uestBusterS )j t --- The Adventurers' Journal Vol. V, #4 April, 1988 $2.00 Interplay Goes Independent! Best-known for the Bard's spend, say two years on a Interplay plans three to four also be their first to be initial­ Tale series, Interplay Produc­ Wasteland, and survive. titles a year, concentrating on ly released for the Amiga. tions has begun pqblishing its role-playing games and a few "It's not role-playing, but sort own software, to be distribut­ "But as a publisher we have a hybrid products. Fargo elabo- of a strategy game," Fargo ed exclusively by Activision. little more of a profit margin, rates: "Everything won't be hints. "Graphically it's a real so we can take on even more your standard role-playing showpiece." "We've been a developer for ambitious projects. To the game-roll up your characters 4 1(2 years," Interplay Presi- gamer, this means the quality and so on. Star Flight is a dent Brian Fargo explains, of our products will continue good example of a game that "and as our products have to grow-and now we can is role-playing but not your grown more and more refined, spend even more time on traditional kind of game. The we began to care about the them. We'll focus on Com- first role-playing game we'll whole process: marketing, modore, Apple and MS DOS, publish will beNeuromancer, advertising, packaging. An- and do some for the 68000 based on William Gibson's other reason is that our prod- machines and maybe even the science fiction novel about fu- Fargo at Winter CES ucts are getting more corn- PS 2-we'll take chances if turistic computer hackers." About the Bard plex and taking longer to do, we want to do something real- (June, C-64) But Interplay's so as a developer it's hard to ly different or avant garde." first independent title will "Electronic Arts owns the ------------------------------------ name," according to Fargo, "so we can't release another Bard's Tale. EA could, but I The Riddle of the Crown Jewels don't know their plans on this. By William E. Carte prove useful on the case. We own the technology, so It seems that archvillain Moriarity has, be­ we can come up with other Anxiously I dug into the package, expecting to sides stealing the jewels, set a trap for Holmes; products in that genre." Inter­ step into the shoes of Sherlock Holmes trying that's why you, as Dr. Watson, lead the inves­ play also plans more products to solve yet another mystery-what a surprise tigation while Holmes tags along. But Sher­ with Mike Stackpole and oth­ to find that instead I would lock provides more than just er designers who aren't pro­ be Dr. Watson. You re­ Type: All-text Mystery company, for occasionally he grammers. "We're working member Watson, don't Systems: Apple 2, C 64/128, gives valuable information with four designers on a time you? That friend, that side­ IBM, Mac, Amiga, ST or hints. He might tell you a travel story now," says Fargo. kick, that helpful pal who ------.....-----­ particular item should be "That's going to be another gets as much credit as a vice president (none). hidden from view, for example. big one like Wasteland." Well, the shoe's on the other foot and the With Holmes helping out, Watson finally pipe's in the other mouth in this new twist on has a chance for some glory. There's just one Inventory an old story line. little catch: You have only 48 hours to solve 'Demon S tafkf,rs ............. .3 The setting is of course downtown London, the crime. After that, the public learns of the 1{?turn to .9ltfantis ......... .4 where the crown jewels have just been stolen. crown jewels' theft, the festivities are ruined 'Dragons Lair.. ............... 5 Everyone in town is preparing for Her Majes­ and the game lost. Conversion CastU ...........6 ty's Golden Jubilee Festivities, which will be One thing that stands out is the game's tre­ ruined if the people learn of the theft. As the mendous scope. With a seemingly infinite 'Trust & '.Betrayal ... ....... 7 story begins, you are summoned to 221 B number of locations, it's a monster to map. A 'Wafk]firu: 'Talisman .. ....8 Baker Street by Sherlock Holmes' housekeep­ map of London is included to help you find fa­ 'Wafk]firu: '.Beyoni Zor"K,.9 er. You discover Holmes in a state of deep de­ mous locations such as Westminster Abbey, Crimson '.Boda: .9l{ternate pression and find the game's first series of Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square and the ~fity, 'Ilie 'Dungeon .... 10 puzzles. After getting Holmes to snap out of Bank of England. One hint It's impossible to 'Waiting for 'Duffy ........ 