| ------------------ 4.95 - June 22, 2007 | |
| Infocom Fact Sheet | |
| ------------------ | |
| by Paul David Doherty <42@pdd.de> | |
| This file includes some information about Infocom's games and related subjects. | |
| Thanks to all the people who made contributions. Special thanks this time to | |
| Matt Ackeret, Evan Day, Marc G. Frank, Edward Franks, Alan J. Franzman, Richard | |
| Haase, Tom Hlavaty, Dave Jarvis, David Kinder, Roger J. Long, Graham Nelson, | |
| and Matthew T. Russotto. Very special thanks to C.E. Forman, for tracking down | |
| the most obscure packaging variants (and for his patience), and to Miron | |
| Schmidt and Manuel Schulz for all their help. The most recent release of the | |
| Infocom Fact Sheet is always available as | |
| http://www.if-legends.org/~pdd/infocom/fact-sheet.txt | |
| and also in The Interactive Fiction Archive under | |
| http://www.ifarchive.org/if-archive/infocom/info/fact-sheet.txt | |
| List of contents: | |
| I Released Games | |
| II Packaging Details | |
| III Books & InvisiClues | |
| IV Newsletters | |
| V Datafiles | |
| VI Game Statistics | |
| VII Implementors | |
| VIII Re-Releases | |
| IX Trivia | |
| X Chronology | |
| XI Interpreters & Utilities | |
| I Released Games | |
| ================= | |
| This table lists all software products released under the Infocom label. The | |
| information is given in the form "PrC R Yr Title_of_program (Author)", where | |
| PrC is the Product Code, R is the difficulty rating and Yr the year of first | |
| publication. | |
| Every Infocom product had a specific Order Code which consisted of the Product | |
| Code (to identify the program) and a System Code which identified the platform | |
| for which this product was produced. For example, the Order Code IM3-CO4 | |
| identifies the game "Suspect" (IM3) for the Commodore Amiga (CO4). The Order | |
| Code was printed on the program disk as well as on the box and other packaging | |
| elements. | |
| The following System Codes were used: | |
| AC1 Apricot | |
| AP1 Apple II | |
| AP2 Apple Macintosh | |
| AP3 Apple IIgs (on 3.5" disks) | |
| AT1 Atari 800/XL/XE | |
| AT2 Atari ST | |
| CO1 Commodore 64/128 | |
| CO4 Commodore Amiga | |
| CO5 Commodore 128 ONLY | |
| CP1 CP/M | |
| DE1 PDP-11 (under RT-11) | |
| DE2 DEC Rainbow (under CP/M) | |
| EP1 Epson QX-10 | |
| IB1 IBM PC-DOS 2.0 or higher (IBM & 100% Compatibles) | |
| IB2 IBM PC-DOS 2.0/MS-DOS 2.0 or higher (IBM & MS-DOS Compatibles) | |
| KA1 Kaypro II (under CP/M) | |
| MS1 MS-DOS 2.0 | |
| NE1 NEC PC-8000 (under CP/M) | |
| NE2 NEC APC (under CP/M-86) | |
| OS1 Osborne (under CP/M) | |
| TA1 TRS-80 Model I | |
| TA3 TRS-80 Model III | |
| TA4 TRS-80 Color Computer | |
| TI1 TI Professional | |
| TI2 TI 99/4 A | |
| After the Infocom/Activision merger these System Codes were replaced by the | |
| standard Activision System Codes, although some packages still listed the old | |
| codes alongside the new ones. An incomplete list of Activision System Codes: | |
| DD Commodore 64/128 | |
| ECD Atari XL/XE | |
| EDD Commodore 128 ONLY | |
| KD Apple IIgs | |
| NES Nintendo Entertainment System | |
| PD IBM/MS-DOS | |
| SD Atari ST | |
| TD Apple II | |
| UQD Amstrad CPC/PCW (under CP/M plus or CP/M 2.2) | |
| WD Commodore Amiga | |
| At least two platforms never had an Infocom System Code: the Commodore Plus/4 | |
| (because these versions were distributed exclusively by CBM) and the Amstrad | |
| CPC/PCW (support for that platform was introduced after the Infocom/Activision | |
| merger). | |
| Not all games were available on every platform; e.g. the four graphics (V6) | |
| games were only available for Macintosh, Amiga, Apple II (with 128k RAM) and | |
| IBM. These were probably the seven best-supported platforms: | |
| IBM: all 35 IF games (plus Fooblitzky & Cornerstone) | |
| Macintosh: all 35 IF games (plus Quarterstaff) | |
| Apple II: all 35 IF games (plus Fooblitzky) -- V6 games need 128k RAM | |
| Amiga: 34 IF games (all except Border Zone) | |
| C128: 31 IF games (all V3-5) | |
| Atari ST: 30 IF games (all V3-5 except, probably, Sherlock) | |
| C64: 27 IF games (all V3 and Nord & Bert, Border Zone, Sherlock) | |
| Difficulty ratings were introduced in late 1984 and abandoned in March 1987: | |
| i - Introductory (called Junior on "Seastalker") | |
| s - Standard | |
| a - Advanced | |
| e - Expert | |
| I.1 Interactive Fiction (IF): The 35 canonical games | |
| ---------------------------------------------------- | |
| Fantasy | |
| IZ0 i 85 Wishbringer: The Magick Stone of Dreams (Brian Moriarty) | |
| [development code IJ2] | |
| IZ1 s 80 Zork I: The Great Underground Empire (Marc Blank/Dave Lebling) | |
| IZ2 a 81 Zork II: The Wizard of Frobozz (Marc Blank/Dave Lebling) | |
| IZ3 a 82 Zork III: The Dungeon Master (Marc Blank/Dave Lebling) | |
| IZ4 s 83 Enchanter (Marc Blank/Dave Lebling) | |
| IZ5 a 84 Sorcerer (Steve Meretzky) | |
| IZ6 e 85 Spellbreaker (Dave Lebling) | |
| IZ7 s 86 Trinity (Brian Moriarty) | |
| IZ8 - 87 Beyond Zork: The Coconut of Quendor (Brian Moriarty) | |
| IZ9 - 88 Zork Zero: The Revenge of Megaboz (Steve Meretzky) | |
| Science Fiction | |
| IS1 e 82 Starcross (Dave Lebling) | |
| IS2 e 83 Suspended (Mike Berlyn) | |
| IS3 s 83 Planetfall (Steve Meretzky) | |
| IS4 s 84 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams/Steve Meretzky) | |
| IS5 a 85 A Mind Forever Voyaging (Steve Meretzky) | |
| IS6 - 87 Stationfall (Steve Meretzky) | |
| Mystery | |
| IM1 e 82 Deadline (Marc Blank) | |
| IM2 s 83 The Witness (Stu Galley) | |
| IM3 a 84 Suspect (Dave Lebling) | |
| IM4 s 85 Ballyhoo (Jeff O'Neill) | |
| [development code IJ3] | |
| IM5 i 86 Moonmist (Stu Galley/Jim Lawrence) | |
| Tales of Adventure | |
| IA1 a 83 Infidel (Mike Berlyn/Patricia Fogleman) | |
| IA2 i 84 Seastalker: [Your Name] and the Ultramarine Bioceptor (Stu Galley/ | |
| Jim Lawrence) | |
| [development code IJ1; first released as IK1] | |
| IA3 s 84 Cutthroats (Mike Berlyn/Jerry Wolper) | |
| IA4 s 86 Hollywood Hijinx (Dave Anderson/Liz Cyr-Jones) | |
| IA5 - 89 James Clavell's Shogun (Dave Lebling) | |
| Comedy | |
| IC1 s 86 Leather Goddesses of Phobos (Steve Meretzky) | |
| IC2 - 87 Bureaucracy (Douglas Adams et al.) | |
| IC3 - 87 Nord and Bert Couldn't Make Head or Tail of It (Jeff O'Neill) | |
| Horror | |
| IH1 - 87 The Lurking Horror (Dave Lebling) | |
| Romance | |
| IR1 - 87 Plundered Hearts (Amy Briggs) | |
| Espionage | |
| IE1 - 87 Border Zone (Marc Blank) | |
| Immortal Legends | |
| CS1 - 87 Sherlock: The Riddle of the Crown Jewels (Bob Bates) | |
| [developed by Challenge Inc.] | |
| Chronicles | |
| IJ1 - 89 Journey: Part One of The Golden Age Trilogy (Marc Blank) | |
| Living Literature | |
| IL1 - 89 Arthur: The Quest for Excalibur (Bob Bates) | |
| [developed by Challenge Inc.] | |
| I.2 Demos, Samplers, Compilations | |
| --------------------------------- | |
| Demos & Samplers | |
| ID1 - 84 Zork Demo | |
| [contains a demo of Zork I and Marc Blank's Catch-A-Butterfly | |
| tutorial] | |
| ID2 - 84 The Four-In-One Infocom Sampler (version I) | |
| [contains samples of Infidel, Planetfall, and Zork I, a session | |
| transcript from The Witness, and Marc Blank's Catch-A-Butterfly | |
| tutorial] | |
| ID3 - 87 The Infocom Sampler/Sample the Works of the Master Storytellers | |
| (version II) | |
| [contains samples of Zork I, LGOP and Trinity, and a Wishbringer | |
| tutorial] | |
| --- - 87 Mini-Zork I | |
| [only available for the C-64, this one came with Infocom's one and | |
| only cassette based ZIP; it was first published in the British | |
| Commodore magazine "Zzap! 64" #67, Nov. 1990] | |
| Trilogies | |
| IT1 - 87 Zork Trilogy [includes IF1, IF2, IF3] | |
| IT2 - 87 Enchanter Trilogy [includes IF4, IF5, IF6] | |
| IT3 - 87 Classic Mystery Library [includes IM2, IM3, IM5] | |
| IT4 - 87 Science Fiction Classics [includes IS4, IS3, IS5] | |
| Solid Gold releases | |
| IS4 - 87 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy | |
| [Note: This has the same Product Code as the standard HHGG.] | |
| IZ1G - 87 Zork I | |
| IC1G - 88 Leather Goddesses of Phobos | |
| IS3G - 88 Planetfall | |
| IZ0G - 88 Wishbringer | |
| I.3 Non-IF | |
| ---------- | |
| InfoComics | |
| SG1 - 88 Gamma Force in Pit of a Thousand Screams (Amy Briggs) | |
| SL1 - 88 Lane Mastodon vs. The Blubbermen (Steve Meretzky) | |
| SZ1 - 88 ZorkQuest: Assault on Egreth Castle (Elizabeth Langosy) | |
| SZ2 - 88 ZorkQuest II: The Crystal of Doom (Elizabeth Langosy) | |
| Others | |
| BC1 - 85 Cornerstone (Brian "Spike" Berkowitz/Rich Ilson et al.) | |
| GS1 - 86 Fooblitzky (Mike Berlyn/Brian Cody/Poh C. Lim/Paula Maxwell) | |
| IF1 - 88 Quarterstaff: The Tomb of Setmoth (Scott Schmitz/Ken Updike & Amy | |
| Briggs) | |
| IF2 - 88 BattleTech: The Crescent Hawk's Inception (Westwood Associates) | |
| I.4 Post-Infocom "Infocom" releases | |
| ----------------------------------- | |
| 224 - 89 Mines of Titan (Westwood Associates) | |
| [original version was published by Electronic Arts as "The Mars | |
| Saga"] | |
| 225 - 90 Circuit's Edge (Westwood Associates) | |
| 2T - 90 Tombs & Treasure (Tokyo Shoseki) | |
| --- - 91 BattleTech [2]: The Crescent Hawks' Revenge (Westwood Associates) | |
| --- - 92 Leather Goddesses of Phobos II (Steve Meretzky) | |
| --- - 93 Return to Zork (Eddie Dombrower/William D. Volk/Joe Asprin) | |
| --- - 94 Simon the Sorcerer (Mike Woodroffe/Adventuresoft UK) | |
| [distributed under the Infocom label in the USA] | |
| --- - 96 Zork: Nemesis (Cecilia Barajas/Mark Long) | |
| [published by Activision, no longer using the label "Infocom"] | |
| --- - 97 Zork Grand Inquisitor (Laird Malamed/Margie Stohl) | |
| [published by Activision, no longer using the label "Infocom"] | |
| --- - 97 Zork: The Undiscovered Underground | |
| [released as a promo on the ZGI web site] | |
| II Packaging Details | |
| ===================== | |
| All sizes (width x height x depth) are given in mm. Business reply cards and | |
| product brochures are not mentioned under package contents. | |
| II.1 PDP-11 Zork (1980) | |
| ---------------- | |
| The Infocom version of "Zork", before distribution was handed over to Personal | |
| Software. Came with a small instruction booklet with a yellow cover. | |
| II.2 Personal Software Zork, a.k.a. Barbarian Zork (1980-81) | |
| -------------------------------------------------- | |
