rec.games.int-fiction FAQ 2/3
Archive-name: games/interactive-fiction/part2
URL: http://bang.ml.org/faq/
Maintainer: Stephen van Egmond <svanegmond@home.com>
Version: 1.1
A strange little man in a long cloak appears suddenly in the room. He
is wearing a high pointed hat embroidered with astrological signs. He
has a long, stringy, and unkempt beard.
The Wizard draws forth his wand and waves it in your direction. It
begins to glow with a faint blue glow. The Wizard, in a deep and
resonant voice, speaks the word "FAQ!" He cackles gleefully.
Infocom (2.0)
This is part 2 of the Frequently Asked Questions list for the group
rec.games.int-fiction, a Usenet newsgroup for the discussion of
Interactive Fiction games and related topics. To read a specific
question, use your newsreader's search function on the string
"(n)", where n is the question number, or click on one of the links
below if you are viewing this in HTML.
Contents of this file:
Hard-to-find and early products:
Non-Infocom "Infocom" offerings:
Recommended interpreters:
Part 1 covers the elements of rec.games.int-fiction. Part 3 covers
non-Infocom game producers.
The current maintainer is Stephen van Egmond. Questions and
information should be mailed to mailto:svanegmond@home.com. The
most recent version is at http://bang.ml.org/faq/
The dream dissolves around you as his last words echo through the
void....
>AIMFIZ FORD PREFECT
As you cast the spell, the moldy scroll vanishes!
After a momentary dizziness, you realize that your location has
changed, although Ford Prefect is not in sight...
Dark
You can make out a shadow moving in the dark.
>LOOK AT SHADOW
The shadow is vaguely Ford Prefect-shaped.
Vogon Hold
This is a squalid room filled with grubby mattresses, unwashed cups,
and unidentifiable bits of smelly alien underwear. A door lies to
port, and an airlock lies to starboard.
Ford removes the bottle of Santraginean Mineral Water which he's been
waving under your nose. He tells you that you are aboard a Vogon
spaceship, and gives you some peanuts.
>ASK FORD ABOUT INFOCOM
A long silence tells you that Ford Prefect isn't interested in talking
about Infocom.
Ford yawns. "Matter transference always tires me out. I'm going to
take a nap." He places something on top of his satchel. "If you have
any questions, here's The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" (Footnote
14). Ford lowers his voice to a whisper. "I'm not supposed to tell you
this, but you'll never be able to finish the game without consulting
the Guide about lots of stuff." As he curls up in a corner and begins
snoring, you pick up the Guide.
>CONSULT GUIDE ABOUT INFOCOM
The Guide checks through its Sub-Etha-Net database and eventually
comes up with the following entry:
Whatever happened to Infocom, anyway? (2.1)
This information is taken from [what was once] the
comp.sys.ibm.pc.games FAQ, with thanks to Infocom's Stu Galley for
passing it along:
[Thanks to Dave Lebling (Infocom co-founder) for the definitive
info on this]
Infocom never went out of business. It went deeply into debt to
develop a database product (named Cornerstone) that was a
commercial flop. It went shopping for a merger and found
Activision, which later changed its name to Mediagenic. What did
happen is that in May of 1989 Mediagenic closed down the "real"
Infocom in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and laid (almost) everyone
off. All the releases up through Zork Zero, Shogun, Journey, and
Arthur were developed in Cambridge.
Mediagenic licensed the UK rights to the games to Virgin
Mastertronic about two years ago.
Mediagenic went nearly bankrupt, was taken over by outside
investors, and taken through a so-called "pre-packaged Chapter 11
bankruptcy" in January, 1992. As part of that process, they changed
their name back to Activision, moved from Silicon Valley down to
LA, and recently merged with a company owned by the investors
(called The Disc Company). Activision continues to release new
products under the Infocom label, including collections of
Infocom's text adventures. Their graphical CDROM adventures have
been greeted with dour grunts on rec.*.int-fiction, but the games
seem to be improving in quality with every new release.
You begin to feel distinctly groggy.
>WHAT IS A ZORKMID?
How did Infocom make those neat packages? (2.2)
From: Dan Schmidt
Newsgroups: rec.games.int-fiction
Fredrik Ekman wrote:
>I am wondering who wrote the stuff that came with the classic Infocom
>packages, such as the Enchanter "History of Magic" or the Leather
>Goddesses comic-book. Was it the game authors or someone else?
>Was there some kind of "editor" for the game packages that had the
>over-all responsibility for art, text and extra gimmicks?
I work with Mike Dornbrook, so I asked him. Here's his response:
[MD developed InvisiClues and had an illustrious career in
Infocom's marketing department.]
