>s North of House
You are facing the north side of a white house. There is no door here, and all the windows are boarded up. To the north a narrow path winds through the trees.
(Well, you're speaking to someone who has never actually beaten the game! Maybe I finally will now with you.)
(But anyway here's some gentle hints...)
(So I don't think there's anything strictly important in the mazey portion of the forest. But I think the forest is kinda a practice run for another, even trickier maze later on... apologies in advance.)
(I think maybe the key to the game's gosh dang mazes is just: forget trying to make a map of what's agoing on, and think of it almost more in terms of teleportation. If you're in room x, north goes to room y. If you're in room y, south goes to room z etc.)
(Another piece of advice: if the game takes the time to describe something there's a good chance you can interact with it. For example: it's not strictly important, but you can interact with the mailbox that's west of the house.)
>s North of House
You are facing the north side of a white house. There is no door here, and all the windows are boarded up. To the north a narrow path winds through the trees.
(Well, you're speaking to someone who has never actually beaten the game! Maybe I finally will now with you.)
(But anyway here's some gentle hints...)
(So I don't think there's anything strictly important in the mazey portion of the forest. But I think the forest is kinda a practice run for another, even trickier maze later on... apologies in advance.)
(I think maybe the key to the game's gosh dang mazes is just: forget trying to make a map of what's agoing on, and think of it almost more in terms of teleportation. If you're in room x, north goes to room y. If you're in room y, south goes to room z etc.)
(Another piece of advice: if the game takes the time to describe something there's a good chance you can interact with it. For example: it's not strictly important, but you can interact with the mailbox that's west of the house.)
Yeah, I was thinking about checking the mailbox. Seemed a bit incongruous with my backing out of the house since it seemed like it was maybe occupied, but that does seem less likely now, and I am less likely to be caught checking the mailbox than breaking in.
I do understand how the forest works, I'm just exasperated by the very idea of the trial and error that would be necessary to map it. And it's sorta comical how little it behaves like a space that makes physical sense. Which direction I select has no relation to where I end up how far I go varies wildly. Starting well south of the house, wandering for a bit and end up a tile away from where I entered the forest, and then move one tile away from there and now I'm at the north of the house. That makes so little sense I just have to chuckle a bit. A teleporter maze is a pretty good way of describing it.
>s North of House
You are facing the north side of a white house. There is no door here, and all the windows are boarded up. To the north a narrow path winds through the trees.
(Well, you're speaking to someone who has never actually beaten the game! Maybe I finally will now with you.)
(But anyway here's some gentle hints...)
(So I don't think there's anything strictly important in the mazey portion of the forest. But I think the forest is kinda a practice run for another, even trickier maze later on... apologies in advance.)
(I think maybe the key to the game's gosh dang mazes is just: forget trying to make a map of what's agoing on, and think of it almost more in terms of teleportation. If you're in room x, north goes to room y. If you're in room y, south goes to room z etc.)
(Another piece of advice: if the game takes the time to describe something there's a good chance you can interact with it. For example: it's not strictly important, but you can interact with the mailbox that's west of the house.)
Yeah, I was thinking about checking the mailbox. Seemed a bit incongruous with my backing out of the house since it seemed like it was maybe occupied, but that does seem less likely now, and I am less likely to be caught checking the mailbox than breaking in.
I do understand how the forest works, I'm just exasperated by the very idea of the trial and error that would be necessary to map it. And it's sorta comical how little it behaves like a space that makes physical sense. Which direction I select has no relation to where I end up how far I go varies wildly. Starting well south of the house, wandering for a bit and end up a tile away from where I entered the forest, and then move one tile away from there and now I'm at the north of the house. That makes so little sense I just have to chuckle a bit. A teleporter maze is a pretty good way of describing it.
w then check mailbox
(Haha yeah... I think the forest maze can be criticized from several angles. For one thing, I guess the implication is that your character feels lost and turned around whenever they venture into the forest? But that doesn't really track, because the fact that you get around by typing in compass directions implies that your character has a very strong sense of direction. ...Unless something supernatural is going on, which is never implied. ...Also it's just weird for the game to start messing with something as fundamental as how you move around so early. Like if the game's gonna do that it should at least let the player get used to moving around normally, before throwing them a curveball.)
