I just LOVE this game.
I seem to be stuck waiting for a taxi.
I have 2 W/T's from gameboomers.
I am at the WAREHOUSES, have "released the handbrake on the truck" climbed onto flatbed, up into and through window, down to floor, checked out crate and again with geiger counter, read labels on top and returned same route to back outside, crossed over to phone booth - now, I enter it, remove earpiece and try to dial for a cab, but if I do not start to dial it dials itself...no matter what I get a busy signal or something, just noise, no answer....so there is no taxi waiting for me back at the truck. What am I doing wrong or what have I missed? Am I supposed to turn the geiger counter off before I leave that building, and if so how? Or when I do it right does it turn itself off? HELP
Love, Betty Lou <img border="0" title="" alt="[Confused]" src="confused.gif" />

Those are the two walkthroughs that I already
have. I found them on Gameboomers. And I solved my 'waiting for a taxi' problem, I neglected to click on the taxi advertisement in the phone booth, after doing this and then calling the cab showed up no problem.
Now a new problem - Fugazi's update from 1998 says this:
"Note 1: If you canot get past the office door code puzzle into Watkin's Office inside the Bradbury Building, despite having the special security pass with you, it's probable you've hit the bug connected with the clock in your computer. The door code can't be made to work on English computers. The date stamp is different from American machines (ddmmyy instead of mmddyy) so the game cannot recognize it or be made to work as a result. To complete the game you need to visit this office three times. If you are having problems getting into the office e-mail me at rsvp@bigbear.u-net.com and I'll send you all three files." If this is a 'bug' in the game how do I get past it so I can continue to the end?
Love, Betty Lou

Betty Lou, doesn't the walkthrough say that the problem arises when playing on an English computer? Maybe there is some other detail you've missed. I checked the search function, and one person noted that "Like all Macromedia Director games, NOIR requires that something be done before something else happens."

Or you could try e-mailing that address you mentioned in your post...

Just to clear up some confusion.

The code for the door is the DAY (Monday, Tuesday, etc.) you are playing the game.

The DATE FORMAT (DDMMYY, etc.), which is how the computer stores the date, differs between US and UK computers and is the reason NOIR is impossible to play on a UK computer.

Just use the DAY code on the code card for the DAY you are playing the game and you should be fine.

Well folks, this is what I did and this is the result: I chose the two switches that are the code for MONDAY and turned on #1 & #5 (there are only 5 switches, not 7) and then I touched the doorknob and the door opened!!!! TADA, that was almost too simple a solution. The w/t describes 7 switches, etc. and some complicated thinking about mmddyy or ddmmyy and that means absolutely nothing.....hope this helps anyone else who gets stuck here too. And Thanks for your help and suggestions.
Love, Betty Lou

Quote:

The w/t describes 7 switches, etc. and some complicated thinking about mmddyy or ddmmyy and that means absolutely nothing.....

For the sake of those who may come later, let's be as clear as possible.

The walkthrough by Heather Champ, amended by Steve Anderson, says this: "The numbers 1 to 7 indicate the days of the week (1 is Sunday) and the white and black boxes besides them indicate the 5 switches." 7 days, 5 switches. The codes show how the 5 switches should be set for each day of the week.

As for the "complicated thinking about mmddyy or ddmmyy that means absolutely nothing," it actually means quite a bit if you are attempting to play NOIR in the UK. It is not something, however, that non-UK (aka US) gamers need to worry about.

Thanks for the clarification Mr. L. You can always count on me to 'muddy the waters'....
I have a different problem now...I am in Watkins' office in the Bradbury Building (don't remember if this is 2nd time or 3rd) and need to set the dials on the secret safe but when I click on each I cannot get the arrow on the correct letter, it is either one or two letters away and no amount of turning those dials helps. Is there some way I am supposed to be able to control the dials? Or how do I get the correct code entered?
Love, B etty Lou

Have you seen the Wo-Tan sequence in the office? And then left the office again? And have you seen the actual code letters in the game? Knowing the code letters without having seen them in the game is not sufficient. The game needs to know you've seen them. This is, after all, Macromedia.

Nevermind, I did not wait for the telephone call, just proceeded to Bradbury Bldg Watkins Office and got into safe and informant called me there. Am on my way to last case. What a fun game!
Love, Betty Lou

I do like these older games in black and white and the graphics are great! Have another problem here, have solved all the cases except retrieving the dog for Agnes, have talked to her at her house, got ransom note, been thrown out by butler, called informant about observatory meeting place, taken Agnes taped voice and recorder and am at observatory. On roof, have followed instructions and see dog in crate (even clicked one more step forward once and been hypnotized by Nazis), have retreated to find that darn tape recorder and the thug with the cord, but can get nowhere with it. Can't find it, followed step by step from w/t but nothing happens, either the w/t is incorrect as to just where it is or I am doing something wrong. Any ideas?
Love, Betty Lou

Do you have an earlier saved game where you didn't get hypnotized? Once you get caught, if I remember correctly, it is no longer possible to follow the walkthrough.

Ages ago (1996 or so) the creator of NOIR was posting on AOL about how certain situations in the game could be worked around. Unfortunately, all those posts are long gone.

Yes, had to load up a previous saved game before getting hypnotized and redid it but cannot find where the thug and tape recorder are after I spot the dogs crate. I picked up the wire and recorder in the office or I would not have been able to get here as that is what triggers the ride to the observatory......any other ideas?
Love, Betty Lou

I seem to remember the thug coming out a door. I'd look around...without getting hypnotized, of course.

Here's an odd question. You have run into the thug before, right? At the nightclub, perhaps? Since this is a Macromedia game, just trying to think of what might not have happened that needs to have happened.

I got it! I backed up a couple of times to a previous save, played it out from Sherazade and the bartender, my office, Agnes' phone call, and through to the end with a couple of times my computer freezing up on me. Rebooting, reloading, and trying again. Am not sure why it froze, am not sure why it would not play as it should have, but it finally worked and I got to see the wonderful ending. I guess it boils down to one should expect some technical glitchiness with these older games and they are not consistent where they give a problem. Glad this one worked out and thanks much for your help. Your saved game was very good. Funny, I seem to remember that the first time I clicked on that dog crate I was immediately caught, but when I did as you suggested and only clicked on it once, the tape recorder was then were it was supposed to show up. Thanks again. Have a great day. Sun is trying to shine through here.
Love, Betty Lou