| The Personal Software version of "Zork I" was still called "Zork". It came in | |
| two variants: | |
| a) Large version (ziploc bag) | |
| This one was a 226x320x5 plastic ziploc bag containing the disk and a 36-page | |
| booklet. The title "Zork" was printed in white. | |
| b) Small version (box) | |
| A 146x218x23 box with the front cut out to showcase the 16-page manual | |
| (140x214). Manual was dated 1/1981. The title "Zork" was printed in black. | |
| II.3 Zork Blister Packs (1981-83) | |
| ----------------------- | |
| Zork I blister pack [i.e. card with plastic tray] | |
| 158x249 for 5.25" disks, 238x256 for 8" disks | |
| 1. ten-page manual with game instructions (141x218) | |
| Zork II blister pack [i.e. card with plastic tray] | |
| 158x249 for 5.25" disks, 238x256 for 8" disks | |
| 1. ten-page manual with game instructions (141x218) | |
| Zork III blister pack [i.e. card with plastic tray] | |
| 158x249 for 5.25" disks, 238x256 for 8" disks | |
| 1. ten-page manual with game instructions (141x218) | |
| II.4 Folio Packagings (1982-84) | |
| --------------------- | |
| Deadline police folder in 302x256x3 pouch | |
| 1. Inspector's Casebook | |
| 2. plastic bag with 3 white pills | |
| 3. interview notes (5 pages) | |
| 4. Corpus Delicti (coroner's note) | |
| 5. letter from Coates to Chief of Police | |
| 6. Police Dept. official memo | |
| 7. Lab report | |
| 8. photo of murder scene | |
| Starcross 304x306x45 flying saucer | |
| 1. space map | |
| 2. instruction booklet | |
| Suspended 240x317x70 box with recessed white face mask | |
| 1. instruction booklet with congratulatory letter | |
| 2. laminated colored cardboard map (600x230x3) of the Underground Complex | |
| (folded once) | |
| 3. six robot tracking devices (flat black round plastic chips) | |
| 4. plastic mask | |
| The Witness police folder in 302x256x3 pouch | |
| 1. February 1938 issue of "Nat'l Detective Gazette" | |
| 2. Virginia Linder's suicide note | |
| 3. Western Union telegram from Freeman Linder | |
| 4. matchbook of "The Brass Lantern" | |
| 5. February 1, 1938 issue of Santa Ana's "The Register" | |
| Planetfall 240x304x8 folder | |
| 1. "Today's Stellar Patrol" - recruitment brochure | |
| 2. Special Assignment Task Force I.D. card | |
| 3. three postcards (Ramos II, Nebulon, Accardi-3) | |
| 4. personal diary (4 pages, 1 of them empty) | |
| Enchanter 308x239x12 box, containing pouch with | |
| 1. Guild directory [Guild instructions, large!] | |
| 2. ancient scroll with "wax" (rubber) seal | |
| Infidel 235x304x8 folder in form of writing case | |
| 1. True tales of adventure | |
| 2. letter to Rose Ellingsworth (5 pages) | |
| 3. envelope addressed to Rose Ellingsworth | |
| 4. pergament map of excavation site | |
| 5. pergament with stone rubbing of hieroglyphs and hieroglyph translations | |
| Sorcerer 308x239x12 box, containing pouch with | |
| 1. "Popular Enchanting" magazine | |
| 2. Infotater | |
| Seastalker 238x300x7 folder | |
| 1. "Scimitar Logbook" | |
| 2. nautical chart of Frobton Bay (integrated in folder) | |
| 3. sticker "The Discovery Squad * Dive Deep * Dive Far" | |
| 4. eight clue cards and 1 instruction card | |
| 5. Infocard decoder (integrated in folder) | |
| II.5 Standard Boxes, a.k.a. Greyboxes (1984-87) | |
| ------------------------------------- | |
| For all games released from Summer 1984 onwards, and for the re-releases of the | |
| old games, a standarddized format (a 229x189x25 grey box with colored | |
| horizontal stripes) was employed. It opened like a book to reveal a booklet | |
| ("browsie") and the Instruction Manual. (The browsie is always listed as first | |
| item.) A re-closable tray contained all the other packaging elements | |
| ("feelies"). | |
| (Trivia: The Infocom logo on the spine was usually printed between the 5th and | |
| 10th stripe, counting from below. However, the first greybox releases had it in | |
| different positions: between stripe 6 and 11 for Seastalker and early Enchanter | |
| releases, and between stripes 4 and 9 for Infidel and Sorcerer.) | |
| a) Re-releases: | |
| Zork I | |
| B. "The GUE: A History" by Froboz Munbar | |
| 1. a map | |
| Zork II | |
| B. "G.U.E. on nine zorkmids a day" - a traveller's guide | |
| 1. travel brochure "Bozbarland" | |
| 2. travel brochure "Grayslopes" | |
| Deadline | |
| B. Documentary evidence, file #H657/SJ43.1 | |
| 1. plastic bag with 3 white pills | |
| 2. Corpus Delicti (coroner's note) | |
| 3. letter from Coates to Chief of Police | |
| 4. photo of murder scene | |
| Zork III | |
| B. "FrobozzCo International Annual Report 778 GUE" | |
| 1. stock certificate (100 shares a 1 zm) | |
| 2. letter from Chairman of the Board of FrobozzCo | |
| Starcross | |
| B. "Log of the M.C.S. STARCROSS" | |
| 1. space map | |
| 2. "Bureau of Extra-Solar Intelligence" instructions for alien encounters | |
| Suspended | |
| B. "Briefing for the Contra Central Mentality" | |
| 1. cardboard map of the Underground Complex [playing board] | |
| 2. robot tracking devices (6 black rubber chips) [markers] | |
| 3. Contra Central Mentality Lottery Card | |
| 4. congratulatory letter from Lottery Commision HQ | |
| The Witness | |
| B. February 1938 issue of "Nat'l Detective Gazette" | |
| 1. Virginia Linder's suicide note | |
| 2. Western Union telegram from Freeman Linder | |
| 3. matchbook of "The Brass Lantern" | |
| 4. February 1, 1938 issue of Santa Ana's "The Register" | |
| Planetfall | |
| B. "Today's Stellar Patrol" - recruitment brochure | |
| 1. Special Assignment Task Force I.D. card | |
| 2. three postcards (Ramos II, Nebulon, Accardi-3) | |
| 3. personal diary (4 pages, 1 of them empty) | |
| Enchanter | |
| B. "A Brief History Of Magic" by Gustar Woomax | |
| 1. ancient scroll with "wax" (rubber) seal | |
| Infidel | |
| B. "Expedition Log, Ellingsworth Pyramid Search" | |
| 1. letter to Rose Ellingsworth (2 pages) | |
| 2. envelope addressed to Rose Ellingsworth | |
| 3. pergament map of excavation site | |
| 4. pergament with stone rubbing of hieroglyphs | |
| Sorcerer | |
| B. "Popular Enchanting" magazine | |
| 1. "Field Guide to the Creatures of Frobozz" (replaced Infotater) | |
| Seastalker | |
| B. "Scimitar Logbook" | |
| 1. nautical chart of Frobton Bay | |
| 2. sticker "The Discovery Squad * Dive Deep * Dive Far" | |
| 3. five hint cards (4 "Infocards", 1 instruction card) | |
| 4. Infocard decoder | |
| b) New Games: | |
| Cutthroats | |
| B. "True Tales of Adventure" | |
| 1. "Four Shipwrecks off Hardscrabble Island" booklet | |
| 2. Outfitters Int'l Price List (with tide table) | |
| HHGG | |
| B. "How Many Times has This Happened to you?" - HHGG sales brochure | |
| 1. two "Orders for Destruction" (yellow and silver) | |
| 2. black cardboard sunglasses | |
| 3. "Don't Panic!" button | |
| 4. fluff (in plastic bag) | |
| 5. "microscopic space fleet" (empty plastic bag) | |
| Suspect | |
| B. "Murder and Modern Manners" by Jane Darling Worthington | |
| 1. invitation to Veronica's Halloween Ball | |
| 2. note from editor of "The Washington Representative" newspaper | |
| 3. page from "The Maryland Countryside" magazine | |
| 4. William Cochrane's business card (with message to Veronica) | |
| 5. receipt from "Costumes Unlimited" | |
| Wishbringer (version A) | |
| B. "The Legend of Wishbringer" | |
| 1. Wishbringer (glow-in-the-dark stone made of molded plastic) | |
| 2. postal map of Festeron and Antharia | |
| 3. sealed envelope (contains letter) | |
| Wishbringer (version B) | |
| B. "The Legend of Wishbringer" | |
| 1. postal map of Festeron and Antharia | |
| 2. sealed envelope (contains letter) | |
| (This version without the stone is somewhat rarer. When the original shipment | |
| of molded stones was used up, later packages were produced without the stone. | |
| The stone is also not mentioned on the back of the box in this version.) | |
| AMFV | |
| B. hardcopy of "Dakota Online Magazine" (April 2031) | |
| 1. map of Rockvil, South Dakota | |
| 2. yellow plastic pen ("Quad Mutual Insurance") | |
| 3. "Class One Security Mode Access Decoder" | |
| Spellbreaker | |
| B. "Frobozz Magic Magic Equipment Catalog" (Fall 966) | |
| 1. six enchanter trading cards | |
| 2. Enchanter's Guild pin | |
| Ballyhoo | |
| B. "The Traveling Circus That Time Forgot, Inc." souvenir program | |
| 1. "Dr. Nostrum's Extract" trade card | |
| 2. balloon (came in various colors: blue, orange, black, light purple) | |
| 3. circus ticket (August, 21) with punch-out holes | |
| Trinity | |
| B. comic "The Illustrated History of the Atom Bomb" | |
| 1. map of Trinity site | |
| 2. cardboard DIY sundial | |
| 3. instructions for folding origami crane | |
| LGOP | |
| B. "The Adventures of Lane Mastodon #91" (3-D comic) | |
| 1. 3-D glasses | |
| 2. map of catacombs | |
| 3. Scratch N Sniff card | |
| Moonmist | |
| B. "Legendary Ghosts of Cornwall" | |
| 1. visitor's guide "Welcome to Tresyllian Castle" | |
| 2. two letters from Tamara (3 pages) | |
| 3. MOONMIST iron-on logo | |
| Enchanter Trilogy | |
| [Contains standard boxes of Enchanter, Sorcerer and Spellbreaker in a | |
| specially designed trilogy slipcase] | |
| Zork Trilogy | |
| B. "The GUE: A History" by Froboz Munbar | |
| 1. metal coin (1 zorkmid) - "In Frobs We Trust" | |
| 2. a map | |
| 3. travel brochure "Bozbarland" | |
| 4. travel brochure "Grayslopes" | |
| 5. stock certificate (100 shares a 1 zm) | |
| 6. letter from Chairman of the Board of FrobozzCo | |
| Hollywood Hijinx | |
| B. "Tinsel World" magazine (vol. 35 no. 27) | |
| 1. Aunt Hildegarde's will | |
| 2. photo of Uncle Buddy (with poem on flip side) | |
| 3. "Lucky Palm Tree Swizzle Stick" (green plastic) | |
| Bureaucracy | |
| B. "You're ready to move!" (bank brochure) | |
| 1. letter from your boss | |
| 2. membership flyer for "Popular Paranoia" | |
| 3. red pencil | |
| 4. Beezer card application form (in triplicate) | |
| Classic Mystery Library | |
| [Contains standard boxes of The Witness, Suspect and Moonmist in a specially | |
| designed trilogy slipcase] | |
| Science Fiction Classics | |
| [Contains standard boxes of HHGG, Planetfall and AMFV in a specially designed | |
| trilogy slipcase] | |
| II.6 New Standard Box Format (1987-89) | |
| ---------------------------- | |
| It had the same size as the old (booklike) standard box but was a slipcase | |
| containing a cardboard tray. All packaging elements were put into that tray. A | |
| "Technical Manual" came with every game. | |
| Stationfall | |