(*shrug* you gotta cut some slack I guess, this is an early game...they were still feeling things out. Old games gonna have Old Game Shit...)
(Actually if I remember right, I think in the very first builds the whole game had that style of nonsensical movement - so no matter where you were, if you went n then s you never wound up back in the same place. Then I think they decided to confine that sort of thing to a just a couple of maze regions. So could be worse!)
>w West of House
You are standing in an open field west of a white house, with a boarded front door.
There is a small mailbox here.
>check mailbox
I don't know the word "check".
>open mailbox
Opening the small mailbox reveals a leaflet.
ZORK is a game of adventure, danger, and low cunning. In it you will explore some of the most amazing territory ever seen by mortals. No computer should be without one!"
What are the best local convenience stores? Through Google Maps, I notice there is a Walgreens near the riverwalk.
Just got back from Walgreen's. Why yes, we would love to carry 2 gallons of water and a bag full of snacks back to the hotel. There's a CVS down on the Riverwalk, too. That's all I've found so far.
And I have not heard a single "WAIT." I'm a little bummed.
ZORK is a game of adventure, danger, and low cunning. In it you will explore some of the most amazing territory ever seen by mortals. No computer should be without one!"
>s Forest
This is a dimly lit forest, with large trees all around.
(Oh jeez, you know I was thinking each room in the forest maze had a unique description, but it actually looks like I was wrong, a bunch of the rooms just have the same description.)
>w Forest
This is a forest, with trees in all directions. To the east, there appears to be sunlight.
You hear in the distance the chirping of a song bird.
What are the best local convenience stores? Through Google Maps, I notice there is a Walgreens near the riverwalk.
Just got back from Walgreen's. Why yes, we would love to carry 2 gallons of water and a bag full of snacks back to the hotel. There's a CVS down on the Riverwalk, too. That's all I've found so far.
And I have not heard a single "WAIT." I'm a little bummed.
I found a Nickle and Dime near that big red sculpture near the river walk.
e
Well, unless this is one of the tile descriptions that's used for multiple forest tiles, at least these detours have been pretty in and out.
(I think the only thing that's repeated is "This is a dimly lit forest, with large trees all around.")
>e Forest Path
This is a path winding through a dimly lit forest. The path heads north-south here. One particularly large tree with some low branches stands at the edge of the path.
You hear in the distance the chirping of a song bird.
>s North of House
You are facing the north side of a white house. There is no door here, and all the windows are boarded up. To the north a narrow path winds through the trees.
>e Behind House
You are behind the white house. A path leads into the forest to the east. In one corner of the house there is a small window which is open.
Y'know, I was planning on heading to that cliffside to the east, but having read about where the heck I am in the manual and seen the house's front door boarded up, getting in through the window seems less breaking-and-entering-y. I may as well give it a shot while I'm here.
w
>w Kitchen
You are in the kitchen of the white house. A table seems to have been used recently for the preparation of food. A passage leads to the west and a dark staircase can be seen leading upward. A dark chimney leads down and to the east is a small window which is open.
On the table is an elongated brown sack, smelling of hot peppers.
A bottle is sitting on the table.
The glass bottle contains:
A quantity of water
(It might be accurate to call your character a burglar. Like Bilbo. So even if it is breaking and entering, perhaps that's ok)
(Small discrepancy here from me switching versions: the chimney apparently isn't in the mainframe version of the game)
close sack
Dunno if you can really close a sack but I figure just in case. Seems like there might be someone who lives here, and I dunno if I want them to know I'm here yet so I figure I'll try this just in case someone would notice I'd opened it later.
This is probably pointless.
(edit: behind the scenes note: my laptop just got back from the shop and I'm switching from running this on my phone to running it on my laptop, which will make copying over the game text a lot easier. I quickly re-did everything we've done so far. I don't think this will cause any discrepancies or issues. Just for fun here's a complete copy-paste of the new run-through...)
ZORK I: The Great Underground Empire
Copyright (c) 1981, 1982, 1983 Infocom, Inc. All rights reserved.
ZORK is a registered trademark of Infocom, Inc.
