The Status Line

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

The Status Line Meet Mike’s Important Dream Date Reader Poll See page 7 The Status Line See page 6 Volume VI Number 1 Formerly The New Zork Times Winter/Spring 1987 Douglas Adams' Bureaucracy Not very long ago, Douglas Adams It's a sad story, one that's replayed (who is, as everyone knows, the best- every day for millions of people selling author of that zany interactive worldwide. Of course, it's not always story The Hitchhiker's Guide to the a bank at fault. Sometimes it's the Galaxy™) moved from one apartment postal service, or the telephone com- in London to another. He dutifully pany, or an airline, or the govern- notified everyone of his new address, ment. All of us, at one time or including his bank. In fact, he person- another, feel persecuted by a bureauc- ally went to the bank and filled out a racy. What can be done? change-of-address form. Only Douglas Adams would exact Soon after, Douglas found that he such sweet revenge. He retaliated by was unable to use his credit card. He writing Bureaucracy™, a hilarious discovered that the card had been interactive journey through masses of invalidated by the bank. Apparently, red tape. the bank had sent a new card to his You begin Bureaucracy in your old address. spiffy new apartment. You're going to For weeks, Douglas tried to get the Paris this very afternoon for a combi- bank to acknowledge his change-of- nation training seminar and vacation, address form. He talked to bank offi- so you'll need to leave as soon as you cials, and filled out new forms, and get the money order your boss has applied for another credit card, but mailed you. Unless, of course, there's Creative Services Manager Carl Genatossio slaved over a hot drafting table nothing worked. He had no credit, some problem with the mail... for over two years before completing the cover art for Bureaucracy and the bank behaved like... well, like You'll soon find yourself entangled a bank. Please turn to page 3 Genuine Zorkmid coin minted for the Zork Trilogy Together again for the first time; Zork I, Zork II and Zork III in the same package In the beginning, three little Zorks The coin, which bears the handsome lived happily together in one big visage of Belwit the Flat, is included mainframe computer. They flourished in The Zork Trilogy package, along under the loving care of Marc Blank, with the complete games of Zork I, Dave Lebling, and a lot of other nur- Zork II, and Zork III on disk; a history turing computer types, and grew up to of the Great Underground Empire; a be humorous, challenging, and full of Frobozzco International stock certifi- riveting puzzles. cate; resort brochures from Bozbar- Finally, it was time for Zork® I, land and Grayslopes; a letter from Zork II, and Zork III to venture out John D. Flathead IX; and a strange into the world of personal computers. old map. As everybody knows, they made their Just imagine... Zork I, Zork II, Zork parents proud. One million people III, a heap of fascinating documents, welcomed the little Zorks into their and a not-available-anywhere-else homes. They were called "remark- Zorkmid coin. And it's all yours at a able," "fascinating," "beautifully writ- savings of 50% off the original com- ten," "masterpieces of logic." Count- bined cost of the three Zork packages. less awards and accolades were won, Commodore 64/128 and Atari XL/XE including "Best All-Time Computer versions cost just $59.95. Apple II Game" from Playboy Magazine in series, Macintosh, Atari ST, Amiga, 1986. and IBM versions carry a suggested Now, five years later, Zork I, Zork retail price of $69.95. II, and Zork III are together again, If you haven't yet welcomed the happily reunited in one incredible three little Zorks into your home, now Zork Trilogy package. is the time to do so... now that they're To commemorate this momentous all together in the extra special Zork occasion, the staff of the Frobozz Trilogy. Here’s the surprisingly original cover of the new Zork Trilogy, chosen from Mint struck a special Zorkmid coin. literally thousands of entries from across the globe. Page 2 The Status Line Winter/ Spring 1987 Dear Infocom: along. "Deadline!" I creaked from the I eagerly ripped open the envelope stretcher, "Deadline is the answer!" with the Infocom logo and quickly Mail Bag The police sergeant named Duffy pulled out the latest edition of The asked me, "That T-shirt you're wear- New Zork ... wait! A little change entries for the puzzle, but remember: I really glad I had looked back at the ing is a large, isn't it?" I told Duffy, threw me off balance -- but it was sent mine in first. helicopter until I turned back around "No, it's a medium." quickly regained. I opened the edition Sincerely, to see where I was running. When I Interactive-affectionately yours, and turned to page 6. Ah, yes, page 6, John Sadowski woke up on the helicopter, they were Jon Ramer home of puzzle number 11. I thought Buffalo, MN still picking tree bark out of my face. Great Falls, MT -- no, I prayed -- that I would be able Never mind that, though, I was res- to complete the program puzzle and Dear Infocom: cued! Free to watch more reruns of Dear Infocom: win! Yes, me! Winner! Winner of the The snow fell at an ever-increasing Gilligan's Island and Hogan's Heroes! My newsletter came with a distinct Infocom game of my choosing! I read rate, obscuring my view of the tree Free to solve Zork a twelfth time! Of perfume (perhaps Moonmist) permeat- about Leather Goddesses of Phobos line ahead. The wind whistled through course the snow storm came back in ing the paper. My guess is that the and I wanted it. That would be the my cloak, and my lantern squeaked in force. Fortunately, we crashed on top newsletters are stored near the scratch- game of my choosing. Plenty of sex, the cold. The miles had trudged by at of three cows. Not only did they sof- and-sniff cards used in the Leather action, sex, puzzles, sex, zany humor, an ever-slowing rate, until I finally ten the blow, but I ate steak for four Goddesses of Phobos game. On the sex; why, it had my name all over it! couldn't go on any further. I entered days until the forest rangers rescued other hand, my wife is convinced that The tension within me built! the small grove of trees and gratefully me again. the Infocom letter was perfumed be- I looked at the puzzle. Then I collapsed beneath a large tree with Finally, I spied the lovely little cause in the mail box it was sitting looked at it once again. Puzzlement low branches. Totally exhausted, I did quaint abode with boarded windows next to a letter from my (non-existent) befell my shattered hopes and dreams! the only thing I could think of to pass and a front door intentionally left lover. The perfume makes me a prime You had to match quotes with games! the time 'til the end came: I whistled. blank that I called home. I wondered Suspect, and of course I hid the in- This got me to thinking. I personally As I whistled, a beautiful little bird what I could have possibly done to criminating letter (according to her) have only two games (Leather God- flew over me into the branches of the deserve what happened to me. I but she managed to sniff out my Infi- desses of Phobos would've been my tree. The end must be close, I thought; opened my big mailbox with the usual delity by paying attention to Invisible third) so I recognized very few quotes this is too familiar to be true. difficulty (it hates to give up posted Clues. Our mutual trust, the Corner- (four to be exact). To win your puzzle, Then the little bird dropped some- mail) and realized what it was: my stone of our marriage, is missing. She I would have to know dialogue from thing on my head that was nothing copy of The Status Line had been in thinks some Enchanter or Sorcerer 17 games. Fine; how much would this like a brass bauble and flew away. my mailbox for six days unopened! I placed a love spell on me and that she, be? I calculated it out to be $654.15 Coincidentally, I realized that I had quickly remedied that fault as I my lover and I are Starcrossed Trinity. plus 4% sales tax; if I ordered them been whistling the theme song to the stepped inside. Reaching into my Now she is looking for a good Spell- through you, it would have been TV series The Hitchhiker's Guide to cabinet for a cup, I found one of my breaker. I need an honest Witness to $688.15. Being a college student on a the Galaxy. I decided to figure the china cups was inexplicably missing, tell my wife the truth. Without your very strict budget, I cannot afford odds of these two events happening so I grabbed another and poured my- help, my wife and I will become Cut- $600 for games in order to compete in together, hoping that it would take my self a cup of tea. The stories and news throats. Be my Wishbringer, and tell your puzzles.
Recommended publications
  • Theescapist 055.Pdf
    in line and everything will be just fine. two articles I fired up Noctis to see the Which, frankly, is about how many of us insanity for myself. That is the loneliest think to this day. With the exception of a game I’ve ever played. For those of you who fell asleep during very brave few. the classical mythology portion of your In response to “Development in a - Danjo Olivaw higher education, the stories all go like In this issue of The Escapist, we take a Vacuum” from The Escapist Forum: this: Some guy decides he no longer look at the stories of a few, brave souls As for the fact that thier isolation has In response to “Footprints in needs the gods, sets off to prove as in the game industry who, for better or been a benefit to them rather than a Moondust” from The Escapist Forum: much and promptly gets smacked down. worse, decided that they, too, were hindrance, that’s what I discussed with I’d just like to say this was a fantastic destined to make their dreams a reality. Oveur (Nathan Richardsson) while in article. I think I’ll have to read Olaf Prometheus, Sisyphus, Icarus, Odysseus, Some actually succeeded, while others Vegas earlier this year at the EVE the stories are full of men who, for crashed and burned. We in the game Gathering. The fact that Iceland is such whatever reason, believed that they industry may not have jealous, angry small country, with a very unique culture were not bound by the normal gods against which to struggle, but and the fact that most of the early CCP constraints of mortality.
