Serve the tea and solve mysteries - Tally Ho! [Choice of Games]

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Video Games > Let's Play! > Serve the tea and solve mysteries - Tally Ho! [Choice of Games]

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Pangurban: Apr 29, 2015

Tally Ho - Only a perfect servant can solve a perfect mess posted:

Only a perfect servant can solve a perfect mess! Being the perfect gentleman's gentleman or lady's lady doesn't make you an angel. Can you untangle your employer's knottiest problems with elegance and unruffled grace? As the valet or lady's maid of Rory Wintermint, you'll go head to head with recalcitrant aunts, light-handed houseguests, manage a fox hunt, and corral exotic birds!

Talloy Ho is a 600,000 word interactive comedy of manners by Kreg Segall, where your choices control the story.

It's England between the wars, and the 1920s are roaring! When your employer, a proper young gentleman or lady named Rory Wintermint, is summoned to their aunt Primrose's country house Ritornello for a weekend, it's up to you to make everything run smoothly...or not! Glide gracefully behind the scenes to arrange everything from the flowers to their love life, or leave Rory to their own devices as you pursue crime, adventure, and romance! Will you lie, cheat, and steal to ensure your employer's happiness, or will you insist upon personal integrity?

Play as male, female, or non-binary, gay or straight

Help Rory sort out their love life, or sabotage it utterly

Solve the case o a mysterious sneak-thief - or join them on a crime spree

Aid spies, evade the law, calm flighty flappers, and unruffle Aunt Primrose

Win an Exotic Animal Show and a boat race fairly, or cheat!

Dance the lindy hop, or a graceful waltz - or just tut disapprovingly

Ride trains, motorcycles, zip-lines, bicycles, horses, and rusty jalopies

Jazz it up in the Jazz Age, or remain aloof and cool as a cucumber

You'll be swinging from the chandeliers or serving the canapes in this madcap, but altogether elegant comedy.

Chapter One - At Your Service posted:

Standing at the front window of your employer's flat, you take a moment's respite from your cleaning tasks to enjoy the sights and sounds of a late October afternoon in the better part of London.

A cool breeze wafts through the window almost playfully, as if to say all is well with the world - but the moment does not last, as a groan issues from the master bedroom, followed by a muffled crash and then a sort of whimper.

Your employer, Rory Wintermint, was out quite late last night, and was helped back to the flat by some friends, in what might be termed an "impaired state" after an evening's carousing. You have taken advantage of the morning's quiet to do some tidying, all of the ironing, and the dishes. Now it is late afternoon, and your employer appears to have fully awakened.

Another groan and some incoherent gurgles emerge as you stride to the kitchen and prepare Rory's tray.

What is on the tray you have prepared?

A hearty platter of seeded rye toast with butter, three link sausages, four scrambled eggs with a dash of hot pepper, and two large mugs of extaordinarily strong black coffee
A calming cup of chamomile tea and an antacid tablet
A cocktail cunningly designed to ease Rory's hangover
An attractive iris in a bud case and a cup of fragrant oolong tea

quote:

Unnamed Unnamed

Your Sundry Skills
Bold: 25%
Culture: 25%
Intellect: 25%
Observe: 25%
Persuade: 25%
Skulduggery: 25%
Soothing/Abrasive: 50%/50%

Your Reputation
Renown: 10%
Tranquility: 20%
Suspicion: 10%

Rory: 40%

Ready Monies: 25

Pangurban fucked around with this message at 02:55 on Dec 21, 2017

# ? Dec 20, 2017 05:54

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# ? Apr 25, 2024 22:25

Pangurban: Apr 29, 2015

Most current stats posted:

Reginald Butler

Your Sundry Skills
Bold: 64%
Culture: 25%
Intellect: 40%
Observe: 41%
Persuade: 45%
Skulduggery: 37%
Soothing/Abrasive: 20%/80%

Your Reputation
Renown: 60%
Tranquility: 12%
Suspicion: 18%
Invitation: 17%

Rory: 62%
Valentine: 34%
Frankincense: 49%
Aunt Primrose: 23%
Col. Firesnuff: 35%
Haze: 53%
Mopsie: 100%

Ready Monies: 8

Achievements Unlocked posted:

All Aboard! - You boarded the train.
A Superior Gift - You ensured that Rory gave a superior birthday gift to Aunt Primrose.

