:48
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PR
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Jun 5, 2019 03:20
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Puerto Rico
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Jun 5, 2019 03:43
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Puerto Rico!
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Jun 5, 2019 05:14
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Puerto Rico, that was a nasty place for getting clues, but at least we were getting clues.
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Jun 5, 2019 05:22
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[40] - Puerto Rico The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is not actually a country. It's a self-governing part of the United States. Puerto Ricans are United States citizens. In fact, you discover as you leaf through your guidebook, Puerto Rico is Spanish for 'rich port', and the island was discovered by Columbus on his second journey to the New World, in 1493. Your contact arrives. She's a tour guide. "I've found three people who saw the man you're after. There are three places that the thief could have escaped to. I've written them down for you." You thank her, and look at her list. Should we question: The man from San Juan? [64] The pepper picker? [109] The coffee farmer? [6] Or is it time to travel to: Saudi Arabia? [118] Hawaii? [53] Uganda? [79] Score: 18 Case: Violin Suspect: Male, blue eyes Destination: ? So, @Ibblebibble - to respond to your earlier post, it looks like the book did not expect the reader to know that Puerto Rico wasn't a separate country.
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Jun 5, 2019 06:42
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The man from San Juan. I bet he knows what plane we should get on!
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Jun 5, 2019 10:43
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The Man
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Jun 5, 2019 12:13
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The Man
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Jun 5, 2019 15:43
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[64] Interview - Man from San Juan You find your contact on San Juan Hill. He's a history buff, and tells you that it was here in 1898 that Theodore Roosevelt and his Rough Riders won a decisive battle in the Spanish-American War. That's all very interesting, but not what you're here for. "Have you seen the man I'm after?" you want to know. "Yes," the historian says. "He mentioned he was going to search for copper." Right! You leave your contact to trace the path of the Rough Riders up the hill. You're heading back to the airport [40], hot on a fresher trail! Where next? Should we question: The pepper picker? [109] The coffee farmer? [6] Or is it time to travel to: Saudi Arabia? [118] Hawaii? [53] Uganda? [79] Score: 20 Case: Violin Suspect: Male, blue eyes Destination: has copper I realized I didn't know that much about the Spanish-American War, so I looked it up. The Spanish-American War took place in the Caribbean, in 1898, between Spain and the US. More importantly, it also took place in the middle of a series of revolts in Cuba to try and bring about Cuban independence from Spain (which controlled it at the time), which was picked up by the US public as a cause cιlθbre. Depending on how cynical you are, there's something to be asked about how much 'yellow journalism' (sensational news with not much behind it - a modern term might be 'tabloid journalism' or 'fake news') contributed to the leadup to war. A well-known (though fictional) anecdote has illustrator Frederic Remington messaging newspaper mogul William Randolph Hearst: "No war brewing in Cuba". To which Hearst supposedly replied "You furnish the pictures, and I'll furnish the war." The war lasted about 10 weeks. The US won, gaining control of Puerto Rico and Guam (which it still has), the Philippines (which the US immediately had to fight another war with the Filipino people to try and keep), and temporarily, Cuba (the US was forced to grant Cuba its independence around three years after the war, thanks to an amendment to the declaration of war promising not to annex Cuba in a permanent manner).
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Jun 5, 2019 21:43
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Let's pick to press a pepper picker
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Jun 5, 2019 22:03
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Go to Uganda
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Jun 5, 2019 22:29
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Coffee farmer. I could use a cup.
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Jun 5, 2019 22:56
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Pepper picker!
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Jun 6, 2019 00:22
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Pepper!
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Jun 6, 2019 00:27
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[109] Interview - Pepper Picker The pepper picker is working in the fields as you approach her. She's cutting the ripe peppers off the bushes and placing them in a bag. "I'm looking for a man who stole a famous violin," you tell her. "Do you have any hot tips for me?" "No," she replies. "But I have plenty of hot peppers." "Thanks," you say sighing. It's a wasted trip. You head back to the airport [40], hoping for better luck next time. Where next? Should we question: The coffee farmer? [6] Or is it time to travel to: Saudi Arabia? [118] Hawaii? [53] Uganda? [79] Score: 22 Case: Violin Suspect: Male, blue eyes Destination: has copper
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Jun 6, 2019 01:17
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Let's check the coffee guy. I did a check, and apparently, both Saudi Arabia and Uganda do have solid copper outputs.
