Part seven: at the party
These are Douglas Adams' original hints for the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Adventure Game. Some questions have multiple answers and some are red herrings, so don't take the presence or absence of a question on a certain topic as an indication of what is important, and don't assume that long answers indicate important questions.
Who am I?
Ask the game! (Type "Who am I"?)
Where am I?
Remember what happened when you first reached the Bridge of the Heart of Gold?
- Still stuck?
This is the Party where Arthur Dent tried to pick up Tricia MacMillan (but, you'll recall, failed completely).
- Still stuck?
Thanks to the wild vagaries of Improbability Physics, you have not only travelled back in time, you have changed your identity as well
What should I do about Phil?
If you try to talk to Phil, he doesn't notice, and invariably leaves the room.
- Still stuck?
Have you examined him?
- Still stuck?
The draped cage on his shoulder does not contain a bird.
- Still stuck?
The cage is hiding Phil's second head.
- Still stuck?
Phil is actually Zaphod Beeblebrox in disguise. He has undoubtedly dropped by this Islington party as part of some interstellar party-crashing hop.
- Still stuck?
If you recall from the events on the Bridge of the Heart of Gold, you (Trillian) eventually left... er, will leave... the party with Zaphod/Phil.
- Still stuck?
But that won't happen until you do something else. See the question about the point of the party scene.
What should I do about Arthur?
Arthur keeps trying to start a conversation with you, but he's too shy and embarrassed. If you try to talk to him, he finds your tone rather cool, and moves away.
- Still stuck?
Have you examined him?
- Still stuck?
Notice the fluff?
- Still stuck?
If you take the fluff from his jacket, it will "break the ice" and Arthur will begin jabbering.
- Still stuck?
Did you notice that you can't take the fluff until you drop one of the other things you're carrying (handbag, wine, hors d'oeuvres)? You can't hold more than three things while you're at the party.
What should I do about the hostess?
You're usually able to avoid her.
- Still stuck?
If you try to talk to her, you'll learn the meaning of the phrase "bored to death."
- Still stuck?
If you drop your glass of wine, your handbag, or your plate of hors d'oeuvres, the hostess will come over and pester you about it. She won't leave you alone until you take the item that you dropped.
How can I leave the apartment?
Try going south from the Living Room.
- Still stuck?
Dying will get you back to Dark, but that's probably not what you had in mind.
- Still stuck?
There is a way to leave the apartment, but you'll have to solve a puzzle first. See the next question.
What is the point of the party scene?
There's an item at the party that you have to get back to the Heart of Gold.
- Still stuck?
That item is the unsightly piece of jacket fluff.
- Still stuck?
Read all the previous questions in this section of hints.
- Still stuck?
You want to get "picked up" by Phil. However, he won't take any notice of you until you take the fluff and get Arthur talking to you.
- Still stuck?
In order to take the fluff, though, you'll have to drop something. This will cause the hostess to start hovering around you. Phil is much too smart to approach you when you're with the hostess.
- Still stuck?
So, to get Phil to come over, you'll have to take the item that the hostess keeps offering you. To do so, you'll have to drop something, and the piece of fluff is the only thing you have that you can drop without setting off the hostess again.
- Still stuck?
There is a way to stop holding the fluff without dropping it.
- Still stuck?
Look at what you're carrying again.
- Still stuck?
You can put the fluff in your handbag.
- Still stuck?
Naturally, the fluff is still in the handbag when you eventually get back to the Heart of Gold. You need only go to the Bridge or wherever you left the handbag, open it, and take the jacket fluff.
- Still stuck?
If you're still confused, one sequence of moves that will "solve" the party scene is: "Examine Arthur". "Drop the wine". "Take the jacket fluff". "Open the handbag". "Put the fluff in the handbag". "Take the wine". Then just "Wait" until Phil comes up and escorts you away. You will end up in Dark.