An explanation of what the stats mean posted:

Bold is a measure of both your physical derring-do and your ability to act in a vigorous manner. It would include both leaping from high places and interrupting the prime minister.

Culture is a measure of your aesthetic sophistication, your etiquette, and your ability to act. It would include impersonating a duchess, setting a table correctly, and quoting a poem accurately.

Intellect is a measure of your raw problem-solving ability, including your ability to put clues together and play chess. It would include recall of important information, and solving a puzzle.

Observe is a measure of your ability to spot things or to read subtle behavior cues. It would include noting a tiny but telltale mud stain on a cuff and finding the apricot preserves way in the back of a crowded larder.

Persuade is a measure of your overall ability to get people to see things your way, a key skill for anyone in domestic service. It would include getting someone to discard an offensive pair of shoes.

Skullduggery is a measure of your ability to do all of the things you aren't supposed to do, or doing things in a surreptitious manner. It would include elaborate ruses, lock picking, or sleight of hand.

Soothing/Abrasive is a sliding measure of the way people perceive your general affect. A Soothing servant puts people at ease, often telling them what they want to hear, while an Abrasive servant challenges people and is more willing to buck social norms. Some people like one, some like the other, and some like it in between.

The above qualities are very often tested together. So, for example, trying to publically humiliate someone by outsmarting them might be Abrasive and Intellect. A particularly bold lie might be both Bold and Skullduggery. Attempting to pass yourself off as the mayor might be a combination of Culture, Observe, and Persuade.

Expect to see these qualities rated between 25-75 for most of the game. Lower than 30 is subpar; a 40 is above the norm; a 60 is notably good; a 75 is breathtaking and worthy of approbation in the finest clubs and dining establishments.

Readies is a rather abstract measure of the amount of money available to you at the moment.

Renown is a measure of your astonishing performance as a servant. Doing something striking, glorious, or simply intriguing will raise Renown. Doing things that make you look foolish will lower Renown. A servant with high Renown will eventually find that they have doors opened to them that otherwise would remain firmly closed.

Tranquility is a measure of your ability to make things easier for people. It is a wondrous and ephemeral quality, which can accrue even when nobody is looking, when you do a deed to ease someone's path.

Suspicion is a measure of to what extent you are seen as a potential criminal by those in authority. A high Suspicion may have an unfortunate effect on your future employment.

Invitation is a measure of your standing with The Inner Circle of the Cadbury Club, and the likelihood that you will receive an invitation to join this exclusive society.

So, "Tally Ho" has occasionally mentioned this cocktail or that. They've actually all been drinks that exist, so far, and a few people have expressed interest in trying them. I'm going to try and compile descriptions and associated recipes here, for people to use as needed.

First off, we have the Electric Current Fizz, used by Reginald Butler as a hangover cure for his master. chitoryu12 did some investigating and dug up a recipe.

chitoryu12 posted:

Reginald's Electric Current Fizz

This is the stupidest goddamn idea. If you would like to try it yourself:

* 1.5 ounces of gin (I chose Bombay as a classic London style to be as close to the real Reginald recipe as possible)
* 1 ounce of lemon juice
* 1/2 tbsp of sugar
* 1 raw egg
* 1 dash of salt
* 1 dash of black pepper
* 1 dash of vinegar (I used red wine vinegar as I had nothing else on hand)
* A few drops of habanero hot sauce
* Soda water to fill the glass to the top

The habanero hot sauce is a twist Reginald added to the recipe himself, much to his shame. His version calls for pureed habanero peppers, but the hot sauce should do fine. A proper puree could thicken the drink into something no longer liquid.

