>n
North-South Passage
This is a high north-south passage, which forks to the northeast.
(I wonder what 'high' means in this context. High ceiling?)
(edit: Yeah, almost positive it means high ceiling.)
(On a related note: Zork was more sophisticated than Colossal Cave Adventure in several respects, but Colossal Cave Adventure was, I think, better at describing its caves…which I suppose you'd expect, because Adventure was created by an actual caver, and Zork was created by, well, nerdy college kids who liked to play D&D. A few Adventure excerpts: "You are crawling over cobbles in a low passage." ... "You are in a splendid chamber thirty feet high. The walls are frozen rivers of orange stone." ... "At your feet is a small pit breathing traces of white mist.")
(The interactive fiction piece that's probably the best at giving you a visceral sense of being in a cave, though, is Andrew Plotkin's Hunter in Darkness. It’s a fantastic little indie homage to early 'cave crawl' games like Zork, Adventure, and Hunt the Wumpus. In that game the cave is almost a living enemy that you have to grapple with - you wind up dangling from stalactites and squeezing through a crawlspace so tight it tears into your skin. Like Adventure, it feels like it was written by someone who has explored caves in real life, but I don’t think Andrew Plotkin has - he’s just a good writer.)
>n then ne Chasm A chasm runs southwest to northeast and the path follows it. You are on the south side of the chasm, where a crack opens into a passage.
Reservoir South You are in a long room on the south shore of a large lake, far too deep and wide for crossing.
There is a path along the stream to the east or west, a steep pathway climbing southwest along the edge of a chasm, and a path leading into a canyon to the southeast.
>se then sw Deep Canyon You are on the south edge of a deep canyon. Passages lead off to the east, northwest and southwest. A stairway leads down. You can hear the sound of flowing water from below.
North-South Passage This is a high north-south passage, which forks to the northeast.
>ne then e Deep Canyon You are on the south edge of a deep canyon. Passages lead off to the east, northwest and southwest. A stairway leads down. You can hear the sound of flowing water from below.
Dam
You are standing on the top of the Flood Control Dam #3, which was quite a tourist attraction in times far distant. There are paths to the north, south, and west, and a scramble down.
The sluice gates on the dam are closed. Behind the dam, there can be seen a wide reservoir. Water is pouring over the top of the now abandoned dam.
There is a control panel here, on which a large metal bolt is mounted. Directly above the bolt is a small green plastic bubble.
(Haha I love this dam - I just like the idea of something as modern and banal as a big flood control dam being in the middle of a magical fantasy universe with trolls and elvish swords.)
(Also - I think I've always been slightly confused about whether the dam is above or below ground - but the instruction manual confirms it is, in fact, underground: "Dimwit began a series of grandiose projects that soon earned him the title Flathead the Excessive. Among these projects: the construction of mammoth Flood Control Dam Number Three (a massive edifice with virtually no useful purpose, since it never rains underground)")
(Haha I love this dam - I just like the idea of something as modern and banal as a big flood control dam being in the middle of a magical fantasy universe with trolls and elvish swords.)
Yeah, same with the battery powered lamp and the way the setting stuff in the instructions seems to be a modern-style history textbook. It's a more original flavor than I was expecting from this.
n
>n Dam Lobby This room appears to have been the waiting room for groups touring the dam. There are open doorways here to the north and east marked "Private", and there is a path leading south over the top of the dam.
Some guidebooks entitled "Flood Control Dam #3" are on the reception desk.
There is a matchbook whose cover says "Visit Beautiful FCD#3" here.
FCD#3 was constructed in year 783 of the Great Underground Empire to harness the mighty Frigid River. This work was supported by a grant of 37 million zorkmids from your omnipotent local tyrant Lord Dimwit Flathead the Excessive. This impressive structure is composed of 370,000 cubic feet of concrete, is 256 feet tall at the center, and 193 feet wide at the top. The lake created behind the dam has a volume of 1.7 billion cubic feet, an area of 12 million square feet, and a shore line of 36 thousand feet.
