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The Status Line Fall 1986

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Vol. V/No. 4 —Fall 1986— Glamour Edition Soon To Be A Major Interactive Story… HOLLYWOOD HIJINX Who can forget those wonderful Herman would team up together to childhood summers spent with play games in the garden or help your Aunt Hildegarde and Uncle Aunt Hildegarde with her dinner Buddy Burbank? Uncle Buddy was parties. There was also the time he a Hollywood mogul, Aunt Hilde- got sick in the top bunk when you garde his loving (and very rich) were sleeping in the bottom one. wife. They had no children of their Or the time he tripped you on the own, but you and your cousins beach stairs and you fell and got a were always welcome at their bloody nose. But you were able to sprawling Malibu estate. forgive and forget in the name of The house itself was loads of cousinly love. fun. There was the luxurious Well, those days are all behind movie theater, the gaudy round you. Uncle Buddy has been dead satin-covered bed, the gold-plated for several years, and now Aunt bathroom faucets in the shape of Hildegarde has passed away, too. Aunt Hildegarde and Uncle Buddy would be proud of the Oscars, and the goofy props from It seems like the end of an era — Hollywood Hijinx package. old Buddy Burbank movies. And until you learn that you've inher- the grounds had everything from a ited the entire estate. There's just private beach to a hedge maze, one quirky stipulation: you can where you usually managed to get only claim your booty if you find Breakthrough In lost. ten "treasures" from old Buddy Your aunt and uncle were fun, Burbank movies hidden through- Continuing Education… too. Uncle Buddy, who dressed in out the house and grounds. If you polyester leisure suits and gold can't find the treasures in one THE ENCHANTER TRILOGY chains, always had a practical joke night, you lose the whole ca- up his sleeve. And, despite her boodle. Are you tired of dragging around In the first lesson, Enchanter, eccentricities, Aunt Hildy loved That's the premise of Hollywood heavy swords? Exhausted from you are given an extensive ground- you like a mother. Hijinx™, the new interactive story bloody battles with trolls and ing in spellcraft as you are sent by You even enjoyed your Cousin from Infocom. It sends you on a thieves? Feeling that it's all gotten the Circle of Enchanters to defeat Herman, who often visited at the zany treasure hunt through a a bit too ... well, physical? the evil warlock Krill and prevent same time as you. You and (continued on page 4) It's time to step up to a more the ruination of the land. As cerebral, white-collar underground Games magazine said, "This is an career! Become an enchanter! In impressive start for a new trilogy only three lessons, we can turn and a must for all adventure gam- you from a novice magician into a ers." Enchanter was written by full-fledged member of the Circle Dave Lebling and Marc Blank, the of Enchanters, and then, if you co-authors of the Zork® Trilogy. play your cards right, into the In the second lesson, Sorcerer™, head of the Circle itself! your defeat of Krill has promoted Previously, it took almost three you to full membership in the years to complete this course, and Circle. Everything looks rosy until it cost over 120 dollars. But now, Belboz, the head of the Circle, dis- thanks to extensive research, inno- appears under mysterious circum- vative modern packaging, and a stances. Ultimately you must use collaboration between the Frobozz time-travel, transformation, and Magic Magic Equipment Company general trickiness to destroy the and Crazy Dimwit's, Infocom demon Jeearr, who's at the bottom brings you the entire Enchanter® of it all. Analog Computing said, Trilogy for only $69.95 for the "Sorcerer does live up to the Commodore 64/128 and $79.95 for precedent set for it by Enchanter the IBM and Apple II series. and, in many respects, surpasses The Great Underground Empire it." Sorcerer was written by Steve Tech Correspondence Course in Meretzky, author of Planetfall®, Talk to animals! Fly like a bat! Turn enemies into newts! It’s all Enchanting contains these three co-author of The Hitchhiker's possible in The Enchanter Trilogy. lessons: (continued on page 2) PAGE 2 THE STATUS LINE FALL 1986 Enchanter Trilogy (continued from page 1) Guide to the Galaxy™, and author written by Dave Lebling. Writers: Tom Bok, Gary Brennan, Elizabeth Langosy, Dave Lebling, Steve Meretzky, of A Mind Forever Voyaging™ and The Enchanter Trilogy comes in Jonathan Palace, Tom Veldran Leather Goddesses of Phobos™. a beautiful slipcased package Production: Cynthia Curtis, Susan Goldman, Jonathan Palace The third lesson, Spellbreaker™, suitable for awed