Readme (collection)

Leisure Suit Larry's Greatest Hits and Misses by Al Lowe

Thank you for purchasing Leisure Suit Larry's Greatest Hits and Misses. I hope you find this trip down my (random access) memory lane as fun as all of us around here have had playing these old chestnuts again.

This README contains some important information, so don't just ignore it like you do all your other software's READMEs. Yeah, I know you just want to go run everything without reading this long old file. But, when you get into trouble, I won't be there to bail you out! So, in an obvious bribe, I tried to make this README as funny as I could, on the off-chance you might actually read it!

IMPORTANT NOTE: Once you start installing games on this CD to your hard drive, you cannot change hard drives. You must install every game to the same drive. (No fair changing horses in the middle of a digital stream!)

Installing under Windows IMPORTANT NOTE: Don't get scared when you see only a few programs listed when you run Setup. While some of the games run from Windows, most must run from DOS. The early games were never meant to run under Windows. (Why? I thought it was just a passing fancy! Who knew?) Other things, like The Laffer Utilities and the AVI video clips, can only be run from Windows because they work better there. Think of it as seeing them in their natural environment! Seriously, to play everything on this CD, you're just going to have to get out of Windows and go DOS!

1. Put your Leisure Suit Larry's Greatest Hits and Misses CD into your CD-ROM drive. (Duh.)

2. If you aren't in Windows, get there! If you don't know how, we're not going to tell you! (Oh, okay: here's a clue. Type "win" and see what happens.)

3. In the Program Manager, pull down the "File" menu and select "Run..."

4. Type "d:\setup.exe" and press the  key. (If your CD-ROM isn't drive D:, be sure to substitute the correct letter instead.)

You will see a screen offering you a variety of options:

"Install" installs new games to your computer. "Test Hardware" tells you about your computer and how we think it's set up. "Register" lets you register your game quickly and easily. Just print it out and send it to us. We      recommend you fill out a registration form every time you buy a Sierra product. We just love hearing from you! "Uninstall" removes one or more Sierra games from your computer. "Support" shows you a Windows Help file which tells you how to contact Sierra for help. It also includes phone numbers for contacting Microsoft, plus lots of      the hardware manufacturers whose products we       support. "Exit" completely erases your hard drive, turns off your computer, explodes your monitor and spays your cat. (No, it doesn't! That was just a joke to see if      anyone would read an explanation of the word "Exit."       Evidently you did!)

5. Click "Install." Setup scans your system for Sierra products, then shows you a list of what it's found. Don't be surprised when you see stuff listed you've already installed. Those are there in case you want to UNinstall them. (See below.)

Hey! Where's all the "old stuff" that was supposed to be on this CD? Don't worry. It's there, all right. It's just that most of the "oldies" hadn't even heard of Windows. Therefore, they don't run very well from Windows. And they sure don't Install from Windows! You must install them from DOS (see below). Of course, you can try running them from a Windows' DOS prompt. But don't say I didn't tell you they won't work!

6. Double-click on any title you want installed. Setup will copy the necessary files to your hard drive, then display a box telling you it's done. Click "OK." You may then repeat the process to install other parts of the Collection.

UNinstalling under Windows To easily and quickly UNinstall a game, run Setup again. (Don't remember how? See above.) This time, select "Uninstall" and choose the program you want to get rid of. (For your convenience, this README and the BOOTDISK maker program will not be uninstalled. They'll just hang around forever until you figure out how to delete them manually.)

Installing under DOS IMPORTANT NOTE: There are many programs on this CD that will not install from Windows. Why? These early games were never meant to run under Windows. (We thought it was just a passing fancy! Go figure.) Seriously, to play everything on this CD, you're just going to have to get out of Windows and go DOS! Here's how:

1. Put your Leisure Suit Larry's Greatest Hits and Misses CD into your CD-ROM drive.

2. If you are in Windows already, get out! To do so, switch to Program Manager, pull down the "File" menu and choose "Exit Windows..." Windows will shockingly display, "This will end your Windows session." Click "OK." Welcome to DOS! (Don't be afraid, grasshopper.)