There were actually quite a few people involved in creating the
package elements for Infocom games. The game authors (we called
them "the implementors") were the primary writers. The first exotic
package was for Deadline (the third game, after Zork I and II). It
was created because Marc Blank couldn't fit all the information he
wanted to include into the 80K game size. Marc and the ad agency,
Giardini/Russel (G/R), co-created the police dossier which included
photos, interrogation reports, lab reports and pills found near the
body. The result was phenomenally successful, and Infocom decided
to make all subsequent packages truly special (a big benefit was
the reduction in piracy, which was rampant at the time).
The first 16 packages were done in collaboration with G/R. David
Haskell was the primary copywriter for Infocom materials (ads,
catalogs, package elements, etc.). G/R typically did the "fluffier"
pieces. Infocom's game implementor (and one of the co-founders)
Dave Lebling wrote "The History of Magic" in Enchanter, but G/R
wrote the "True Tales of Adventure" in Cutthroats. [The attentive
reader will note that Sorcerer has a creature named "Geearr", which
is absolutely not a coincidence. --SvE]
We were spending a fortune on package design ($60,000 each on
average in 1984 - just for design!), so we eventually decided to
bring it in-house. I hired an Art Director, Carl Genatossio, a
writer, a typesetting/layout person, and someone to manage all
printing and purchasing of all the "feelies" in the packages. These
folks (plus an occasional contractor during busy periods) did all
the packages, hint books, New Zork Times, sell sheets, etc. from
1985 until the end in 1989. There were two writers during that time
period - Elizabeth Langosy for most of it, then Marjorie Gove.
Again there was a mix of game implementor writing and "marketing"
writing. For instance, Steve Meretzky wrote the comic book in
Leather Goddesses, but Elizabeth wrote the newspaper in Sherlock.
An unsung heroine of Infocom was our Production Manager, Angela
Crews. She was responsible for acquiring the scratch-n-sniff cards,
ancient Zorkmid coins, glow-in-the-dark stones, etc. which made the
packages so distinctive. It was often an incredibly difficult task.
As for who oversaw all of this, again, there were many responsible.
The Product Manager (first me, then Gayle Syska, then Rob Sears)
worked with the Implementor and the Art Director to come up with a
concept for the package and hammered out the details of the
elements. All of these folks were intimately involved in the
approvals, editing, tweaking, etc. which all of the elements
underwent over a 3 to 4 month period. And many others (from the
President, to Sales, to Testing) put in their two cents along the
way.
I would estimate that each Infocom package had 1.5 man-years of
effort invested in its creation.
Regards,
-Mike Dornbrook
You begin to feel indistinctly groggy.
>LOOK UNDER MATTRESS FOR IMPLEMENTOR
Hey, anybody know how I can reach Steve Meretzky? (2.3)
The members of the original Infocom crew have moved on to other
positions. Any kind of "where are they now" would probably be
wrong, out of date, and almost certainly unwelcome. David Lebling
has recently surfaced on rec.*.int-fiction to comment from time to
time, and so has Liz Cyr Jones, Brian Moriarty and others. Other
implementors may be lurking; nobody knows.
You see nothing else interesting.
>CONSULT GUIDE ABOUT CLASSIC INFOCOM PRODUCTS
The Guide checks through its Sub-Etha-Net database and eventually
comes up with the following entry:
Classic Infocom Titles (2.4)
Classic Infocom is generally defined to be anything before Return
to Zork. Activision owns the rights to all the Infocom games and
trademarks, and occasionally releases them in some repackaged form
or another.
Activision is currently [footnote 42] selling a compilation of
classic Infocom called "Classic Text Adventure Masterpieces". This
CD (which works on PC or Mac) meets practically every wish of the
rec.games.int-fiction readership, except for wide availability.
There is little Activision can do to force stores to carry their
product.
The CD includes the following games: A Mind Forever Voyaging;
Arthur: The Quest For Excalibur; Ballyhoo; Border Zone;
Bureaucracy; Cutthroat; Deadline; Enchanter; Hollywood Hijinx;
Infidel; Journey; Leather Goddesses Of Phobos; Lurking Horror;
Moonmist; Nord And Bert Couldn't Make Head Or Tail Of It;
Planetfall; Plundered Hearts; Seastalker; Sherlock; Sorcerer;
Spellbreaker; Starcross; Stationfall; Suspect; Suspended; Trinity;
Wishbringer; Witness; Zork Zero; Zork I; Zork II; Zork III; Beyond
Zork.
Notable by their absence are Hitch Hiker's and Shogun, which are
not included since the rights to distribute those games have
reverted back to the original authors.
Also included is the top 6 winning entries from the 1995
Interactive Fiction authorship competition, a "Very Lost Treasures
of Infocom" section containing old game ideas, statements of
principle, and e-mail archives from Infocom's heyday. All maps and
documentation are provided in Adobe Acrobat format which can be
printed out.
