How to Avoid the Holiday Hint Crush
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In an effort to relieve the "telephone traffic jams" into Sierra this post-Christmas season, and allow others in our town to make a long distance phone call every once in a while, we offer the following suggestions on getting post-holiday hints:

1. DON'T TRY TO PLAY THROUGH YOUR GAME IN ONE DAY
Too many adventure gamers try to burn through a Sierra adventure as soon as they get one home. Don't attempt this at your home. Sierra games take quite a few hours to get through even if you already know what to do, so don't frustrate yourself.

Besides, this isn't a text adventure, it's a Sierra game. Take time to admire the view.

2. IF YOU ABSOLUTELY NEED A HINT NOW, PURCHASE A HINT BOOK
At only $7.95 suggested retail, Sierra hint books cost much less than a call to Coarsegold, California from most areas of the country, and hint books can add to the fun. All the major software stores and most quality stores carry Sierra's line of hint books. If you don't see them on your shelf, ask your dealer to order one for you!

3. IF YOU CAN WAIT FOR A HINT, WRITE US A POSTCARD
Sierra answers tens of thousands of hint request letters each year, and we stay on top of them so you don't have to wait long for your answer. Address your letter to Sierra Customer Support Department, P.O. Box 485, Coarsegold, CA 93614. Put the question on a postcard if possible, and be sure to include your return address.

4. IF YOU MUST CALL SIERRA, TRY TO CALL IN THE EVENING
During the day, telephone traffic is heavy due to business phone calls. Your call will fight not only with others coming into the Sierra switchboard, but calls coming into the area for other businesses in town. Phone lines will likely be clogged most of the day. Sierra's published hours for this period will be 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. (PST) on Monday through Friday, but don't be afraid to try us on weekends and after hours. If traffic is bad, we may keep the lines open for extended hours.

5. ASK YOUR DEALER OR COMPUTER OWNING FRIENDS FOR A HINT
There's no guarantee that any of these people will help you find the passpord in Leisure Suit Larry II, or the killer in Manhunter, but if they own the game, they'll probably be proud to help you.

OTHER SOURCES FOR SIERRA HINTS:

The following are commercial sources other than Sierra where you might find hints on Sierra game products:

Questbuster Journal, P.O. Box 32698, Tuscon, AZ 85751. Carries regular hints and "walk thrus" on popular adventure games.

CompuServe (contact your dealer for details). The Games Forum on CompuServe is a fantastic place to get Sierra adventure hints (many of Sierra's beta testers "hang out" in the on-line conference area). If you subscribe to CompuServe, you can get Sierra hints "on-line."

The Official Book of King's Quest, Compute! Books (available at better bookstores everywhere). This well-written book not only gives hints to all the installments of the popular King's Quest series, it gives an interesting and insightful account of the making of the series and the people behind it. This is likely to be the only published source of King's Quest hints until well after Christmas.

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