King of Chicago manual

The King of Chicago

GETTING STARTED
Insert the King "Reel 1" disk into your main drive. If you have a second drive
(recommended) insert King "Reel 2."

After a few seconds, the title screen will appear and the theme music
will begin. When the fly pointer appears, you may start the game. Press and
hold the right mouse button, and move your pointer to the word PROJECTOR at the
top of the screen. Pull the pointer down to high light the words "START THE
MOVIE" and release the button.

You may pause the game by pulling down the menu and selecting the word
"INTERMISSION." When you are ready to resume play, select "END INTERMISSION."
Quit the program by selecting "QUIT," then click on the word "YEP" when
the game asks, "GIVE UP?"  If you change your mind you may resume play by
clicking on the word "NOPE."

To end the game and start a new one, pull down the menu and select "END
THE MOVIE."  When the game asks, "ARE YOU READY TO CHICKEN OUT?" select "YEP"
to end the game or "NOPE" to continue.

PLAYING THE GAME
As you move the mouse you'll notice a small fly buzzing around. When
Pinky can't decide what to do next, move the fly to one of his "thought
balloons" and push the left mouse button. Choose quickly or he will make up his
own mind.  And remember, every decision you make will affect the characters in
that episode!
NOTE:the dialogue will "FAST FORWARD" if you hold down the mouse button.
Sometines Pinky will think about drawing his gun. When the gun appears,
move the mouse to aim and press the button if you decide to fire. DON'T MOVE
THE MOUSE TOO QUICKLY and be sure to stay on your toes, you never know what the
other characters will do.

THE DESKTOP
At regular intervals (approximately once a month) Pinky returns to his
office. When the desktop appears you may "click on" the following items:

Lola:		Allows you to visit with Lola.
ledger:	The ledger lets you review money matters.
map:		Click on the map to discuss territory grabbing strategies with 
		Ben.
keys:		Exit the screen by clicking on the keys.

NOTE: The ledger will open to a statement of your current finances. Click on
the small plus or minus sign to adjust monthly payments and salaries. To adjust
your monthly INCOME you'll have to leave notes in the ledger for Ben. If you
want to squeeze more cash out of your speakeasies, click on the word "SAME"
until it says "MORE." To exit the ledger, click on the green desktop to the
right.
Players with only 512K of memory will notice that the game speeds up
considerably when you upgrade to 1 meg or more. 
And with extra memory most of the images can stay in RAM rather than 
being read from disk.
If you own a hard drive, or have at least 1 meg of expansion memory, 
please read the king.doc file on disk 2. (External memory can be used in lieu
of a second disk drive.)

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

How long should a typical game last?
That depends on how you play. There are over a BILLION different ways to play
the King of Chicago! But a typical winning game will last about an hour.

I need help with the drive-by bombings...
Successful demolition requires a steady hand and careful timing. As the car
drives by the front of the building, press the left mouse button to lob the
bomb. The longer you hold your finger on the button the higher the bomb
travels. Your aim is based entirely on when you throw the bomb, and not on the
position of your cursor.

How important are the decisions I make in the game?
Some of your decisions will cause branches in the game while others affect the
personalities of the characters involved in that particular scene. For the
example, making a caustic remark to Lola will boost Pinky's toughness but
decreases Lolas happiness. (And if she gets too unhappy - well, watch out!
Conversely, the boys are more likely to mutiny with a weak leader; it's a very
delicate balance.)

Do I ever want my monthly income to be less?
Yes. Your income producing ventures can only yield so much. If you push them
too hard they might become unproductive. Also, the more effort you put into one
area the less energy and resources you'll have for another.

How many ways are there to win the game?
There are at least three completely different ways to win The King of Chicago.
So keep playing!

If the sun's on fire how come there isn't any smoke?
What?

Does the game play differently with extra memory?
Yes. In addition to playing a lot faster, there are a few extra scenes for
those players with memory expansion. (A spinning newspaper and an intermission
screen, for example.)

Why did my losses go down when I adjusted the salaries?
Losses are based on the monthly ncome minus the salaries you are about to pay
out. Whenever you open the ledger, think of it as payday!

Are both reels copy protected?
No. Only reel 1 is protected. We encourage you to make a backup of reel 2, and
play with it.

Why does the game require 2 disk drives with 512K?
Because the game is so non-linear. It was a struggle just to keep the game on 2
disks, and believe it or not, there isn't enough room left in the machine to
put up a message asking the user to insert another disk! Besides that, the game
would be nonplayable on a one drive system because of a constant need for disk
swaps.

