jay (08/09/82)
#N:hp-pcd:4200001:000:257 hp-pcd!jay Aug 9 08:11:00 1982 I have played zork for about a year and have been stumped by the puzzle presented in the crypt of the unknown implementer. Does anybody know the trick to getting into the crypt or is this just a diversion? Jay Phillips ...ucbvax!hplabs!hp-pcd!jay
sjb (08/11/82)
*************************** ********SPOILER************ *************************** The following article reveals the secret of the Tomb of the Unknown Implementers for those who expressed interest. Readers who want to find this out for themselves should hit break now! The crypt in the Tomb of the U.I. is the gate to the endgame. Once you have gotten all the treasure and placed it all in the trophy case, go to the Tomb and wait for a few turns. After a shadowy figure appears, says some stuff, and disappears, open the crypt, walk in, close the crypt, and turn off the light. BANG! You're in the endgame.
laura (08/12/82)
************************** ********SPOILER*********** ************************** This is more information about the tomb of the unknown implementer. IF you didnt read the last one, you probably dont want to read this one either -- however, if you *did* this may save you endless frustration. In some version of zork the crypt is not good for anything. These versions make you say a magical incantation to get to the endgame (and it isnt "hello sailor" either) because the engame was patched onto the existing no-endgame version and the patcher didnt know enough either a) about zork or b) about patching to put it in the right place. If you dont have an endgame, or if you cant get it to work using Adam's suggestion, get the person who installed it to tell you how to magically get in. If that person is not available, put another query into net.games -- and give a detailed description of which zork you are running. (ie RSX version patched to v6, further patched for 4.1bsd, or FORTRAN source with some rewriting to get to run under f77) Laura Creighton decvax!utzoo!laura
barry (08/13/82)
******** Spoiler ******** ******** Spoiler ******** ******** Spoiler ******** One of the ways I've seen to get into the end game is to "Incant" something or other. As I recall, it was pretty arbitrary what you incanted, and the score was described as "beginner cheater", "advanced cheater", etc. The version I played ran on the DEC 1090 at UTCS. A point which I found curious about the vault was the fact that I occasionally ran into a dwarf after walking through the curtain the first time, but didn't accomplish much with him. Barry Lay University of Toronto Computing Services ...!utzoo!utcsrgv!utcsstat!barry
sjb (08/13/82)
The "incant" method is indeed the way to get into the endgame without going through the dungeon. The point rank, <level> cheater, is the same as if you had actually gone through. Apparently, the Implementers don't care if you use it, since you have to answer those three question anyway, and it is good for those who have periled the entire dungeon and want to just go to the endgame. To use it, say: incant, word and the game will reply: incant, "word <some-string>" Then say: incant, word <some-string> and POOF!
dave (08/19/82)
SPOILER In the version I'm familiar with, you can get to the endgame by saying incant, a (or anything else) A hollow voice replies A XMDJFEU (or some such) on a later invocation of zork, incant, a xmdjfeu (or whatever it was) and you're in the endgame.