3. Type "D:" and press . (If your CD-ROM isn't drive D:, be sure to substitute the correct letter instead.)

4. Type "Install" and press .

5. From the menu of choices displayed, select the letter which represents the game you want to install. That game's individual install procedure will run. (Don't try clicking on it with your mouse. DOS mavens eschew mice!)

6. Follow the on-screen prompts. When you are done, you'll return to the menu of choices so you can install something else if you wish.

7. If you're done installing, try "X."

Uninstallation from DOS To quickly and easily UNinstall a DOS game, just delete it and its subdirectory. If you don't know how to do this, read your DOS manual, or just keep buying bigger and bigger hard drives!

TECHNICAL NOTES While we would like to, we just can't cover every technical situation that may pop up. But we do the next best thing: we have wonderful people sitting around all day just waiting for you to phone them with your troubles. If you need technical help, they'll give it. To contact them, check the back of your copy of "My Scrapbook" that's included with your game for our Customer Support and Technical Support numbers.

MEMORY You really ought to have some. Seriously, some of our games require a good chunk of lower memory (DOS memory) to run properly. You probably won't be able to run them while attached to a network, especially if you're trying to run from within Windows. If you're having problems you suspect are memory-related (especially while running in DOS), use our Setup program to make a boot disk. Don't call Tech Support until you have, because that's always the first thing they ask you to do!

SOUND CARDS Because most of today's sound cards were a mere shine in their developer's eye when the older games on this CD were made, there's no way they're going to work. So don't expect them to! But, even if your card isn't listed in the installation choices, you can still try! Try a different card and see what happens. If it doesn't work, try another. Finally, settle for "PC Speaker."

Remember: "compatible" is used loosely around computers, as in "SoundBlaster compatible." If you choose "SoundBlaster" and the game locks up or makes no sound at all, rerun Install and try "Adlib." When that doesn't work, try another. Finally, settle for "PC Speaker."

If you have a listed card and still have problems, check your sound card settings. Try setting the DMA to 1, and the IRQ to 2, 5, 7, or 10. When one doesn't work, try another. Finally, settle for "PC Speaker."

If all else fails, you could try contacting your sound card manufacturer. They might have a utility or newer driver that makes your card emulate one of the cards we do support. (Gravis owners can run SBOS to emulate a SoundBlaster. Reveal owners can set their card to SoundBlaster mode or Microsoft Sound System.) Chances are your manufacturer has better knowledge of your sound card than our Technical Support department. When that doesn't work, try another. Finally, settle for "PC Speaker."

If you have a Microsoft Sound System, try running the DOS versions of the games only. Strangely enough, it sounds good in DOS, but much less than good in Windows. Hey, at least you don't have to settle for "PC Speaker!"

VIDEO CLIPS (AVI's) Some Windows products can interfere with our AVI's, especially Windows programs set for "Always on top." (No, Larry! Don't touch that keyboard!!) This includes the standard Windows Clock. If you have trouble playing back the AVI's, close those other programs or turn off the "Always on top" option by finding that option somewhere in its menus. If there's a check mark in front of "Always on top" click it until the check mark disappears.

THE LAFFER UTILITIES UNINSTALL The Laffer Utilities requires the Setup program from the Larry Collection CD-ROM to uninstall it. Older Sierra versions won't work. (Do the words "General Protection Fault" ring a bell?) So just make sure you use the SETUP.EXE that is on the Leisure Suit Larry's Greatest Hits and Misses CD whenever you install or uninstall any of the products on this CD.

Printing: Many of today's popular printers weren't around when TLU was published. If yours isn't listed, try substituting something that sounds even remotely related. It just might work. Then again... there's nothing in TLU you can't live without!

TECHNICAL NOTES ON EACH GAME Each product on the Larry Collection is unique. Some games don't even support a mouse. Others require one. Larry 3 supports mice, but it's easier to walk around using the keyboard arrow keys.

In some of the early games, it's possible to use an irreplaceable object before you should (and irreplaceable means there's no more available). Or, you could give it to someone who doesn't need it or want it. Or, you might just miss finding something you're going to need later, when there's no way to go back and get it. Result: you don't have the object when you need it and you can't finish the game. Oops. Dead end!