Why did I lose men after a shootout with Santucci?
Whenever you get into a gun battle with the Southside gang you risk losing a
few men. Every time you allow them to get a shot off, you lose a valuable gang
member. If there are no more men left in the gang, the next shot will kill
Pinky.

Is there a secret to blowing away the Old Man in his car?
Yes.

Will the game play by itself?
Yes. Unless you pull down the intermission option the game will take off by
itself, (until you do something) making random decisions along the way. So if
you pause too long at the desktop, you may find that the conputer takes you off
to see Lola, or it might even open the ledger. So keep on your toes and keep
moving!

Why do I keep getting attacked as I head off on a raid?
When Pinky leaves in his car he runs the risk of being followed and attacked by
one of Santucci's hoodlum pals. Your odds of being ambushed increase
immediately following a successful rain, so it's sometimes helpful to lay low
for a turn or two.

What happens if I pull my gun on someone but don't shoot?
There's only one way to find out. The best part about The King of Chicago is
that it's full of surprises. So turn down the lights, pop up some popcorn, grab
a soda and enjoy!


REAL GANGSTERS

Let's go back in time to 12:01 a.m. on January 17, 1920. A nation
victorious in war and steeped in idealism embarked on what must be one of
history's dumbest effort ever to outlaw sin. It was popularly called the
Volstead Act, after a well-intentioned Congressman of the day, and its purpose
was to prohibit the manufacture, importation, sale and consumption of booze.

The King of Chicago back in 1920 was Big Jim Colosimo, a crafty old
rascal who owned the cops, the courts, the politicians, and a one-stop shopping
center of vice called Colisimo's Cafe on South Wabash Avenue. Despite excited
talk of Prohibition opportunities, Big Jim was happy the way things were. He'd
fallen madly in love with a 19 year old aspiring opera singer named Dale, who
could think of worse fates than wealth. For her, he left his frumpy wife,
started polishing his speech and his manners, and eventually brought in his
punk nephew from New York, Johnny Torrio, to tend shop while he devoted all his
efforts to sex and self-improvement.

Fine, except that Torrio was a man of youth, energy and vision who
recognized the wonderful opportunities presented by National Prohibition. That
Big Jim couldn't care less presented a problem, but not one lacking a solution.
Torrio brought in his own right-hand man, Alphonse Capone, another Brooklyn
transplant, who had been policikng the Colosimo chain of brothels and otherwise
making himself useful. For months the two tried to reason with the old man, but
he remained adamantly opposed to any added responsibilities that might cut into
his love life.

Too bad.
 
On the night of March 20, 1920, an unidentified gunman in the vestibule
of Colosimo's nightclub fired a pistol shot that sent the King up to that big
pleasure palace in the sky.

THE KING IS DEAD! LONG LIVE THE KING!  The NEW King that is, Johnny
Torrio, ably assisted by brothel bouncer Al, whose paycheck began a meteoric
rise from a measly $75 to $2,000 a week by 1922.

Torrio was not alone, of course, in recognizing the bountiful rewards
that could be reaped from the illegl sale of alchohol. All over the city,
street gangs and "social clubs" were discovering that the very fact of being
organized permitted a certain amount of profitable mischief--everything from
terrorizing unsympathetic voters on behalf of crooked aldermen to shaking down
shopkeepers. What better base on which to build a criminal business enterprise?

At first, the demand for illegal booze so outstripped the supply that
the various gangs were able to operate in their respective territories without
stepping on one another's toes. But the farsighted Torrio knew this couldn't
last and (such was his authority as the reigning King of Chicago) he convened a
summit meeting that formally carved up Chicago into independent fiefdoms. He
and Capone kept the near South Side; the classy North Side went to
ward-politician and erstwhile florist Dion O'Banion. A number of smaller gangs
subordinated their ethnic rivalries to respect each other's turfs and even
cooperated, one handling, say, the alchohol distillng (in which immigrant
Sicilian families specialized, whether they wanted to or not) and another the
beer-running, with trade agreements between them.

On November 10, 1924, Torrio sent three men to O'Banion's flower shop,
ostensibly to buy a floral tribute to a fallen comrade. One took the Irishman's
hand in a clasp of friendship (preventing him from reaching a gun) and the
other two blasted him six times in what became known as the infamous "handshake
murder."

Assuming control of the North Siders was one irate and vengeful Hymie 
Weiss whose gunmen, two months later, pumped several bullets into Torrio but
failed to kill him. It was enough, however, that Johnny got religion. He took
his money and abdicated to New York, leaving the throne to Al Capone.