| 1. space station blueprints (envelope, 9 blueprints, 1 legend page) | |
| 2. three forms (QX-17-T, JZ-59-G, HB-56-V) | |
| 3. Stellar Patrol patch (Lieutenant First Class) | |
| The Lurking Horror | |
| 1. "G.U.E. at a Glance" (G.U.E. Tech guide) | |
| 2. G.U.E. Tech student ID card | |
| 3. red rubber centipede (between 2 sheets of clear plastic) | |
| Nord and Bert | |
| 1. "Home on the range" (12 page booklet with Kevin Pope cartoons) | |
| Plundered Hearts | |
| 1. "elegant velvet reticule" (blue pouch), containing | |
| 2. 50 guinea note and | |
| 3. letter from Jean Lafond | |
| Beyond Zork | |
| 1. "The Lore and Legends of Quendor" | |
| 2. map of "Southland of Quendor" | |
| Border Zone | |
| 1. "I am Frobnia" tourist guide and phrasebook | |
| 2. business card from "Riznik's Antiques" | |
| 3. Frobnia National Railway matchbook | |
| 4. map of the border | |
| Sherlock | |
| 1. tourist map of London | |
| 2. copy of June 17, 1887 "The Thames" | |
| 3. black rubber key fob (Holmes and Watson) | |
| Zork Zero | |
| 1. The Flathead Calendar (883 GUE) | |
| 2. folded map - blueprints of Rockville Estates, with | |
| 3. yellow Post-It attached to it | |
| 4. scrap of parchment | |
| Shogun | |
| 1. folded map "The Known World 1600" | |
| 2. "The Soul of the Samurai" paper | |
| II.7 The Last Two Games (1989) | |
| ----------------------- | |
| ...came in non-standard software cartons. | |
| Journey 202x202x27 box | |
| 1. red velvet sack (contains piece of crystal) | |
| 2. map | |
| Arthur 178x228x25 box | |
| 1. "Book of Hours" | |
| II.8 Commodore Packagings (1983-85) | |
| ------------------------- | |
| The Commodore 64 versions of 6 games -- Zork I, Zork II, Zork III, Deadline, | |
| Starcross and Suspended -- were exclusively distributed by CBM from 1983 to | |
| 1985. CBM paid Infocom a royalty per copy and used their own blue-and-grey | |
| Commodore packaging without most of Infocom's packaging elements. The CBM | |
| packagings came in various forms and sizes (large folder, small folder, plastic | |
| case). | |
| II.9 DEC Packagings (1982/83) | |
| ------------------- | |
| Another distribution deal, here with Digital for their computer range (DecMate, | |
| DecMate II, Rainbow). At least 3 games were published in these folio-sized | |
| packages: Zork II, Zork III, and The Witness. Inside are the standard folio | |
| contents. | |
| II.10 Dysan Packagings (1982-84) | |
| ---------------------- | |
| Dysan was Infocom's disk duplicator, but also published a number of games in | |
| their "Dysan Series Software" packagings. The boxes have a red slipcover, the | |
| Dysan name is printed in gold and the Infocom logo and game title in green. At | |
| least 7 games were released in this format, all for the IBM PC: Deadline, | |
| Starcross, Suspended, The Witness, Planetfall, Enchanter, Infidel (and maybe | |
| also Sorcerer and Seastalker). | |
| II.11 Solid Gold Packagings (1987/88) | |
| --------------------------- | |
| The five Solid Gold releases in 1987/88 came in thin folders (229x189x6) | |
| containing disks and an instruction manual. LGOP and Wishbringer were the only | |
| ones with added feelies. [In Planetfall and Wishbringer, other parts of the | |
| documentation were incorporated into the game itself.] | |
| HHGG | |
| M. Instruction Manual | |
| Zork I | |
| M. Instruction Manual | |
| LGOP | |
| M. Instruction Manual; contains | |
| - map of catacombs | |
| - "The Adventures of Lane Mastodon #91" (comic, no longer 3-D) | |
| 1. Scratch N Sniff card | |
| Planetfall | |
| M. Instruction Manual | |
| Wishbringer | |
| M. Instruction Manual | |
| 1. postal map of Festeron and Antharia | |
| II.12 Other Games | |
| ----------------- | |
| Zork Demo (1984) | |
| [probably disk-only] | |
| Four-In-One Sampler (1984) | |
| [161x252 blister pack, no additional packaging elements] | |
| The Infocom Sampler (1987) | |
| [white cardboard envelope labeled "Sample the Works of the Master | |
| Storytellers"] | |
| Fooblitzky | |
| [298x223x36 box] | |
| 1. booklet "Official Ordinances Rules & Regulations For the city of | |
| Fooblitzky" | |
| 2. booklet "How to Play Fooblitzky. The Bare Essentials" | |
| 3. yellow plastic inlay tray containing | |
| 4. four felt-tip pens (blue, green, yellow, red for players 1-4) | |
| 5. four 279x434x1 workboards (folded in the middle) in the colors of | |
| players 1-4 | |
| InfoComics | |
| [229x189x6 folders] | |
| 1. a page with "Everything you need to know about InfoComics" | |
| Quarterstaff | |
| [202x202x27 box] | |
| 1. "The Path to Enlightenment" parchment | |
| 2. Wooden coin | |
| 3. Quarterstaff box-art poster | |
| BattleTech | |
| [202x202x27 box] | |
| 1. Weapon and 'Mech Recognition Guide | |
| 2. Battletech poster | |
| The first release also contained: | |
| 3. Crescent Hawk's lapel pin | |
| Some versions also include: | |
| 4. Order form for a Ral Partha Phoenix Hawk LAM miniature | |
| [The instruction manual was printed in green ink on glossy paper in early | |
| releases and later in black ink on cheap paper.] | |
| II.13 Business Products | |
| ----------------------- | |
| Cornerstone (version A) | |
| [no packaging info yet] | |
| Cornerstone (version B) | |
| [no packaging info yet] | |
| II.14 Product Brochures | |
| ----------------------- | |
| One of these catalogues was usually put in every game package. | |
| 1983: "Our worlds, and welcome to them" | |
| [4 pages, no illustrations, all 8 games up to Planetfall] | |
| 1983: "Infocom Games and Accessories" | |
| 1983: "Our Circuits Ourselves!" | |
| 1984: "The Incomplete Works Of Infocom, Inc." (version A) | |
| [16 pages, all 15 games up to Suspect; for Suspect, an early version of | |
| the box artwork was pictured] | |
| 1985: "The Incomplete Works Of Infocom, Inc." (version B) | |
| [same as version A, except that the "Junior" difficulty level is now | |
| called "Introductory"] | |
| 1985: "You are about to see the fantastic worlds of Infocom unfold before your | |
| very eyes" | |
| [1 folded sheet, all 18 games up to Spellbreaker] | |
| 1985: "A peculiar dame who claims she has the stone..." (Wishbringer promo) | |
| 1986: "Passport to the United Products of Infocom" | |
| [24 page boarding pass; 5 games no longer listed -- Deadline, Starcross, | |
| Suspended, Infidel, Seastalker --, the other 18 games up to Hollywood | |
| Hijinx are listed] | |
| 1986: "Infocom Transports You to Six New Worlds in 1986" | |
| 1987: "The Master Storytellers" | |
| [10 pages] | |
| 1988: "Infocom's New Graphics will blow you out of the water..." | |
| [1 folded sheet] | |
| III Books & InvisiClues | |
| ======================== | |
| III.1 Zork interactive (choose your own path) novels | |
| ---------------------------------------------------- | |
| Four "What Do I Do Now Books" books written by Steve Meretzky and published in | |
| Tor Books' "Young Adult Series": | |
| TITLE PUBL ISBN | |
| Zork: The Forces of Krill 8/83 0-8125-7975-5 | |
| Zork: The Malifestro Quest 9/83 0-8125-7980-1 | |
| Zork: The Cavern of Doom 9/83 0-8125-7985-2 | |
| Zork: Conquest at Quendor 10/84 0-8125-5989-4 | |
| III.2 Infocom Books | |
| ------------------- | |
| Published by Avon Books, N.Y. with Byron Preiss Visual Publications, these | |
| books had nothing much to do with Infocom but are listed here anyway. All the | |
| books were grey and had colored stripes running horizontally across the cover | |
| (in the style of Infocom's packaging). | |
| TITLE AUTHOR PUBL ISBN | |
| Planetfall Arthur Byron Cover 8/88 0-380-75384-7 | |
| Wishbringer Craig Shaw Gardner 8/88 0-380-75385-5 | |
| Enchanter Robin W. Bailey 5/89 0-380-75386-3 | |
| Stationfall Arthur Byron Cover 12/89 0-380-75387-1 | |
| The Zork Chronicles George Alec Effinger 7/90 0-380-75388-X | |
| The Lost City of Zork Robin W. Bailey 2/91 0-380-75389-8 | |
| Futurefall Arthur Byron Cover unpublished | |
| III.3 InvisiClues | |
| ----------------- | |
| The InvisiClues booklets (hint books with answers printed using invisible ink) | |
| were introduced by Mike Dornbrook of the ZUG. The first one was published in | |
| April 1982. #1a-4a had illustrations by David Ardito. The last ZUG InvisiClues | |
| booklet was published in Spring 1983. | |
| After the ZUG's shutdown Infocom took over and published their first 10 | |
| booklets in December 1983. All Infocom InvisiClues came with separate maps, | |
| except for Suspended and Seastalker (which had maps in the game packages) and | |
| HHGG (where the map was printed in the InvisiClues booklet). | |
| # Game(s) Pages Year | |
| a) published by Zork Users Group (ZUG) | |
| 1a Zork I ? 82 | |
| 2a Zork II ? 82 | |
| 3a Zork III ? 82 | |
| 4a Starcross ? 82 | |
| 5a Deadline ? 83 | |
| b) published by Infocom | |
| 1b Zork I 24p 83 | |
| 2b Zork II 28p 83 | |
| 3b Zork III 24p 83 | |
| 4b Starcross 32p 83 | |
| 5b Deadline 24p 83 | |
| 6 Suspended 20p 83 | |
| 7 Witness 28p 83 | |
| 8 Planetfall 28p 83 | |
| 9 Enchanter 36p 83 | |
| 10 Infidel 20p 83 | |
| 11 Sorcerer 44p 84 | |
| 12 Seastalker 24p 84 | |
| 13 Cutthroats 32p 84 | |
| 14 HHGG 52p 84 | |
| 15 Suspect 24p 84 | |
| 16 Wishbringer 40p 85 | |
| 17 AMFV 24p 85 | |
| 18 Spellbreaker 40p 85 | |
| 19 Ballyhoo 40p 86 | |
| 20 Trinity 32p 86 | |
| 21 LGOP 24p 86 | |
| 22 Moonmist 16p 86 | |
| 23 Hollywood Hijinx/Bureaucracy 28p 87 | |
| 24 Stationfall/Lurking Horror 48p 87 | |
| 25 Plundered Hearts/Beyond Zork 56p 87 | |
| 26 Zork Trilogy 48p 88 | |
| IV Newsletters | |
| =============== | |
| IV.1 "The New Zork Times" & "The Status Line" | |
| --------------------------------------------- | |
| # Vol No Date Pages Featured game(s) | |
| a) "The New Zork Times" as ZUG (Zork Users Group) newsletter | |
| 1 - - [Spring 82?] [1p] Deadline | |
| 2 II 1 Fall 82 [2p] Starcross/Zork III | |
| 3 III 1 Spring 83 [2p] Suspended | |
| 4 II oo Summer 83 [6p] The Witness | |
| b) "The New Zork Times" (NZT) | |
| 5 3 1 Winter 84 4p Sorcerer | |
| 6 3 2 Spring 84 4p Seastalker | |
| 7 3 3 Summer 84 8p Cutthroats | |
| 8 3 4 Fall 84 4p Suspect/HHGG | |
| 9 4 1 Winter 85 12p Cornerstone | |
| 10 4 2 Spring 85 12p Wishbringer | |
| 11 4 2 Summer 85 8p AMFV/Fooblitzky | |
| 12 IV 4 Fall 85 8p Spellbreaker | |
| 13 V 1 Winter 86 8p Ballyhoo | |
| c) "* * * *" | |
| 14 V 4 Spring 86 12p Trinity | |
| d) "The Status Line" (TSL) | |
| 15 V 3 Summer 86 12p Moonmist/LGOP | |
| 16 V 4 Fall 86 8p Hollywood Hijinx/Enchanter Tril. | |