That's why Sierra allows you lots of save games per directory, and usually allows you to change directories. When you play any of these games, but especially the early ones, leave a trail of save games behind you. That way, when you hit a dead end, you can backtrack a little ways, without starting over from the beginning. (When we test these games, we often fill up five directories with save games.) Remember: Al says: "Save Early, Save Often!"

Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards (DOS) The original chunky-style EGA graphics with the "type-'til- you-bleed" interface that started it all!

Video supported: EGA Hard drive space needed: .6 Meg (No, seriously!) Memory Required: 512K Mouse support: None. (The only people who had mice were Mac users!) Sound card support: PC speaker only. (And ain't it lovely?)

Important note: The Install program tells you that you can copy this game's files to another directory if you prefer. Use DOS or Windows to do the copying.

Leisure Suit Larry 1: In the Land of the Lounge Lizards (DOS) The 256-color VGA point-and-click remake!

Video supported: VGA Hard drive space needed: 3.5 Meg Memory Required: 640K Mouse support: Full Sound card support: MT-32, SoundBlaster and most compatibles, ProAudio Spectrum, Adlib

Leisure Suit Larry Goes Looking for Love (In Several Wrong Places) (DOS) A slightly cleaner story line, but with much better puzzles.

Video supported: EGA Hard drive space needed: 1.8 Meg Memory Required: 512K Mouse support: Movement only Sound card support: MT-32, SoundBlaster. Default choice is "PC speaker." If you have something better, be sure to change the "Music" line when you run the Install program.

Important note: you'll need the game manual (packed in your Larry Collection box) to start the game. Compare the on- screen women to the women in your manual. Find a match and type in her telephone number.

Important note #2: when you reach the top of the volcano at the end of the game, be sure to include the word "the" in your commands, such as "put THE bag in THE bottle" or "drop THE bottle in THE crevice." A subtle bug slipped into Larry 2 just before it shipped. This eliminates it.

Leisure Suit Larry 3: Passionate Patti in Pursuit of the Pulsating Pectorals (DOS) Meet the game that was going to end it all...until popular demand demanded another!

Video supported: EGA Hard drive space needed: 2.5 Meg Memory Required: 512K Mouse support: Movement only Sound card support: MT-32, SoundBlaster. Default choice is "PC speaker." If you have something better, be sure to change the "Music" line when you run the Install program.

Important Larry 3 note: When you talk to the Maitre D', if he mentions magazines and free passes, look in your game manual for the Nontoonyt Tonight section. Even though it doesn't show up in Larry's inventory, he carries a copy of Nontoonyt Tonight around with him for just such a purpose.

Leisure Suit Larry 4: The Missing Floppies (NODOS) What Larry 4? See the README for further information.

Video supported: ? Hard drive space needed: ? Memory Required: Yeah, a good one! Mouse support: ? Sound card support: ?

Leisure Suit Larry 5: Passionate Patti Does a Little Undercover Work (DOS) Enjoy Patti and Larry in Sierra's first alternating protagonist adventure!

Video supported: VGA Hard drive space needed: 8.0 Meg Memory Required: 640K Mouse support: Full Sound card support: MT-32, SoundBlaster and most compatibles, ProAudio Spectrum, Adlib, PS/1 audio/joystick card (Danger: if you don't have this card, don't pick it on a whim)

Leisure Suit Larry 6: Shape Up or Slip Out! (DOS or Windows) Enjoy Larry's latest adventure in either DOS or Windows versions. This is the lo-res, non-talking version issued in November, `93 and no longer readily available in stores, having been replaced by the hi-res, talking version that takes up an entire CD-ROM all to itself.

Video supported: 256-color VGA Hard drive space needed: 10.5 Meg Memory Required: 1 Meg Mouse support: Full Sound card support: General MIDI, MT-32, SoundBlaster Pro, SoundBlaster and most compatibles, Adlib, Thunderboard, ProAudio 16, ProAudio Spectrum, Windows Sound System, Disney Sound Source, Gravis Ultrasound, PS/1 audio/joystick card (Danger: if you don't have this card, don't pick it on a whim)

The Laffer Utilities (Windows) "For everything you do at the office...that has nothing to do with work!" Try the Jokes program. There's hundreds of jokes in there! Plus tons of clip art.