We will now point out some of the more interesting features of FCD#3 as we conduct you on a guided tour of the facilities:
1) You start your tour here in the Dam Lobby. You will notice on your right that....
YOU too can make BIG MONEY in the exciting field of PAPER SHUFFLING!
Mr. Anderson of Muddle, Mass. says: "Before I took this course I was a lowly bit twiddler. Now with what I learned at GUE Tech I feel really important and can obfuscate and confuse with the best."
Dr. Blank had this to say: "Ten short days ago all I could look forward to was a dead-end job as a doctor. Now I have a promising future and make really big Zorkmids."
GUE Tech can't promise these fantastic results to everyone. But when you earn your degree from GUE Tech, your future will be brighter.
(Behind-the-scenes notes: "Muddle" is probably a reference to the language the game was originally written in - the MIT Design Language, or MDL, nicknamed Muddle. Also: later on Infocom made a game set at a university called GUE Tech - a Lovecraftian piece called The Lurking Horror. I'm not 100% sure whether it's technically set in the Zork universe or not.)
>n Maintenance Room This is what appears to have been the maintenance room for Flood Control Dam #3. Apparently, this room has been ransacked recently, for most of the valuable equipment is gone. On the wall in front of you is a group of buttons colored blue, yellow, brown, and red. There are doorways to the west and south.
There is a group of tool chests here.
There is a wrench here.
There is an object which looks like a tube of toothpaste here.
There is a screwdriver here.
>sift through tool chest debris
I don't know the word "sift".
>search tool chests
You can't see any tool chests here!
>l
Maintenance Room
This is what appears to have been the maintenance room for Flood Control Dam #3. Apparently, this room has been ransacked recently, for most of the valuable equipment is gone. On the wall in front of you is a group of buttons colored blue, yellow, brown, and red. There are doorways to the west and south.
There is a wrench here.
There is an object which looks like a tube of toothpaste here.
There is a screwdriver here.
(yeah I think the tool chests were just for flavor)
>w Dam Lobby This room appears to have been the waiting room for groups touring the dam. There are open doorways here to the north and east marked "Private", and there is a path leading south over the top of the dam.
(It does feel a little confusing-for-the-sake-of-being-confusing, though I suppose in real life it's not super rare to have two different doors that both lead to the same room)
>e then examine tube Maintenance Room This is what appears to have been the maintenance room for Flood Control Dam #3. Apparently, this room has been ransacked recently, for most of the valuable equipment is gone. On the wall in front of you is a group of buttons colored blue, yellow, brown, and red. There are doorways to the west and south.
There is a wrench here.
There is an object which looks like a tube of toothpaste here.
There is a screwdriver here.
A "lean and hungry" gentleman just wandered through, carrying a large bag. Finding nothing of value, he left disgruntled.
(!!)
(emphasis mine)
(anyway, the description of the tube...)
---> Frobozz Magic Gunk Company <---
All-Purpose Gunk
>take tube, wrench, and screwdriver then s
tube: Taken.
wrench: You're holding too many things already!
screwdriver: Taken.
Dam Lobby This room appears to have been the waiting room for groups touring the dam. There are open doorways here to the north and east marked "Private", and there is a path leading south over the top of the dam.
(Edit: Mm. Perhaps I should've saved/restored after we tied the rope to that railing, so the rope wouldn't take up precious inventory space. Tho I suppose it's possible the rope might also be useful elsewhere.)
Hm. A rope seems useful for a lot of different things, but I suppose there's a good chance there's probably just the one thing that you can do with it.
i
>s then w then sw then sw then w then s then s then e then n Dam
You are standing on the top of the Flood Control Dam #3, which was quite a tourist attraction in times far distant. There are paths to the north, south, and west, and a scramble down.