    [Show full text]
  • Q U F S T1' UST F R S™
    Q Uf S T1' UST f RS™ The Adventurer's Newsletter Vol.111,#6 June,1986 problem with this version. using the correct objects. Most of the problems revolve You've got alien machinery to 00-TOPOS around the "greed factor" as you figure out, but nothing attempt to obtain objects (a good overwhelming or more Oo-topos was the first regular or hi-res graphics, and adventurer can never have too complicated than a microwave adventure of science fiction the program uses any extra many objects, you know). One oven. The maze is not as hard novelist Michael Berlyn, who RAM to load in most of them might be guarded by a robot, as it looks and can be mapped in went on to Infocom where he so there's less disk access.) another by deadly radiation, a under an hour; just take at least created games such as There's no music or sound third by a bizarre alien. There's three objects and drop them in Suspended, Cutthroats and effects. no character interaction in terms different rooms. Last issue we Infidel. He and Muffy Berlyn Until you escape the complex of talking to creatures or robots, wrote the story line, he and find your ship, the game but you do interact with them by Continued on page 2 programmed it, and Oo-topos doesn't seem to add up. But if was released in 1981 by Sentient you say "status" to the ship's Software in Colorado. Now computer, it tells you which Penguin has illustrated it, parts have to be found and making this the only all-text installed before you can take off, adventure to be adapted into a and everything falls into place.
    [Show full text]
  • DESIGN-DRIVEN APPROACHES TOWARD MORE EXPRESSIVE STORYGAMES a Dissertation Submitted in Partial Satisfaction of the Requirements for the Degree Of
    UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SANTA CRUZ CHANGEFUL TALES: DESIGN-DRIVEN APPROACHES TOWARD MORE EXPRESSIVE STORYGAMES A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in COMPUTER SCIENCE by Aaron A. Reed June 2017 The Dissertation of Aaron A. Reed is approved: Noah Wardrip-Fruin, Chair Michael Mateas Michael Chemers Dean Tyrus Miller Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies Copyright c by Aaron A. Reed 2017 Table of Contents List of Figures viii List of Tables xii Abstract xiii Acknowledgments xv Introduction 1 1 Framework 15 1.1 Vocabulary . 15 1.1.1 Foundational terms . 15 1.1.2 Storygames . 18 1.1.2.1 Adventure as prototypical storygame . 19 1.1.2.2 What Isn't a Storygame? . 21 1.1.3 Expressive Input . 24 1.1.4 Why Fiction? . 27 1.2 A Framework for Storygame Discussion . 30 1.2.1 The Slipperiness of Genre . 30 1.2.2 Inputs, Events, and Actions . 31 1.2.3 Mechanics and Dynamics . 32 1.2.4 Operational Logics . 33 1.2.5 Narrative Mechanics . 34 1.2.6 Narrative Logics . 36 1.2.7 The Choice Graph: A Standard Narrative Logic . 38 2 The Adventure Game: An Existing Storygame Mode 44 2.1 Definition . 46 2.2 Eureka Stories . 56 2.3 The Adventure Triangle and its Flaws . 60 2.3.1 Instability . 65 iii 2.4 Blue Lacuna ................................. 66 2.5 Three Design Solutions . 69 2.5.1 The Witness ............................. 70 2.5.2 Firewatch ............................... 78 2.5.3 Her Story ............................... 86 2.6 A Technological Fix? .