It's worth noting that Reginald's variation also calls for 6 egg whites, which might not be feasible to even fit in the glass. It also calls for everything to be mixed in one glass, which is not advisable. A true Electric Current Fizz, as described here, is meant to have you shoot the egg yolk and spices separately. Again, to quote chitoryu12, the end result when drunk all in one glass can best be described as:

chitoryu12 posted:

This tastes exactly like vomit, and I mean exactly. The bizarre combination of flavors is bad enough, but the vinegar contributes an acidity that brings to mind the taste in your mouth right after you're done expelling a pint of bile from it. It appears to work as a hangover cure by causing Rory to puke up everything he drank the previous night.

After the first sip, I dumped the rest of the glass in the backyard and brushed my teeth to try and return to some semblance of normalcy.

Use this recipe as something to build on. Do not actually try it yourselves at home.

Next up we have the Butler Especial, described as a pomegranate champagne cocktail. The game mentions "the champagne, the Riesling, the pomegranate juice, and an assortment of citrus fruits", finished off with some mulled mint. There's a lot of possible variation here, basically involving mixing whatever kinds of fruit juices you think you'd like best with pomegranate. chitoryu12 came up with a possible example:

chitoryu12 posted:

The pomegranate champagne cocktail is real, but there's a lot of variations on it. Reginald is using a variety of fruit juices and muddled mint, and is mixing champagne and Riesling instead of using a single wine. Looking at the measurements in some real recipes and figuring out what would taste good with pomegranate, here's my suggestion

* 2 ounces of champagne
* 2 ounces of Riesling
* 3 tbsp of pomegranate juice
* 1 tbsp of lime juice
* 1 tbsp of orange juice
* 1 tbsp of pineapple juice
* 1 fresh mint leaf

Muddle the mint at the bottom of the serving glass (do it the right way with a light touch so you don't shred the leaf). Mix the wines and juices together, pour into the serving glass with ice, and drink two.

More booze to be added as its discovered in the game.

Pangurban fucked around with this message at 15:46 on Mar 26, 2018

# ? Dec 20, 2017 05:54

Aesculus: Mar 22, 2013

Oolong tea is the only choice.

# ? Dec 20, 2017 06:14

Ratoslov: Feb 15, 2012; Now prepare yourselves! You're the guests of honor at the Greatest Kung Fu Cannibal BBQ Ever!

Let's give our employer a martini first thing in the morning. Breakfast of champions.

# ? Dec 20, 2017 07:29

AnAnonymousIdiot: Sep 14, 2013

Give us the full English Breakfast.

# ? Dec 20, 2017 08:11

CommissarMega: Nov 18, 2008; THUNDERDOME LOSER

A hearty breakfast for our rambunctious employer; we know full well they'll settle for nothing less!

# ? Dec 20, 2017 08:32

SOLarian: Oct 29, 2012; Pillbug

Aesculus posted:

Oolong tea is the only choice.

I'm gonna agree with the tea.

# ? Dec 20, 2017 16:00

ultrafilter: Aug 23, 2007; It's okay if you have any questions.

Ratoslov posted:

Let's give our employer a martini first thing in the morning. Breakfast of champions.

# ? Dec 20, 2017 16:18

FoolyCharged: Oct 11, 2012; Cheating at a raffle? I sentence you to 1 year in jail! No! Two years! Three! Four! Five years! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!
Somebody call for an ant?

Ratoslov posted:

Let's give our employer a martini first thing in the morning. Breakfast of champions.

# ? Dec 20, 2017 16:24

Lord Cyrahzax: Oct 11, 2012

Cocktail, yessir.

# ? Dec 20, 2017 19:18

chitoryu12: Apr 24, 2014

A massive breakfast plate. Somehow I picture Rory as a girl who eats an entire truck for a meal. I dunno, it just seems right.

# ? Dec 20, 2017 20:50

Pangurban: Apr 29, 2015

quote:

Your employer is an advocate of the "hair of the dog that bit you" school of awakening after a night out, and you have prepared a bracing tonic that you are certain will revive your employer to some extent.