The sluice gates on the dam are closed. Behind the dam, there can be seen a wide reservoir. Water is pouring over the top of the now abandoned dam.
There is a control panel here, on which a large metal bolt is mounted. Directly above the bolt is a small green plastic bubble.
Reservoir South You are in a long room on the south shore of a large lake, far too deep and wide for crossing.
There is a path along the stream to the east or west, a steep pathway climbing southwest along the edge of a chasm, and a path leading into a canyon to the southeast.
Chasm
A chasm runs southwest to northeast and the path follows it. You are on the south side of the chasm, where a crack opens into a passage.
East-West Passage This is a narrow east-west passageway. There is a narrow stairway leading down at the north end of the room.
The Troll Room This is a small room with passages to the east and south and a forbidding hole leading west. Bloodstains and deep scratches (perhaps made by an axe) mar the walls.
There is a bloody axe here.
Cellar
You are in a dark and damp cellar with a narrow passageway leading north, and a crawlway to the south. On the west is the bottom of a steep metal ramp which is unclimbable.
East of Chasm You are on the east edge of a chasm, the bottom of which cannot be seen. A narrow passage goes north, and the path you are on continues to the east.
Gallery This is an art gallery. Most of the paintings have been stolen by vandals with exceptional taste. The vandals left through either the north or west exits.
A small leaflet is on the ground.
There is a clove of garlic here.
A hot pepper sandwich is here.
Studio This appears to have been an artist's studio. The walls and floors are splattered with paints of 69 different colors. Strangely enough, nothing of value is hanging here. At the south end of the room is an open door (also covered with paint). A dark and narrow chimney leads up from a fireplace; although you might be able to get up it, it seems unlikely you could get back down.
Loosely attached to a wall is a small piece of paper.
(oh yes! I thought might have been going specifically to see if the thief had stolen the egg.)
>drop books
Dropped.
>look then i Studio
This appears to have been an artist's studio. The walls and floors are splattered with paints of 69 different colors. Strangely enough, nothing of value is hanging here. At the south end of the room is an open door (also covered with paint). A dark and narrow chimney leads up from a fireplace; although you might be able to get up it, it seems unlikely you could get back down.
Loosely attached to a wall is a small piece of paper.
There is a tour guidebook here.
You are carrying:
A screwdriver
A tube
A matchbook
A nasty knife
A rope
A brown sack
A sword
A brass lantern (providing light)
Heh, nah, wasn't checking the egg, just was planning on using this room to dump stuff in so that everything is in one place in case I need anything.
I wonder if they grabbed the platinum too.
s then w then n then n then e then e then e
Gallery This is an art gallery. Most of the paintings have been stolen by vandals with exceptional taste. The vandals left through either the north or west exits.
A small leaflet is on the ground.
There is a clove of garlic here.
A hot pepper sandwich is here.
East of Chasm You are on the east edge of a chasm, the bottom of which cannot be seen. A narrow passage goes north, and the path you are on continues to the east.
Cellar
You are in a dark and damp cellar with a narrow passageway leading north, and a crawlway to the south. On the west is the bottom of a steep metal ramp which is unclimbable.
The Troll Room This is a small room with passages to the east and south and a forbidding hole leading west. Bloodstains and deep scratches (perhaps made by an axe) mar the walls.
There is a bloody axe here.
East-West Passage This is a narrow east-west passageway. There is a narrow stairway leading down at the north end of the room.
Round Room This is a circular stone room with passages in all directions. Several of them have unfortunately been blocked by cave-ins.
Loud Room This is a large room with a ceiling which cannot be detected from the ground. There is a narrow passage from east to west and a stone stairway leading upward. The room is deafeningly loud with an undetermined rushing sound. The sound seems to reverberate from all of the walls, making it difficult even to think.
On the ground is a large platinum bar.
(Ah good. Perhaps he couldn't figure out how to get it either!)
Posts
North-South Passage
This is a high north-south passage, which forks to the northeast.
