“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. powerful spells and dangerous There were admittedly some demons, and you fear the worst — annoying start-up problems, but the that Belboz has been trapped by an operation is now running smoothly. evil force, and that his magic might We hope that those of you who be turned against the Circle. And experienced problems with your first only a powerful Sorcerer can rescue order will give us another chance. him from a terrible fate! With its reliance on magic spells Zork Fan in Orbit Included in the Sorcerer package you will find an issue of Popular Enchanting and potions, Sorcerer has become an Magazine, the Creatures of Frobozz Infotater, and a handy storage pouch. immediate hit both inside Infocom When she's in the air, Sally Ride, and with our crew of outside game the nation's first woman to go into testers, many of whom think it's our space, is occupied with the best yet. Besides its outstanding computers on the space shuttle writing and its intricately crafted plot Challenger. But when she gets her Hello Sailor! and problems, it boasts the largest feet back on the ground, she turns to Welcome to the Infocom Elite why we only let them out on Sun- vocabulary of any Infocom game: Infocom for entertainment. Sally's Adventurers Society. Some of you days and Thursday afternoons! And over 1000 words! With your favorite computer pastime is none may remember The New Zork Times more! The whole spectacular, sordid, Encyclopedia Frobozzica, you'll other than Zork. "Zork is going to put out by "Mike" of the Zork Users spine-tingling story is right here in have a lot of fun researching the drive me to my knees," Sally said in Group. Well, Mike is now Infocom's The New Zork Times. Enchanter universe and the History a recent magazine interview. Product Manager and The New Zork While the staff of The New Zork of the Great Underground Empire. Times and some of the Zork Users Times never runs out of subjects to The Enchanter series will be con- Zork in Print Group`s other services have been write about, now and then we do like cluded in 1985. Look for details in taken over by Infocom. to reach into the NZT mailbag for a future issues of The New Zork Times. Steve Meretzky, author of What can those of you who have few ideas from our readers. If you Planetfall and Sorcerer, has written never seen The New Zork Times have any suggestions for articles or three "What Do I Do Now?" books Technical Hot-Line expect? The latest breakthroughs! regular features you would like to for the Tor Young Adult Adventure The newest Infocom games to watch see, or if you just want to practice Infocom has established a direct series. They are titled ZORK: The for! Special offers! Feature articles: your penmanship, drop a line to: line to our technical support staff. Forces of Krill, ZORK: The the making of an Infocom game; New Zork Times, Inevitable Call (617) 576-3190 for answers to Malifestro Quest, and ZORK: The unusual commands that get outland- Newsletter Articles of the ‘80’s, 55 questions of a technical nature (e.g., Cavern of Doom. Look for them at ish results; the people behind the Wheeler St., Cambridge, Mass., disk problems, game bugs, etc.). your local book store. scenes, what they're doing there, and 02138. Please note that this is not a hint line. . . .More InfoNews on Page 2 PAGE 2 THE NEW ZORK TIMES WINTER 1984 Call the Exterminator Despite our best honing efforts, and then knock on the dungeon door some pretty funny bugs have made it FROM THE INSIDE! The Dungeon out into the marketplace. Here's a Master will tell you you're not ready run-down of some of the most and send you back to the Button embarrassing and hilarious bugs on Room, but also follow you! You can record. Note of caution: If you then lead him all over the game, and haven't finished a particular game, even strand him in the Zork I area, if we'd advise against reading the you're clever. associated paragraph. In an early version of the game, you could carry a light source across the lake inside the chest, thus ZORK I avoiding using the viewing table to There is an obscure container bug get the grue repellent, and conse- that is probably in every single quently finishing the game with only version of the game. A while back, 6 of the 7 points. Since this bug was we were wondering what would fixed, we’ve had people call