The packaging bears little resemblance to the originals; notably
absent are the plastic or metal trinkets that were included in
packages (for example, The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy
included peril-sensitive sunglasses, a "Don't Panic" button, a
zip-lock baggie containing a microscopic space fleet, and printed
orders for the destruction of your home and planet). Infocom's
original packaging is legendary in the software industry.
Cost: about $20 US, it has been seen in reasonable quantity at Best
Buy stores and should be at Babbages', Sofware Plus and others. It
can be ordered direct from Activision or from your favourite online
CD-ROM retailer (visit Yahoo for a list).
If you are looking for pirated copies of classic products, don't
bother asking on this newsgroup. In fact, don't bother at all. Many
of the games rely on materials in the game package for copy
protection, either in the form of knowledge you would have by
reading it, or data that you need to look up.
Ford is curled up on the bed, snoring loudly.
>FOOTNOTE 42
Previous Infocom compilations you still might find (2.5)
Infocom, in its pre-Activision days released trilogies (The Zork
Trilogy, for example, or the Enchanter trilogy containing
Enchanter, Sorcerer and Wishbringer) containing a subset of the
trinkets found in the original packages. Like almost all other
original Infocom packages, these are now collectors' items.
Activision has released its own series of compilations:
"The Lost Treasures of Infocom I"
is a collection of 20 Infocom games. You may be able to obtain
it through mail-order outlets or used from someone who doesn't
want it anymore. The package was available for the IBM PC, the
Apple Macintosh and the Commodore Amiga. The CD and floppy
editions were identical.
The games in LToI I were:
+ Zork I
+ Enchanter
+ Deadline
+ Starcross
+ Zork II
+ Sorcerer
+ Witness
+ Suspended
+ Zork III
+ Spellbreaker
+ Suspect
+ Planetfall Zork Zero
+ Ballyhoo
+ Infidel
+ Stationfall
+ Beyond Zork
+ Moonmist
+ Lurking Horror
+ Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
The LToI 1 package was available for the Apple IIgs through the
Big Red Computer Club, which sought and received permission
from Activision to produce a IIgs version which used a
hacked-up version of the InfoTaskForce (ITF) interpreter and
did not include Zork Zero. Matt Ackeret's IIgs port of Zip is
far better:
ftp://ftp.gmd.de/if-archive/infocom/interpreters/zip/
The package includes a manual which contains photocopies of all
the original manuals and game pieces (such as the trading cards
from "Spellbreaker", which are needed to solve a puzzle in the
game), but some information is missing -- see section 2.7
below.
The package also contains a hint book, which looks like
somebody took all the Invisiclues booklets and typed them into
a text file. The hint book is riddled with spelling mistakes,
formatting errors and other problems, but in most cases the
mistakes are not serious enough to keep you from using it.
"Lost Treasures of Infocom II"
contained most (but not all) of the remaining Infocom text
adventure games, and retailed for $29.95 through retail and
mail order outlets. The games in the 3.5 disk version were:
+ Seastalker
+ Wishbringer
+ A Mind Forever Voyaging
+ Trinity
+ Cutthroats
+ Hollywood Hijinx
+ Bureaucracy
+ Border Zone
+ Plundered Hearts
+ Sherlock
+ Nord and Bert Couldn't Make Head or Tail of It
The CD-ROM version contained Shogun, Arthur and Journey in
addition.
LToI2 was produced for the Macintosh and PC only. Users of
other platforms can play the non-graphical games by
transferring the files to their machine and playing them with a
ZIP. (See question 2.8.)
This package contains photocopies of the original packaging,
but does NOT contain a hint book: Instead it contains a 1-900
number which you can call to receive hints which is probably
dead by now. Some information is missing for Bueaucracy. See
question 2.7. LToI2 also incorrectly identifies Kevin Pope as
the author of Nord and Bert Couldn't Make Head or Tail of It.
Kevin Pope drew the cartoons which were included in the
package. Jeff O'Neill wrote the game.
After Lost Treasures, Infocom released its topical Collections.
These are considered inferior to just about every other collection:
Mystery Collection
Ballyhoo, Deadline, Witness, Moonmist, Sherlock
Adventure Collection
Border Zone, Plundered Hearts, Cutthroats, Trinity, Infidel
Comedy Collection
Bureaucracy, Hollywood Hijinx, Nord & Bert
Fantasy Collection
Enchanter, Sorcerer, Spellbreaker, Seastalker, Wishbringer
Science Fiction Collection
Hitchhiker's, Suspended, AMFV, Starcross, Stationfall
Zork Anthology
Published by Activision in 1994 as a CD companion to the
pseudo-Infocom title "Return to Zork". It contains Zork I, Zork
II, Zork III, Beyond Zork, Zork Zero, and oddly, Planetfall.
You begin to feel groggily indistinct.
>EAT PEANUTS
You feel stronger as the peanuts replace some of the protein you lost
in the matter transference beam.