(I wonder what 'high' means in this context. High ceiling?)
(edit: Yeah, almost positive it means high ceiling.)
(On a related note: Zork was more sophisticated than Colossal Cave Adventure in several respects, but Colossal Cave Adventure was, I think, better at describing its caves…which I suppose you'd expect, because Adventure was created by an actual caver, and Zork was created by, well, nerdy college kids who liked to play D&D. A few Adventure excerpts: "You are crawling over cobbles in a low passage." ... "You are in a splendid chamber thirty feet high. The walls are frozen rivers of orange stone." ... "At your feet is a small pit breathing traces of white mist.")
(The interactive fiction piece that's probably the best at giving you a visceral sense of being in a cave, though, is Andrew Plotkin's Hunter in Darkness. It’s a fantastic little indie homage to early 'cave crawl' games like Zork, Adventure, and Hunt the Wumpus. In that game the cave is almost a living enemy that you have to grapple with - you wind up dangling from stalactites and squeezing through a crawlspace so tight it tears into your skin. Like Adventure, it feels like it was written by someone who has explored caves in real life, but I don’t think Andrew Plotkin has - he’s just a good writer.)
Chasm
A chasm runs southwest to northeast and the path follows it. You are on the south side of the chasm, where a crack opens into a passage.
East-West Passage
This is a narrow east-west passageway. There is a narrow stairway leading down at the north end of the room.
Chasm
A chasm runs southwest to northeast and the path follows it. You are on the south side of the chasm, where a crack opens into a passage.
Reservoir South
You are in a long room on the south shore of a large lake, far too deep and wide for crossing.
There is a path along the stream to the east or west, a steep pathway climbing southwest along the edge of a chasm, and a path leading into a canyon to the southeast.
>se then sw
Deep Canyon
You are on the south edge of a deep canyon. Passages lead off to the east, northwest and southwest. A stairway leads down. You can hear the sound of flowing water from below.
North-South Passage
This is a high north-south passage, which forks to the northeast.
ne then e
Deep Canyon
You are on the south edge of a deep canyon. Passages lead off to the east, northwest and southwest. A stairway leads down. You can hear the sound of flowing water from below.
Dam
You are standing on the top of the Flood Control Dam #3, which was quite a tourist attraction in times far distant. There are paths to the north, south, and west, and a scramble down.
The sluice gates on the dam are closed. Behind the dam, there can be seen a wide reservoir. Water is pouring over the top of the now abandoned dam.
There is a control panel here, on which a large metal bolt is mounted. Directly above the bolt is a small green plastic bubble.
(Haha I love this dam - I just like the idea of something as modern and banal as a big flood control dam being in the middle of a magical fantasy universe with trolls and elvish swords.)
(Also - I think I've always been slightly confused about whether the dam is above or below ground - but the instruction manual confirms it is, in fact, underground: "Dimwit began a series of grandiose projects that soon earned him the title Flathead the Excessive. Among these projects: the construction of mammoth Flood Control Dam Number Three (a massive edifice with virtually no useful purpose, since it never rains underground)")
n
Dam Lobby
This room appears to have been the waiting room for groups touring the dam. There are open doorways here to the north and east marked "Private", and there is a path leading south over the top of the dam.
Some guidebooks entitled "Flood Control Dam #3" are on the reception desk.
There is a matchbook whose cover says "Visit Beautiful FCD#3" here.
(map: http://i.imgur.com/BE3C6MQ.jpg)
(Taken)
" Flood Control Dam #3
FCD#3 was constructed in year 783 of the Great Underground Empire to harness the mighty Frigid River. This work was supported by a grant of 37 million zorkmids from your omnipotent local tyrant Lord Dimwit Flathead the Excessive. This impressive structure is composed of 370,000 cubic feet of concrete, is 256 feet tall at the center, and 193 feet wide at the top. The lake created behind the dam has a volume of 1.7 billion cubic feet, an area of 12 million square feet, and a shore line of 36 thousand feet.