Revision 88 / Serial number 840726
West of House
You are standing in an open field west of a white house, with a boarded front door.
There is a small mailbox here.
>wait
Time passes...
>north
North of House
You are facing the north side of a white house. There is no door here, and all the windows are boarded up. To the north a narrow path winds through the trees.
>check south of house
I don't know the word "check".
>south
The windows are all boarded.
>east
Behind House
You are behind the white house. A path leads into the forest to the east. In one corner of the house there is a small window which is slightly ajar.
>look through window
You can see what appears to be a kitchen.
>look into house
You can't look inside a white house.
>examine window
The window is slightly ajar, but not enough to allow entry.
>look at house
The house is a beautiful colonial house which is painted white. It is clear that the owners must have been extremely wealthy.
>open window
With great effort, you open the window far enough to allow entry.
>look through window
You can see what appears to be a kitchen.
>examine me
That's difficult unless your eyes are prehensile.
>i
You are empty-handed.
>enter
Kitchen
You are in the kitchen of the white house. A table seems to have been used recently for the preparation of food. A passage leads to the west and a dark staircase can be seen leading upward. A dark chimney leads down and to the east is a small window which is open.
On the table is an elongated brown sack, smelling of hot peppers.
A bottle is sitting on the table.
The glass bottle contains:
A quantity of water
>exit
Behind House
>e
Clearing
You are in a small clearing in a well marked forest path that extends to the east and west.
>z
Time passes...
>e
Canyon View
You are at the top of the Great Canyon on its west wall. From here there is a marvelous view of the canyon and parts of the Frigid River upstream. Across the canyon, the walls of the White Cliffs join the mighty ramparts of the Flathead Mountains to the east. Following the Canyon upstream to the north, Aragain Falls may be seen, complete with rainbow. The mighty Frigid River flows out from a great dark cavern. To the west and south can be seen an immense forest, stretching for miles around. A path leads northwest. It is possible to climb down into the canyon from here.
>w
Forest
This is a dimly lit forest, with large trees all around.
>w
Forest
This is a forest, with trees in all directions. To the east, there appears to be sunlight.
>w
You would need a machete to go further west.
>n
Clearing
You are in a clearing, with a forest surrounding you on all sides. A path leads south.
On the ground is a pile of leaves.
>jump into pile of leaves
Very good. Now you can go to the second grade.
>x leaves
I don't know the word "x".
>examine leaves
There's nothing special about the pile of leaves.
>search leaves
You find nothing unusual.
>move leaves
Done.
In disturbing the pile of leaves, a grating is revealed.
>look through grate
The grating is closed.
>look into grate
The grating is closed.
>examine grate
The grating is closed.
>open grate
The grating is locked.
>w
Forest
>w
You would need a machete to go further west.
>n
Clearing
On the ground is a pile of leaves.
>jump into pile of leaves
Are you enjoying yourself?
>jump into pile of leaves
Do you expect me to applaud?
>jump
Wheeeeeeeeee!!!!!
>jump
Do you expect me to applaud?
>jump
Very good. Now you can go to the second grade.
>jump
Are you enjoying yourself?
>jump
Wheeeeeeeeee!!!!!
>jump
Are you enjoying yourself?
>jump
Do you expect me to applaud?
>jump into purple wumpus
I don't know the word "purple".
>jump into sword
You can't see any sword here!
>count leaves
There are 69,105 leaves here.
>w
Forest
>e
Forest Path
This is a path winding through a dimly lit forest. The path heads north-south here. One particularly large tree with some low branches stands at the edge of the path.
>s
North of House
>n
Forest Path
>n
Clearing
On the ground is a pile of leaves.
>s
Forest Path
>s
North of House
>left
I don't know the word "left".
>w
West of House
There is a small mailbox here.
>w
Forest
You hear in the distance the chirping of a song bird.
>e
Forest Path
>s
North of House
>w
West of House
There is a small mailbox here.
>check mailbox
I don't know the word "check".
>open mailbox
Opening the small mailbox reveals a leaflet.
>get leaflet
Taken.
>read leaflet
"WELCOME TO ZORK!