contemplation, Supposed Boss: Susan Goldman is a tricky final exam, for now you tasteful holiday gift-giving, or © 1986 Infocom, Inc., 125 CambridgePark Drive, Cambridge, MA 02140 Zork, Enchanter, Deadline, The Witness, Starcross, Suspended, Planetfall, Infidel, Seastalker, Cutthroats, Suspect, and have become Head of the Circle of annoying friends and relations Wishbringer are registered trademarks of Infocom, Inc. Hollywood Hijinx, Moonmist, Leather Goddesses of Phobos, Trinity, Enchanters. Ready to relax and who think Infocom is into occult- Ballyhoo, Sorcerer, Spellbreaker, A Mind Forever Voyaging, Fooblitzky, Cornerstone, Tales of Adventure, Interactive Fiction Plus, and InvisiClues are trademarks of Infocom, Inc. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a trademark of Douglas Adams. take it easy, you have no such ism. All three games have been luck: magic itself appears to be updated with the latest and best failing, the populace is up in arms, bug fixes, including the legendary and the most dangerous opponent OOPS command. All the feelies you NY Times Can’t Be yet is behind it all. Analog know and love are there, including Computing said "Spellbreaker is a the lovely field guide to the GIVEN Away vast, sprawling game, finely "Creatures of Frobozz" (Sorcerer) detailed, intricately designed. It and five portraits of renowned En- To Whom It May Concern: subscription, so maybe it's not too can be easily and wholeheartedly chanters (Spellbreaker). The When I got my Status Line a few late to cancel it, saving Infocom recommended, a grand conclusion Enchanter Trilogy is limited while days ago, I was thrilled to learn from financial ruin. How about it? to a great series." Spellbreaker was supplies last. that I had named one of the great- Who in their right mind would est newsletters of all time. Then I give away an expensive prize remembered the prize I had won; a made by some other company Hitchhiker’s In Planetfall, using naughty year's subscription to The New when they could simply give away words causes the response "Such York Times. Now what, exactly, a relatively inexpensive Infocom on Radio language from an ensign in the am I going to do with that? I can't game, and boost their company's We are proud to announce that Stellar Patrol!" The reason we use it to line a bird cage, because I image at the same time? Please once again Infocom has made it mention this is an old but still don't even have a bird! Then I seriously consider this idea, and possible for all radio listeners to amusing quote we dug up thought, this prize must be costing let me know what you think. pick up Hitchhiker's! Before it was recently. It's from an article on those Infocommies an arm and a Sincerely, an interactive story, before it was interactive fiction in the March leg (or two). They would save big Cliff Tuel a TV show, before it was converted 18, 1985, issue of People maga- bucks if they just sent me an Info- San Jose, CA into four phenomenal best-selling zine: com game for my Apple IIc, such P.S. If you decide to waste your books, The Hitchhiker's Guide to as Leather Goddesses of Phobos. money on the newspaper, I'll read the Galaxy was a twelve-part radio In Planetfall, if you tell the I haven't heard anything from it anyway. serial on Britain's BBC. Now Info- computer to "go to hell" it re- The New York Times yet about my com is sponsoring a rebroadcast of plies, "Such language from an the entire serial on National Public enzyme in the stellar patrol!" Radio (NPR). This is radio as you've never heard it before. Conceived and written by Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide radio serial is hilarious and contains some of the best sound effects ever produced. DEAR Before the interactive story came out, many considered this radio Dear Miss Underground serial the best rendition of The Manners: Hitchhiker's Guide. If you have never heard it, you will find it I am a middle-aged gnome who funny, outrageous, mindboggling, likes to think he practices impec- and well worth listening to. cable manners. Recently, my next- Beginning in January 1987, tunnel neighbor, an ogre of good episodes will be made available to repute and social standing, invited public radio stations across the me to be present at his son's wed- country for inclusion in their ding. Naturally, I consented cheer- schedules. Check local program fully. When the date arrived, I listings for times — each station appeared at the ceremony, only to puts together its own schedule find that my wife and children had independently. If your local public been chopped up and were to be radio station is not carrying the served as hors d'oeuvres at the show, call to point out that it is reception.
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