We will now point out some of the more interesting features of FCD#3 as we conduct you on a guided tour of the facilities:
1) You start your tour here in the Dam Lobby. You will notice on your right that....
(Taken)
(Close cover before striking)
YOU too can make BIG MONEY in the exciting field of PAPER SHUFFLING!
Mr. Anderson of Muddle, Mass. says: "Before I took this course I was a lowly bit twiddler. Now with what I learned at GUE Tech I feel really important and can obfuscate and confuse with the best."
Dr. Blank had this to say: "Ten short days ago all I could look forward to was a dead-end job as a doctor. Now I have a promising future and make really big Zorkmids."
GUE Tech can't promise these fantastic results to everyone. But when you earn your degree from GUE Tech, your future will be brighter.
(Behind-the-scenes notes: "Muddle" is probably a reference to the language the game was originally written in - the MIT Design Language, or MDL, nicknamed Muddle. Also: later on Infocom made a game set at a university called GUE Tech - a Lovecraftian piece called The Lurking Horror. I'm not 100% sure whether it's technically set in the Zork universe or not.)
Maintenance Room
This is what appears to have been the maintenance room for Flood Control Dam #3. Apparently, this room has been ransacked recently, for most of the valuable equipment is gone. On the wall in front of you is a group of buttons colored blue, yellow, brown, and red. There are doorways to the west and south.
There is a group of tool chests here.
There is a wrench here.
There is an object which looks like a tube of toothpaste here.
There is a screwdriver here.
(map)
The chests are so rusty and corroded that they crumble when you touch them.
I don't know the word "sift".
>search tool chests
You can't see any tool chests here!
>l
Maintenance Room
This is what appears to have been the maintenance room for Flood Control Dam #3. Apparently, this room has been ransacked recently, for most of the valuable equipment is gone. On the wall in front of you is a group of buttons colored blue, yellow, brown, and red. There are doorways to the west and south.
There is a wrench here.
There is an object which looks like a tube of toothpaste here.
There is a screwdriver here.
(yeah I think the tool chests were just for flavor)
w
Dam Lobby
This room appears to have been the waiting room for groups touring the dam. There are open doorways here to the north and east marked "Private", and there is a path leading south over the top of the dam.
Man that's stupid.
e then examine tube
>e then examine tube
Maintenance Room
This is what appears to have been the maintenance room for Flood Control Dam #3. Apparently, this room has been ransacked recently, for most of the valuable equipment is gone. On the wall in front of you is a group of buttons colored blue, yellow, brown, and red. There are doorways to the west and south.
There is a wrench here.
There is an object which looks like a tube of toothpaste here.
There is a screwdriver here.
A "lean and hungry" gentleman just wandered through, carrying a large bag. Finding nothing of value, he left disgruntled.
(!!)
(emphasis mine)
(anyway, the description of the tube...)
---> Frobozz Magic Gunk Company <---
All-Purpose Gunk
tube: Taken.
wrench: You're holding too many things already!
screwdriver: Taken.
Dam Lobby
This room appears to have been the waiting room for groups touring the dam. There are open doorways here to the north and east marked "Private", and there is a path leading south over the top of the dam.
(Edit: Mm. Perhaps I should've saved/restored after we tied the rope to that railing, so the rope wouldn't take up precious inventory space. Tho I suppose it's possible the rope might also be useful elsewhere.)
i
You are carrying:
A screwdriver
A tube
A matchbook
A tour guidebook
A nasty knife
A rope
A brown sack
A sword
A brass lantern (providing light)
(edit: Aha! I just maybe had a brainwave about something. ...But I can't really say anything about it.)
Dam
You are standing on the top of the Flood Control Dam #3, which was quite a tourist attraction in times far distant. There are paths to the north, south, and west, and a scramble down.