    [Show full text]
  • Now That I've Cleared out the New
    Issue #14 The Magazine for Interactive Fiction Enthusiasts Now that I’ve cleared out the New Year’s Eve party detritus — the confetti is swept, the empty champagne bottles tucked in with the recyclable trash — I’d like to venture forth with a 1998 proposition, not so much a resolution, for the IF commu- nity: let’s turn the now-yearly IF competition into a biennial event, celebrated every two years perhaps much like the Olympics are now. The benefits are readily apparent: IF programmers could have twice as long to fine-tune their entries, investing more time in thoughtful writing, elegant puzzle design, fleshed-out storylines, and better bug-testing; more aspiring programmers would toss their hats in the ring; while the rest of the IF fans would have more time to enjoy and methodically explore each new competition game — savoring more fully developed, memorable games instead of hurrying through too many games that, while generally well-conceived, were too rushed through development (to meet competition deadlines) to prove really enjoyable. Contents: While many IF fans have more free time than I do — and anyone who’s stayed tuned this long for XYZZYnews’s uneven Top 10 Picks for IF on the Web ................2 publishing schedule knows that I haven’t much to spare — just as many face even heavier demands from their work, family, Letters.......................3 school, and other obligations. So let’s give ourselves a collec- The Effects of tive break...! Many of us took years to finish Zork, Adventure, ‘XYZZY’ in the 1997 Trinity, and the other classic text adventures.
    [Show full text]
  • Download As a PDF and Also Offered It for Sale As a Print-On-Demand Book (Daly 2015)
    humanities Editorial Further Reading Nick Montfort Comparative Media Studies/Writing, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; [email protected] Received: 7 March 2018; Accepted: 8 March 2018; Published: 9 March 2018 Keywords: interactive fiction; Twitter bots; computer-generated novels; performance It is clear that the contributions in this volume are not only insightful, but also wide-ranging, reaching into popular culture and across different media forms and practices. Rather than directly comment on this writing further, though, I offered to supplement the topics of these essays by pointing to a few additional categories of computational, poetic production that seem rich but relatively overlooked. Interactive Fiction Over the past 40 years, interactive fiction has occupied several different places in computing and in culture. When the first widely-released version of Adventure by Will Crowther and Don Woods became available to users of time-sharing systems in 1976, it hit them like a wrecking ball. Legends tell that productivity ceased for days, or weeks, while those who were supposed to be programming explored the simulated cave system. Then people in the US and UK went on to program their own Adventure-like games, or, simply, adventure games. Zork was a successful and memorable one, originally created at MIT by Tim Anderson, Marc Blank, Dave Lebling and Bruce Daniels and then made into a trilogy of home-computer games by Blank and Lebling. Interactive fiction was a pillar of the emerging entertainment software industry—videogames, or to be more specific, computer games. In the 1980s “interactive fiction” (or “IF”) was more widely used a term for this type of production, or “text adventure” if one wanted to distinguish the graphical adventure.
    [Show full text]
  • The New Zork Times Dark – Carry a Lamp VOL
    “All the Grues New Zork Area Weather: That Fit, We Print” The New Zork Times Dark – carry a lamp VOL. 3. .No. 1 WINTER 1984 INTERNATIONAL EDITION SORCERER HAS THE MAGIC TOUCH InfoNews Roundup New Game! Hint Booklets Sorcerer, the second in the In December, Infocom's long- Enchanter series of adventures in the awaited direct mail operation got mystic arts, is now available. The underway. Many of the functions game was written by Steve formerly provided by the Zork Users Meretzky, whose hilarious science Group were taken over by Infocom. fiction game, Planetfall, was named Maps and InvisiClues hint booklets by InfoWorld as the Best Adventure were produced for all 10 of Game of 1983. In Sorcerer, you are a Infocom's products. The games member of the prestigious Circle of themselves were also made available Enchanters, a position that you primarily as a service to those of you achieved in recognition of your in remote geographical areas and to success in defeating the Warlock those who own the less common Krill in Enchanter. computer systems. When the game starts, you realize Orders are processed by the that Belboz, the Eldest of the Circle, Creative Fulfillment division of the and the most powerful Enchanter in DM Group, one of the most the land, has disappeared. Perhaps he respected firms in direct mail. Their has just taken a vacation, but it facilities are in the New York metro- wouldn't be like him to leave without politan area, which explains the letting you know. You remember strange addresses and phone num- that he has been experimenting with bers you'll see on the order forms.