| 17 VI 1 Winter/Spring 87 12p Bureaucracy/Zork Trilogy | |
| 18 VI 2 Summer 87 12p Lurking Horror/Stationfall | |
| 19 VI 3 Fall 87 12p Plundered Hearts/Nord and Bert | |
| 20 VI 4 Winter 87 12p Beyond Zork/Border Zone | |
| 21 VII 1 Winter/Spring 88 12p Sherlock/InfoComics 1-3 | |
| 22 VII 2 Summer 88 8p InfoComics 4 | |
| 23 VII 3 Fall 88 8p BattleTech/Zork Zero/Quarterstaff | |
| 24 VIII 1 Spring 89 6p Shogun/Journey/Arthur | |
| The Status Line's successor ("ZQ" or "Escape") was never published. | |
| IV.2 "InfoDope" | |
| --------------- | |
| [For internal circulation only] | |
| V Datafiles | |
| ============ | |
| V.1 Story Datafiles | |
| -------------------- | |
| V.1.1 Legend | |
| ------------- | |
| Name : Game title. "Solid Gold" releases are marked "SG". | |
| ? : Versions marked with "D" are internal development versions (usually | |
| releases for in-house or outside testing). Whenever the exact | |
| development stage (alpha/beta/gamma) is known, this information is | |
| added. | |
| Versions marked with "F" are unreleased final internal versions. | |
| Turning them into actual releases would have meant another round of | |
| testing, and this was only done if the fixes were deemed significant | |
| and a new production run was needed. | |
| Versions marked with "*" are those that no longer exist or survived | |
| in corrupted form only. | |
| V.A : Version number (a.k.a. "Release") and compilation date (a.k.a. "Serial | |
| number"). Typing VERSION in a game usually gives you this information. | |
| Compilation dates in the header were introduced in March 1982; earlier | |
| datafiles have seemingly arbitrary values as serial number. | |
| Z-C : The Z-code version (1...6) of the datafile. An "s" marks a datafile | |
| that requires an interpreter with sound (not only beep) capabilities. | |
| The Z-code versions correspond with the development stages of ZIP | |
| ("Z-machine Interpreter Program", the virtual interpreter) in the | |
| following way: | |
| ZIP Z-code | |
| ----------------- | |
| ZIP 1-3 | |
| EZIP (LZIP) 4 ("extended") | |
| XZIP 5 ("experimental") | |
| YZIP 6 ("successor to X") | |
| Z-code versions 7 and 8 were introduced by Graham Nelson in the 1990s; | |
| they were not used by Infocom. | |
| GZIP (Graphical ZIP) was used for Fooblitzky only. | |
| Length : The "real" length of the datafile, as indicated in the "game length" | |
| field of the datafile header. Published IBM data files are often 1 | |
| byte too long (padded with a $1a byte); Amiga datafiles are always | |
| padded to a page size of 256 or 512 bytes due to requirements of the | |
| Amiga interpreter. Older datafiles (pre-July 1982) had no $VERIFY | |
| command and therefore lack the game length field in the header; their | |
| correct length is listed in brackets, with the checksum given after | |
| "CHK:". | |
| Only very few beta/gamma testing releases leaked out and appeared on pirate | |
| bulletin boards (Sorcerer V67; Seastalker V86; LGOP V118, V50; Moonmist V65). | |
| Infocom reacted to the Sorcerer leak by adding unique identifiers to the | |
| testing versions, usually invoked via the $verify command. | |
| V.1.2 The 35 Canonical Games | |
| ----------------------------- | |
| Name ? V.A Z-C Length | |
| ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | |
| A Mind Forever Voyaging D 1.841226 3 33536 (ZIP version) | |
| D 47.850313 4 119622 "Pre-Alpha" | |
| D* 64.850404 4 138366 "Alpha" | |
| D* 84.850516 4 189346 "Wide Alpha" | |
| D* 105.850605 4 222818 "Beta" | |
| D* 131.850628 4 254920 "Early Gamma" | |
| D* 132.850702 4 254906 "Gamma" | |
| D* 143.850711 4 257590 "Gamma II (IBM)" | |
| 77.850814 4 262016 | |
| 79.851122 4 262036 (Amiga) | |
| Arthur D 40.890502 6 235344 | |
| D 41.890504 6 235352 | |
| 54.890606 6 270848 (Amiga/Mac) | |
| 63.890622 6 271304 (Apple II/IIgs) | |
| 74.890714 6 269200 (IBM) | |
| Ballyhoo 97.851218 3 128556 | |
| F 99.861014 3 128602 | |
| Beyond Zork D 1.870412 5 182636 "Alpha I" | |
| D 1.870715 5 252548 "Beta I" | |
| 47.870915 5 261952 [1] | |
| 49.870917 5 261900 | |
| 51.870923 5 261548 | |
| 57.871221 5 261388 | |
| F 60.880610 5 261444 | |
| Border Zone 9.871008 5 178372 | |
| Bureaucracy 86.870212 4 243144 | |
| 116.870602 4 243340 | |
| F 160.880521 4 243524 | |
| Cutthroats 23.840809 3 112558 | |
| F 25.840917 3 112538 | |
| Deadline 18.820311 3 [111342] CHK: $39d5 | |
| 19.820427 3 [111420] CHK: $780e | |
| 21.820512 3 [111706] CHK: $bf83 | |
| 22.820809 3 111782 | |
| 26.821108 3 108372 | |
| 27.831005 3 108454 | |
| F 28.850129 3 108420 | |
| Enchanter 10.830810 3 109126 | |
| 15.831107 3 109230 | |
| 16.831118 3 109234 | |
| 16.840518 3 109332 (Mac) [2] | |
| 24.851118 3 108638 | |
| 29.860820 3 111126 | |
| HHGG D* 62.840706 3 95228 "Alpha" | |
| D 108.840809 3 107452 "Beta I" | |
| D 119.840822 3 110982 "Beta II" | |
| 47.840914 3 112622 | |
| 56.841221 3 113444 | |
| 58.851002 3 113332 | |
| 59.851108 3 113334 | |
| F 60.861002 3 113330 | |
| HHGG SG 31.871119 5 158412 | |
| Hollywood Hijinx D 235.861118 3 118626 (beta) | |
| 37.861215 3 109650 | |
| Infidel 22.830916 3 93556 | |
| 22.840522 3 94144 (Mac) [2] | |
| Journey D 46.880603 5 229948 (XZIP version) | |
| D 2.890303 6 280936 (IBM) | |
| 26.890316 6 279872 (Mac) | |
| 30.890322 6 280472 (Amiga) | |
| D 51.890522 6 281408 (IBM) | |
| D 54.890526 6 281504 | |
| 77.890616 6 282176 (Apple II) | |
| D 79.890627 6 282240 | |
| 83.890706 6 282312 (IBM) | |
| LGOP D* 48.860103 3 86492 "Pre-Alpha" | |
| D* 57.860121 3 99484 "Alpha" | |
| D* 118.860325 3 129012 "Beta" | |
| D 160.860521 3 128998 "Gamma" [3] | |
| D* 50.860711 3 128988 "Freeze I" | |
| 59.860730 3 129022 | |
| 59.861114 (same as previous) | |
| LGOP SG 4.880405 5 159928 | |
| Lurking Horror 203.870506 3 128986 | |
| 219.870912 3s 129704 (Amiga) | |
| 221.870918 3s 129944 (Amiga) | |
| Moonmist D* 65. ? 3 128986 (beta) | |
| 4.860918 3 129002 | |
| 9.861022 3 128866 | |
| F 13.880501 3 128828 | |
| Nord and Bert D* 70.870423 4 ? | |
| D* 77.870428 4 ? | |
| D* 117.870512 4 ? | |
| 19.870722 4 170284 | |
| F 20.870722 4 170300 | |
| Planetfall D* 1.830306 3 85174 "Alpha" | |
| D* 1.830517 3 105158 "Beta" | |
| D* 1.830614 3 107500 "Gamma" | |
| D* 6.830619 3 107568 "Gamma III" | |
| 20.830708 3 107958 | |
| 26.831014 3 108674 | |
| 29.840118 3 109052 | |
| 37.851003 3 109398 | |
| F 39.880501 3 109282 | |
| Planetfall SG 10.880531 5 136560 | |
| Plundered Hearts 26.870730 3 128962 | |
| Seastalker D 86.840320 3 116456 (beta) | |
| 15.840501 3 117738 | |
| 15.840522 3 117728 (Atari) | |
| 15.840612 3 117736 (CoCo) | |
| 15.840716 3 117752 (Tandy) | |
| D 17.850208 3 117180 | |
| 16.850515 3 117752 | |
| 16.850603 3 117762 | |
| F 18.850919 3 116802 | |
| Sherlock D 97.871026 5 199248 | |
| 21.871214 5 188444 | |
| D 22.880112 5 189016 | |
| 26.880127 5s 190180 (Amiga/Mac) | |
| F 4.880324 5 189220 | |
| Shogun 292.890314 6 341416 (Mac) | |
| 295.890321 6 341912 (Amiga) | |
| 311.890510 6 344224 (Apple II/IIgs) | |
| D 320.890627 6 344808 (IBM) | |
| D 321.890629 6 344872 (IBM) | |
| 322.890706 6 344816 (IBM) | |
| Sorcerer D* 17.831001 3 82376 "Alpha" | |
| D 67.831208 3 107096 "Beta" | |
| D* 85.840106 3 108520 "Gamma" | |
| 4.840131 3 109734 | |
| 6.840508 3 109482 | |
| 13.851021 3 108692 | |
| 15.851108 3 108682 | |
| 18.860904 3 111052 | |
| Spellbreaker 63.850916 3 128480 | |
| 87.860904 3 128916 | |
| Starcross 15.820901 3 84984 | |
| 17.821021 3 83792 | |
| F 18.830114 3 84740 | |
| Stationfall D* 28.861221 3 91210 "Pre-Alpha" | |
| D* 36.870106 3 98146 "Alpha" | |
| D 63.870218 3 121724 "Beta" | |
| D 87.870326 3 127400 "Gamma" | |
| 107.870430 3 128934 | |
| Suspect 14.841005 3 118692 CHK: $d0ec | |
| 14.841005 3 118692 CHK: $d04e (Atari) | |
| F 18.850222 3 118746 | |
| Suspended 5.830222 3 105418 | |
| 7.830419 3 105500 | |
| 8.830521 3 105492 | |
| 8.840521 3 105584 (Mac) [2] | |
| Trinity D 1.851202 4 154460 "Alpha" | |
| D 1.860221 4 230484 "Beta" | |
| D 14.860313 4 241564 "Beta II" | |
| 11.860509 4 262016 | |
| 12.860926 4 262064 | |
| F 15.870628 4 261484 | |
| Wishbringer 68.850501 3 128952 | |
| 69.850920 3 128904 | |
| Wishbringer SG 23.880706 5 164712 | |
| Witness 13.830524 3 102608 | |
| 18.830910 3 103728 | |
| 20.831119 3 104740 | |
| 21.831208 3 104704 | |
| 22.840924 3 104664 | |
| F 23.840925 3 104260 | |
| Zork I 2.AS000C 1 [82728] CHK: $7dc3 | |
| 5. 1 [82836] CHK: $a8a4 | |
| 15.UG3AU5 2 [78566] CHK: $e987 | |
| 20. 3 [75734] CHK: $4506 | |
| 23.820428 3 [75780] CHK: $e6dc | |
| 25.820515 3 [75808] CHK: $dfa0 | |
| 26.820803 3 75964 | |
| 28.821013 3 76018 | |
| 30.830330 3 76324 | |
| 75.830929 3 84868 | |
| 76.840509 3 84874 | |
| 88.840726 3 84876 | |
| F 119.880429 3 86838 | |
| Zork I SG 52.871125 5 105264 | |
| Zork II 7.UG3AU5 2 [85260] CHK: $6fb6 | |
| 15.820308 3 [82110] CHK: $7961 | |
| 17.820427 3 [82368] CHK: $cf13 | |
| 18.820512 3 [82422] CHK: $cf14 | |
| 18.820517 (same as previous) | |
| 19.820721 3 82586 | |
| 22.830331 3 82920 | |
| 23.830411 3 81876 | |
| 22.840518 3 83128 (Mac) [2] | |
| * ?. ? 3 89136 | |
| 48.840904 3 89912 | |
| * ?.841220 3 ? | |
| F 63.860811 3 92524 | |
| Zork III 10.820818 3 82334 | |
| 12.821025 3 82396 | |
| 15.830331 3 82558 | |
| 16.830410 3 81626 | |
| 15.840518 3 82642 (Mac) [2] | |
| 17.840727 3 82714 | |
| F 25.860811 3 87984 | |
| Zork Zero D 153.880510 5 245600 (XZIP version) | |
| D 242.880901 6 269528 "Beta" | |
| 296.881019 6 295536 (Mac) | |
| 366.890323 6 296376 (Amiga) | |
| 383.890602 6 299392 (Apple II) | |
| D 392.890714 6 299920 (IBM) | |
| 393.890714 6 299968 (IBM) | |
| V.1.3 Demos and Small Versions | |
| ------------------------------- | |
| Name ? V.A Z-C Length | |
| ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | |
| Mini-Zork I D 2.840207 3 47676 (beta) [4] | |
| 34.871124 3 52216 | |
| Mini-Zork II D 2.871123 3 55690 | |
| Zork I Demo 15.840330 3 62326 | |
| Sampler I (Four-In-One) D 5.840512 3 105196 | |
| 24.840627 3 112478 | |
| 26.840731 3 112610 | |
| 52.850402 3 126708 | |
| 53.850407 3 126708 | |
| 55.850823 3 126902 | |
| Mini-Ballyhoo D 8.870119 3 55472 | |
| Sampler II 97.870601 3 125314 | |
| Sampler III D 8.870601 3 106094 | |
| V.1.4 Unfinished Projects | |
| -------------------------- | |
| Name ? V.A Z-C Length | |
| ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | |
| The Abyss D 1.890320 6 109416 | |
| Milliways D 15.880512 5 62928 | |
| D 184.890412 6 79152 | |
