betsy@dartvax.UUCP (Betsy Hanes Perry) (12/31/84)
A few weeks ago I asked fellow Zork fans what the overlap was
between mainframe Zork and InfoCom's Zork I,II, and III. I also asked
for other recommendations from the InfoCom line. Here's what I got;
thank you to all the kind people who wrote.
From: Doug Gwyn <gwyn@BRL-TGR.CSNET>
The mainframe Zork corresponds, roughly, to all of Zork I and about
half of Zork II. Zork III is nearly all new. Then there are the
"Zork IV, V, VI" series Enchanter, etc. in the same vein but giving
you the ability to cast spells.
Nearly all the Infocom products are entertaining. Their latest
catalog has (finally) categorized them by level of difficulty.
The two mysteries, Witness and Deadline (Witness is easier) are
quite a change from Zork and are recommended if you would like to
try your hand at detecting. About the only Infocom game to avoid
is Seastalker, which is for novices (although if you have kids
between 10 and 15, this might please them). The hardest one, in
my estimation, is Suspended, which is good if you like a challenge.
From: decvax!seismo!umcp-cs!aplvax!milo!eric
The figures I seem to remember is about 1/3 or Zork 1 is new,
about 1/2 of Zork 2, and about 2/3 of Zork 3.
Personally, I think all of the Infocom adventures are great.
But some personal favorites are Starcross (not an easy one), Enchanter,
Sorcerer, and Planetfall (better stop before I name them all).
A side note: Infocom will be releasing "Hitchhiker's Guide to the
Galaxy" in the next couple of months.
eric
...!seismo!umcp-cs!aplvax!milo!eric
From: Larry Rosenstein <lsr@APPLE.CSNET>
I have never played the mainframe Zork, so I don't know if the micro
version is any different.
I have played Zork III, Witness, and Enchanter. I bought Zork III because
I read that it was the best of the Zork series. This was according to a
catalog of Apple II software published by Addison-Wesley (I think). I
found it to be relatively tricky; I am not sure I would have solved it
without the help of the hit books.
I have not gotten anywhere with Witness. The mystery games (as well as the
new Cutthroats, I think) rely on the interactions between the characters in
the game more than other games; how a character acts depends on who is
around, whether you threaten then, etc. It is just not your standard
adventure game and I haven't gotten the hang of what to do.
Enchanter was by far my favorite. It is in the same genre as the Zorks and
makes refernces back to those games, but is completely different. It has
the concept of casting spells, which makes the game very interesting. It
has some difficult puzzles, but I was able to get finish the games with
only a few hints. According to Infocom's newsletter (which you get if you
return the warranty card) Enchanter and its sequel, Sorcerer, are the
largest games and have the largest vocabulary. (Sorcerer is also has the
largest number of ways of being killed.)
Infocom has just made a few marketing changes. All their new games come in
a standardized package, about the size of a trade paperback. They also
have rated the difficulty of their games:
Seastalker is JUNIOR,
most games are STANDARD,
Zork II and III, Sorcerer, Infidel, and Suspect (new mystery game) are
ADVANCED,
Starcross, Suspended, and Deadline are EXPERT
Their pricing has also changed and is now based on difficulty. Junior and
Standard are 39.95, Advanced 44.95, and Expert 49.95. This made most games
go down in price, and a few up.
Besides their new mystery game, Suspect, they have a new game based on The
Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, which Douglas Adams help write. (I have
already seen this out in the stores.)
Hope this helps.
Larry Rosenstein
From: decvax!mcnc!ulysses!allegra!alice!rabbit!hania
I liked the whodunits: Deadline and Witness, I think.
Hania
From: decvax!ucbvax!unmvax!nmtvax!ernie (Ernie Longmire (.rne.))
Betsy:
Of the three games in the ZORK trilogy, only ZORK III is entirely original.
ZORK I is lifted almost in its entirety from the original mainframe version,
and ZORK II is about 60% the remainder of manframe ZORK, with the other 40%
being original problems. Of the three, ZORK III is the hardest, even if you
haven't played mainframe ZORK.
As for suggestions on other Infocom games, my personal favorites are ENCHANTER
and PLANETFALL. ENCHANTER is the first in a sort-of sequel to the ZORKs,
in which the use of magic plays a large role. PLANETFALL is an sf-comedy
game that's a bit easier than most, but is FUN FUN FUN.
Virtually every Infocom game available is worth getting. The only game I
wouldn't buy is SEASTALKER, but that's because it's aimed at beginners,
i.e. 8-12 year-olds. If you have any kids, that might be even better (and
much less frustrating) for them than if you handed them ZORK III and said
"Go For It".
And the One Game I Want For Christmas More Than Anything Else is their new
"Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" game, which should be available right
as you read this. Written by Douglas Adams - who could ask for more?
Good luck,
.rne.
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--
Elizabeth Hanes Perry
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