sibley (08/12/82)
Recently there were some questions about zork in this newsgroup. When I was seriously playing zork several months ago I ran 'strings' on the various zork object files, so I know essentially everything the game can say. I guess this really earns me the rank of cheater. Although I solved all of the problems in the game and the endgame, there are still several interesting looking responses the game can make that I don't know how to cause. I would be interested in any information on how to get the following responses. "The troll scratches his head ruminatively. Might you be magically protected, he wonders?" Is there some magic protection from the troll? "Congratulations! You've managed to break all the bottles. Fortunately for your feet, they were made of magic glass and disappear immediately." So it is possible at least to break the bottles. How is this done? Is it possible to take the bottles? (Presumably, "bottles" here refers to the coke bottles.) "You'll have to speak up if you expect me to hear you." "Aren't you forgetting something?" "Annoyed to be left unarmed in such an obviously dangerous neighborhood, the thief slips off into the shadows." Related to this seems to be "The robber, somewhat surprised by this turn of events, nimbly recovers his stilletto." Is there some way to get the stilletto away from the thief? These responses are not near the other responses used in the fights, so they might be special. Also, in the section for (long) descriptions of objects there is "There is a vicious-looking stilletto here." "By some miracle of elven technology, you have managed to stop the leak in the dam." How does the dam start leaking and how can it be stopped? Maybe with the glue? "There is a large case here, containing objects which you used to possess." This sounds like it is related to the thief or the endgame, but I don't remember a case. (This is again the long description. The short description appears to be just "large case.") Finally, are there sure-fire ways of dealing with the troll and the thief? I know one easy way to kill the thief, but it entails not being able to get one of the treasures - the brass bauble. I'd especially like to be able to get rid of the thief early so I can use the torch for light safely. Dave Sibley Frobozz Magic Quiz Company Department of Mathematics Penn State University psuvax!sibley
sjb (08/12/82)
Well, I can answer a few of those (those that I have seen in my travels) You can flip the stilletto out of the thief's hands just by hitting him with your sword over and over. At one point, you have a chance of getting it out of his hand. As for killing him, I just hack and hack and hack at him until he dies. Re: treasures you used to have; this happens when you die and are ressurected (by the game) You lose ten points and that's what it says when you see the trophy case.