up, happen if you have two large saying "but my friend says the way containers, and you tried putting to get to the Key Room is to bring a them inside each other. So, we went light source across the lake inside the into Zork I, put the coffin inside the chest"! raft, and then said PUT RAFT IN STARCROSS COFFIN. They both disappeared! Zork I, being our oldest game, Speaking of talking to inanimate contains some classic InfoBugs in its objects, this bug is rampant in early early version. Shaking any non- versions of Starcross. A simple empty open container may cause a (though totally unintended) solution crash. You "bump your head on the to the red rod problem is to say . . .More InfoNews river" if you try to enter it. And NEST, DROP ROD. The game PC-8000, Osborne, PDP-11, saying GO
Have you arrested the murderer in another shot. They proposed five of the title Witness. G/R suggested meaning arrival on a new planet our mystery thriller "Was It possible titles: Celestus, The Link- changing this slightly to The Witness, (much like landfall). Nobody really Murder?" Or found the alien artifact ing, Alien Intercept, Stardate: 2186, a title more in keeping with titles in believed him, but it was never in "Celestus"? Or maybe met a and Starcross. Celestus didn't have the Raymond Chandler era. improved upon. somewhat childish robot in "Lost the right down-at-the-heels image for Enchanter, written by Blank and Our first Tale of Adventure might Planet"? No, those aren't the names your ship's name. The Linking Lebling, had its name before it was have been called Pyramid. Though of our newest games — in fact, sounded too much like a Stephen even started. It just sounded right uninspired, it was used through the they're rejected names for some King novel. Alien Intercept begged and its only serious competition was game's initial testing and had a loyal existing ones (can you guess for a joystick. And Stardate: 2186 Zork IV. A strenuous argument following due to its descriptive which?). As a player, you've proba- wasn't even good enough for a Star raged for weeks: was it a Zork or nature. G/R was unimpressed and bly taken the names of our games for Trek episode. Starcross, however, wasn't it. It wasn't. suggested Infidel. Infocom was granted. We didn't. And if you think with its reference to the stars and its Planetfall was titled Sole Survivor unimpressed: it sounded more like that writing the games is tough, you similarity to the word starcrossed, by its author, Steve Meretzky, and something from the Crusades than an should have been there when we had the right sort of feel, and was later shortened to just Survivor. exploration for a lost pyramid. But in named them. elected. When we discovered another game combination with its distinctive logo To be honest, some names were We did a little better internally called Survivor, we decided we'd and the proposed package design, we easier than others. Zork, for example, with some of our recent games. Mike rather switch than fight. G/R went to relented. We even changed the game was simple, since it was used by Berlyn's Suspended was originally it again and submitted a list about 30 a bit to make it work better. some of the founders of Infocom called Suspension (Suspenders, long, their favorite of which was That takes us to the present. As this back in 1977, when the game was affectionately) for the main charac- Lost Planet. Reaction was less than newsletter appears, we will be first written. At that time the only ter's state of suspended animation, enthusiastic, not the least because it releasing the sequent to Enchanter, other "adventure" game was the but Suspended seemed to work a reminded two of us of the TV series, Spellbreaker. No that's not right — I original Adventure, and authors little better. Stu Galley's 1930's-style Lost in Space. Blank suggested think it's Spellbound. Or was it Marc Blank and Tim Anderson were mystery, in which the player is Planetfall during a long, frustrating Sorcerer? I don't know, really. And I at a complete loss in thinking up a actually present at the time of a meeting — he thought he had seen it don't care. I'm just glad I'm not good name for their new game. Since murder, led us to immediately think once in an SF book as a word working on ad copy. they wanted people to play it, and since you can't run a nameless program, they needed something