How realistic is the Police Quest series?

[Rath Darkblade]

********WARNING: PQ SPOILERS GALORE ... OBVIOUSLY***********

So, GOG is having a special on the PQ series (PQ1-4), and their description of it is hilarious:

"Walk the thin blue line in four of the most realistic crime games ever created, packed with complex storylines and real-life mysteries that only a handful of real police officers ever face – or solve." (Emphasis mine)

Realistic, eh? OK, so ... to be honest, PQ1 and PQ2 struck me as a bit "jokey". PQ1 is full of stereotypes about drug dealers, Sonny dresses as a "joke" pimp, etc.

PQ2 is reminiscent of the "buddy-cop" movies from the 1980s, like Lethal Weapon and so on. (No, not Robocop; Robocop is too emotionless).

PQ3 ... well. I'm not sure about the voodoo angle (it just feels tacked-on, because of the media hysteria at the time about voodoo), and the "bad cop" (Pat Morales) gives constant indications of being a problem cop (though I wouldn't have pegged her as a villain). But otherwise, it's pretty good.

I can't pass judgment on PQ4, because I haven't finished it. But the way they have black people talking ("Yo man, dis is ma hood" and so on) is a little ... strange? *shrug*

Don't get me wrong; I really like the PQ games, with all their little imperfections and so on. But I don't think they're too realistic. What's your view?

[Tawmis]

It naturally isn't 100% "realistic" because it has to tell an entertaining story.
It's really no different than NCIS, CSI, or any of those other "crime shows" on TV.
However, PQ1 especially was very rigerous about police procedures.
And that's where the realism came in.
It was supposedly used for Officer training (PQ1, that is).

http://sierrainteraction.wikidot.com/po ... r-training

[DeadPoolX]

Realistic, eh? OK, so ... to be honest, PQ1 and PQ2 struck me as a bit "jokey". PQ1 is full of stereotypes about drug dealers, Sonny dresses as a "joke" pimp, etc.

PQ1 was fairly strict with police procedure, although it wasn't entirely accurate. The game did involve some classic "Hollywood Law" tropes, like "needing to read someone their rights before getting arrested or they go free." You don't need to read someone their rights at the time of an arrest, just before interrogation, and even if the officer forgot, the criminal still wouldn't be let go.

As for stereotypes about drug dealers... well, they're not entirely wrong. Sure, drug dealers differ, but there are certain qualities drug dealers share among other dealers on a similar playing field (i.e. drug dealers who sell on the street all share certain qualities, just as those who sell super-expensive drugs to celebrities also share some qualities).

Cops do go undercover, but yeah... the pimp was a little much, but given the limitations around AGI EGA graphics, perhaps they figured it was necessary to clearly show that Sonny was pretending to be someone else.

PQ2 is reminiscent of the "buddy-cop" movies from the 1980s, like Lethal Weapon and so on. (No, not Robocop; Robocop is too emotionless).

While PQ2 was very much a "buddy cop" movie and Lethal Weapon is a good comparison in some ways, Robocop was not a "buddy cop" movie in any shape or form.

PQ3 ... well. I'm not sure about the voodoo angle (it just feels tacked-on, because of the media hysteria at the time about voodoo), and the "bad cop" (Pat Morales) gives constant indications of being a problem cop (though I wouldn't have pegged her as a villain). But otherwise, it's pretty good.

Honestly, I never really liked PQ3. Not sure why. For some reason it didn't resonate with me the way PQ1 and PQ2 did.

I can't pass judgment on PQ4, because I haven't finished it. But the way they have black people talking ("Yo man, dis is ma hood" and so on) is a little ... strange? *shrug*

Well, yes and no. There are a lot of low class (as in socioeconomic status) African Americans who do speak strangely and can be difficult to understand. This is definitely an issue with education and culture, since it isn't limited to African Americans as there are plenty of people from every group who could fit this category in some way or another.

[Rath Darkblade]

Fair enough. *nods* Obviously, a game like PQ has to strike a balance between realism and entertainment. If it's not entertaining, it's not doing its job. (That's where the "Hollywood Law" tropes come in).

DPX, I'm curious: if an officer doesn't read a suspect their rights before interrogation, doesn't that make the interrogation itself null and void? Sure, a suspect can't say "Nuh-uh, I'm not answering because you're not playing by the rules!" That's silly. But wouldn't it cause problems later on?

Also, not everyone who gets arrested is automatically a criminal, or even guilty of anything. Like everyone else, the police make mistakes; they wouldn't be human if they didn't. Reasons vary: fatigue, the desire to make a quick "bust" and catch the captain's eye, plain old racism/sexism/etc... it happens. (Rubin Carter, the subject of Bob Dylan's classic song "Hurricane", is a good example of that).

Of course, not all cops are corrupt, lazy, or racist/sexist/etc. It's just the bad apples that spoil public perception of the police.

[Tawmis]

DPX, I'm curious: if an officer doesn't read a suspect their rights before interrogation, doesn't that make the interrogation itself null and void? Sure, a suspect can't say "Nuh-uh, I'm not answering because you're not playing by the rules!" That's silly. But wouldn't it cause problems later on?

I feel like this is deja vu. Between the same three people no less (me, Rath and DPX). And "Hollywood Tropes" was brought up then too.

Of course, not all cops are corrupt, lazy, or racist/sexist/etc. It's just the bad apples that spoil public perception of the police.

Let's be clear. It's not just cops who are corrupt, lazy, racist/sexist, etc.

Profession has nothing to do with it. Nor does color. Race. Religion.

The only thing that has anything to do with it is being human.

[notbobsmith]

DPX, I'm curious: if an officer doesn't read a suspect their rights before interrogation, doesn't that make the interrogation itself null and void? Sure, a suspect can't say "Nuh-uh, I'm not answering because you're not playing by the rules!" That's silly. But wouldn't it cause problems later on?

The video from Legal Eagle below explains it pretty well, but briefly: Miranda rights only matter after you have been arrested. If you are being interviewed by the police and not under arrest, you can (or are supposed to be able to) walk out of the interrogation anytime you want. You are under no obligation to talk to the police. Once under arrest, you are supposed to be Mirandized and the interrogation has to stop once you ask for a lawyer.

[Rath Darkblade]

Of course, not all cops are corrupt, lazy, or racist/sexist/etc. It's just the bad apples that spoil public perception of the police.

Let's be clear. It's not just cops who are corrupt, lazy, racist/sexist, etc.

Profession has nothing to do with it. Nor does color. Race. Religion.

The only thing that has anything to do with it is being human.

Yes, of course you're right. (I was thinking of the Rubin Carter case when I wrote that; briefly, a boxer was arrested, tried and convicted of murder, and jailed for nearly 20 years, simply because he was black).

But of course corruption, laziness, and/or prejudice of any kind have nothing to do with anyone's profession or anything else. I'm not trying to allege or infer anything. (That seems to be the media's job).

And thank you, NBS! That's very clear. (And I went on to watch the entire thing, just because it was fun).