    [Show full text]
  • Ebook Download a Mind Forever Voyaging
    A MIND FOREVER VOYAGING : A HISTORY OF STORYTELLING IN VIDEO GAMES PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Dylan Holmes | 248 pages | 07 Nov 2012 | Createspace Independent Publishing Platform | 9781480005754 | English | [S.l A Mind Forever Voyaging : A History of Storytelling in Video Games PDF Book Delivered from our UK warehouse in 4 to 14 business days. Since the inception of video games, their depictions of violence, sexuality and other explicit themes have made them a lighting rod of controversy. Good video games and good learning: Collected essays on video games, learning and literacy 2nd ed. Can a Computer Make You Cry? International Journal of Research in Education and Science , 3 2 , Critical analysis, historical perspective, and a gently opinionated personal touch make A Mind Forever Voyaging an enlightening read that captures the best that video games have to offer. Rogers, R. The thought was that while this game might have a liberal slant, future games might have a conservative slant, or be educational, or whatever else — the sky was the limit. Course Schedule subject to change Please be sure to complete readings before that class day. Hugos, M. Hwa, S. Good video games and good learning: Collected essays on video games, learning and literacy 2nd ed. Owen, P. Average rating 3. Alternative gaming blogger Dylan Holmes focuses on games that tell stories in innovative and fasci From amazon. View all copies of this ISBN edition:. John Harney. Throw in the four contract-fulfilling Zork gamebooks he cranked out betwixt and between the computer games, plus all the help he gave to others with their designs, plus the way he just kept everyone insanely sane during all of the trials of the Cornerstone era with his parties and games and antics… yeah, Meretzky deserved carte blanche to make his next game exactly what he wanted it to be.
    [Show full text]
  • Infocom-Catalog3
    inFocom Games and Accessories The Great Underground Empire confronts you with perils and predicaments ranging from the mystical to the macabre, as you strive to discover the Twenty Treasures of ZORK and escape with them and your life. The Wizard of Frobozz takes you into new depths of the subterranean realm. There you'll meet the Wizard, who will attempt to confound your quest with his capricious powers. The Dungeon Master is the final test of your courage and wisdom. Your odyssey culminates in an encounter with the Dungeon Master himself, and your destiny hangs in the balance. eNCHANTER The first of a spellbinding series in the tradition of ZORK. When the wicked power of the Warlock sub- jugates this land, his magic defenses will recognize all who have attained the Circle of Enchanters. So, to a novice we speak — one yet unproven who has the heart to challenge and the skill to dare. Sealed inside, you will find such wisdom and guidance as we can provide. Stealth, resourcefulness, and courage you must find within yourself. You are the sole hope of this land, young ENCHANTER. Infocom's mindbending science fiction first launches you headlong into the year 2186 and the depths of space. You are destined to rendezvous with a gargantuan starship from the outer fringes of our galaxy which conveys a challenge that was issued eons ago, from lightyears away — and only you can meet it. SUSPENDED Placed in the twilight world of cryogenic suspen- sion, you awaken to the nightmarish landscape of a planet gone mad. As the central control of the life- support systems that make a terraformed planet habitable, you exist in a frozen sleep that will be disturbed only if the civilization is imperiled.
    [Show full text]
  • PDF Download Planetfall
    PLANETFALL PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Emma Newman | 324 pages | 05 Nov 2015 | Penguin Putnam Inc | 9780425282397 | English | New York, United States Planetfall PDF Book He is both a constant source of comic relief e. Premium Wallpapers. Mehr Infos zu Cookies. Archived from the original on OST MP3. All other trademarks, logos, and copyrights are property of their respective owners. Add to Cart. Emerge from the cosmic dark age of a fallen galactic empire to build a new future for your people. After defeating a giant microbe, the adventurer is informed that the primary Miniaturization Booth is malfunctioning and is rerouted to the Auxiliary Booth. Discover the fate of the Star Union by exploring lush landscapes, wild wastelands and overgrown megacities. I have read and understood the Privacy Policy. By pressing Subscribe, you agree to receive our newsletters and to either create or log in to your Paradox account. Enchanter Sorcerer Spellbreaker. Later in the game they can actually demolish mountain ranges on the strategic map. The escape from the planet continues, but without Floyd's company the player feels lonely and bereaved. You can perch her up on an embankment overlooking the gully where your Kir'Ko rivals are bound to flood in, while you send in troopers with laser rifles and set them to overwatch for when the bugs inevitably rush to melee range. Try new play styles in skirmish mode, and play multiplayer your way - online, hotseat, and asynchronous! Windows 7, 8, 10 , Mac OS X Overall Reviews:. Empfohlene Systemanforderungen:. Retrieved February 26, Knights of Pen and Paper. The answer the GEnie crowd came up with was, yes, a computer game can make you cry: consider the death of Floyd the robot in Planetfall.