| Zork I German D 3.880113 5 116216 "Beta I" (A) | |
| D 15.890613 6 130928 "Beta I" (B) | |
| V.1.5 Footnotes | |
| ---------------- | |
| [1] In the IBM versions, the character definitions (font #3, used for the | |
| runes) are simply appended to the datafile. On other platforms (e.g. Amiga | |
| and Atari ST) the definitions are in a separate font file. | |
| [2] Recompile of older version with proportional font support added specially | |
| for the Macintosh platform. | |
| [3] Some copies of this datafile are incorrectly identified as "50.860711" in | |
| the game header. This is due to a mistake made by the maintainers of the | |
| Infocom Patches collection. | |
| [4] There are enough differences between the beta and the released "Mini-Zork" | |
| to think of them as two different games. For example, the broken egg with | |
| the golden canary, the brass bauble, and the Timber Room with the broken | |
| timber are only present in the beta, while the sapphire-encrusted bracelet, | |
| the red buoy with the large emerald and the Mirror Rooms are only in the | |
| released version. (The Echo Room has been removed in both versions.) | |
| V.2 Graphic Data Files | |
| ---------------------- | |
| The graphics were originally designed on the Amiga; the same data files seem to | |
| have been used for the Mac releases. Later they were converted to Apple II/IIgs | |
| and IBM. | |
| At the moment I only have information about the IBM graphics files. I don't | |
| know whether the "version numbers" shown by the VERSION command (byte 0x1b of | |
| the graphics file) are really version numbers or just random bytes. | |
| The MS-DOS versions of the YZIP games came with 3 graphics files: for MCGA/VGA | |
| graphics cards (*.MG1), for EGA (*.EG1) and for CGA (*.CG1). You could chose | |
| the graphics file via command line options; the syntax was "YZIP /D[M,E,C]". If | |
| invoked without this option the interpreter tries to automatically determine | |
| the type of graphic card (and usually ends up with EGA). | |
| Arthur and Shogun contained the program FILECVT.EXE, which can create EG1 and | |
| CG1 graphics files from the MG1 graphics file. | |
| Zork0 | |
| (James Shook) conversions etc.: Tanya Allan/Denise Audette/Andy Briggs/Rob | |
| Dunlavey/Sophia Green/Joy Pulver/Charlie | |
| Voner | |
| MG1 Pix 14 226436 (89-07-10 11:35) | |
| EG1 Pix 29 333654 (89-07-13 17:48) | |
| CG1 Pix 29 244507 (89-07-14 16:42) | |
| Shogun | |
| (Donald Langosy) conversions: Tanya Allen [Apple II]/Donna Dennison [IBM] | |
| MG1 Pix 9 213425 (89-07-06 15:21) | |
| EG1 Pix 21 278669 (89-06-28 11:47) | |
| CG1 Pix 20 141450 (89-07-06 15:34) | |
| Journey | |
| (Donald Langosy) | |
| MG1 Pix 2 465606 (89-06-23 13:38) | |
| EG1/2 Pix 12 360500/249241 (89-07-07 12:37/38) | |
| CG1 Pix 8 297105 (89-07-07 17:01) | |
| Arthur | |
| (Darrell Myers/Tanya Isaacson/Sophie Green/Donna Dennison/Jim Sullivan) | |
| MG1 Pix 27 292279 (89-07-14 11:32) | |
| EG1/2 [EGA file not included] | |
| CG1 Pix 15 209359 (89-07-13 18:50) | |
| V.3 Title Pictures | |
| ------------------ | |
| The 4 YZIP games had title pictures which were incorporated in the graphics | |
| files. The only other game with a title picture was the Atari ST version of | |
| "Beyond Zork". (Also, "Fooblitzky" had an animated title screen.) | |
| V.4 Sound Files | |
| --------------- | |
| The Amiga version of "The Lurking Horror" and the Amiga and Macintosh versions | |
| of "Sherlock" came with sampled sounds. "The Lurking Horror" had 14 different | |
| sounds, "Sherlock" 15. Sound versions of "Sherlock" were also planned for the | |
| Atari ST and the Apple IIgs, but these were never released. | |
| V.5 Font Files | |
| -------------- | |
| For the runes in "Beyond Zork", special character definitions were needed. | |
| Infocom put these special characters in a separate font file (called | |
| "Graphic.Data" on the Amiga and "FONT3.DAT" on the Atari ST). In the MS-DOS | |
| version, the font file was appended to the game's datafile. | |
| The Amiga versions of "Journey" and "Arthur" also came with font files (called | |
| "Char.Data"). In "Arthur", it is used for the game's proportional font. The | |
| "Journey" font file is used for the runes; it is identical with the one from | |
| "Beyond Zork". | |
| V.6 Boss Keys | |
| ------------- | |
| The (original) MS-DOS version of "Leather Goddesses of Phobos" came with a boss | |
| key picture ("LEATHER.DAT") displayed by the ZIP (version 3 N). | |
| VI Game Statistics | |
| =================== | |
| Game Version Rooms Words Objects Opcodes | |
| (int) (takeable) (total) | |
| Zork I 88.840726 110 697 60 6798 | |
| Zork II 48.840904 86 684 50 6804 | |
| Deadline 27.831005 51 656 37 6977 | |
| Zork III 17.840727 89 564 23 5952 | |
| Starcross 17.821021 86 557 25 6566 | |
| Suspended 8.840521 63 676 33 6902 | |
| The Witness 22.840924 30 715 22 8945 | |
| Planetfall 37.851003 105 669 45 7879 | |
| Enchanter 29.860820 74 723 33 8070 | |
| Infidel 22.830916 77 613 57 7386 | |
| Sorcerer 18.860904 84 1013 36 8963 | |
| Seastalker 16.850603 30 911 15 14460 | |
| Cutthroats 23.840809 68 790 21 12600 | |
| HHGG 59.851108 31 971 45 10723 | |
| Suspect 14.841005 57 674 43 10737 | |
| Wishbringer 69.850920 52 1043 35 16223 | |
| AMFV 79.851122 178 1812 30 18696 | |
| Spellbreaker 87.860904 79 850 60 12472 | |
| Ballyhoo 97.851218 36 962 42 15132 | |
| Trinity 12.860926 134 2120 49 31389 | |
| LGOP 59.861114 75 978 41 13763 | |
| Moonmist 9.861022 69 955 26 15900 | |
| Hollywood Hijinx 37.861215 67 854 58 10355 | |
| Bureaucracy 116.870602 50 1416 44 24116 | |
| Stationfall 107.870430 105 789 53 10662 | |
| Lurking Horror 221.870918 71 773 44 12398 | |
| Nord and Bert 19.870722 41 1230 69 13831 | |
| Plundered Hearts 26.870730 57 816 28 13859 | |
| Beyond Zork 57.871221 128 1569 77 32778 | |
| Border Zone 9.871008 111 803 42 11273 | |
| Mini-Zork I 34.871124 69 536 46 5204 | |
| Sherlock 26.880127 92 1194 67 19702 | |
| Zork Zero 393.890714 215 1624 106 23587 | |
| Shogun 322.890706 75 1389 63 28346 | |
| Journey 83.890706 - 27 - 16187 | |
| Arthur 74.890714 90 1059 32 28242 | |
| The number of rooms refers to the internal representation; externally (from the | |
| player's point of view) there can be less/more rooms, like in Infidel's | |
| never-ending desert around the camp (which in fact consists of only 10 rooms). | |
| Likewise the number of takeable objects can be higher than the figure given | |
| here. I have only counted objects which have the takebit set in the initial | |
| state of the game. | |
| VII Implementors | |
| ================= | |
| This is a list of games and other programs written by Infocom authors. The term | |
| "implementor" is used as a synonym for game author here (while at Infocom this | |
| usually meant a member of the Implementor Group, which not all authors were). | |
| A "#" before a year means that the game has not been finished or never been | |
| released. | |
| "Hollywood" Dave Anderson | |
| ------------------------- | |
| [Untitled Demo Game] (Infocom) #1985? | |
| Hollywood Hijinx <+ L.Cyr-Jones> (Infocom) 1986 | |
| Timothy A. Anderson | |
| ------------------- | |
| Zork <+ M.S.Blank/P.D.Lebling/B.K.Daniels> (MIT) 1977-79 | |
| Bureaucracy <+ many others> (Infocom) 1985-87 | |
| Bob Bates | |
| --------- | |
| Sherlock: The Riddle of the Crown Jewels (Challenge/Infocom) 1986/87 | |
| Arthur: The Quest for Excalibur (Challenge/Infocom) 1989 | |
| The Abyss (Challenge/Infocom) #1989 | |
| [Untitled Robin Hood game] (Infocom) #1989 | |
| Timequest (Legend) 1991 | |
| Eric the Unready (Legend) 1993 | |
| The Great Game <+ W.Colby/J.Adams> (Activision) 1995 | |
| [Educational game for US government] (US Govt.) 1995 | |
| John Saul's Blackstone Chronicles <+ J.Saul> (Legend/Mindscape) 1998 | |
| Michael Berlyn | |
| -------------- | |
| Oo-Topos <+ Muffy Berlyn> (Sentient) 1981 | |
| Cyborg (Sentient) ca.1982 | |
| Congo <+ Harry Willner> (Sentient) 1982? | |
| Gold Rush (Sentient) 1982? | |
| Suspended (Infocom) 1983 | |
| Infidel <+ P.Fogleman> (Infocom) 1983 | |
| Cutthroats <+ J.Wolper> (Infocom) 1984 | |
| Fooblitzky <+ M.S.Blank et al.> (Infocom) 1985/86 | |
| Tass Times In Tonetown <+ Muffy Berlyn> (Brainwave/Interplay) 1986 | |
| Confetti <+ Muffy Berlyn> (Brainwave/Infocom) #1987 | |
| Rager <+ Muffy Berlyn> (Brainwave/Infocom) #1987 | |
| Dr. Dumont's Wild P.A.R.T.I. <+ Muffy Berlyn> (Brainwave/First Row) 1988 | |
| WriteIdea <+ Muffy Berlyn> (Brainwave) 1988-99 | |
| Les Manley in Search for the King <+ S.Cartwright> (Accolade) 1990 | |
| Altered Destiny (Accolade) 1990 | |
| Snoopy's Game Club <+ Gene Smith> (Accolade) 1992 | |
| Bubsy, in: Claws Encounters of the Furred Kind <+ J.Skeel> (Accolade) 1993 | |
| Mystery Capers <+ M.S.Blank> (Apple/Starcore) 1994 | |
| Motile (Eidetic/Apple) 1994 | |
| Newton Utilities <+ M.S.Blank> (Apple) 1994 | |
| Live Action Football <+ M.S.Blank> (Accolade) 1994 | |
| All Star Baseball <+ M.S.Blank> (Accolade) 1995 | |
| Bubsy 3D <+ M.S.Blank> (Accolade) 1996 | |
| Zork: The Undiscovered Underground <+ M.S.Blank/G.K.Wilson> (Activision) 1997 | |
| Dr. Dumont's Wild P.A.R.T.I. [extended version] | |
| <+ Muffy Berlyn/M.Musante> (Cascade Mountain) 1999 | |
| Chameleon <+ Muffy Berlyn> (Cascade Mountain) #1999 | |
| Berlyn also wrote several novels: | |
| - The Integrated Man (1980) | |
| - Crystal Phoenix (1980) | |
| - Blight (19??) [as Mark Sonders] | |
| - The Eternal Enemy (1990) | |
| Marc S. Blank | |
| ------------- | |
| Zork <+ P.D.Lebling/T.A.Anderson/B.K.Daniels> (MIT) 1977-79 | |
| Zork I: The Great Underground Empire <+ P.D.Lebling> (Infocom) 1980 | |
| Zork II: The Wizard of Frobozz <+ P.D.Lebling> (Infocom) 1981 | |
| Zork III: The Dungeon Master <+ P.D.Lebling> (Infocom) 1981 | |
| Deadline (Infocom) 1982 | |
| Enchanter <+ P.D.Lebling> (Infocom) 1983 | |
| Zork Demo (Infocom) 1984 | |
| The Four-In-One Infocom Sampler (Infocom) 1984 | |
| Fooblitzky <+ M.Berlyn et al.> (Infocom) 1985/86 | |
| Milliways: The Restaurant at the End of the Universe | |
| <+ many others> (Infocom) #1986 | |
| Bureaucracy <+ many others> (Infocom) 1985-87 | |
| Border Zone (Infocom) 1987 | |
| Journey: Part One of The Golden Age Trilogy (Infocom) 1988 | |
| [Part Two of The Golden Age Trilogy] (Infocom) #1989 | |
| Mystery Capers <+ M.Berlyn> (Apple/Starcore) 1994 | |
| Live Action Football <+ M.Berlyn> (Accolade) 1994 | |
| All Star Baseball <+ M.Berlyn> (Accolade) 1995 | |