ZORK is a game of adventure, danger, and low cunning. In it you will explore some of the most amazing territory ever seen by mortals. No computer should be without one!"
>rip leaflet
I don't know the word "rip".
>tear leaflet
I don't know the word "tear".
>attack leaflet
What do you want to attack the leaflet with?
>hands
I've known strange people, but fighting a leaflet?
>eat leaflet
I don't think that the leaflet would agree with you.
>s
South of House
You are facing the south side of a white house. There is no door here, and all the windows are boarded.
>s
Forest
>w
Forest
>e
Forest Path
>s
North of House
>e
Behind House
>w
Kitchen
On the table is an elongated brown sack, smelling of hot peppers.
A bottle is sitting on the table.
The glass bottle contains:
A quantity of water
>open sack
Opening the brown sack reveals a lunch, and a clove of garlic.
>w Living Room
You are in the living room. There is a doorway to the east, a wooden door with strange gothic lettering to the west, which appears to be nailed shut, a trophy case, and a large oriental rug in the center of the room.
Above the trophy case hangs an elvish sword of great antiquity.
A battery-powered brass lantern is on the trophy case.
examine wooden door
Maybe I know something about those gothic letters?
(turns out you do!)
>examine wooden door
The engravings translate to "This space intentionally left blank."
(haha)
(So here's what the instruction manual says re: the trophy case: "As an aspiring adventurer, you will undoubtedly want to locate...treasures and deposit them in your trophy case." So I guess we're considering this trophy case ours now. Even though we just broke into this house a moment ago. But then, property is theft!)
Posts
Am I ever going to have to figure out how to navigate the forest to beat this?
North of House
You are facing the north side of a white house. There is no door here, and all the windows are boarded up. To the north a narrow path winds through the trees.
(Well, you're speaking to someone who has never actually beaten the game! Maybe I finally will now with you.)
(But anyway here's some gentle hints...)
(So I don't think there's anything strictly important in the mazey portion of the forest. But I think the forest is kinda a practice run for another, even trickier maze later on... apologies in advance.)
(I think maybe the key to the game's gosh dang mazes is just: forget trying to make a map of what's agoing on, and think of it almost more in terms of teleportation. If you're in room x, north goes to room y. If you're in room y, south goes to room z etc.)
(Another piece of advice: if the game takes the time to describe something there's a good chance you can interact with it. For example: it's not strictly important, but you can interact with the mailbox that's west of the house.)
I do understand how the forest works, I'm just exasperated by the very idea of the trial and error that would be necessary to map it. And it's sorta comical how little it behaves like a space that makes physical sense. Which direction I select has no relation to where I end up how far I go varies wildly. Starting well south of the house, wandering for a bit and end up a tile away from where I entered the forest, and then move one tile away from there and now I'm at the north of the house. That makes so little sense I just have to chuckle a bit. A teleporter maze is a pretty good way of describing it.
w then check mailbox
(*shrug* you gotta cut some slack I guess, this is an early game...they were still feeling things out. Old games gonna have Old Game Shit...)
(Actually if I remember right, I think in the very first builds the whole game had that style of nonsensical movement - so no matter where you were, if you went n then s you never wound up back in the same place. Then I think they decided to confine that sort of thing to a just a couple of maze regions. So could be worse!)
>w
West of House
You are standing in an open field west of a white house, with a boarded front door.
There is a small mailbox here.
>check mailbox
I don't know the word "check".
>open mailbox
Opening the small mailbox reveals a leaflet.
>Read leaflet
Taken.
>read leaflet
"WELCOME TO ZORK!
ZORK is a game of adventure, danger, and low cunning. In it you will explore some of the most amazing territory ever seen by mortals. No computer should be without one!"
Just got back from Walgreen's. Why yes, we would love to carry 2 gallons of water and a bag full of snacks back to the hotel. There's a CVS down on the Riverwalk, too. That's all I've found so far.
And I have not heard a single "WAIT." I'm a little bummed.
I don't know the word "computer".
I don't know the word "rip".
>tear leaflet
I don't know the word "tear".
>attack leaflet
What do you want to attack the leaflet with?
>hands
I've known strange people, but fighting a leaflet?