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Jun 6, 2019 01:36
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Junpei posted:Let's check the coffee guy. However, the information from the book doesn't list the SA copper, so we can probably disregard it for the sake of our sleuthing.
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Jun 6, 2019 02:16
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Coffee Man
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Jun 6, 2019 02:17
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Scalding Coffee posted:Coffee Man OK by me!
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Jun 6, 2019 05:31
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[6] Interview - Coffee Farmer The coffee farmer greets you with a smile. He's busy sorting through red coffee beans. "Funny color for coffee," you tell him. "Ah, the beans are always like this. It's not until we roast them that they turn brown and smell like coffee," he replies. "Cool," you answer. "Maybe you can tell me something about the man I'm looking for?" And you show him a picture. "Well, he said that he was going to another coffee-producing country," the farmer says. "He wore a big hat, so I didn't see much of his face. He did have blue eyes, though. Does that help you?" "Some," you admit, making a note of what he's told you. Time to go back to San Juan. [40] Where next? We've questioned everybody. Is it time to travel to: Saudi Arabia? [118] Hawaii? [53] Uganda? [79] Score: 24 Case: Violin Suspect: Male, blue eyes Destination: has copper and coffee If I cough into a mug, and I'm the cougher, does that make the mug the cough-ee? Say it out loud.
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Jun 6, 2019 06:32
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Uganda has coffee and copper. Let's go!
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Jun 6, 2019 06:40
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Uganda it is. I remember borrowing books like these from the library when I was younger. The suspect cards were all gone, so I could never get the suspects right. But by the time I tried my second one, I had gotten relatively good at figuring out geography clues that I almost always got the first rank in score at the end, where it accuses you of being a spy for Carmen or a cheater.
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Jun 6, 2019 07:12
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Also we should make sure we have enough for the warrant. We have to get that before we can make the arrest! The PBS show taught me that!
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Jun 6, 2019 08:20
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Lets phone that KGB agent in the USSR on our way to Uganda. He may have more suspect details.GhostStalker posted:Uganda it is. Im not a spy for Carmen but she does stay over at my place on occasion and I talk in my sleep... drat, I bet that counts. Well, sorry Im not giving her up. 
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Jun 6, 2019 10:48
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GhostStalker posted:I remember borrowing books like these from the library when I was younger. The suspect cards were all gone, so I could never get the suspects right. But by the time I tried my second one, I had gotten relatively good at figuring out geography clues that I almost always got the first rank in score at the end, where it accuses you of being a spy for Carmen or a cheater. It's possible mini-you wasn't calculating the score properly. I did the math on the book before starting the LP, and with the way the score brackets line up, it's pretty clear you're supposed to mark one point each time you move to a new numbered section... which includes backtracking to the airport after an interview. So each interview counts for 2 points, not 1. Gameplay mechanics spoiler: If you interview only one person in each location, always go to the correct destination each time, make the correct choice of who to arrest, and don't hit any dead ends, you will end up with a score of exactly 18... which happens to be where the best 'normal' score bracket starts. But you have to be pretty lucky for things to work out that way. achtungnight posted:Lets phone that KGB agent in the USSR on our way to Uganda. He may have more suspect details. Once enough people agree, we can backtrack - though it'll require chartering a quick flight back to Russia. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ [79] - Uganda You've arrived at Kampala, the capital of Uganda. Uganda has some of the most spectacular scenery in the world. There's Lake Victoria, the source of the Nile River, which many explorers went looking for in the nineteenth century. And there's the Great Rift Valley, where fossils from ancient relatives of the human race were discovered. But alas, you're here to discover only one thing the location of the thief who stole the Stradivarius violin! Your local contact is a Baganda tribesman. He hands you a list. "I've narrowed down your search. Three people saw the thief, and there have been three flights out of here." Do we want to talk to: The Bantu tribesman? [14] The park ranger? [83] The banana picker? [101] Or are we ready to leave for: Canada? [60] Australia? [157] New Zealand? [39] Score: 25 Case: Violin Suspect: Male, blue eyes Destination: ?
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Jun 6, 2019 11:08
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Bantu banter
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Jun 6, 2019 11:33
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| # ? May 3, 2024 05:14 |
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KGB agent, I want to see how he's written.
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Jun 6, 2019 11:40
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