You began working for Rory about five years ago, when you answered an advertisement in the back of a fashionable monthly magazine asking for...

...a man who could serve as a gentleman's gentleman.
...a woman who could serve as a lady's maid.
...a person who could serve as a lady's servant.
...a person who could serve as a gentleman's servant.

quote:

Unnamed Unnamed

Your Sundry Skills
Bold: 25%
Culture: 25%
Intellect: 36% (+11%)
Observe: 25%
Persuade: 25%
Skulduggery: 25%
Soothing/Abrasive: 45%/55% (+5% Abrasiveness)

Your Reputation
Renown: 10%
Tranquility: 20%
Suspicion: 10%

Rory: 40%

Ready Monies: 25

Pangurban fucked around with this message at 23:33 on Dec 22, 2017

# ? Dec 21, 2017 02:54

achtungnight: Oct 5, 2014; I get my fun here. Enjoy!

Can we pick our gender next if we pick person? There could be some great comedy out of a woman helping a man as valet or vice versa, although I do recognize the gender norms.

I vote for Person serving as Gentleman's servant. It's more of a recognized trope for the man to be the fool.

I wasn't interested enough in this game to buy it based on the advertising, but it might be fun to play here, you never know.

# ? Dec 21, 2017 03:07

Pangurban: Apr 29, 2015

achtungnight posted:

Can we pick our gender next if we pick person? There could be some great comedy out of a woman helping a man as valet or vice versa, although I do recognize the gender norms.

I vote for Person serving as Gentleman's servant. It's more of a recognized trope for the man to be the fool.

I wasn't interested enough in this game to buy it based on the advertising, but it might be fun to play here, you never know.

Unfortunately not. If we pick person, that sets our gender as nonbinary. Agreed that that would have been a nice freedom to have, though, especially since whatever gender you pick, they don't actually change the list of available default names.

# ? Dec 21, 2017 03:17

Ratoslov: Feb 15, 2012; Now prepare yourselves! You're the guests of honor at the Greatest Kung Fu Cannibal BBQ Ever!

Let us be a lady's lady, a woman of class and refinement to try and help our charge avoid the bad decisions she is so often prone to.

# ? Dec 21, 2017 03:26

achtungnight: Oct 5, 2014; I get my fun here. Enjoy!

Ok, thanks Pangurban. Glad but sad to know my instinct was correct here.

I have to say, I like that concepts such as non-binary and transgender are working their way into our culture and some authors are doing them well (Rick Riordan with his transgender character Alex in Hammer of Thor and Ship of the Dead comes to mind most easily)- such things deserve respect. But in other media, having them is creating more limits and doing more harm than good by doing things like locking out Romance and so forth.

It's a learning experience weaving them in, I know.

I'll change my vote to gentleman's gentleman out of respect for Alfred, Jeeves, Owen Burnett, Butler from PvP, and all the other great majordomos of whom I am a fan. I have a few lady butlers among their number but if this game won't let me play one and still have the option of Romance, oh well. Please correct me if I'm wrong- a nonbinary Romance like Alex got with the hero of Rick Riordan's mentioned books would be a nice surprise.

# ? Dec 21, 2017 03:41

Pangurban: Apr 29, 2015

achtungnight posted:

Ok, thanks Pangurban. Glad but sad to know my instinct was correct here. I have to say, I like that concepts such as non-binary and transgender are working their way into our culture and some authors are doing them well (Rick Riordan with his transgender character Alex in Hammer of Thor and Ship of the Dead comes to mind most easily)- such things deserve respect. But in other media, having them is creating more limits and doing more harm than good by doing things like locking out Romance and so forth. It's a learning experience weaving them in, I know.

I'll change my vote to gentleman's gentleman out of respect for Alfred, Jeeves, Owen Burnett, Butler from PvP, and all the other great majordomos of whom I am a fan. I have a few lady butlers among their number but if this game won't let me play one and still have the option of Romance, oh well. Please correct me if I'm wrong- a nonbinary Romance like Alex got with the hero of Rick Riordan's mentioned books would be a nice surprise.

