"All the Grues Weather: Tilick fog, followed by a brief but savage downpour. That Fit, We Print" Wfte New lnrli Wimes VOL. 4 ... No. 2 - SUMMER 1985 - INTER.FER.ON EDITION New Release: A Mind Forever Voyaging A Mind Forever Voyaging, the You are PRISM (Perelman­ first advanced-level science fic­ Randu Introductory Soliptic tion story from Infocom, is for Machine) : the first intelligent, true text-adventure buffs. Why? self-aware computer. You have Because it has more locations to been created to enter a simulation visit (several hundred), more of Rockvil, years in the future, things to do, more responses, and and return with recordings· of a larger vocabulary (1800 + what life would be like if the Plan words) than any of our previously were to be introduced. While released products. you're busy exploring the future, The story takes place in 2lst­ the scientists and programmers century Rockvil, South Dakota. who created you are honing and The United States of North perfecting the simulation's An1erica has fallen prey to in­ parameters. Thus, as the story credibly high unemployment and progresses, you can travel further crime rates. Political indif­ and further in time, watching ference, perhaps caused by Rockvil prosper as the Plan suc­ backward educational systems or ceeds, or perish as it fails. Only Items from Dr. Perleman 's desk are contained in every A Mind Forever diminishing national resources, you can tell on what course the Voyaging package. has swept the nation. Exploiting country sets itself by adopting the this opportunity, Senator Richard Plan. Ryder has develop the Plan for a While there are several puzzles Run For Your Lives! It's Renewed National Purpose, to keep players on their toes, stressing patriotism and a return designer Steve Meretzky (author FOOBLITZKY to American values as they were of Planetfall and Sorcerer, and co­ at the country's peak, the 1950s. author of The Hitchhiker's Guide A Unique Graphics Strategy Game The public, desperate for a to the Galaxy) concentrated more change, embraces the Plan, but on immersing the player in a Infocom? Graphics! other computer game on the many high government officials vast, highly detailed, realistic No, hell hasn't frozen over. market. are unsure whether it will suc­ world; a vision of the destiny of Pigs haven't sprouted wings. But But the really important thing ceed. That is where you come in­ Infocom is announcing its fust about any game is how much fun to the picture. Continued on Page 3 non-interactive fiction game - it is, how enjoyable it is to play, and it does have graphics. not whether it does or doesn't "It's a hoax," you're thinking. have graphics. And Fooblitzky is InfoNews Roundup ''Infocom would never use graph­ a winner. Already, there are ad­ ics to illustrate locations in text dicts at Infocom. Wishbringer Event Marc "Mark" Blank, Jon "Buck­ adventures. Infocom hates Logic, deduction, chance, and ingham" Palace, Mike "Max the graphics." Well, yes and no. social interaction are all big parts This time it was not a mansion Knife" (Stan) Dornbrook, and Infocom has yet to see com­ of Fooblitzky - just like deduc; but a museum; there were no even the Professor himself. The puter graphics that add to the tive reasoning is a big part of murders, no clues, not a puzzle to presentation drew a standing­ quality of a text adventure. There Clue® and Mastermind~ be solved. Not unless you found room-only crowd (thanks to Max, may be ways in which graphics (Fooblitzky reminds some people it a puzzling experience to have a who was seen before the party could be used more subtly to of a cross between those games, good time. The event was the removing the auditorium's 200 enhance your mental imagery. even though its theme is com­ Wishbringer announcement, and folding chairs!). But with today's machine resolu­ pletely different.) Fooblitzky is a a good time was had by all . The party was more than any­ tions, and even with proposed ad­ multiplayer game - 2, 3, or 4 This party was held in the Field one could have wished for, vancements in technology, people can play. The name Museum of Natural History in especially if you were one of the graphics can't begin to compete ''Fooblitzky'' was chosen Chicago. And it was no coin­ seven lucky prize winners. In­ with the scenes and characters because it's easy to remember cidence that Summer CES was in focom drew names from a crystal you can imagine. Therefore, In­ and incredibly difficult to Chicago as well. The press, punch bowl to award the prizes. focom still firmly