| Bubsy 3D <+ M.Berlyn> (Accolade) 1996 | |
| Syphon Filter <+ Richard Ham> (Eidetic/Sony) 1996-99 | |
| Zork: The Undiscovered Underground <+ M.Berlyn/G.K.Wilson> (Activision) 1997 | |
| Tomas Bok | |
| --------- | |
| [Untitled Demo Game] (Infocom) #1985? | |
| Bureaucracy <+ many others> (Infocom) 1985-87 | |
| The Infocom Sampler (II) (Infocom) 1987 | |
| Sampler III (Infocom) #1987 | |
| Amy Briggs | |
| ---------- | |
| Rhodomontade Symphony (Infocom) #1986? | |
| Plundered Hearts (Infocom) 1987 | |
| Gamma Force in Pit of a Thousand Screams (Infocom/TSP) 1988 | |
| Quarterstaff <+ S.Schmitz/K.Updike> (Infocom) 1988 | |
| [Proposed Vampire game] (Infocom) #1988 | |
| Milliways: The Restaurant at the End of the Universe | |
| <+ many others> (Infocom) #1988 | |
| Stuart W. Galley | |
| ---------------- | |
| The Witness (Infocom) 1983 | |
| Seastalker: [Your Name] and the Ultramarine Bioceptor | |
| <+ J.Lawrence> (Infocom) 1984 | |
| Checkpoint [later became Border Zone] (Infocom) #1984-85 | |
| Midnight Rider/Escape from Boston (Infocom) #1985 | |
| Bureaucracy <+ many others> (Infocom) 1985-87 | |
| Moonmist <+ J.Lawrence> (Infocom) 1986 | |
| Milliways: The Restaurant at the End of the Universe | |
| <+ many others> (Infocom) #1987 | |
| Elizabeth Langosy | |
| ----------------- | |
| ZorkQuest: Assault on Egreth Castle (Infocom/TSP) 1988 | |
| ZorkQuest II: The Crystal of Doom (Infocom/TSP) 1988 | |
| Haitian Honeymoon ["adult" InfoComic] <+ Donald Langosy> (Infocom/TSP) #1989 | |
| P. David Lebling | |
| ---------------- | |
| Zork <+ M.S.Blank/T.A.Anderson/B.K.Daniels> (MIT) 1977-79 | |
| Zork I: The Great Underground Empire <+ M.S.Blank> (Infocom) 1980 | |
| Zork II: The Wizard of Frobozz <+ M.S.Blank> (Infocom) 1981 | |
| Zork III: The Dungeon Master <+ M.S.Blank> (Infocom) 1981 | |
| Starcross (Infocom) 1982 | |
| Enchanter <+ M.S.Blank> (Infocom) 1983 | |
| Suspect (Infocom) 1984 | |
| Spellbreaker (Infocom) 1985 | |
| Bureaucracy <+ many others> (Infocom) 1985-87 | |
| The Lurking Horror (Infocom) 1987 | |
| Milliways: The Restaurant at the End of the Universe | |
| <+ many others> (Infocom) #1987 | |
| James Clavell's Shogun (Infocom) 1988 | |
| Steven Eric Meretzky | |
| -------------------- | |
| Planetfall (Infocom) 1983 | |
| Sorcerer (Infocom) 1984 | |
| Mini-Zork I (Infocom) #1984 | |
| The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy <+ D.N.Adams> (Infocom) 1984 | |
| A Mind Forever Voyaging (Infocom) 1985 | |
| Leather Goddesses Of Phobos (Infocom) 1986 | |
| Stationfall (Infocom) 1987 | |
| LGOP 2: Gas Pump Girls <+ J.O'Neill> (Infocom) #1987 | |
| Mini-Zork I (Infocom) 1987 | |
| Lane Mastodon vs. The Blubbermen (Infocom/TSP) 1988 | |
| Zork Zero: The Revenge of Megaboz (Infocom) 1988 | |
| [Untitled Titanic game] (Infocom) #1989 | |
| Spellcasting 101: Sorcerers Get All The Girls (Legend) 1990 | |
| Spellcasting 201: The Sorcerer's Appliance (Legend) 1991 | |
| Leather Goddesses Of Phobos 2: Gas Pump Girls Meet the | |
| Pulsating Inconvenience from Planet X ("Infocom") 1992 | |
| Spellcasting 301: Spring Break (Legend) 1992 | |
| Superhero League of Hoboken (Legend) 1994 | |
| Hodj 'n' Podj (Boffo) 1995 | |
| Planetfall: The Search for Floyd <+ R.Manning/H.Beimler> ("Infocom") #1995 | |
| The Space Bar (Boffo/Segasoft) 1997 | |
| Meretzky also wrote: | |
| - four "Zork" interactive novels (see III.1) | |
| - a "Rex Nebular" short story for Microprose (1993) | |
| "Professor" Brian Moriarty | |
| -------------------------- | |
| Adventure in the Fifth Dimension (A.N.A.L.O.G. #11) 1983 | |
| Borrowing Money <+ T.Hudson> (Atari) #1983 | |
| Saving Money <+ T.Hudson> (Atari) #1983 | |
| Crash Dive! (A.N.A.L.O.G. #18) 1984 | |
| Tachyon [adaptation of Atari's Quantum] (A.N.A.L.O.G.) #1984 | |
| Trinity (Infocom) 1984-86 | |
| Wishbringer: The Magick Stone of Dreams (Infocom) 1985 | |
| Bureaucracy <+ many others> (Infocom) 1985-87 | |
| Beyond Zork: The Coconut of Quendor (Infocom) 1987 | |
| Timesink [SciFi RPG for the MacII] (Infocom) #1988 | |
| Loom (Lucasfilm) 1988-90 | |
| The Dig <+ S.Spielberg> (LucasArts) 1991-95 | |
| Young Indiana Jones at the World's Fair (LucasArts) #1993 | |
| Loadstar: The Legend of Tully Bodine <+ R.Cobb> (Rocket Science) 1994 | |
| Jeff O'Neill | |
| ------------ | |
| [Untitled Demo Game] (Infocom) #1985? | |
| Ballyhoo (Infocom) 1985 | |
| Bureaucracy <+ many others> (Infocom) 1985-87 | |
| Nord and Bert Couldn't Make Head or Tail of it (Infocom) 1987 | |
| Milliways: The Restaurant at the End of the Universe | |
| <+ many others> (Infocom) #1987 | |
| LGOP 2: Gas Pump Girls <+ S.E.Meretzky> (Infocom) #1987 | |
| Zork I (Solid Gold version) (Infocom) 1987 | |
| Zork I (German Version) (Infocom) #1988 | |
| Jerry Wolper | |
| ------------ | |
| Cutthroats <+ M.Berlyn> (Infocom) 1984 | |
| Bureaucracy <+ many others> (Infocom) 1985-87 | |
| VIII Re-Releases | |
| ================= | |
| While Infocom's original releases are slowly becoming collectors' items, most | |
| of their games have been re-released as budget editions or in compilations. | |
| These are listed here in chronological order. The game version information is | |
| given (where known) in the format | |
| "Version number.Assembly date (Interpreter version)". | |
| a) Infocom from Mastertronic | |
| ---------------------------- | |
| The "Infocom from Mastertronic" (aka "Budgets") were published in 1990 (#1-5) | |
| and 1991 (#6-10) by Virgin Mastertronic in Great Britain (with a license from | |
| Activision). They came in flat square-shaped cardboard boxes (black with blue | |
| stripes, 160x160x18 mm). All of them included a reprint of the original manual | |
| as a small (140x140) booklet; #2 and #4 also had maps. | |
| All games were priced at UKP9.99 and released for IBM, Amiga and Atari ST. | |
| # Game IBM Amiga Atari ST | |
| ---------------------------------------------------------------- | |
| 1 HHGG 31.871119 (5E) ??? 56.841221 | |
| 2 Zork I 52.871125 (5E) 88.840726 (3A) 52.871125 | |
| 3 Planetfall 10.880531 (5J) 37.851003 (3B) ??? | |
| 4 Wishbringer 23.880706 (5J) 69.850920 (3B) 68.850501 | |
| 5 LGOP 4.880405 (5I) 59.860730 (3B) ??? | |
| 6 Zork II 48.840904 (3L) -> (3B) -> | |
| 7 Zork III 17.840727 (3L) -> (3B) -> | |
| 8 Enchanter 10.830810 (3A) 16.831118 (3B) -> | |
| 9 Sorcerer 6.840508 (3L) 13.851021 (3B) ??? | |
| 10 Deadline 27.831005 (3L) -> (3B) -> | |
| In late summer 1992 Virgin Mastertronic published two CD-ROMs called "The Zork | |
| Trilogy" (containing #2,6,7) and "The Infocom Collection" (#1,3,4,5). A third | |
| CD-ROM with the Enchanter Trilogy was planned but may not have been released. | |
| b) The Lost Treasures of Infocom | |
| -------------------------------- | |
| This package ("LTOI I") was released by Activision (under the Infocom label) in | |
| December 1991 for the IBM (Macintosh version: January 1992; Amiga version: | |
| February 1992). CD-ROM versions (different CD-ROMs for PC and Mac) followed in | |
| 1993. An Apple IIgs version was created and distributed by the Big Red Computer | |
| Club. | |
| It contained 20 games, complete with manual, hintbook (more or less identical | |
| to the text in the InvisiClues) and maps. The IBM and Amiga versions had $59.95 | |
| as RRP, the Macintosh version $69.95. | |
| The package was produced on a shoestring budget: The hintbook was full of | |
| typos; the manual left out some vital information (the radio station ad for | |
| "Ballyhoo"; the "Moonmist" letters). Some early packages did not include the | |
| parchment for "Zork Zero" either. | |
| The IBM packages lack some not-so-vital files (the MCGA/VGA graphics for "Zork | |
| Zero", the boss key picture for the 3N interpreter). Early IBM versions had | |
| read errors on the disks. | |
| Game IBM Macintosh Amiga | |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------ | |
| Ballyhoo 97.851218 (3M2) -> (3G) -> | |
| Beyond Zork 57.871221 (5J) -> (5B) -> | |
| Deadline 27.831005 (3M2) -> (3G) -> | |
| Enchanter 29.860820 (3N) -> (3G) 16.831118 | |
| HHGG 31.871119 (5E) 59.851108 (3G) 58.851002 | |
| Infidel 22.830916 (3M2) -> (3G) -> | |
| Lurking Horror 203.870506 (3N) -> (3G) 219.870912 | |
| Moonmist 9.861022 (3N) -> (3G) -> | |
| Planetfall 37.851003 (3N) 10.880531 (5C) 37.851003 | |
| Sorcerer 15.851108 (3M2) -> (3G) 13.851021 | |
| Spellbreaker 87.860904 (3N) -> (3G) -> | |
| Starcross 17.821021 (3M2) -> (3G) -> | |
| (some IBM packages: 15.820901) | |
| Stationfall 107.870430 (3N) -> (3G) -> | |
| Suspect 14.841005 (3M2) -> (3G) -> | |
| Suspended 8.840521 (3M2) -> (3G) 8.830521 | |
| Witness 22.840924 (3M2) -> (3G) -> | |
| Zork Zero 393.890714 (6.71) 296.881019 (6.1) 366.890323 | |
| Zork I 88.840726 (3M2) -> (3G) -> | |
| Zork II 48.840904 (3M2) -> (3G) -> | |
| Zork III 17.840727 (3M2) -> (3G) -> | |
| c) The Lost Treasures of Infocom II | |
| ----------------------------------- | |
| Following the (unexpected?) success of LTOI I, Activision released a second | |
| compilation in July 1992 (IBM, Macintosh). An Amiga version was planned but not | |
| released. | |
| This one contained only 11 games; "Journey", "Shogun", "Arthur" and "Leather | |
| Goddesses of Phobos" were not included (but the package contained a special | |
| $9.95 priced offer for LGOP). The CD-ROM version (PC and Mac on the same CD) | |
| was released end-1993; it included the 3 graphic games but not LGOP. | |
| The package did not contain maps or hintbooks but a 1-800 number for hints was | |
| listed. The RRP was $49.95. | |
| Game IBM Macintosh | |
| ------------------------------------------------------- | |
| AMFV 77.850814 (4A) -> (4E) | |
| Border Zone 9.871008 (5J) -> (5B) | |
| Bureaucracy 116.870602 (4D) -> (4I) | |
| Cutthroats 23.840809 (3M2) -> (3G or 3I?) | |
| Hollywood Hijinx 37.861215 (3N) -> (3I) | |
| Nord and Bert... 19.870722 (4E) -> (4I) | |
| Plundered Hearts 26.870730 (3N) -> (3G) | |
| Seastalker 16.850603 (3L) 15.840522 (3G or 3I?) | |
| Sherlock 21.871214 (5J) 26.880127 (5C) | |
| Trinity 12.860926 (4E) -> (4H) | |
| Wishbringer 69.850920 (3M2) 68.850501 (3G or 3I?) | |
| Arthur (CD) 74.890714 (6.71) 54.890606 | |
| Journey (CD) 83.890706 (6.68) 26.890316 | |
| Shogun (CD) 322.890706 (6.68) 292.890314 | |
| d) Zork Anthology | |
| ----------------- | |
| Published by Activision in 1994 as a CD-only companion piece to the pseudo- | |
| Infocom "Return to Zork". | |
| Game IBM Macintosh | |
