Hi folks.

Just wanted to ask you police quest fans how to properly play this game. At first I thought this was like a normal point and click adventure game, how wrong could I be. I quickly found out that I had no idea what I was doing.

So apparently I need to use the game manual to know what radio codes and the right procedure when arriving to a crime\accident scene and so forth. And I think it really destroy the gameplay when I have to alt-tab between the game and the manual. So I guess need a hardcopy of the game manual(and map) to fully enjoy this game?

And second, do I write stuff down? In the first briefing the man talks about to look out for a stolen Mercedes, and state the license plate and VIN nr. Should I write things like that down? Was hoping for a ingame notebook to write things in.

Anyway, if there is any other tips you police officers could give rookies like me to fully enjoy this game, you can post it in this topic:) And please keep it spoiler free.

Thanks!

you definately need to note important license plates, names, and reasons why you arrest people, radio codes etc

Follow the golden rule of adventure games: pick up everything that isn't nailed down. And if it is nailed down, solve the puzzle of getting the nail out. In the first Police Quest, the only time you'll have to reference the manual is when you need to open your locker or take someone to prison. The rest of the time all you really need is common sense.

When you start a new game be sure to familiarize yourself with all aspects of the police department and find everything you can before hitting the streets. When dispatch calls you, you don't need to find the radio code in the manual. Just drive to the address they mention and you'll see exactly what they radioed you for. When you see a car speeding, press the siren's switch before doing anything else or the criminal will get away. During your first time in the vehicle, use the "eye" cursor on the city's locations to familiarize yourself with where everything is.

When you arrive at a new location, make a new save. For example, If you go to the coffee shop make a save called "Caffeine Carol's". Anytime you find something or do something you think is of significance overwrite the save. But, if you were to go somewhere else and come back to the coffee shop, make a new save for that location ("Caffeine Carol's 2") that way, if needed you can always return to that previous instance. Sierra adventure games can change throughout the course of the story, and even if you can return to a location in the game, it may not have everything it once did.

At any new scene always be sure to take in all the details you can. Scan the room for any objects that you may be able to obtain and characters you may be able to talk to, this is where the "eye" cursor comes into play.

When making an arrest, always be sure to only charge them for crimes you absolutely know they committed. 1 charge will often be enough, but sometimes a criminal will be guilty of more. When you've made all the charges you want to, simply press the enter key on the keypad in the prison to finish the arrest.

And when you're in a bad situation, keep calm and ask yourself what a cop would do in the situation. Be sure to follow basic procedures like cuffing a perp, searching them, and reading their rights.

Don't forget to consult that manual!

Solid advice for sure.

The main codes to need are the arrest codes.
Outside this there are a few other information (I specifically remember 3) you would do well to write down, not going to say which (yet), but other than that - most of the information isn't something you need to write down or remember.

The game is rather simple in that aspect as it just assumes you know the information - but the arrest codes especially are important as they also function as a sort of copy protection and not entering the rights ones will end the game

"Studying" the newspaper for arrest procedure will also help you out in some areas of the game.

Write down phone numbers. Near the end of PQ1 I got stuck because I had to use the phone and didn't know any numbers.