quick. Blank chose Zork, a nonsense word commonly used at the MIT Lab CLASSIFIEDS for Computer Science as an all- purpose interjection. He figured that FOR SALE: Twenty valuable treas- ures. Someone just left them in the he would think of something else trophy case in my living room. How later, but the name stuck (he never about that?! Write to Ellron, White House in the Clearing, Forest of Zork did come up with anything better, 9060. anyway) and survives to this day. “Caviar in, caviar out.” This adage As an aside, the original Zork had FOR SALE: Three-headed dog, cheap. Used to be fierce guard dog, fits just one brand well over 200 rooms, a vocabulary of now just slobbers over everyone. of computer nearly 1000 words, and required a Very friendly, upkeep low — one dragon carcass a day should satisfy game software. mainframe computer with over a it. Contact Boris Flathead, Keeper of Because nothing else stimulates your imagination and challenges megabyte of memory! Infocom's the Tomb. your computer’s capabilities like Infocom prose games. Our
Zork trilogy has about twice the FOR SALE: Single-person mining secret? We put you inside our stories. And once within, you’ll material of the original mainframe ship, perfect for asteroid belt. find a dimension alive with situations, personalities, and logical Zork in about one quarter of a mega- Equipped with personable navigation puzzles that can’t be experienced anywhere outside our stories. computer. A beauty; hate to part with byte. That's progress. it but am leaving quantum black hole Step up to Infocom. All words. No pictures. The secret reaches When Marc Blank started writing biz to go on lecture circuit. Write Box of your mind are beckoning. The next dimen- 3, Ceres Station. sion is in there waiting for you. Infocom's first mystery, he tenta- tively called it "Was It Murder?" WANTED: Gardener for large estate. (For more information on Infocom After all, it looked like a suicide. The Last one quit in huff. Grounds include games contact: Infocom, Inc., P.O. rose garden and orchard. Generous Box 855, Garden City, NY 11530.) name was distinctly bland, but salary. Send references to Leslie nobody around Infocom could think Robner, 506 Lakeview Road, Mait- land, CT. of anything better (give us a break, we had only three employees). We WANTED: Authentic working The next dimension. gave the problem to our ad agency, Enchanter's wand. Last one stolen by upstart adventurer. Will pay top Giardini/Russell (G/R), who came up dollar. Contact Wizard of Frobozz, in with the name Deadline along with Exile, Remote Corner of the Great Underground Empire 9133. its distinctive logo. Dave Lebling gave his science WANTED: More reliable manufac- turer of integrated circuits. Current fiction scenario a working title of "A brand failed at inopportune moment. For your Apple II, Atari, Commodore 64, CP/M 8”, Dec Rainbow, Gift From Space". Nobody's socks Please send brochure to: Ignatz DEC RT-11, IBM, MS-DOS 2.0, NEC APC, NEC PC-8000, Osborne, Feroukin, Planetary Management TI Professional, TI 99/4A, TRS-80 Model I, TRS-80 Model III. were knocked off, so we gave G/R Bureau, Contra, Sector 19G.
PAGE 4 THE NEW ZORK TIMES WINTER 1984 INSIDE LOOK AT INFOCOM CALLED “BEST GAME DEVELOPMENT THING SINCE SLICED BREAD”
Here at Infocom, we try to get as tion to the lab. Another batch of awards — Stu News segment featuring The Wit- many people as possible involved in Galley, author of The Witness, was in ness. The New York Times (not to be FROBOZZ: Fiddlesticks. the game development process in the Big Apple recently to accept an confused with The New Zork Times) order to create a smorgasbord of FLOYD: Enough talking! Let's play award for his popular murder Sunday Book Review devoted a page ideas. Our theory is that "too few hider-and-seeker! mystery challenge; Electronic to Infocom's interactive fiction — cooks create a noisome stew." In Games named The Witness the Best Deadline in particular — saying FLATHEAD: And it must be 600 fact, we frequently even invite Adventure of 1984. It was the second "Deadline, in fact, is more like a thousand million billion megabytes characters from the games to our straight year Infocom has captured genre of fiction than a game." The and take up 37 truckloads of floppy development sessions. Here's a the honor — Deadline took the prize December 5 issue of Time magazine disks… transcript made from a recording of in 1983. Three more special honors featured a full page on Infocom titled one such session: BLANK: Maybe if we could start by were recently announced: Planetfall "Putting Fiction on a Floppy," the was named Best Adventure Game of December 22 Washington Post MARC BLANK: We need to start settling on a genre. 