believes that pronounce. distributors, and many of our These gifts each brought a real­ words paint the most vivid im­ Okay, so the name is goofy. own Infoployees (including life chance to experience one of ages in your mind. The game is goofy. But it's Wishbringer implementor "Pro­ Wishbringer's seven magic Of course, there is a place for sophisticated goofiness. fessor'' Brian Moriarty) attended wishes: binoculars for Foresight; graphics today: in a completely The roots of Fooblitzky go back an evening of music, dancing, a lucky Chinese gold coin for different setting and in a com­ more than 2 years. Marc Blank and the 3 p's: presentation, Luck; an all-weather camera for pletely different kind of game. and Michael Berlyn wanted to prizes, and pastries. Over 300 Rain; a twilight helicopter ride And Fooblitzky is a completely develop something unique, people joined us to celebrate the over Chicago for Flight; a crystal different kind of game. In fact, something totally different from release of our 16th title. ball for Advice; a Sony Watchman Fooblitzky is all graphics, and Those who attended were has more graphics in it than any Continued on Page 3 treated to speeches from our own Continued on Page 3 PAGE2 THE NEW ZORK TIMES SUMMER 1985 In Frobs we trust (and so Dear Sirs: #1) I believe I have found a bug, should you), I was intrigued by your photo­ or at least a typo. In the Fortran Mail Bag David Alan Hoag IV translation of Zork for the feature, "Searching for the Relics Placentia, CA of the Emu, 11 which appeared in PDP-11/VAX-ll (translated from Dear Infocom: the Spring '85 issue of The New MDL for the ARPANET), the dam You will notice that the number tour guidebook claims that What a great puzzle! I solved of entries was down this time. Zork Times. I look forward to puzzle number 5 two days after seeing the proper photographs in FCD#3 is composed of "3. 7 cubic Also, don 't forget that The New feet of concrete. 11 To the best of receiving my latest copy of The Zork Times Puzzle Winner your next issue. Incidentally, I New Zork Times, but I had to recently participated in a research my knowledge, it is very dif­ T-shirts can 't be bought - you ficult, if not impossible, to take a replay Zork II to determine must solve the puzzle to own project at Hellespont Historical 1 lump of concrete measuring one whether ''FEEL FREE' was in the one. -Ed. Institute which uncovered startl­ Crypt Anteroom or the Crypt. I ing evidence that the Emus were foot by one foot by three point seven feet and build a structure had made a Zork II map, but I NOT wiped out by the encroach­ Hi the size of FCD#3. While on the loaned it out, and my friend lost I ment of western man, but were topic of the guidebook, how it. He claimed a little guy with a I was really making progress on instead conquered by a race of come the present day versions of beard and pointy hat just popped the NZT puzzle in the Winter malignant Yaks native to moun­ Zork I don't mention the work in, waved a wand, mumbled issue. I have all the Infocom tainous New Zealand. A fellow 11 force of "384 slaves, 34 slave something like "Filch, and the games and spent hours and hours researcher proved this invasion drivers, 12 engineers, 2 turtle map just vanished. The loss had researching the questions and fill­ possible by successfully travers­ d9ves, and a partridge in a pear occurred some time ago, and this ing in my grid. I had a ways to go ing the treacherous waters be­ tree" or the command team of current puzzle was just the but felt I was on the right track tween New Zealand and "234 bureaucrats, 2,347 motivation I needed to play the when I was called on to babysit a Tasmania in a coracle made en­ secretaries (at least two of whom game again to remap Zork II's friend's cat. tirely of spun Yak hair. The world. To make a long story short, the creatures the Europeans could type), 12,256 paper shuf­ cat, unknown to me, had a crav­ discovered were the sad remnants flers, 52,469 rubber stampers, I must say, however, that I ap­ 245, 193 red tape processors, and preciate the definitive Infocom ing for graph paper and ate my of their proud race, who quickly almost complete grid. (She gave died of culture shock upon ex­ nearly one million dead trees?" trivia encyclopedia the puzzle Keep The Times coming. solution provides. Nobody I birth to a litter of black and white posure to gunpowder weapons, checked kittens just yesterday.) canvas, and "pick-a-path" game Marc Egazarian know had ever thought to count Blauvelt, NY the leaves, and sure enough .