“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 Challenger. But when she gets her writing and its intricately crafted plot 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 <SOMETHING>, such as replies "Dropped." Ouch. Along the New Systems GO ROPE, may send you into a same lines, one player was trying to TI-99/4A, TI Professional, TRS-80 totally bizarre location. turn the beam of energy off in the Infocom is committed to producing Model I, TRS-80 Model III, and Laboratory, and said BEAM, OUT. versions of its software for all Tandy 2000. ZORK II The game's response: "The beam popular microcomputers. We are Watch The New Zork Times for One of the funniest bugs ever leaves the room." proud to announce three new news of new system compatibilities. discovered was that you could "talk" Try this one: go to the top of the systems with which Infocom soft- Be sure to tell your friends who have to various objects in Zork II, such as tree and say THROW HANDS. If ware is compatible: the Kaypro II been waiting to experience Infocom's the aquarium. A command like you have an early version, Starcross (with CP/M), MS-DOS 2.0 (with interactive fiction on their AQUARIUM, WEST would elicit replies "The pair of hands sails away, IBM compatible disk, 80 characters (previously incompatible) systems. the response, "The aquarium leaves drifting in a long arc towards the x 25 line screen or 40 characters x 25 line screen), and TI-99/4A (32K the room." One player led the ground." Info Brochure aquarium halfway across the memory expansion, disk drive, and DEADLINE dungeon in search of the solution to one of the following modules: Enclosed with this issue of The a problem. Well, there's the first floor Extended Basic, Mini-Memory, or New Zork Times is a copy of bathroom door that was difficult to Editor/Assembler). Infocom's new product brochure, ZORK III open. If you said OPEN DOOR, you Fortunately, Infocom's IBM "Our Circuits, Ourselves!" We Possibly the most embarrassing were asked "Which door do you versions were written in such a way would love to hear any comments bug ever released occurs at the very mean, the door or the south closet that they run unmodified on the new you may have about it. Address them end of the earliest version of this door." PCjr. to Mr. Delwood Bland, Infocom, 55 game. If you are carrying the sword A bug that (thankfully) only a few Infocom certainly has the widest Wheeler St., Cambridge, MA 02138.