The Stafford Predicament
By Chris Schneider
For Bunyon interpeter or TI-99/4A with Scott Adams' Adventure cartridge
Solution by Garry Francis
----------------------------------------
This is a minimal solution. You'll need to LOOK at lots of things for this solution to make
sense. It presumes prior knowledge of the TI-99/4A hardware, which I don't have, but I still
managed to blunder my way through. It's essentially a treasure hunt, except that the treasures
are components of a TI-99/4A system. Most of the components are preceded by an asterisk, just like
treasures in a Scott Adams game. You have to collect all the components and assemble them in the
computer room.
The game is particularly hard because of guess-the-verb and guess-the-noun scenarios. You need to
find a few codes along the way, but there are either no hints to the codes or the hints are very
obscure. For example, the napkin says to use note 'E' for full access. I reasoned that
this was a musical note and my research indicated that the numerical value for E is 1318 in the
TI-99/4A's CALL SOUND statement, but the adventure required a value of 1319. Another hint
requires a paper that never appears in the game. I found it by reverse engineering the data file and
even when I'd found it, it didn't make sense. The hint says, "The combination is the
digits for first free address in low memory on the TI-99/4A". My research indicated that the
address was 8192 (decimal) or 2000 (hexadecimal), but the code required was "-318". Whah?
At one point, the game implies there's hints in the Shift838 newsletters. Ignore that. I
downloaded them all and there's no hints. However, the newsletters keep harping on about
readers not being able to find the Easter egg. I found this before any reverse engineering, but it
does require knowledge of TV's 'Big Bang Theory'. Finding the Easter egg is not
crucial to solving the game, so I've given some notes on this after the solution.
As always, some optional (but significant) commands are shown in brackets. These can be omitted once
you know what to do.
(LOOK TABLE) (you find a note)
(READ NOTE) (not relevant to game)
E
S
(LOOK KIOSK) (you find a pudding)
(LOOK PUDDING) (looks good enough to eat)
(GET PUDDING)
(EAT PUDDING) (you suddenly feel like Bill Cosby, I don't get it)
LOOK BOOTHS (you find a dollar and a napkin)
(READ NAPKIN) (use note 'E' for full access, i.e. TI-99/4A frequency of 1319)
GET DOLLAR
E
(LOOK CHANGE) (makes change from bills)
INSERT DOLLAR (it's changed to quarters)
GET QUARTERS
(LOOK VENDING) (item B7 is an extended BASIC cartridge for just $1)
INSERT QUARTERS (vending machine is ready)
PRESS B7 (*XB cartridge appears)
GET XB
W
N
W
S
LOOK DESK (you find *TI-99/4A and blank smartcard)
GET TI-99/4A
GET SMARTCARD
(LOOK POSTER) (gives instructions for creating ID badge)
TAKE PICTURE
INSERT SMARTCARD
PRESS F6 (enter code level from hint on napkin)
PRESS 1319 (from hint on napkin)
PRESS ENTER (*Smart ID appears)
GET ID
S
LOOK DRIVE (you find *Diskette)
(LOOK DISKETTE) (tells you what you'll need to load security disk)
GET DRIVE
GET DISKETTE
E
LOOK SHELF (you find bolt cutters)
GET CUTTERS
(READ PAPER) (it's invisible, but need this for hint that doesn't make sense)
W
S
S
S
E
E
S
(READ JOURNAL) (ASCII codes are for 2, 1 and 3)
UNLOCK DOOR (with smart ID badge)
GO DOOR
DROP XB
DROP TI-99/4A
DROP DRIVE
DROP DISKETTE
CUT LOCK (with bolt cutters)
DROP CUTTERS
(LOOK BOX) (you find three breakers and tape recorder)
(PLAY TAPE) (provide power to breakers in correct order)
FLIP 2
FLIP 1
FLIP 3 (you now have power)
N
N
W
W
N
N
LOOK BASKET (you find RCA cable and DIN connector)
(LOOK RCA) (it could be used to make composite video cable)
(LOOK DIN) (ditto, so probably need them both)
GET RCA
GET DIN
E
S
LOOK CABINET (you find a *32k card)
GET 32K
N
E
LOOK PODIUM (you find a *Floppy disk controller (FDC))
GET FDC
W
W
S
LOOK STAGE (you find a *Monitor)
GET MONITOR
S
E
E
S
UNLOCK DOOR
GO DOOR
DROP RCA
DROP DIN
DROP 32K
DROP FDC
DROP MONITOR
N
N
W
W
S
LOOK DESK (you find an *RS232 card)
GET RS232
N
E
S
LOOK DESK (you find a *Flex cable card)
GET FLEX
N
E
E
S
LOOK DESK (you find a *Lantronic UDS10)
GET UDS10
N
W
S
UNLOCK DOOR
GO DOOR
DROP RS232
DROP FLEX
DROP UDS10 (now the construction begins, sequence is important)
(LOOK PEB) (it's not complete)
SOLDER CABLE
INSTALL FLEX
INSTALL FDC
INSTALL DRIVE
INSTALL 32K
INSTALL RS232
INSTALL UDS10
(LOOK PEB) (it's now complete)
INSTALL TI-99/4A
INSTALL MONITOR
INSERT XB
INSERT DISKETTE
POWER PEB (it powers up and fan starts running)
POWER TI-99/4A (it lights up and gives instructions for running extended BASIC)
PRESS A (tells you to enter normal operations code)
PRESS -318 (from hint on invisible paper, but don't ask me how they're related)
PRESS ENTER (message says press 'BEGIN', which is F5 on TI-99/4A keyboard)
PRESS F5 (fire control systems deactivated and doors unlocked)
***THE END***
To find the Easter egg, go to either of the conference rooms, then:
(READ BOARD) (there's a message from Sheldon regarding the Easter egg)
SAY BAZINGA (you can say this anywhere to be teleported to underground cave)
(READ WALLS) (change polarity to return, i.e. say it backwards)
LOOK CHICKEN (you find an Easter egg)
(LOOK EGG) (maybe you should open it)
OPEN EGG (you find a paper)
READ PAPER (you've found code 8675309, now tell Shift838 you found it on CASA)
SAY AGNIZAB (you're teleported back to start location)