13 his gloomy mood, you have to round up nu­ do so on foot There are two cab companies, 'l(f.ys to tfie 'l(jngaoms ...14 merous items from the house, things that will Continued on page 15 Letters Adventure Hotline . to the ~ Editor New Releases also describes the Infocom staff as so de­ Dear QuestBusters: pressed that they've initiated= the "Bruce It is extremely unfair that your Contribut­ Ultima V just arrived (Apple). Waste­ land and Bard's Tale III should be out Youth" program (Bruce Davis is the Acti­ ing Editors keep winning the free games for the C-64 late this month. Empire is a vision President), modeled after the Hitler for doing walkthrus. They should be lim­ "you vs. the robots" IBM British import Youth program in which kids turned in ited to one or two a year. from Electronic Arts. Also for the IBM, their parents-though the related flyer Jayson Hogan First Expedition has a "sail the world and seemed more humorous than serious. Is find the treasure" motif. Omnitrend's this the work of a bitter ex -employee, or Your suggestion would be more unfair to Paladin (Amiga) is on the shelves, and a of someone trying to save the integrity of the people who need the walkthrus as Quest disk will be ready a few weeks lat­ the text adventure (and Infocom) as we soon as possible, since they'd have to er-it's one big quest with 16 parts. The know it from a Fate Worse Than Death? wait longer for help. The point is that ST version is planned for early summer. The letter arrived as we were going to we' re only giving away the games as an The Serayachi Campaign, a Breach scen­ press, and we couldn't get to Activision incentive for people to send in solutions. ario disk is available for Amiga, ST, Mac and Infocom in time for their responses in Besides, Brian Smith was made an Editor and IBM. So is The Trickster, a graphic this issue. Look for more in May. because he has done so many walk­ adventure from the creators of The Pawn thrus--so it wouldn't make much sense to (ST, Amiga, Mac, IBM). Undo Department: ACS Club tell him he can't do any more because If you want to join the ACS Club, the $5 he's an editor, would it? You should be Conversions Keep Coming membership fee should be sent to Ken St. happy to know William Carte now spends more time verifying other people's The Apple version of Pirates finally Andre at 3421 E. Yale, Phoenix, AZ walkthrus than writing them. shipped. EA has Wasteland lined up for 85008, not Will Bryant (the club's news­ the IBM, and Bard II for the Amiga in letter editor) as reported in a recent issue. Dear QuestB usters: April or May (GS and ST versions are set Why doesn't anyone at QuestBusters an­ for May). The IBM Gauntlet is out too. C 64 Might & Magic Bugs swer the ads sent to Duffy, since he al­ A Mac BardJ wilL be_released by sum-. S_ome copies of the firstC 64 release have ways seems to ·be-eut-ef.the office. mer. EA producer Dave Albert says a bug that prevents you from leaving the H. P. Sturgis there's no protection on Bard Ill, which Statue of Judgement. All share a less uses a codewheel, and they'll do this harmful bug that is really a boon: charac­ Duffy out of the office? He was here just whenever possible-but ultimately it is ters level ten or higher just need gold to a second ago ...well, apparently Duffy has always the artist's decision. Origin Sys­ be promoted-no more experience points stepped away from his desk. He did leave tems' Amiga Moebius is the best conver­ are required. If you 're crazy enough to a note: "/n case /' m out, please ask the sion we've seen this year (superb icon ac­ trade in that disk, go right ahead, but it readers to help answer the ads from peo­ tion, especially in combat) and the IBM might be wise to build the party up to lev­ ple requesting help. Otherwise/' ll never version is also a winner. Look for an el 50 or so first. Everyone who sent in have time to finish this game." AmigaDungeonMaster late this month. the warranty card will receive informa­ tion from New World Computing on how What If... to get a free upgrade (shipping costs $1) Infocom added graphics to their text ad­ that fixes both bugs. ventures? Released a Wizardry clone? Instituted a "Bruce Youth" program that Quest for Pac-Man fines employees a quarter for each nega­ The popularity of action adventures con­ Editor: Shay Addams tive remark they make about the compa­ tinues to soar, and the latest rumor con­ News Editor: Nuyu Contributing Editors: Ken St.