    [Show full text]
  • The New Zork Times by Brief but Savage Downpour
    ® “All the Gnus Weather: Thic fog, followed That Fit, We Print” The New Zork Times by brief but savage downpour. VOL. 4. .No. 2 —SUMMER 1985— INTERFERON EDITION New Release: A Mind Forever Voyaging A Mind Forever Voyaging, the first were to be introduced. While you're advanced-level Science Fiction story busy exploring the future, the scien- from Infocom, is for true text- tists and programmers who created adventure buffs. Why? Because it you are honing and perfecting the has more locations to visit (several simulation's parameters. Thus, as the hundred), more things to do, more story progresses, you can travel responses, and a large vocabulary further and further in time, watching (1800+ words) than any of our previ- Rockvil prosper as the Plan ously released products. succeeds, or perish as it fails. Only The story takes place in 21st- you can tell on what course the century Rockvil, South Dakota. The country sets itself by adopting the United States of North America has Plan. fallen prey to incredibly high unem- While there are several puzzles to ployment and crime rates. Political keep players on their toes, designer indiffererence, perhaps caused by Steve Meretzky (author of Planetfall backward educational systems or and Sorcerer, and co-author of The diminishing national resources, has Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) Items from Dr. Perleman’s desk are contained in every A Mind Forever swept the nation. Exploiting this op- concentrated more on immersing the Voyaging package. portunity, Senator Richard Ryder has player in a vast, highly detailed, develop (sic) the Plan for a Renewed realistic world; a vision of the National Purpose, stressing patriot- destiny of mankind.
    [Show full text]
  • 14. Riddle Machines: the History and Nature of Interactive Fiction
    Nick Montfort Riddle Machines: The History and Nature of Interactive Fiction 14. Riddle Machines: The History and Nature of Interactive Fiction Nick Montfort Introduction The genre that has also been labeled "text adventure" and "text game" is stereotypically thought to offer dungeons, dragons, and the ability for readers to choose their own adventure. While there may be dragons here, interactive fiction (abbreviated "IF") also offers utopias, revenge plays, horrors, parables, intrigues, and codework, and pieces in this form resound with and rework Gilgamesh, Shakespeare, and Eliot as well as Tolkien. The reader types in phrases to participate in a dialogue with the system, commanding a character with writing. Beneath this surface conversation, and determining what the computer narrates, there is the machinery of a simulated world, capable of drawing the reader into imagining new perspectives and understanding strange systems. Interactive fiction works can be challenging for literary readers, even those interested in other sorts of electronic literature, because of the text-based interface and because of the way in which these works require detailed exploration, mapping, and solution. Works in this form are often less visually rewarding, and the rewards they do offer are only attained with time and effort. But text-based interactive fiction has provided some of the most the intricate and compelling literary simulations yet developed. Understanding how interactive fiction works, and how it has developed over the past three decades, is an essential part of the puzzle of literary computing. Characteristics of interactive fiction Formally, a work of interactive fiction (often called a "game," even if it does not exhibit the typical qualities of a game) is an interactive computer program.
    [Show full text]
  • The Post Infocom Text Adventure Collection
    The Post Infocom Text Adventure Collection Many of us played and loved the text adventures produced by Infocom in the 1980’s. They were rich in story and puzzles, and contained some excellent writing. In the years since Infocom’s demise in 1989, there have been a lot of good games produced using the Z-Machine - the game format that Infocom was using. This gives us a chance to make these modern-day games run on the computers of the 80’s, like the Commodore 64. I decided to create a collection of Z-machine games for the C64, and this is it. All in all, it’s 31 games, released in 1993-2015. Each game has been put into its own directory, in which is also an empty disk for game saves and a file called AUTOSWAP.LST to make life easier for people using the SD2IEC diskdrive substitute. If you haven’t played text adventures before, or feel that you never got the hang of it, you should read the chapter How to play a text adventure. If you want more of a background on Infocom and the game format they used, you should read the chapter about The Zork Machine at the end of this document. There is also a chapter about the process of porting Z-machine games to the C64 and, finally, a chapter about writing your own games. I created this documentation as a PDF, so that you could easily print it out and keep it nearby if you’re enjoying the collection on a real C64.
    [Show full text]