1983 by Infoworld magazine; devoted 3 pages to the Infocom working on a new game. GURTHARK-TUN-BESNAP: I Suspended was selected as the Best story, as did the March 1984 issue of don't know the word "genre." DIMWIT FLATHEAD: It must have Computer Game by Rolling Stone Discover magazine. two hundred thousand rooms, four BLANK: That is, fantasy, sci-fi, magazine; and Infidel was picked The December issue of Creative million takeable objects, and under- mystery… Best Adventure/Strategy Game by Computing, which reviewed Planet- stand a vocabulary of every single The Video Game Update. Readers of fall and The Witness in an article word ever spoken in every language MONICA: The only mystery around PC World chose the Zork trilogy as entitled "Infocom Does it Again ... ever invented. here is how you ever got to be VP, best in the magazine's "World Class And Again," had this to say: "With gnurd. WIZARD OF FROBOZZ: Fantastic. PC Contest." The Parent's Choice each new release, each new venture FLATHEAD: ...and the packages Foundation recently gave Zork I its into a genre they have made famous, MONICA: Not on your life, flat- will be made of solid gold and plati- Parent's Choice Award. Readers of the people at Infocom, authors of brain. Not with the crew of two-bit num… Electronic Fun magazine voted the Zork and Deadline, seem to reaffirm programmers we've got around this Zork trilogy a winner in the first a commitment to a level of quality dump! KRILL: I can't use multiple direct "Hall of Fun" contest. and innovation that has guaranteed objects with the verb "made." BLANK: I think we ought to analyze Infocom has received a lot of fa- them not only a fiercely loyal follow- the situation. BLANK: Maybe we should schedule vorable publicity lately. Marc Blank, ing, but also an undisputed position another meeting… vice president for product develop- at the forefront of the computer SGT. DUFFY: With all due respect, ment, appeared on a CBS Morning adventure market." sir, I don't think I can take the situa- FROBOZZ: Friday.
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Free InvisiClues with this coupon and the New Zork Times Puzzle purchase of any Infocom game. C Return this coupon with your A (D + E) game order or with proof of pur- chase of an Infocom game (sales ( – B ) + — (F) (G)– = X receipt dated between March 1, 1984 and May 15, 1984 identify- A = The number of grasping extensions of all seven robots in Suspended (including Fred) put ing the game purchased and the warranty/registration card from together. the game purchased) and get one B = The seat number in Row R that Ms. Dunbar sat in when she attended the Hartford Philhar- of the following sets of InvisiClues monic Orchestra on the evening of July 7, 1982, according to Deadline. hint books and maps ($7.95 C = The value of the Flathead stamp found in , in zorkmids. value) absolutely free: Zork II Check One: D = The first year that the Royal Museum in Zork III lay unguarded. o Zork I o Witness E = The number of matches in the matchbook in Zork I, at the beginning of the game. o Zork II o Starcross F = The cost of building Flood Control Dam #3, in millions of zorkmids. o Zork III o Suspended* o Enchanter o Planetfall G = The number of entries in the Starcross tape library. o Deadline o Infidel X = ______. *Map included in game package Limit: one per customer. CONTEST RULES PRIZE: A copy of Sorcerer. Response must be postmarked no 1. All entries must be submitted on this form. No copies accepted. Please enclose your name, address, later than May 15, 1984. Return 2. All entries must be received by May 1, 1984. telephone number, and the system coupon to Infocom, Coupon Offer, 3. Up to ten prizes will be awarded for correct answers. In the event that you'd want Sorcerer to run on. C.S. 855, Garden City, NY 11530. more than ten correct answers are received, a drawing will be held to Return to Infocom, NZT Puzzle, 55 (c) 1984 Infocom Inc. determine the winners. Void where prohibited by law. Wheeler St., Cambridge, MA 02138.