By the middle of 1925 the fighting had become routine. This was the 
beginning of the "Battle of Chicago," and in searching for ways to increase
their offensive capabilities gang tacticians discovered the Thompson submachine
gun. It was a weapon that would alter beer-war combat the way football was
revolutionized by the forward pass. There was also a bonus feature: While
Chicago and other cities were clamping down on the sale of concealable
weapons--namely handguns--the Thompson did not legally fit that definition. And
since machine guns before that time were large contraptions of no interest to
criminals, no one had thought to prohibit them. Thus, you might not be able to
buy a pistol without a lot of trouble and red tape, but you could walk into a
well-stocked sporting goods store, plunk down $175 and walk out with a Thompson
submachine gun.

The Saltis-McErlane gang introduced the Thompson to modern criminal
warfare but proved embarassingly inept with it. Capone, meanwhile, had acquired
some of his own and quickly demonstrated that he had the touch. Unfortunately
for Capone, submachine guns aren't too specific and one of his victims turned
out to be William McSwiggin, a well-known assistant state's attorney newspapers
called "the hanging prosecutor".  Why McSwiggen was consorting with bootleggers
was never to be explained, but the resulting uproar forced the police to raid
Capone's new headquarters at Cicero's Hawthorne Hotel where they seized ledgers
that would one day contribute to his undoing.

Tommyguns and Chicago gangsters were just about synonymous and the gun
had acquired such nicknames as the "Chicago Piano" and the "Chicago
Typewriter". Even when called just plain "chopper" it was still considered a
Chicago gangster weapon, and if there was any doublt on that point, it vanished
on February 14, 1929. St. Valentines Day!

If Capone had performed some artful machine-gunnings in the past, the
project he had in mind now would be a mural by comparison. It was a sting, of
sorts. A truckload of Old Log Cabin whiskey, supposedly hijacked from Capone,
was sold to the North Side at an irresistible price and a second truckload was
to be delivered to a booze depot called the S.M.C. Cartage Company at 2122
North Clark Street. About 10:30 on that fateful Thursday morning two men
dressed in Chicago cop uniforms, followed by two in overcoats, walked into the
building and hosed down the seven North Siders inside with a pair of Thompsons.
 Then they walked back out to a waiting car, of the type used by Chicago
police, and drove off.

Chicago was mortified. The police, who had yet to solve a gangland
murder, went into fits of futile investigation. Even citizens who had come to
view the back-and-forth warfare between Capone and the North Siders like an
underworld series were wondering if mass murder wasn't a bit much. The
publisher of the "Chicago Daily News" personally led a mission to the White
House in Washington to demand federal intervention.

As these problems mounted, and with the North Siders apoplectic for
revenge, Capone decided the safest place to be was a jail cell in a distant
city and deliberately got himself arrested in Philadelphia on a gun-carrying
charge.

Then the real disaster struck. On Octover 24, 1931, Capone suffered the
everlasting humiliation of being convicted for a non-violent crime....failure
to pay his taxes. In shame, he was sentenced to 11 years and shipped off to the
Federal Penitentiary in Atlanta, then transferred to Alcatraz just to make the
Government look good.

The City of Broad Shoulders was left in desperate need of a stylish,
charismatic, and resolute man of Mr. Capone's...ah...caliber.
There's no denying that Scarface Al Capone is a tough act to follow.
But here's your chance to give it a try...


THE SCENARIO

The King of Chicaog is an interactive movie that takes you back in
time, allowing you tore-write history. The story begins with the fall of
Chicago Kingpin, Al Capone, who has just left for an eleven year Alcatraz
vacation package, leaving his Southside gane in the grip of devious and
dangerous Tony Santucci.

You star in the role of PINKY CALLAHAN, a rising mug in the opposing
Northside organization. Pinky's tired of the bloody civil war. He wants to
force those Southside S.O.B.s out of business and gain total control of the
Windy City. Pinky wants to be THE KING OF CHICAGO...and he'll stop at nothing
to get it!

Unfortunately, Pinky is two heads down on the shaky Northside totem
pole. First, he'll have to get rid of the OLD MAN, a crusty old hood who led
the gang to defeat during the Capone wars. BEN is the Old Man's chief advisor
and stands next in line to fill the vacancy, but Pinky figures he'll step
aside...with a little persuasion.

THE MOVIE 

The action begins in 1931 and ends in 1934, the year leaders of
organize crime held a meeting in New York City to form the national Syndicate.
Murder Inc. was established to centralize violence and keep it out of the hands
of individual gangs.

Chicago was considered too barbaric to be admitted as a voting member
of the Syndicate.