An announcement is coming over the ship's intercom. "Ed tgrykonx
jcavfluu nx jchotha otoyefti ltruvupirbi swrotrueft ochoollzitchogrya
rd tfudeftd t ow ctrufudx jp wkonvuphuvd te h oulpkonz zollcava ri li
lo ti l oe hfudx jirbtrugrys gvupp work oo sthaquio ta btoyr gkonr ga
r or gz zr gi skwazitz zkwaa rerl ow cfluirbwroorktoyfimthad tulp oe
he hfluo simbchogryr gu ni s."
>CONSULT GUIDE ABOUT RECENT INFOCOM PRODUCTS
The Guide checks through its Sub-Etha-Net database and eventually
comes up with the following entry:
Recent Infocom Products (2.6)
Activision is working to build a following for Infocom's universes
based on the modern trend to humongous games sprawling across
hundreds of megabytes. Their offerings to date:
Return to Zork
A mid-1993 entry for the IBM PC, set far in the "future" of the
Zork series. Difficult, hunt-the-pixels, graphical interface. A
Macintosh version was released in mid-1994. PC Demo is
available.
ftp://ftp.gmd.de/if-archive/infocom/demos/zorkdemo.zip
Zork: Nemesis
A graphical CD-ROM adventure released in 1995. The interface
has improved somewhat; the game includes amusing references to
the Zork universe, but the plot is said to be irregular and the
puzzles somewhat inconsistent. Said to be a huge improvement
over RTZ.
Planetfall: The Search for Floyd
Originally said to be due out in 1995, this project was killed
at Activision, revived with a release date in January 1997,
then finally killed. The publically-accessible vestiges of this
game include the demo included on the Masterpieces CD and some
posts made by an Activision representative under the name
"floydhere@aol.com", available from Deja News.
Zork Grand Inquisitor
Due to be released in 1997, this is Activision's most recent
efforts in the Zork universe. The only thing I know is that it
will incorporate a kind of multiplayer gaming: one user can
"drive" the adventure while another watches. The users can swap
controls and exchange messages. I can't access more information
because Activision's site will serve pages to Netscape or
Microsoft browsers only. Booooo.
>CONSULT GUIDE ABOUT OTHER INFOCOM PRODUCTS
The Guide checks through its Sub-Etha-Net database and eventually
comes up with the following entry:
Infocom's historical artifacts (2.7)
There are a handful of games and other Infocom products that are
not included in any of the compilations. These products range from
hard-to-find early Infocom products to non-IF games made by other
companies and marketed under the Infocom brand name.
For more information about Infocom products, version numbers and
Infocom products that were never released, see Paul David's
Doherty's "Infocom Fact Sheet", which is periodically posted on
rec.games.int-fiction and is also avaialable at
ftp://ftp.gmd.de/if-archive/infocom/info/fact-sheet.txt.
Hard-to-find and early products:
The Infocom Sampler (pre-1984?)
This was the first of three demo products written by Infocom,
containing (we think) excerpts from Zork I. The existence of
this sampler is deduced mainly because a later version of the
Sampler has serial number "ID2", suggesting an earlier "ID1".
The Infocom Sampler (1984, 1985)
This was the second of three samplers, containing excerpts from
Zork I, Planetfall, Infidel and The Witness, and also
containing a unique two-room puzzle that involved catching a
butterfly. Available for virtually every computer on the market
in 1985 (including the Osborne, Kaypro II, TRS-80 Color
Computer, etc.) Superseded in 1987 by the third and final
Infocom Sampler.
ftp://ftp.gmd.de/if-archive/infocom/demos/sampler1_R55.z3
The Infocom Sampler (Fall 1987)
Third and final sampler containing puzzles from Zork I,
Trinity, Leather Goddesses of Phobos and Wishbringer. IBM PC,
Apple II and Commodore 64.
ftp://ftp.gmd.de/if-archive/infocom/demos/sampler2.z3
Fooblitzky (Summer 1985)
A graphical game involving deductive logic, by Marc Blank,
Michael Berlyn, Brian Cody, Poh C. Lim and Paula Maxwell. IBM
PC, Apple II, Atari XL/XE series.
Shogun, Journey, and Arthur: The Quest for Excalibur
Versions for the Apple IIe and Amiga were produced, but are now
rare. IBM and Mac versions are on LToI 2 CD-ROMs as well as
Masterpieces. Shogun has been seen running on an Apple IIgs; it
used IIe graphics rather than the IIgs' super-hires mode.
Leather Goddesses of Phobos (Summer 1986)
Activision chose not to include the original LGoP in either of
the Lost Treasures packages, possibly to prevent confusion with
the inferior sequel (see below) that was published at about the
same time. A coupon in the LToI II package offered the IBM PC
version of this game for an additional $10; versions for other
machines, including the Apple II, Macintosh, Atari and Amiga,
can only be obtained used, and you will probably have to look
for awhile.