The sluice gates on the dam are closed. Behind the dam, there can be seen a wide reservoir. Water is pouring over the top of the now abandoned dam.
There is a control panel here, on which a large metal bolt is mounted. Directly above the bolt is a small green plastic bubble.
Reservoir South
You are in a long room on the south shore of a large lake, far too deep and wide for crossing.
There is a path along the stream to the east or west, a steep pathway climbing southwest along the edge of a chasm, and a path leading into a canyon to the southeast.
Chasm
A chasm runs southwest to northeast and the path follows it. You are on the south side of the chasm, where a crack opens into a passage.
East-West Passage
This is a narrow east-west passageway. There is a narrow stairway leading down at the north end of the room.
The Troll Room
This is a small room with passages to the east and south and a forbidding hole leading west. Bloodstains and deep scratches (perhaps made by an axe) mar the walls.
There is a bloody axe here.
Cellar
You are in a dark and damp cellar with a narrow passageway leading north, and a crawlway to the south. On the west is the bottom of a steep metal ramp which is unclimbable.
East of Chasm
You are on the east edge of a chasm, the bottom of which cannot be seen. A narrow passage goes north, and the path you are on continues to the east.
Gallery
This is an art gallery. Most of the paintings have been stolen by vandals with exceptional taste. The vandals left through either the north or west exits.
A small leaflet is on the ground.
There is a clove of garlic here.
A hot pepper sandwich is here.
Studio
This appears to have been an artist's studio. The walls and floors are splattered with paints of 69 different colors. Strangely enough, nothing of value is hanging here. At the south end of the room is an open door (also covered with paint). A dark and narrow chimney leads up from a fireplace; although you might be able to get up it, it seems unlikely you could get back down.
Loosely attached to a wall is a small piece of paper.
(dun dun dun!)
drop books
>drop books
Dropped.
>look then i
Studio
This appears to have been an artist's studio. The walls and floors are splattered with paints of 69 different colors. Strangely enough, nothing of value is hanging here. At the south end of the room is an open door (also covered with paint). A dark and narrow chimney leads up from a fireplace; although you might be able to get up it, it seems unlikely you could get back down.
Loosely attached to a wall is a small piece of paper.
There is a tour guidebook here.
You are carrying:
A screwdriver
A tube
A matchbook
A nasty knife
A rope
A brown sack
A sword
A brass lantern (providing light)
>who is the thief
I don't know the word "who".
>what is the thief
You can't see any thief here!
I wonder if they grabbed the platinum too.
s then w then n then n then e then e then e
Please supply a filename for save
Ok.
>s then w then n then n then e then e then e
Gallery
This is an art gallery. Most of the paintings have been stolen by vandals with exceptional taste. The vandals left through either the north or west exits.
A small leaflet is on the ground.
There is a clove of garlic here.
A hot pepper sandwich is here.
East of Chasm
You are on the east edge of a chasm, the bottom of which cannot be seen. A narrow passage goes north, and the path you are on continues to the east.
Cellar
You are in a dark and damp cellar with a narrow passageway leading north, and a crawlway to the south. On the west is the bottom of a steep metal ramp which is unclimbable.
The Troll Room
This is a small room with passages to the east and south and a forbidding hole leading west. Bloodstains and deep scratches (perhaps made by an axe) mar the walls.
There is a bloody axe here.
East-West Passage
This is a narrow east-west passageway. There is a narrow stairway leading down at the north end of the room.
Round Room
This is a circular stone room with passages in all directions. Several of them have unfortunately been blocked by cave-ins.
Loud Room
This is a large room with a ceiling which cannot be detected from the ground. There is a narrow passage from east to west and a stone stairway leading upward. The room is deafeningly loud with an undetermined rushing sound. The sound seems to reverberate from all of the walls, making it difficult even to think.
On the ground is a large platinum bar.
(Ah good. Perhaps he couldn't figure out how to get it either!)
u then e then n then n