Here's your chance to re-write history. You have three years to
establish such a commanding position in Chicago that gang wars are a thing of
the past. If you succeed, an invitation to join the syndicate will be forwarded
from New York. The full weight of organized crime will secure your position as
the reigning KING OF CHICAGO!

THE KING OF CHICAGO is primarily a contest of strategy, both on a
territorial and a social level. The personality of your character, and the
characters you interact with, will change slightly EVERY time you make a
decision. Playing it cool with Lola, for example, will raise your toughness. 
Threats will become more effective. Gang loyalty will usually go up.
But Lola's happiness will plummet, and that may leave her open to the
advances of your archrival Tony Santucci. Your image will be tarnished. The
gang may lose respect.

Remember, you have no friends. and even your allies can turn on you
like mad dogs. Learn to use the tools of your trade: violence, threats,
bribery, influence, leadership, betrayal, and above all savvy-the knowledge of
when to use each tool to its best effect.

Money can buy loyalty, sometimes. But once you open the well you'd
better make sure there's a steady flow.

Where do you stand with the other gang members? Is Ben with you or
against you? You'd better find out.

THE PLAYERS

You play the part of PINKY CALLAHAN.
Pinky is smart, good looking, very ambitious...a high roller. He hates
the name "Pinky". Begins some contests with a reputation for toughness.
Sometimes he is a wimp. He's mixed up with a fiery little hellcat names Lola.
Not the kind of girl you want to take home to mother. Loves his Monna but she
can't accept the life her boy has chosen to lead. Has a soft spot for his
childhood friend, Tom Malone, who is now a cop. Pinky will lie, kill, and
double-cross to get to the top. Plans to take control of Chicago by 1934.
Figures he'll join the Syndicate to secure his empire.

BEN
Crafty, devious. More intelligent than ambitious. Has been with the
Northside for years. CAN be a good advisor if he's treated well. Treat him
badly and he can arrange to have your throat cut. Doesn't really like violence
and is a coward in action. LOOKS tough though, and won't hesitate to make
threats.

OLD MAN
Never much of a leader. Capone ground him into the dirt like an old
cigar butt. He's weak and cautious from a career of watching the Southside gang
roll over his Northside. Too old to take advantage of the termporary turmoil
created by Capone's departure. Sometimes he can be talked into retirement.
Sometimes he'll fight your attempted coup like the plague. Considers Ben his
rightful heir.

LOLA
Bitchy, flashy...typical gangster moll. Wants to be a singer. Has big
ambitions for Pinky but she fights with him constantly. Claims he doesn't spend
enough time with her...or money ON her. Can be dangerous if mistreated. On the
other hand, if Pinky lays down for her the gang may decide to elect a leader
with more backbone. Aney they vote with their bullets.

BULL
A thickheaded thug with a heart of, if not solid gold, at least PLATED
gold. He's loyal to whoever is in power. Loves following orders but doesn't
enjoy killing. Apologizes to anyone he has to bump off.

TOM MALONE 
A Boy Scout with a badge. Rests his cap on a golden halo. Grew up with
Pinky but won't bend the law for him. Likes to think of himself as a human
vacuum cleaner, sucking up the dirt of humanity.

PEEPERS 
One of the Northside boys. Likes to complain. May have to be watched.
He likees to hang around with Bull and may have some influence on him.
Sometimes he will back the Old Man at the beginning of the game. Sometimes he
won't.

TONY SANTUCCI
Tony is Capone's heir. He's devious. Despicable. And one mean S.O.B. He
isn't as generous as Capone, nor is he as good at PR. Tries to centralize power
in his own hands and this leaves openings for expanding the Northside turf.
He's tricky in business dealings but this can be used against him.

GUIDO
Tony's sidekick. Nervous, trigger-happy, a clod. He's the Southside YES
man. Unfortunately, it's about the only word in his vocabulary. COULD play a
major role in Tony's fall from power.

JAKE
A mystery man. Plays many different roles. Sometimes he's a hired gun.
Sometimes he only has a minor part. No political ties to North or South.

SUPPORTING CAST

MOMMA
Weepy and moralistic. She loves her son but hates his career. She
appears in vignettes trying to get Pinky to leave the gang. Considers Tom
Malone a shining example of rectitude. Pinky tries to bluff her about his
crookedness but she sees through it.

ALDERMAN BURKE 
Corrupt Westside ward boss. Helps keep the Northside boys out of jail
unless they were arrested by Southside cops. Could be a valuable property at
election time.

ANDY, THE KID
Bright, ambitious 13-year old from a poor family. He idolizes Pinky and
likes to hang around at headquarters. Tom Malone may ask Pinky to turn the kid
away from crime.