Leather Goddesses of Phobos II: Gas Pump Girls Meet the Pulsating
Inconvenience from Planet X
This 1992 offering from "Infocom" had more in common with
Leisure Suit Larry than with the original Leather Goddesses.
Available for the IBM PC.
The New Zork Times and The Status Line (1983? - 1988)
The legendary Infocom newsletter. The name was changed in
mid-1986 due to threatened legal action by a lesser-known
newspaper serving a smaller area (Infocom promptly began using
old newspapers for packing material when shipping games to
their customers; by coincidence the NYT was the paper of choice
for this purpose). Thirteen issues were published under the
name 'NZT'; one issue (Spring 1986) was titled '****' and the
remaining ten were published as 'TSL'. The newsletters are now
collector's items, and a complete set is rare. Some articles
are archived at ftp://ftp.gmd.de/if-archive/infocom/info and at
http://www.csd.uwo.ca/~pete/Infocom/
There is an effort underway on rec.games.int-fiction to create
complete electronic editions of these newsletters. Watch this
space for more information.
Cornerstone (Fall 1984)
Infocom's one and only attempt at a commercial business product
(see section 2.1, above); probably of interest only to purists.
IBM PC version only; description in Winter 1985 NZT.
Non-Infocom "Infocom" offerings:
Infocomics (1988)
Many believe that this is the point where
Infocom-as-a-publisher ended and
Infocom-as-a-brand-name-for-lesser-products began. IBM PC,
Apple II, Commodore 64/128. At least four of these $12 'comic
books' were published:
+ Lane Mastodon vs. The Blubbermen
+ Gamma Force in Pit of a Thousand Screams
+ ZorkQuest I: Assault on Egreth Castle
+ ZorkQuest II: The Crystal of Doom
Quarterstaff: The Tomb of Setmoth (Fall 1988)
Activision purchased the rights to this Macintosh game from
Simulated Environment Systems in late 1988, and reworked the
text and user interface. The game is a graphical RPG similar to
a number of D&D-type games on the market. Infocom planned to
release this game for the Apple IIgs and IBM, but only the
Macintosh version was ever published.
BattleTech: The Crescent Hawk's Inception (Fall 1988)
Activision now sells this game and its sequel (BattleTech: The
Crescent Hawk's Revenge) as part of a three-game package of
BattleTech-related games. Developed by Westwood Associates.
"Available in November [1988] for the IBM, in February [1989]
for the Commodore 64/128, and in [Spring 1989] for the Apple II
series and the Amiga." The IBM, Amiga and Commodore 64 versions
have been sighted; the status of the Apple II version is
unknown.
Simon The Sorcerer
Infocom was used as the label for IBM and Mac distribution for
this Sierra-style graphical adventure. Amiga distribution was
by Adventure Soft.
Circuit's Edge
IBM, Amiga, and "other 8-bit platforms". A science-fiction RPG
based on Effinger's world in the story "When Gravity Fails".
Mines of Titan
IBM, Amiga, Apple IIe and "other 8-bit platforms". A
science-fiction RPG set on the moon Titan. Originally released
as _The Mars Saga_ on the 64. Written by Westwood Associates.
Guards burst in and grab you and Ford, who comes slowly awake. They
drag you down the corridor to a large cabin, where they strap you into
large, menacing chairs...
Captain's Quarters, in the poetry appreciation chair
This is the cabin of the Vogon Captain. You and Ford are strapped into
poetry appreciation chairs. The Captain is indescribably hideous,
indescribably blubbery, and indescribably mid-to-dark green. He is
holding samples of his favourite poetry.
>ASK THE CAPTAIN ABOUT MISSING GAME PIECES
One of the guards lightly bashes your skull with the butt of his
weapon and says (Ford translates for you):
Missing game pieces (2.8)
Here is a list of missing or hard-to-find info in the Lost
Treasures game packages. All have been typed in and are available
at ftp://ftp.gmd.de/if-archive/infocom/shipped-documentation
Ballyhoo
The original packaging included an advertisement for a radio
station, WPDL AM at 1170 KHz. You will need to tune the radio
to this frequency (or TUNE RADIO TO WPDL) to get a vital clue.
ftp://ftp.gmd.de/if-archive/infocom/shipped-documentation/bally
hoo.lost.stuff
Lurking Horror
Your Login ID, an important part of one of the early puzzles,
is *not* missing from the LToI manual. It's just hard to find.
(Hint: It's written somewhere on your Student ID Card.)