| ------------------------------------------------------- | |
| Zork I 88.840726 (3M2) ??? | |
| Zork II 48.840904 (3M2) ??? | |
| Zork III 17.840727 (3M2) ??? | |
| Beyond Zork 57.871221 (5J) ??? | |
| Zork Zero 393.890714 (6.71) ??? | |
| Planetfall 37.851003 (3N) ??? | |
| e) Infocom Classics | |
| ------------------- | |
| A set of 5 PC-and-Mac CD-ROMs published by Activision in June 1995. Each CD-ROM | |
| comes with manual and maps; a 1-900 line for hints is listed and separate | |
| hintbooks can be ordered for $10 (per collection). LGOP and three V6 games | |
| (Arthur, Shogun and Journey) are not included. The collections go for $20-25. | |
| Mystery Collection: Deadline, The Witness, Suspect, Moonmist, The | |
| Lurking Horror, Sherlock (plus Zork Zero and | |
| Planetfall) | |
| Comedy Collection: Ballyhoo (!), Bureaucracy, Hollywood Hijinx, Nord & | |
| Bert (plus Zork I and Planetfall) | |
| Fantasy Collection: Enchanter, Sorcerer, Spellbreaker, Wishbringer, | |
| Seastalker (!) (plus Zork II and Planetfall) | |
| Adventure Collection: Border Zone, Cutthroats, Infidel, Plundered Hearts, | |
| Trinity (!) (plus Zork III and Planetfall) | |
| Science Fiction Collection: AMFV, HHGG, Starcross, Stationfall, Suspended (plus | |
| Beyond Zork and Planetfall) | |
| [All versions and interpreters are as on LTOI 1 and 2.] | |
| f) Masterpieces of Infocom | |
| -------------------------- | |
| Activision's last Infocom collection so far, bla bla. | |
| no HHGG and Shogun (rights reverted back) | |
| Game IBM Macintosh | |
| ------------------------------------------------------- | |
| AMFV 77.850814 (4A) -> (4E) | |
| Arthur 74.890714 (6.71) 54.890606 (??) | |
| Ballyhoo 97.851218 (3M2) -> (3G) | |
| Beyond Zork 57.871221 (5J) -> (5B) | |
| Border Zone 9.871008 (5J) -> (5B) | |
| Bureaucracy 116.870602 (4D) -> (4I) | |
| Cutthroats 23.840809 (3M2) -> (3G) | |
| Deadline 27.831005 (3M2) -> (3G) | |
| Enchanter 29.860820 (3N) -> (3G) | |
| Hollywood Hijinx 37.861215 (3N) -> (3I) | |
| Infidel 22.830916 (3M2) -> (3G) | |
| Journey 83.890706 (6.68) 26.890316 (??) | |
| Lurking Horror 203.870506 (3N) -> (3G) | |
| Moonmist 9.861022 (3N) -> (3G) | |
| Nord and Bert... 19.870722 (4E) -> (4I) | |
| Planetfall 37.851003 (3N) 10.880531 (5C) | |
| Plundered Hearts 26.870730 (3N) -> (3G) | |
| Seastalker 16.850603 (3L) 15.840522 (3G) | |
| Sherlock 21.871214 (5J) 26.880127 (5C) | |
| Sorcerer 15.851108 (3M2) -> (3G) | |
| Spellbreaker 87.860904 (3N) -> (3G) | |
| Starcross 17.821021 (3M2) -> (3G) | |
| Stationfall 107.870430 (3N) -> (3G) | |
| Suspect 14.841005 (3M2) -> (3G) | |
| Suspended 8.840521 (3M2) -> (3G) | |
| Trinity 12.860926 (4E) -> (4H) | |
| Wishbringer 69.850920 (3M2) 68.850501 (3G) | |
| Witness 22.840924 (3M2) -> (3G) | |
| Zork I 88.840726 (3M2) -> (3G) | |
| Zork II 48.840904 (3M2) -> (3G) | |
| Zork III 17.840727 (3M2) -> (3G) | |
| Zork Zero 393.890714 (6.71) 296.881019 (6.1) | |
| IX Trivia | |
| ========== | |
| IX.1 Game titles prior to eventual release | |
| ------------------------------------------ | |
| Some game titles we know have been chosen by the marketing department rather | |
| than the authors. The in-house alpha/beta versions were called differently. | |
| A Gift From Space -> Starcross | |
| Aunt Hildegarde's Secret -> Hollywood Hijinx | |
| Checkpoint -> Spy -> Border Zone | |
| Invitation to Murder -> Witness -> The Witness | |
| PRISM -> AMFV | |
| Pyramid -> Infidel | |
| Ribbons and Rapiers -> Plundered Hearts | |
| Sole Survivor -> Survivor -> Planetfall | |
| Spellcrafter -> Mage -> Spellbreaker | |
| Suspension -> Suspended | |
| Was It Murder? -> Deadline | |
| Wordplay -> Nord and Bert Couldn't Make Head or Tail of it | |
| Zork IV -> Enchanter | |
| IX.2 The Gribnitz Apartments | |
| ---------------------------- | |
| These are the 27 names that can appear as inhabitants of the Gribnitz | |
| Apartments in Marc Blank's "Border Zone". Each time the game is started, 18 or | |
| 19 names are randomly inserted into the directory in the Apartment Lobby. | |
| Bextra (maybe Duane Beck) | |
| Blenka (Marc Blank) | |
| Blivik ? | |
| Brgmiz (Ernie Brogmus) | |
| Brlensk (Mike Berlyn) | |
| Brzni (Joel Berez) | |
| Carlyni (Linda Carlow) | |
| Cnezeni (Cezanne Blank) | |
| Cyrink (Liz Cyr-Jones) | |
| Dimwitz (Lord Dimwit Flathead the Excessive) | |
| Dornik (Michael Dornbrook) | |
| Endrizen (Tim Anderson, or "Hollywood" Dave Anderson) | |
| Flipni ? | |
| Galnitz (Stu Galley) | |
| Gentezek (Carl Genatossio) | |
| Kooplitz ? | |
| Lebniz (Dave Lebling) | |
| Lengnoz (Elizabeth Langosy, or Donald Langosy) | |
| Mrtzki (Steve Meretzky) | |
| Onilik (Jeff O'Neill) | |
| Profnim ("Professor" Brian Moriarty) | |
| Rivni (Christopher Reeve) | |
| Robnerim (the family name from "Deadline") | |
| Sinkriz (maybe Anita Sinclair) | |
| Urg ? | |
| Veznich (Al Vezza) | |
| Winip ? | |
| X Chronology | |
| ============= | |
| 69-70: Programming language Muddle (later called MDL) developed by several | |
| people affiliated with the MIT's Dynamic Modelling (DM) Group (Dave | |
| Cressey, Chris Reeve, Bruce K. Daniels) and AI Laboratory (Gerald | |
| Sussman, Carl Hewitt). The MDL development system runs on a DEC PDP-10 | |
| under ITS. | |
| Dec 76: First preliminary meeting of future Infocom founders. | |
| Jun 77: "Zork" created by Marc Blank, Bruce K. Daniels, Tim Anderson, and Dave | |
| Lebling. Written in MDL. | |
| Feb 79: Last puzzles added to the mainframe "Zork". | |
| Apr 79: First article about "Zork" published. | |
| 6/22/79: Infocom founded by 10 DM Group members (Tim Anderson, Joel Berez, Marc | |
| Blank, Mike Broos, Scott Cutler, Stu Galley, Dave Lebling, J. C. R. | |
| Licklider, Chris Reeve, Al Vezza). | |
| The first Board of Directors consists of Berez, Broos, Galley, | |
| Lebling, and Vezza. | |
| Aug 79: Mike Broos resigns; Marc Blank replaces him as Director. | |
| Nov 79: Joel Berez elected Infocom's President. | |
| Mar 80: Infocom gets own P.O. box. | |
| Jun 80: Agreement with Personal Software Inc. to publish "Zork I". | |
| Nov 80: "Zork I". | |
| First sold copy: PDP-11 version. | |
| Dec 80: ZIP for TRS-80 Model I (written by Scott Cutler). | |
| About 1500 copies of Model I "Zork I" sold by PS until 9/81. | |
| Feb 81: ZIP for Apple II (written by Bruce K. Daniels). | |
| Over 6000 copies of Apple II "Zork I" sold until 9/81. | |
| Mar 81: Chris Reeve becomes Director. | |
| May 81: TRS-80 Model II version (never sold). | |
| Jun 81: First 2 employees (Joel Berez and Marc Blank). | |
| Zork II agreement with Personal Software. | |
| Aug 81: ZIP V2 introduced. | |
| Sep 81: Infocom moved to 6 Faneuil Hall Marketplace, Boston. | |
| Mort Rosenthal becomes Manager of Marketing. | |
| Oct 81: End of the sales agreement with PS. (Infocom buys all Apple II | |
| versions of "Zork I" back from PS.) | |
| Mike Dornbrook founds "Zork Users Group" (PO Box 20923, Milwaukee, WI | |
| 53220-0923) to handle requests for hints and merchandise. In 1983, the | |
| ZUG has 20000 members. | |
| Nov 81: "Zork II". | |
| Repackaging of "Zork I". | |
| 1/1/82: Infocom moves to 55 Wheeler Street, Cambridge, MA 02138. | |
| Marc Blank becomes vice-president (VP) for product development. | |
| Apr 82: "Deadline". | |
| ZIP V3 introduced. | |
| New ZIPs for Atari 400/800 and CP/M. | |
| ZUG issues first InvisiClues booklet (Zork I). | |
| May 82: Marc Blank meets Mike Berlyn at an Applefest trade show. | |
| Jun 82: ZIP for IBM-PC. | |
| Employees: 4. | |
| Aug 82: ZIPs for TRS-80 Model III and NEC APC. | |
| Sep 82: "Zork III". | |
| "Starcross". | |
| Oct 82: Business Products division founded. "Cornerstone" development begins. | |
| Dec 82: DECsystem-20 development mainframe, previously leased from Joel Berez, | |
| bought outright. | |
| end-82: Sales: $1.65 million (net income: $335.000). | |
| Mar 83: "Suspended". | |
| ZIP for DEC Rainbow. | |
| Apr 83: ZIPs for Commodore 64 and TI Professional. | |
| Jun 83: "The Witness". | |
| Employees: 20. | |
| Jul 83: Shutdown of Mike Dornbrook's ZUG. | |
| Aug 83: "Planetfall". | |
| Mike Dornbrook joins Infocom as Product Manager for Entertainment | |
| Products. | |
| Sep 83: "Enchanter". | |
| Nov 83: "Infidel". | |
| ZIP for DECmate. | |
| Dec 83: ZIP for Tandy-2000. | |
| Ray Stata elected Director. | |
| end-83: Sales: $6 million (net income: $526.000). | |
| Jan 84: Al Vezza becomes Chief Executive Officer (CEO). | |
| Feb 84: ZIPs for Kaypro II and Osborne. | |
| Mar 84: "Sorcerer". | |
| ZIPs for MS-DOS and TI 99/4 A. | |
| John Brackett new General Manager (GM) of Business Products division. | |
| May 84: Second DECsystem-20 bought. | |
| Jun 84: "Seastalker". | |
| ZIP for Apple Macintosh (first ZIP with proportional font support). | |
| John O'Leary new GM of Consumer Products division. | |
| Employees: 50. | |
| Sep 84: "Cutthroats". | |
| Oct 84: "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy". | |
| 11/1/84 Cornerstone announced at NYC press conference. | |
| Nov 84: "Suspect". | |
| Dec 84: Management restructured. | |
| end-84: Sales: $10 million. | |
| Jan 85: "Cornerstone". | |
| CES in Las Vegas: For promotion of "Suspect", Infocom rents a mansion | |
| and invites ~5000 people to become murder suspects. | |
| Mar 85: ZIP for Epson QX-10. | |
| Apr 85: Move to 125 Cambridge Park Drive, Cambridge, MA 02140. | |
| New Mail Order Department (PO Box 478, Cresskill, NJ 07626). | |
| ZIP for Apricot. | |
| Jun 85: "Wishbringer". | |
| Employees: 100. | |
| Aug 85: ZIP for Atari ST. | |
| Sep 85: "A Mind Forever Voyaging". | |
| First layoffs due to "Cornerstone"s commercial failure (despite hiring | |
| a separate sales and marketing team). | |
| Oct 85: "Spellbreaker". | |
| Dec 85: Business Products division laid off. | |
| ZIP for Amiga. | |
| end-85: Sales: $11.5 million. | |
| Jan 86: Marc Blank and CEO Al Vezza leave. | |
| Joel Berez new CEO. (He remains president.) | |
| Feb 86: "Ballyhoo". | |
| Price cut for "Cornerstone" (from $495 to $99.95). | |
| 2/19/86: Directors of Infocom and Activision approve of merger. | |
| Mar 86: "Fooblitzky". | |
| Jun 86: "Trinity". | |
| EZIP for Commodore 128. | |
| 6/13/86: Merger. Activision Inc. (Mountain View, CA) buys Infocom for stock | |
| swap worth $7.5...9.0 million. | |
| GM John O'Leary leaves. | |
| Employees: 40. | |
| Sep 86: "Leather Goddesses of Phobos". | |
| Oct 86: "Moonmist". | |
| Nov 86: "Enchanter Trilogy". | |