(Hey, it's less expensive than BCEC food)
>eat leaflet
I don't think that the leaflet would agree with you.
South of House
You are facing the south side of a white house. There is no door here, and all the windows are boarded.
Forest
This is a dimly lit forest, with large trees all around.
(Oh jeez, you know I was thinking each room in the forest maze had a unique description, but it actually looks like I was wrong, a bunch of the rooms just have the same description.)
Forest
This is a forest, with trees in all directions. To the east, there appears to be sunlight.
You hear in the distance the chirping of a song bird.
Well, unless this is one of the tile descriptions that's used for multiple forest tiles, at least these detours have been pretty in and out.
I found a Nickle and Dime near that big red sculpture near the river walk.
>e
Forest Path
This is a path winding through a dimly lit forest. The path heads north-south here. One particularly large tree with some low branches stands at the edge of the path.
You hear in the distance the chirping of a song bird.
North of House
You are facing the north side of a white house. There is no door here, and all the windows are boarded up. To the north a narrow path winds through the trees.
Behind House
You are behind the white house. A path leads into the forest to the east. In one corner of the house there is a small window which is open.
w
Kitchen
You are in the kitchen of the white house. A table seems to have been used recently for the preparation of food. A passage leads to the west and a dark staircase can be seen leading upward. A dark chimney leads down and to the east is a small window which is open.
On the table is an elongated brown sack, smelling of hot peppers.
A bottle is sitting on the table.
The glass bottle contains:
A quantity of water
(It might be accurate to call your character a burglar. Like Bilbo. So even if it is breaking and entering, perhaps that's ok)
(Small discrepancy here from me switching versions: the chimney apparently isn't in the mainframe version of the game)
Opening the brown sack reveals a lunch, and a clove of garlic.
Dunno if you can really close a sack but I figure just in case. Seems like there might be someone who lives here, and I dunno if I want them to know I'm here yet so I figure I'll try this just in case someone would notice I'd opened it later.
This is probably pointless.
Closed.
(edit: behind the scenes note: my laptop just got back from the shop and I'm switching from running this on my phone to running it on my laptop, which will make copying over the game text a lot easier. I quickly re-did everything we've done so far. I don't think this will cause any discrepancies or issues. Just for fun here's a complete copy-paste of the new run-through...)
Copyright (c) 1981, 1982, 1983 Infocom, Inc. All rights reserved.
ZORK is a registered trademark of Infocom, Inc.
Revision 88 / Serial number 840726
West of House
You are standing in an open field west of a white house, with a boarded front door.
There is a small mailbox here.
>wait
Time passes...
>north
North of House
You are facing the north side of a white house. There is no door here, and all the windows are boarded up. To the north a narrow path winds through the trees.
>check south of house
I don't know the word "check".
>south
The windows are all boarded.
>east
Behind House
You are behind the white house. A path leads into the forest to the east. In one corner of the house there is a small window which is slightly ajar.
>look through window
You can see what appears to be a kitchen.
>look into house
You can't look inside a white house.
>examine window
The window is slightly ajar, but not enough to allow entry.
>look at house
The house is a beautiful colonial house which is painted white. It is clear that the owners must have been extremely wealthy.
>open window
With great effort, you open the window far enough to allow entry.
>look through window
You can see what appears to be a kitchen.
>examine me
That's difficult unless your eyes are prehensile.
>i
You are empty-handed.
>enter
Kitchen
You are in the kitchen of the white house. A table seems to have been used recently for the preparation of food. A passage leads to the west and a dark staircase can be seen leading upward. A dark chimney leads down and to the east is a small window which is open.
On the table is an elongated brown sack, smelling of hot peppers.
A bottle is sitting on the table.
The glass bottle contains:
A quantity of water
>exit
Behind House
>e
Clearing
You are in a small clearing in a well marked forest path that extends to the east and west.
>z
Time passes...
>e
Canyon View
You are at the top of the Great Canyon on its west wall. From here there is a marvelous view of the canyon and parts of the Frigid River upstream. Across the canyon, the walls of the White Cliffs join the mighty ramparts of the Flathead Mountains to the east. Following the Canyon upstream to the north, Aragain Falls may be seen, complete with rainbow. The mighty Frigid River flows out from a great dark cavern. To the west and south can be seen an immense forest, stretching for miles around. A path leads northwest. It is possible to climb down into the canyon from here.
