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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. A Mind Forever Run For Your Lives! It’s ism and a return to American values Voyaging represents Infocom's as they were at the country's peak, greatest step yet away from games, the 1950s. The public, desperate for and toward true fiction: a serious, FOOBLITZKY a change, embraces the Plan, but often chilling, look at the future of many high government officials are the human race, reminiscent of such A Unique Graphics Strategy Game unsure whether it will succeed. That great works of science fiction as is where you come into the picture. 1984 or Brave New World. Infocom? Graphics? about any game is how much fun it You are PRISM (Perelman-Randu What makes an epic game like this No, hell hasn't frozen over. Pigs is, how enjoyable it is to play, not Introductory Soliptic Machine); the possible? Interactive fiction "plus", haven't sprouted wings. But Infocom whether it does or doesn't have first intelligent, self-aware computer. the latest development system from is announcing its first non-interactive graphics. And Fooblitzky is a winner. You have been created to enter a Infocom, designed to complement fiction game — and it does have Already, there are addicts at simulation of Rockvil, years in the our currently-used "classic" system. graphics. Infocom. future, and return with recordings of "It's a hoax," you're thinking. Logic, deduction, chance, and what life would be like if the Plan Continued on Page 3 "Infocom would never use graphics social interaction are all big parts of to illustrate locations in text Fooblitzky — just like deductive adventures. Infocom hates graphics." reasoning is a part of Clue® and Well, yes and no. Mastermind®. (Fooblitzky reminds InfoNews Roundup Infocom has yet to see computer some people of a cross between graphics that add to the quality of a those games, even though its theme Wishbringer Event pastries. Over 300 people joined us text adventure. There may be ways is completely different.) Fooblitzky to celebrate the release of our 16th in which graphics could be used is a multiplayer game — 2, 3, or 4 This time it was not a mansion but a title. more subtly to enhance your mental people can play. The name museum, there were no murders, no Those who attended were treated imagery. But with today's machine "Fooblitzky" was chosen because it's clues, not a puzzle to be solved. Not to speeches from our Marc "Mark" resolutions, and even with proposed easy to remember and incredibly unless you found it a puzzling Blank, Jon "Buckingham" Palace, advancements in technology, difficult to pronounce. experience to have a good time. The Mike "Max the Knife" (Stan) graphics can't begin to compete with Okay, so the name is goofy. The event was the Wishbringer Dornbrook, and even the professor the scenes and characters you can game is goofy. But it's sophisticated announcement, and a good time was himself. The presentation drew a imagine. Therefore, Infocom still goofiness. had by all. standing-room-only crowd (thanks to firmly believes that words paint the The roots of Fooblitzky go back This party was held in the Field Max, who was seen before the party most vivid images in your mind. more than 2 years. Marc Blank and Museum of Natural History in removing the auditorium's 200 Of course, there is a place for Michael Berlyn wanted to develop Chicago. And it was no coincidence folding chairs!). graphics today: in a completely something unique, something totally that Summer CES was in Chicago as The party was more than anyone different setting and in a completely different from text adventures — or well. The press, distributors, and could have wished for, especially if different kind of game. In fact, any other kind of computer game. many of our own Infoployees you were one of the seven lucky Fooblitzky is all graphics, and has They hired a crazed crackerjack art- (including Wishbringer implementor prize winners. Infocom drew names more graphics in it than any other ist, Brian Cody, and a programming "Professor" Brian Moriarty) attended from a crystal punch bowl to award computer game on the market. an evening of music, dancing, and But the really important thing Continued on Page 3 the 3 p's: presentation, prizes, and Continued on Page 3 PAGE 2 THE NEW ZORK TIMES SUMMER 1985 David Alan Hoag feature, "Searching for the Relics of translation of Zork for the PDP-11/ Mail Bag Placentia, CA the Emu," which appeared in the V-11 (translated from MDL for the You will notice that the number of Spring '85 issue of The New Zork ARPANET), the dam tour guidebook Dear Infocom: entries was down this time. Also, Times. I look forward to seeing the claims that FCD#3 was composed of What a great puzzle! I solved don't forget that The New Zork Times proper photographs in your next "3.7 cubic feet of concrete." To the puzzle number 5 two days after Puzzle Winner T-shirts can't be issue. Incidentally, I recently partici- best of my knowledge, it is very receiving my latest copy of The New bought — you must solve the puzzle pated in a research project at difficult, if not impossible, to take a Zork Times, but I had to replay Zork to own one — Ed. Hellspont Historical Institute which lump of concrete measuring one foot II to determine whether "FEEL uncovered startling evidence that the by one foot by three point seven feet FREE" was in the Crypt Anteroom Hi, Emus were NOT wiped out by the and build a structure the size of or the Crypt. I had made a Zork II encroachment of western man, but FCD#3. While on the topic of the I was really making progress on map, but I loaned it out, and my were instead conquered by a race of guidebook, how come the present the NZT puzzle in the Winter issue. I friend lost it. He claimed a little guy malignant Yaks native to mountain- day versions of Zork I don't mention have all the Infocom games and with a beard and pointy hat just ous New Zealand. A fellow the work force of "384 slaves, 34 spent hours and hours researching popped in, waved a wand, mumbled researcher proved this invasion pos- slave drivers, 12 engineers, 2 turtle the questions and filling in my grid. I something like "Filch," and the map sible by successfully traversing the doves and a partridge in a pear tree" had a ways to go but felt I was on the just vanished. The loss had occurred treacherous between New Zealand or the command team of "234 right track when I was called on to some time ago, and this current and Tasmania in a coracle made en- bureaucrats, 2,347 secretaries (at babysit a friend's cat. puzzle was just the motivation I tirely of spun Yak hair. The creatures least two of whom could type), To make a long story short, the cat, needed to play the game again to the Europeans discovered were the 12,256 paper shufflers, 52,469 unknown to me, had a craving for remap Zork II's world. sad remnants of their proud race, rubber stampers, 245,193 red tape graph paper and ate my almost who quickly died of culture shock processors, and nearly one million I must say, however, that I appreci- complete grid. (She gave birth to a from exposure to gunpowder weap- dead trees?" Keep The Times ate the definitive Infocom trivia little of black and white checked ons, canvas, and "pick-a-path" game coming. encyclopedia the puzzle solution kittens yesterday.) booklets (a primitive form of Interac- Marc Egazarian provides. Nobody I know had ever I would like to make a comment on tive Fiction!). I hope this sets the Blauvelt, NT thought to count the leaves, and sure the gender of computer gamers.
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