Finally got this game to play on my computer after three days of fighting it (it kept freezing at the One Moment screen - and then once in - at Whackmaster Jack's) Anyway - I have a question - how do you use inventory on a NPC? I went to see Demona (or whatever her name is- the one at Frank's Flophouse that looks like she's been through a meat grinder) and she told me to take Velsta's bracelet back to her. I went back to Rowdy's Bar and talked to Velsta (I guess she didn't like what I told her because she took off - I'm guessing she's going back to the flop house) but the game gave me no option to give her the bracelet back and I still show it in inventory. I can't find anything in the manual on how to use it.

I also was told I could take pictures of Red Bipidri's and make money (gad, you gotta love the character names in this game - I feel like I've stepped into Star Wars) which is just swell - if I knew what the critters looked like

Anyway, other than that I'm slowly figuring out where places are. At least they have signs

syd,

If you have something in your inventory for a NPC the game will automatically hand it over when you talk to them or get close enough. The most you have to do is run through a dialouge tree with them till you trigger the cue.

I loved this game btw, really, really fun though there's some semi-tough arcade stuff waiting for you.

Thanks Mike - I thought that was how it worked but when I didn't get an option to tell her I had it and then it was still in inventory, I wondered if I was supposed to click on something. Maybe I'll head back to the flophouse and see if Velsta's there.

Being the keyboard klutz that I am, it's taken some practice to be able to work both keyboard and mouse at the same time but I'm finally getting the hang of it. As a matter of fact, I can whip 'ole Boots around at quite a clip now and most times avoid banging him into walls

As to the arcade stuff - I still have my secret weapon if I get stuck - my 17 year old son, who dearly loves to help mom out of tough places whether she needs it or not

Syd, I'm pretty sure you can't return the bracelet. Believe me, I tried many times! It ended up as an auxillary battle item and if you have it selected, it increases beat speed +1 level and protects against Nuts--which probably means zilch to you now, but will later. I loved this game. It plays much like an adventure game and I had no problems with it freezing or dropping back to desktop.

Pokey my problems all seemed to stem from a faulty patch download. From what I read on the forums over at PlanetAnachronox it was a common problem that the patches fixed (Build 44 and 45) - unfortunately the place I downloaded them from didn't install correctly. Took me a few days of uninstalling and installing and redownloading patches from another location before I got everything to work correctly.

I just tried to unload the bracelet again and no go so it must be a keeper - just met Grumpos and now I'm off to find a size 5 Noxguard helmet -

I am having the most fun lock picking (and getting darn fast at it also). If every game would let you pick locks like this I would love to open locked doors

The locks were lots of fun. There was so much of this game that just entertained me. The writing, the characters, the wacky, funny quests... the great epic battle with the DoorLord, PAL at the Moonburger playground, Boots, Man-Dancing in the Red Light district, the Mug Wugs and the incredible, shrinking planet/sidekick Democritus... The game had a timer on the saved games and I think I topped out at something like 135 hours of gameplay for Anachronox. All of it excellent, never a dull moment. Not bad for a 9.95 investment. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Razz]" src="tongue.gif" /> It's now one of my all time faves.

Syd, when you are in the party menu, if you select the Equip/inventory button you have the option to "equip best items". If you click on that you will automatically equip the bracelet on Sly. Hope this helps.

It's turn based during combat Syd, and you'll do just fine! In fact, you'll probably find it much easier than DD.

syd, as nickie said it is turn based combat( well truthfully it is not pure turmnbased but it is close enough) so yu can take your time in deciding what actions to do to with your party members. turn based is a lot easier than real time when you have party.

I've already killed me a few Noxguards I also have the game on really whimpy easy so as my son told me - "mom, there's no excuse for you to die" The next time I play it I'll up it a notch to Normal then who knows maybe all the way to Really Hard

Hi nickie,

My favorite character was PAL though I didn't use him that much. He was just so hilarious. I made really good use of Stilleto and Rho though, esp Stilleto's razor boomerangs and Rho's poision Mystech.

Did anyone leave PAL in the Moonburger playground overnight like they talked about in Anachronox Planet? I did it twice and ended up with some really amazing weapons. Plus there's nothing like waking up and going to your computer the next morning to find the world's happiest 3 ft. robot gleefully playing in a box of ballons and tube slides.

I seem to have lost Eddie somewhere in the bowels of the junkyard. Is there a map for this place anywhere? I think I'm looking for him in the right location - the one with all the ramps and the nasties that you have to fight, right? Problem is, I seem to have reached a dead end and can't find any other accesses to other places. Poor old Grumpos is getting plumb tuckered out following me up and down and up and down. I'm surprised he hasn't hit me with his staff

syd,, in that area sometimes it is better to turn around as some paths are hard to see in one direction. eddie is hard to find. you do need to find another path up the ramps. it has been so long i can't be any more specific.

scout, you mean i wasn't the only one who left pal in the moonburger overnight. that sure did add a lot of hours to your game playing. but you are right the rewards were great.