| 87-89: Losses of ~$200.000 per fiscal quarter. | |
| Jan 87: "Zork Trilogy". | |
| Feb 87: "Hollywood Hijinx". | |
| Mar 87: "Bureaucracy". | |
| Jun 87: "Stationfall". | |
| "The Lurking Horror". | |
| Sep 87: "Nord and Bert Couldn't Make Head or Tail of It". | |
| "Plundered Hearts". | |
| Oct 87: "Beyond Zork". | |
| Sound version of "The Lurking Horror" (Amiga). | |
| "Classic Mystery Library". | |
| "Science Fiction Classics". | |
| XZIP for Apple IIgs. | |
| Nov 87: "Border Zone". | |
| Dec 87: Solid Gold "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" and Solid Gold "Zork I" | |
| (Apple II, Macintosh, C64, IBM). | |
| Jan 88: "Sherlock" (Apple II, C64, IBM). | |
| Mike Dornbrook new VP. | |
| Mar 88: "Gamma Force". | |
| "Lane Mastodon". | |
| Sound version of "Sherlock" (Macintosh, Amiga). | |
| Chris Reeve leaves. | |
| Apr 88: "ZorkQuest I". | |
| Jun 88: Employees: 30. | |
| Jul 88: Solid Gold "Leather Goddesses of Phobos" and Solid Gold "Planetfall". | |
| Joel Berez resigns. | |
| Joe Ybarra (formerly at Electronic Arts) becomes new president. | |
| Aug 88: "ZorkQuest II". | |
| Sep 88: Solid Gold "Wishbringer". | |
| "Quarterstaff" (Macintosh). | |
| Oct 88: "Zork Zero" | |
| YZIP for Macintosh (written by Duncan Blanchard; YZIP specification by | |
| Tim Anderson & Dave Lebling). | |
| Nov 88: "BattleTech" (IBM). | |
| Mar 89: "Shogun" | |
| "Journey" | |
| YZIP for Amiga (written by Clarence Din). | |
| "BattleTech" (C64). | |
| May 89: YZIP for Apple II with 128k RAM (written by Jon D. Arnold), maybe | |
| another one for the Apple IIgs. | |
| 5/5/89: Of Infocom's 26 employees, 15 are laid off. The 11 others are offered | |
| the chance to move to Silicon Valley. Only 5 accept, including | |
| President Joe Ybarra and GM Rob Sears. Duncan Blanchard is the only | |
| long time Infocommie among the five. | |
| Jun 89: Activision (now Mediagenic) moves Infocom from Cambridge, MA to Menlo | |
| Park, CA. | |
| "BattleTech" (Amiga, maybe Apple II) | |
| Jul 89: "Arthur". | |
| YZIP for IBM (written by Scott Fray). | |
| XI Interpreters & Utilities | |
| ============================ | |
| XI.1 Infocom's own interpreters | |
| ------------------------------- | |
| Some Z-code interpreter versions and their length: | |
| Platform Version Length | |
| ------------------------- | |
| Amiga 3 A 25180 | |
| 3 B 25128/25584 | |
| 3 C 42224 (supports sound) | |
| 4 A 26088 | |
| 4 B 26160 | |
| 4 C 42860 (supports sound) | |
| 5 A 37148 | |
| 5 B 46472 (supports sound) | |
| 6.8 45844/45862 | |
| 6.14 48368 | |
| Atari ST 3 A 21093 | |
| 3 ? 15721 | |
| 4 B 21706 | |
| 5 ? 40295 (loads title screen "SCREEN.DAT") | |
| IBM 3 A ??? (boot disk, no file) | |
| 3 B ??? (boot disk, no file) | |
| 3 C ??? (boot disk, no file) | |
| 3 D ??? (boot disk, no file) | |
| 3 L 11394 [V3/4 are .COM files from 3L onwards] | |
| 3 M2 11402 | |
| 3 N 12004 (loads boss key "<GAMENAME>.SCR") | |
| 4 A 12640 | |
| 4 B 12604 | |
| 4 C 12642 | |
| 4 D 12688 | |
| 4 E 12682 | |
| 5 A [V5/6 are .EXE files] | |
| 5 B | |
| 5 C 31910 (MS-C 4.00) | |
| 5 D | |
| 5 E 31924 (MS-C 4.00) | |
| 5 F 32689 (MS-C 4.00) | |
| 5 G 32713 (MS-C 4.00) | |
| 5 H | |
| 5 I 34390 (MS-C 5.00) | |
| 5 J 33946 (MS-C 5.00) | |
| 6.68 47442/47402 (Turbo-C 2.0) | |
| 6.71 47494/47528 (Turbo-C 2.0) | |
| Mac 3 B | |
| 3 C | |
| 3 G | |
| 3 I | |
| 4 E | |
| 4 H | |
| 4 I | |
| 5 A | |
| 5 B | |
| 5 C (supports sound) | |
| 6.1 | |
| XI.2 Non-Infocom Interpreters | |
| ----------------------------- | |
| These Z-code interpreters are freely available, as Freeware or Public Domain. | |
| Sources and executables for most of them reside in the IF archive | |
| (http://www.ifarchive.org/if-archive/infocom/interpreters/). | |
| Since the 2000s have seen a large number of Z-code interpreter ports to various | |
| platforms and programming languages which, sadly, then never underwent much | |
| testing or bugfixing, only the most important interpreters from that period | |
| will be listed here. | |
| a) InfoTaskForce/ITF (1987-1992) | |
| Written by the InfoTaskForce, i.e. David Beazley, George Janczuk, Peter Lisle, | |
| Russell Hoare and Chris Tham. Development started in early 1987 when the | |
| authors were undergrads at Sydney University (Australia). No public release was | |
| planned but an early version turned up on a Sydney University FTP server | |
| (physics.su.oz.au) in March 1991. This version (1.0/2.0, written June 1987) | |
| supported Z-code V3 only. | |
| In September 1992 the interpreter was officially released, now supporting | |
| Z-code V1-5 (lacking some V5 features). This version (4.01) has been widely | |
| ported since. The interpreter is no longer supported by the authors. | |
| b) zmachine (1988-1990) | |
| The first publically available portable Z-code interpreter. Written by Matthias | |
| Pfaller. Started in 1988, finished October 1989 and posted to comp.os.minix on | |
| 12 March 1990. Supports Z-code V3; version 2.24 was the only release. No longer | |
| maintained. | |
| c) pinfocom (1992) | |
| Based on the inofficial release of ITF 1.0/2.0. The code was taken over in | |
| January 1992 by Paul D. Smith. Many bug fixes and enhancements were made but | |
| V4/5 support was still lacking. The announcement of pinfocom then prompted the | |
| ITF to release their code officially. Final version (3.0) released in October | |
| 1992. No longer maintained. | |
| d) ZIPdebug (1991-1993) | |
| This interpreter/debugger by Frank Lancaster started life on the Apple II | |
| (written in UCSD Pascal). It was ported to the Acorn Archimedes in 1991. A V3 | |
| interpreter (in TLA assembler) was written the same year. In 1992, full V4 and | |
| partial V5 support were implemented in the debugger, and it was p2c-ported to | |
| C. The latest version (0.6o, 21 Oct 1993) has full V5 and partial V6 support. | |
| e) ZIP (1991-1994) | |
| For a long time the reference interpreter. Developed by Mark A. Howell starting | |
| in late 1991. The first public release (1.0, Oct 1992) supported V3 and V4, the | |
| second (2.0, Mar 1993) also V5. No longer maintained, though some ports (XZIP, | |
| Zip2000, JZIP, ZipInfinity, MaxZIP) still are. | |
| f) Zterp (1992) | |
| Written by Charles M. Hannum, this interpreter (V3-5) has never really caught | |
| on. It was the first to abandon Infocom's virtual memory management system. The | |
| only version (0.3alpha) was posted to alt.sources on 22 Feb 1993. | |
| g) Frotz (1995-2002) | |
| Replaced ZIP as reference interpreter and was the first interpreter to fully | |
| implement Graham Nelson's Z-machine specification. Supports V1-8; the author is | |
| Stefan Jokisch. First released in Dec 1995. After 1997 maintained by Jim | |
| Dunleavy and David Griffith. Final release was version 2.43. | |
| h) ZPlet (1996-1999) | |
| Z-machine interpreter implemented as a Java applet; supports V3-5 and V8. | |
| Written by Matthew T. Russotto. Latest version is 1.0 (Jan 1999). | |
| i) rezrov (1998/99) | |
| A Z-machine interpreter written in perl which supports V3-5 and V8 and has lots | |
| of nifty cheat commands. Developed by Michael Edmonson. | |
| j) malyon (1999-2000) | |
| Interpreter implemented in elisp for the emacs editor. Written by Peter Ilberg. | |
| Supports V3, V5 and V8. | |
| k) Nitfol (1999) | |
| Could have become the new reference interpreter but never left beta stage. | |
| Supports V1-8, implements stricter error checking, auto-mapping and other | |
| interesting features. Written by Evin Robertson. Last version was 0.5. | |
| XI.3 Compilers & Assemblers | |
| ---------------------------- | |
| a) ZILCH/ZAP (1979-1989) | |
| Infocom's in-house compiler/assembler. Ran on their DECsystem-20 mainframes | |
| under TOPS-20. Now believed to be lost. | |
| b) Inform (1993-today) | |
| A compiler for Z-code compatible datafiles (first released in April 1993), | |
| written by Graham Nelson. Being freeware it has become one of the most widely | |
| used (and discussed) text adventure design tools. Inform gets periodically | |
| updated (the current version, Inform 7, includes a graphical IDE and was | |
| released in 2006) and comes with extensive documentation. | |
| c) zasm (1998) | |
| Z-machine assembler, implemented in perl. Written by Matt Kimball. No longer | |
| maintained. | |
| XI.4 Decompilers & Disassemblers | |
| --------------------------------- | |
| a) vocab/zorkword (1991/92) | |
| The first portable vocabulary dumper for Infocom games, written by Mike | |
| Threepoint and posted to rec.games.misc in early 1991 (rec.arts.int-fiction and | |
| rec.games.int-fiction did not exist before late summer 1991 and 1992, | |
| respectively). Its comments were the best source of information on Z-code's | |
| internal data structures until Graham Nelson's Z-machine specification came | |
| along in 1993. Made obsolete by Mark Howell's infodump. Final version was | |
| 10/970824. | |
| b) Ztools (1991-1998) | |
| Infocom toolkit by Mark Howell. The most useful tools are 'txd' (a Z-code | |
| disassembler) and 'infodump' (a datafile dumper). The Ztools were first | |
| released in September 1992, but 'txd' dates back to April 1991 (V3 only, V4 | |
| support implemented January 1992, V5 in July 1992). Since May 1994 'txd' | |
| supports all Z-code versions used by Infocom (V1-6). Last maintainer was | |
| Matthew T. Russotto, last version was 7.31. | |
| c) Reform (2004) | |
| Following several other stabs at writing a useable Z-code decompiler | |
| ('Disinformation/Uninform' by Jeremy A. Smith, 2001; 'Pram' by Paul Janssens, | |
| 2002/03; 'ztool' by Allen Garvin, 2004), Ben Rudiak-Gould wrote this decompiler | |
| in 2004. It is currently the best. | |
| ------- *** ------- | |
| Infocom Fact Sheet - Release History | |
| ------------------------------------ | |
| v4.95 Jun 22, 2007 | |
| v4.90 Jun 22, 2001 (circulated internally) | |
| v4.8 Sep 1, 1995 | |
| v4.7 Jul 1, 1995 | |
| v4.6 Aug 11, 1994 | |
| v4.5 Sep 17, 1993 | |
| v4.4 May 17, 1993 | |
| v4.3 Apr 19, 1993 | |
| v4.2 Jan 3, 1993 | |
| v4.1 Nov 30, 1992 | |
| v4.0 Nov 25, 1992 | |
| v3.2 Oct 23, 1992 | |
| v3.1 Oct 12, 1992 | |
| v3.0 Sep 28, 1992 | |
| v2.7 Sep 20, 1992 | |
| v2.6 Jul 27, 1992 | |
| v2.5 Jul 17, 1992 | |
| v2.4 Apr 17, 1992 | |
| v2.3 Mar 11, 1992 | |
| v2.2 Mar 2, 1992 | |
| v2.1 Feb 25, 1992 | |
| v2.0 Feb 23, 1992 | |
| V1.0 November, 1991 | |
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