>w
Forest
This is a dimly lit forest, with large trees all around.
>w
Forest
This is a forest, with trees in all directions. To the east, there appears to be sunlight.
>w
You would need a machete to go further west.
>n
Clearing
You are in a clearing, with a forest surrounding you on all sides. A path leads south.
On the ground is a pile of leaves.
>jump into pile of leaves
Very good. Now you can go to the second grade.
>x leaves
I don't know the word "x".
>examine leaves
There's nothing special about the pile of leaves.
>search leaves
You find nothing unusual.
>move leaves
Done.
In disturbing the pile of leaves, a grating is revealed.
>look through grate
The grating is closed.
>look into grate
The grating is closed.
>examine grate
The grating is closed.
>open grate
The grating is locked.
>w
Forest
>w
You would need a machete to go further west.
>n
Clearing
On the ground is a pile of leaves.
>jump into pile of leaves
Are you enjoying yourself?
>jump into pile of leaves
Do you expect me to applaud?
>jump
Wheeeeeeeeee!!!!!
>jump
Do you expect me to applaud?
>jump
Very good. Now you can go to the second grade.
>jump
Are you enjoying yourself?
>jump
Wheeeeeeeeee!!!!!
>jump
Are you enjoying yourself?
>jump
Do you expect me to applaud?
>jump into purple wumpus
I don't know the word "purple".
>jump into sword
You can't see any sword here!
>count leaves
There are 69,105 leaves here.
>w
Forest
>e
Forest Path
This is a path winding through a dimly lit forest. The path heads north-south here. One particularly large tree with some low branches stands at the edge of the path.
>s
North of House
>n
Forest Path
>n
Clearing
On the ground is a pile of leaves.
>s
Forest Path
>s
North of House
>left
I don't know the word "left".
>w
West of House
There is a small mailbox here.
>w
Forest
You hear in the distance the chirping of a song bird.
>e
Forest Path
>s
North of House
>w
West of House
There is a small mailbox here.
>check mailbox
I don't know the word "check".
>open mailbox
Opening the small mailbox reveals a leaflet.
>get leaflet
Taken.
>read leaflet
"WELCOME TO ZORK!
ZORK is a game of adventure, danger, and low cunning. In it you will explore some of the most amazing territory ever seen by mortals. No computer should be without one!"
>rip leaflet
I don't know the word "rip".
>tear leaflet
I don't know the word "tear".
>attack leaflet
What do you want to attack the leaflet with?
>hands
I've known strange people, but fighting a leaflet?
>eat leaflet
I don't think that the leaflet would agree with you.
>s
South of House
You are facing the south side of a white house. There is no door here, and all the windows are boarded.
>s
Forest
>w
Forest
>e
Forest Path
>s
North of House
>e
Behind House
>w
Kitchen
On the table is an elongated brown sack, smelling of hot peppers.
A bottle is sitting on the table.
The glass bottle contains:
A quantity of water
>open sack
Opening the brown sack reveals a lunch, and a clove of garlic.
>close sack
Closed.
>verbose
Maximum verbosity.
>save
Please supply a filename for save
Ok.
>
Living Room
You are in the living room. There is a doorway to the east, a wooden door with strange gothic lettering to the west, which appears to be nailed shut, a trophy case, and a large oriental rug in the center of the room.
Above the trophy case hangs an elvish sword of great antiquity.
A battery-powered brass lantern is on the trophy case.
With a great effort, the rug is moved to one side of the room, revealing the dusty cover of a closed trap door.
Maybe I know something about those gothic letters?
>examine wooden door
The engravings translate to "This space intentionally left blank."
(haha)
(So here's what the instruction manual says re: the trophy case: "As an aspiring adventurer, you will undoubtedly want to locate...treasures and deposit them in your trophy case." So I guess we're considering this trophy case ours now. Even though we just broke into this house a moment ago. But then, property is theft!)
open trapdoor
The door reluctantly opens to reveal a rickety staircase descending into darkness.