Yeah, I definitely don't mean it as a slight against the fact that nonbinary characters are being included at all - just that it would have been nice to have gentleman's maids or lady's valets as well. If it helps, I don't believe there are any romances restricted by gender, no matter what gender we directly or indirectly determine the love interests to be.

Pangurban fucked around with this message at 04:02 on Dec 21, 2017

# ? Dec 21, 2017 03:57

achtungnight: Oct 5, 2014; I get my fun here. Enjoy!

No Romances restricted by gender? Ok, I've seen that before. My usual experience with non-binary is the game automatically assumes you're asexual- which is not always true in real life and I consider it a cop out of one of the most fun parts of CYOA games. Glad to know the author of this game took the route of including it even for non-binaries. I agree with you about lady's valets and gentlemen's maids.

Still voting for gentleman's gentleman, I don't want to change my vote again.

# ? Dec 21, 2017 04:08

FoolyCharged: Oct 11, 2012; Cheating at a raffle? I sentence you to 1 year in jail! No! Two years! Three! Four! Five years! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!
Somebody call for an ant?

We are a Gentleman's Gentleman.
No don't ask me what crazy person actually gave us the job, I don't know either.

# ? Dec 21, 2017 04:08

ultrafilter: Aug 23, 2007; It's okay if you have any questions.

Gentleman's gentleman

# ? Dec 21, 2017 04:35

Lord Cyrahzax: Oct 11, 2012

ultrafilter posted:

Gentleman's gentleman

# ? Dec 21, 2017 05:16

chitoryu12: Apr 24, 2014

A lady�s lady.

# ? Dec 21, 2017 05:27

CommissarMega: Nov 18, 2008; THUNDERDOME LOSER

We are the gentlest of men for a gentleman.

# ? Dec 21, 2017 05:59

Pangurban: Apr 29, 2015

quote:

Rory Wintermint was a young man of the leisure class, known among those in service as a person of whom something might be made if the right valet took him in hand firmly.

The advertised position noted that the position would require some simple cooking and light housekeeping, in addition to maintaining Rory's sartorial elegance.

As the position looked acceptable, and you were presently in search of gainful employment after leaving the Cygnet-Signet family's employ, you wrote a letter of interest, and were gratified to receive a request for an interview.

The interview, as you recall, was not a grueling one. Rory was sitting at his piano, idly playing the first few notes of a popular tune, sipping a clear cocktail, and glancing briefly at the letter you had written.

"Good morning," Rory said. "Now, I'm not really what you would call an interviewing expert. But let's have a go and see what you're all about. You can't be worse than the last three blighters. If I seem out of sorts, it's because my well-meaning-but-meddling Aunt Primrose has wagered that I would be unable to quit smoking, which I have done successfully. Indeed, I have quit smoking every day for the past two weeks. Today makes two hours in a row that I've gone without. But she seems to feel that she's won the wager. Tell me, what is your opinion of interfering aunts?"

This was his first question to you when you met five years ago. How did you respond?

I sympathized with him regarding this Aunt Primrose, saying she sounded difficult to please but clearly loves him.
I spoke out rather directly on how sensible such an aunt sounds, and that she ought to be obeyed.
I told him in no uncertain terms that Aunt Primrose sounded like a menace to all right-thinking people.
I said, "Indeed, sir?"

Most current stats posted:

Unnamed Unnamed

Your Sundry Skills
Bold: 25%
Culture: 25%
Intellect: 36%
Observe: 25%
Persuade: 25%
Skulduggery: 25%
Soothing/Abrasive: 45%/55%

Your Reputation
Renown: 10%
Tranquility: 20%
Suspicion: 10%

Rory: 40%

Ready Monies: 25

# ? Dec 22, 2017 00:03

chitoryu12: Apr 24, 2014

I sympathized with him regarding this Aunt Primrose, saying she sounded difficult to please but clearly loves him.