Bureaucracy
Some important information from the Popular Paranoia
advertisement is missing, as well as the Beezer card
application in triplicate is absent from the LToI 2 package.
ftp://ftp.gmd.de/if-archive/infocom/shipped-documentation/burea
ucracy.lost.stuff
Moonmist
Your friend Tamara will make frequent references to the letters
she wrote asking for your help; unfortunately, these letters
are not included in the LToI package. The full text of these
two letters is available from the ftp.gmd.de archive, with many
thanks to Mark Howell for typing in these letters from the
original package.
ftp://ftp.gmd.de/if-archive/infocom/shipped-documentation/moonm
ist.letters
Zork Zero
The original documentation for Zork Zero contained information
about the game's on-screen mapping, which may be activated by
typing in the command "MAP" at any time during the game. No
mention is made of this in LToI 1.
Also, some versions of the LToI package may be missing a
(vital) map of the "Rockville Estates" section of the game. The
map is a blueprint of a construction site ("Frobozz Magic
Construction Company") showing an 8 x 8 grid of octagonal rooms
connected by lines representing passages. You cannot win the
game without the information on this map.
Some copies of the LToI manual include this map on a page that
is apparently numbered "40b" (the preceding page is "40a", and
the next page is 41 -- the page with the map is not numbered),
suggesting that the map was inserted after the first printing.
Early IBM versions of the LToI manual include the map on page 2
of the Zork I instructions.
If your copy of the manual is missing page 40b, and you cannot
find the map anywhere else in the game package, call Activision
technical support at 310-207-4500 (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm PST) and
explain the situation to them. They should provide you with a
replacement map.
If all else fails, the ASCII drawing on the next page is a
rough but accurate rendering of the "Rockville Estates"
blueprint for Infocom's Zork Zero. This map is provided for use
by legitimate owners of the Lost Treasures of Infocom package
only.
0 1 2 3 4 5.... 6.... 7 Goobar -
.' .' .' I left my hardhat
8 9 10 11 12....13 14 15 out in lot 0.
: .' .' Please pick it up
16 17 18 19 20 21 22....23 Thanks,
`. .' .' .' Quizbo
24 25 26....27 28 29 30....31
: .' .' :
32 33 34....35 36 37 38....39
: .' .' : .' To
40 41 42....43 44....45 46 47....GUH-95
: `. .' : .' `. .' .'
48 49 50 51....52 53 54 55
`. : `. : `.
56....57....58 59 60 61....62....63
._____________________________
Work still to be performed in Phase Two: |Frobozz Magic Construction Co
* Removal of temporary passages | ROCKVILLE ESTATES
* Installation of emergency exits | Phase Two, showing all work
* Installation of sprinkler system | completed through 29-Mum-880
* Construction of Concierge apartment | 1:440 | drawn by S. Fzortbar
The Vogon Captain says, "Ofudgrythafudo tw cchoe ho tz z ocavtrup
wwroz zl mfluz ztruqui." A guard grabs you and Ford, and drags you
toward the hold. Ford whispers, "Don't worry, I'll think of
something!"
Vogon Hold
In the corner is a glass case with a switch and a keyboard. It looks
like the glass case contains:
an atomic vector plotter
Ford begins trying to talk the guard into a sudden career change.
>TYPE 'HELLO'
The hold of the Vogon ship is virtually undamaged by the explosion of
the glass case. You, however, are blasted into tiny bits and smeared
all over the room. Several cleaning robots fly in and wipe you neatly
off the walls.
**** You have died ****
Your guardian angel, draped in white, appears floating in the
nothingness before you. "Gotten in a bit of a scrape, eh?" he asks,
writing frantically in a notebook. "I'd love to chat, but we're so
busy this month." The angel twitches his nose, and the nothingness is
replaced by...
Darkness
It is pitch black. You could be eaten by a zmachine.
>WHAT IS A ZMACHINE?
What is a Z-Machine? (2.9)
A zmachine or ZIP (Z-machine Interpreter Program) is a program that
interprets and runs Infocom game data files. Infocom used a
way-ahead-of-their-time implementation scheme that allowed them to
develop one game that would run on any of 26 different computers,
using a ZIP program specific to that computer and a data file
common to all machines.
The Z-machine specification underwent several extensions at
Infocom. The first two versions are obscure and you aren't very
likely to encounter them. Version 3 ("Standard") is the format for
the majority of the files in the Lost Treasures of Infocom series.
Version 4 ("Plus") was a brief experiment that quickly lead to
version 5 ("Advanced"), a size suitable for creating fairly large
adventures of the magnitude of Curses or Trinity (about 256K).
Version 6 ("Graphical") has recently been deciphered and can handle
story files about twice as large as version 5.
Until version 6 arrived, all the Z-machines were text-only. Version
6 added some graphics primitives and is the format used in Arthur,
Journey, Shogun, and Zork Zero.