Video supported: VGA Hard drive space needed: 7.5 Meg Memory Required: 2 Meg Mouse support: Full Sound card support: None needed Printer support: Most printers supported by Windows

Larry's Big Score: Take-A-Break Pinball for Windows (Windows) Originally part of Dynamix's Windows Pinball collection.

Video supported: VGA Hard drive space needed: 1.1 Meg Memory Required: 2 Meg Mouse support: Full Sound card support: Whatever works with Windows

Important note: Key assignments. The  keys are your flippers. Start the ball rolling with the down-arrow, or by clicking the plunger with your mouse.

Larry's Goodies (Windows) Three video clips (AVI's) and two chapters from The Official Book of Leisure Suit Larry by Ralph Roberts with help from Al Lowe, and special  guest writer, Larry Laffer!

Video supported: 256-Color VGA Hard drive space needed: 107K Memory Required: 4 Meg Mouse support: Full Sound card support: Whatever works with Windows

Larry's Casino Games (DOS and Windows) These casino games were originally part of Larry 1 and 3. Crazy Nick decided to issue them as a "medley!" Their best feature was: they were cheap!

Video supported: VGA Hard drive space needed: .6 Meg Memory Required: 512K Mouse support: Full. Sound card support: PC speaker

Freddy Pharkas, Frontier Pharmacist demo game (Windows) An actual working mini-game, with a whopping total of one of the many puzzles from Freddy Pharkas, Frontier Pharmacist. Enjoy the voices. I think they're hilarious.

Video supported: 256-Color VGA Hard drive space needed: 5K (We keep the rest of it on the CD-ROM) Memory Required: 4 Meg Mouse support: Full Sound card support: Whatever works with Windows

Softporn (DOS and Windows) The prequel to Larry 1! Often cited as the most widely pirated game in the world. More fun than a weekend in a stalled elevator with Susan Powter.

Video supported: DOS text. No graphics. Hard drive space needed: 46K. That's right... .046 Meg for the whole thing. Memory required: 45K (anybody know where the extra K went?) Mouse support: Mouse? What's a mouse? Sound card support: Absolutely none. Not even the PC speaker.

Important note: Softporn is a very simple game. All commands are typed at the game prompt, even Save, Restore, etc. The Install program tells you that you can copy this game's files to another directory if you prefer. Use DOS or Windows to do the copying.

INN -- the ImagiNation Network (DOS) I talked Sierra into including a free introductory membership to the ImagiNation Network for you. For more information, switch to your CD drive (probably "D:" followed by ) and type "INN" and press . It takes approximately 15 megabytes of your hard disk.

Important Information on the Care and Handling of Digital Antiques by John Williams Resident Historian, Sierra On-Line, Inc.

This is a collection of software spanning the first 10 years of the Leisure Suit Larry series, the pinnacle of adventure games. This collection not only presents the compiled tales of the Leisure Suit Larry saga, but also provides an example of the evolution of computer entertainment software over the last decade.

As you review early works of the Leisure Suit Larry series, please remember that you are looking at what might be described as "digital antiques" from the early days of personal computing. Innovations such as mice and music cards, which are widely used today, were not yet available in the early and mid-1980's. Thus, early Leisure Suit Larry games will not support them. We hope you will enjoy these games in the same nostalgic spirit as you would a classic black-and-white movie. While they may lack some modern-day technological flair, we think you'll agree that they do have a unique quality all their own.

It is also important to note that the Windows operating system was not in homes during the 80's. While we have attempted to adjust our software so that it may be accessed within Windows, some of the early games simply cannot run in Windows on some computer system configurations. If you are experiencing trouble with any adventure game while running within the Windows environment, we recommend that you exit Windows, and instead access the adventure game from MS-DOS.

I sincerely hope you enjoy "Leisure Suit Larrys Greatest Hits and Misses."