# ? Dec 22, 2017 00:06

achtungnight: Oct 5, 2014; I get my fun here. Enjoy!

"Indeed, sir?" That sounds familiar.

I'll vote for sympathy though. I'm guessing it has a better effect on game stats.

# ? Dec 22, 2017 00:09

Lord Cyrahzax: Oct 11, 2012

She's a menace! :argh:

# ? Dec 22, 2017 00:20

SilkyP: Jul 21, 2004; The Boo-Box

she's a menace

# ? Dec 22, 2017 00:27

Ratoslov: Feb 15, 2012; Now prepare yourselves! You're the guests of honor at the Greatest Kung Fu Cannibal BBQ Ever!

Menace 2 Society!

# ? Dec 22, 2017 00:40

AnAnonymousIdiot: Sep 14, 2013

"Indeed?"

# ? Dec 22, 2017 00:54

ultrafilter: Aug 23, 2007; It's okay if you have any questions.

Indeed.

# ? Dec 22, 2017 04:13

CommissarMega: Nov 18, 2008; THUNDERDOME LOSER

"Might I offer my sympathies, sir?"

# ? Dec 22, 2017 04:18

Pangurban: Apr 29, 2015

We got us a tie between sympathy and menace . Next new or changed vote wins it.

# ? Dec 22, 2017 23:14

CommissarMega: Nov 18, 2008; THUNDERDOME LOSER

Changing my vote to menace, then!

# ? Dec 22, 2017 23:19

chitoryu12: Apr 24, 2014

CommissarMega posted:

Changing my vote to menace, then!

How dare you insult poor Aunt Primrose?

# ? Dec 22, 2017 23:26

achtungnight: Oct 5, 2014; I get my fun here. Enjoy!

Call me J Jonah, because I�m jumping on the menace bandwagon too.

# ? Dec 22, 2017 23:32

Pangurban: Apr 29, 2015

Much obliged. I hope I'm not going too fast for people - I can get overexcited sometimes, but also I don't want us to spend too long in the character building section.

quote:

"Menace is a good word for it," Rory said, nodding. "I applaud your pithiness , and I suspect you must have one or more aunts as well. I feel sorry for you."

Rory looked around for a pen to make a note and, finding none, took a drink. "Now, let me see, what did you say your name was? I suppose I should have asked that first. I imagine it says somewhere on your letter, but I seem to have misplaced it."

"My given name is..."

"...Oscar."
"...Reginald."
"...Alfred."
"...Waylon."
"...Dorine."
"...Anna."
"...Maria."
"...Columbina."
I'll make up my own name.

In that vein, the very next question he asks is for your last name, so go ahead and pick that, too.

quote:

"...Passpartout."
"...Betteredge."
"...Poppins."
"...Hudson."
I'll make up my own last name.

I'll count votes for first and last names separately, unless someone comes up with something really brilliant I like the look of.

Most current stats posted:

Unnamed Unnamed

Your Sundry Skills
Bold: 32% (+7%)
Culture: 25%
Intellect: 36%
Observe: 25%
Persuade: 25%
Skulduggery: 25%
Soothing/Abrasive: 41%/59% (+4% Abrasiveness)

Your Reputation
Renown: 10%
Tranquility: 20%
Suspicion: 10%

Rory: 40%

Ready Monies: 25

# ? Dec 22, 2017 23:32

chitoryu12: Apr 24, 2014

Columbina Passpartout, the silliest one on the list.

# ? Dec 22, 2017 23:39

achtungnight: Oct 5, 2014; I get my fun here. Enjoy!

I like Oscar Betteredge.

# ? Dec 22, 2017 23:45

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# ? Apr 25, 2024 22:25

CommissarMega: Nov 18, 2008; THUNDERDOME LOSER

Reginald Hudson sounds like the most servant-y name we can choose, so let's go for that, shall we?

# ? Dec 22, 2017 23:59

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Video Games > Let's Play! > Serve the tea and solve mysteries - Tally Ho! [Choice of Games]

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