With the release of Inform 5.5, the public-domain compiler for
Infocom format files (see below), Graham Nelson has proposed two
new versions (7 and 8), the first non-Infocom "extensions" to the
standard. Version 8 is identical to version 5 but with twice the
storage (512K). Version 7 has not yet been used in any released
game.
Mark Howell wrote "ztools" -- a collection of C source files for
dumping vocabulary, version, font, graphic and other information
from Infocom games, for converting IBM bootable disks into story
files, and for disassembly of story files to Z-code assembly
language. Ztools is maintained by Stefan Jokish. There are also
numerous other "tool" programs for Infocom files available by other
authors for other platforms.
ftp://ftp.gmd.de/if-archive/infocom/tools
As a point of history, Infocom generated their Z-code files by
compiling the Zork Implementation Language (ZIL) with a compiler
named ZILCH. ZIL is a dialect of a Lisp-like language called MDL.
MDL is ancient history, and ZIL seems to have disappeared entirely,
though some code fragments can be found in back issues of the New
Zork Times.
The ftp site has a considerable collection of Z-machine
interpreters. Frotz is the most accurate implementation, but other
interpreters may have more bells and whistles for your particular
platform. They are at
ftp://ftp.gmd.de/if-archive/infocom/interpreters
Gareth Rees maintains a mini-FAQ with information on which
interpreters are recommended for which platforms, and what to do if
you can't find an interpreter for your computer.
ftp://ftp.gmd.de/if-archive/games/infocom/how-to-play-these-games
There are some other ZIP programs at GMD that are not listed in
Gareth's mini-FAQ. They range in quality, but some are fairly
portable and have interesting source code. The best all-around is
Frotz. These are available at
ftp://ftp.gmd.de/if-archive/infocom/interpreters/; remember to look
in the 'old' subdirectory.
Recommended interpreters:
DOS, Windows, OS/2, BeOS, Windows CE, Amiga, (sort of) Linux, Psion
Series 5
Frotz by Stefan Jokisch
mailto:jokisch@euklid.informatik.uni-dortmund.de. Plays all
games, version 1 through version 8, and conforms to Z-Machine
Standard 1.0. Supports timed input (Border Zone), graphic font
(Beyond Zork and Journey), mouse and function keys, command
line editing and history, small save files, sound effects
(Lurking Horror and Sherlock), cheat functions, multiple UNDO,
input line recording and playback, and European characters
(Zork I German).
ftp://ftp.gmd.de/if-archive/infocom/interpreters/frotz/
Psion 3c, some Unix variants
itf by the InfoTaskForce. Uses resources for configuration
under X11. Supports V1-V8 games (except V6), color and
proportional fonts, command history, command-line editing, and
compressed save files.
ftp://ftp.gmd.de/if-archive/infocom/interpreters/itf/
Apple Newton
Yazi by George Madrid and Sanjay Vakil. The shareware version
present here ($25) is somewhat crippled: you can save your game
at any time, but the games saved after more than 50 moves
cannot be restored in the shareware version.
http://www.scrawlsoft.com/products/yazi/info.html for the most
recent version.
Java
Zax by Matt Kimmel. Supports all z-code versions except v6, and
is very nearly compliant with Specification 1.0 of the
Z-Machine.
ftp://ftp.gmd.de/if-archive/infocom/interpreters/zax/
Acorn RISC OS, Macintosh, Unix
Zip by Mark Howell. Zip implementations vary somewhat in their
features, but it has proven to be an excellent interpreter.
There are a number of Zmachine interpreters for the Macintosh
based on Zip. The most popular is probably Andrew Plotkin's
MaxZip, which behaves like a proper Macintosh program with
resizeable windows and proportional fonts. It does not,
however, support the graphical games. Matthew Russoto's Zip
Infinity is another option. It supports the graphical font used
in Beyond Zork.
ftp://ftp.gmd.de/if-archive/infocom/interpreters/zip/
You may notice increasing discussion about a particular interpreter
being Specification (n) compliant, where (n) is some number like
1.0. The "specification" is a document by Graham Nelson, based on
earlier work by the InfoTaskForce, which describes rigorously how a
Z-Machine is supposed to behave. An interpreter is said to be
Specification- compliant when it conforms to this document. Frotz
is the only interpreter compliant with the specification available
for all platforms. Zip 2000 on the Acorn complies with the
specification as well.
Some games may eventually require your interpreter adhere to a
particular Speficiation version, especially as the Specfication is
extended over time.
As a point of note, there is some debate over whether Z in
"Z-Machine" should be pronounced as "zed" or "zee". Nobody seems
willing to agree on which sounds better. [Though I can't imagine
why anybody wouldn't prefer "zed". -Ed] Everyone says "zed" with
the exception of Americans and Canadians raised on American
programming, who say "zee". The original prounciation was probably
"zee".
>NE
Oh, no! A lurking Z-machine slithered into the room and devoured you!