Thanks Zanthia - I'll look some more. At least I know I'm in the right location

syd,

I looked a little but could never find any maps for Anachronox. But Zanthia is right, it's a maze in the junkyard. You just have to keep looking. And make sure you have the sock. (ewww)

Zanthia,

I left PAL in the Moonburger twice. Probably added about 12-15 hours to my game play. I got a Shadow Bracer the second time but never used it as it made the bearer invincible. The game wasn't that hard that I had to use a god mode which is unusual for me. I usually play non-adventures on the "ridiculously easy" setting but I think I might have been able to play Anachronox on Normal without too much of a problem.

I have that nasty sock which is why I want to find Eddie as soon as possible - it's smelling up my entire game

After another half hour or so I found Eddie - then of course I forgot how I found him and it took me half an hour to find my way back - geeez, I can't win for losing

I somehow managed to wind up in the Mystech tunnels

excellent syd, no more smelly sock!

scout, i never used the shadow bracers either. i played it on normal and had no problems with the fighting in the game.

Well I'm playing in bunny rabbit easy mode Grumpos and I just wiped out that stone monster in the lower Mystech tunnels and had the person controlling things [cough] paid attention [cough]and moved her characters [cough] instead of letting them stand there and get the [blip] bashed out of them [cough, cough] we would have sustained no damage. But we healed up nicely except for that last smack of the staff Boots got from Grumpos and now I seem to be on a mission to take pictures of the Anachronox icons, plus I still need to find one more Brebulan and I have yet to find one Red Bippy and probably lots of other stuff

syd,

Since you're checking off the side-quests, try and finish all the jobs that other detective guy gives Boots. Once all those are completed you get a Boots World Skill upgrade that comes in super handy later. I neglected to do that and by the time I realized what had happened it was too late to go back and finish the side quests. You don't need the upgrade to finish the game but you'll have to compensate in other ways later that take just as much or more time.

Syd, I didn't do many of the side quests, especially early in the game. I did the Brebulan one because it was easy, but not the resistance, red bippys or icons. The reward you get is usually pretty pitiful--maybe a healgrease that you don't need. Later in Hephaestus, you can get an excellent weapon for doing an easy quest.

What other detective guy? Me thinks I've missed talking to someone somewhere (no surprise there)

Pokey I know I probably shouldn't do all the side quests but I'm kind of anal about it. I hate to leave something undone - must be a character flaw Plus, I'm so new to this genre that I think it's fun to do everything that needs to be done. Maybe after 40 or 50 RPG's I'll feel differently.

I talked to the detective once at Sender Station, the station orbiting Anachronox and I think maybe even once on Anachronox. I forgot his name. If you got to Planet Anachronox forum and do a search on Boots World Skill, you should get some info. He has Boots go on some side quests, 4 I think. When Boots finishes all of them he gets a new set of lockpicks and better lockpicking skills that let him access parts of the game you otherwise couldn't. One of those places has Boots' ulimate weapon.

Pokey is right. The rewards for the side-quests are really varied, from pathetic to too good to believe.

I found one detective - he is in the Anachronox Tour area - where the person fell through the platforms is lying - that must be the guy you're talking about. I'm just on my way back to him with his first request. We'll see if he sends me out again. I now have my PAL battery so I'm off to my office to see if I can get him working.

Yea, I got all of $75 for doing one quest - but it wasn't too tough so I figure it was easy money. I'm still missing one picture anachronox icon somewhere and I found two that look like can be taken - one on top of the directional signs and one on top of the Anachronox Tour Sign - but I can't get up to that one. I hope I didn't need the elevator I accidentially blew up to get there

syd,

That's the guy. Keep track of him. I think he moves around a bit on you.

Whoo-hoo. $75!! Actually the big bucks come later during the many battles. There are places where you can fight relatively easy battles over and over to level up and sock away the dough and lots of healgrease. Much more efficient than the side quests though not as fun.

syd, sure you should do all the side quest if thats what you want to do. i always try to do all possible side quests. in anachronox some of the best weapons you can only get by doing the side quests.

the mystech tunnels is a good place to level up once you have access to them.

It's been a while since I played this, so probably Zanthia or Scout could tell you with more detail, but there is actually one character that will keep sending you on mindless quests and give you nothing in return. Sound familiar anyone?

I give up. I can't for the life of me remember anyone stiffing me on a quest. Of course I might have just blocked it out of my mind.

I had to look it up - the lost and found beebohbot in Votowne.

the lost and found was one side quest i didn't bother with knowing that it wasn't worth the time to do it.

okay, been reading this strand and am taking some advise-will run on XP right?
I'm off to gogamer
Ingie

Oh, the lost and found thingie. I think I just thought, "Yeah right..." and kept going. Or I just forgot. Forgetting can really do wonders for moving you along in a game. Or stopping you dead.

Ingie, I think a couple people have played Anachronox in XP. One of them had a problem with the camera. It worked but he couldn't see the photos he took. I never did hear back if it was a problem or not. Dunno if that was XP or his particular system.