**** You have died ****
Now, let's take a look here... Well, you probably deserve another
chance. I can't quite fix you up completely, but you can't have
everything.
Potting Room
This light room is full of pot plants, flowers, seeds, ornamental
trowels and other miscellaneous garden implements.
A pair of yellow rubber gloves hangs from a hook on one wall.
Aunt Jemima, who has for years collected varieties of daisy, is
engaged in her regular annual pastime of deciding which species make
the best chains.
>ASK JEMIMA ABOUT COPYRIGHTS
Jemima screeches with irritation.
Copyright questions on Infocom products (2.10)
Since Activision bought Infocom, Activision now owns the copyrights
and trademarks on Infocom's products.
This means it's illegal to have a copy of any Infocom product you
didn't pay for. This may make owners of non-PC, non-Mac computers
despair since the only products shipping are for those two
platforms, but there are options available. You can purchase one of
the anthologies listed above, transfer the data files to your
computer somehow, and use one of the available interpreters to run
it. This is the inherent beauty of Infocom's Z-machine idea. See
question 2.8 for information on interpreters.
Your interpreter should support at least v3 files. Some of the
larger games (Trinity) are version 4 or 5. Zork Zero, Arthur,
Journey and Shogun are v6 games, for which the only
currently-available interpreters are Frotz (for Mac, Amiga, and
Unix) and Zip 2000 for the Acorn. There may be more. Check the
index files under ftp://ftp.gmd.de/if-archive/infocom/interpreters/
There probably isn't a legal problem with doing this. Of course, if
you sell your package, you should destroy the copies you've made.
Copyright issues with respect to samplers, invisiclues, New Zork
Times issues, and other things which Activision, in practice, will
never want to redistribute, have not been resolved.
Activision can be reached at:
Activision/Infocom
P.O. Box 67001
Los Angeles, CA, USA 90067
Order line: 800-477-3650 (US) [anybody have one for Europe?]
Tech support: 310-207-4500 (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm PST)
>E.E.S.E.LIE DOWN.SLEEP.
You sleep unexpectedly deeply, but just as you think you are starting
to wake up, you experience a sudden...
Premonition
It is a frosty, clear night, but there is a scent of camp-fires
burning in the distance. You are passing through the landscape as if a
ghost, and all seems faintly unreal. To the east is one side of an
animal-hide tent, but there is no way in from here. To southwest, some
soldiers sit around the embers of a fire. There is a terrible sense of
something about to happen.
>SW
Camp Fire
A motley platoon of soldiers are sitting about the embers of a fire.
>LISTEN
Creating your own adventure games (2.11)
There are numerous systems available for developing interactive
fiction. A detailed comparison and exposition of their features is
available from the rec.arts.int-fiction FAQ. Briefly, though:
* Inform, a freely distributable compiler which allows you to
generate Infocom-format story files that can be played with any
Z-machine interpreter.
The Inform language and libraries are excellent. They were
designed to support the requirements of a Zork I-style game and
provide the means to modify the parser, manage timers and daemons,
change personalities and much more. It has C-ish syntax. This
system does require a certain degree of programming knowledge. The
documentation (in 3 parts) is pretty good; the 220-page Designers'
Manual should be read even if you don't want to use Inform in
favour of a different system, as it provides an interesting
insight into what goes into developing a game.
ftp://ftp.gmd.de/if-archive/infocom/compilers/inform6
* TADS also has a strong following; it has its own web page which is
available at http://www.tela.bc.ca/tela/tads/.
* Hugo is a fairly recent system whose only weakness appears to be a
lack of popularity and an established source code base to learn
from. Its home page can be found at
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Academy/5976/hugo.html
* AGT is useful for people who are not able (or willing) to program.
It is a language, but not a very complex one and most people are
able to get started quickly. Make sure that the demands of your
game can be handled by AGT before you start coding.
http://www.markwelch.com/agt.htm
There are many other IF development systems available, and some
background and information on them will appear in the next section.
For the best information on the subject, visit rec.arts.int-fiction
and read its FAQ.
ftp://ftp.gmd.de/if-archive/rec.arts.int-fiction/FAQ
>NE. E. N. TAKE IRON MASCOT
The Druid catches sight of your ghostly hand taking the mascot, and
immediately begins her occultations, cursing you and your ill-gotten
gains. But she is unable to make contact with you, and turns furiously
to the tapestry, hissing "lagach" to the Bear. At once a sudden swirl
of wind seems to pull her into the rough cloth, dissolving her to
nothing.
You wake up, shivering with dread.
>WAIT
Something feels very wrong indeed. Your hand begins to burn.
In an astonishing freak accident, a meteorite hurtles through the
Earth's atmosphere and then straight through your head. Anyone would
think you had a curse on you (anyone, that is, still able to think).
**** You have died ****
Press any key to continue.