Question about the zork games

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.int-fiction,comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.adventure (More info?)

I know that zorks II and III come after Zork 1, but what order do the
other zork games come in?

Where does it start and where does it end?

Can someone provide a list of all the zork games? Beginning with the
start of the series to the very end of the series?

Thanks.

 

[Guest]

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In rec.games.int-fiction, The Big Creep <mystery_hunter@volcanomail.com> wrote:
> I know that zorks II and III come after Zork 1, but what order do the
> other zork games come in?
>
> Where does it start and where does it end?
>
> Can someone provide a list of all the zork games? Beginning with the
> start of the series to the very end of the series?

Are you asking in order of publication or internal chronology?

After Zork 1/2/3, Infocom published the trilogy Enchanter, Sorcerer,
and Spellbreaker. These take place in the same world, but have a
different protagonist. Then they released Beyond Zork (which occurs
later) and Zork Zero (which occurs much earlier than Zork 1).
Wishbringer is also set in the same world, although the story is not
connected to any of the others.

(Starcross, Planetfall, and Stationfall are even more tenuously
connected to the Zork universe.)

After that, Infocom didn't exist. Activision published the three recent
graphical games: Return to Zork, Zork Nemesis, and Zork Grand
Inquisitor. (Only RTZ had the Infocom label.) I can't tell you offhand
where these fall in the chronology, but there's a timeline... let me
see... <http://quendor.robinlionheart.com/chronology>

Finally, there's Zork Undiscovered Underground, a short game designed
by two of the original Infocom people and released by Activision (as a
promo for ZGI). It takes place, um, just before ZGI, it looks like.

(Of course several of these games include time travel, and visits to
time periods outside their own scope. Which makes the timeline all the
more fun to read.)

There have been a handful of fan-written games in the Zork universe,
set in various eras, but I won't go into those.

--Z

"And Aholibamah bare Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah: these were the borogoves..."
*
* Make your vote count. Get your vote counted.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.int-fiction,comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.adventure (More info?)

Andrew Plotkin wrote:

> Are you asking in order of publication or internal chronology?

Both.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.int-fiction,comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.adventure (More info?)

mystery_hunter@volcanomail.com (The Big Creep) wrote in
news:d16ebafc.0405120236.378ffe4f@posting.google.com:

> Andrew Plotkin wrote:
>
>> Are you asking in order of publication or internal chronology?
>
> Both.
>

Umm he answered that way. His list is in publication order but he notes
where the chronology is different.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.int-fiction,comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.adventure (More info?)

X-No-Archive: yes

The Big Creep schrieb:
>
> Both.

Look at

http://www.infocom-if.org/games/games.html

That's sorted by publishing date and contains story outlines, so it
might be more helpful than Andrew's explanation.

Marco
--
Delete the ".george" from my address to mail me.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.int-fiction,comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.adventure (More info?)

In article <d16ebafc.0405111525.74834f23@posting.google.com>,
The Big Creep <mystery_hunter@volcanomail.com> wrote:
I know that zorks II and III come after Zork 1, but what order
do the other zork games come in?

Where does it start and where does it end?

Can someone provide a list of all the zork games? Beginning
with the start of the series to the very end of the series?

Thanks.


Lionheart's Chronology of Quendor is the definitive resource:
http://quendor.robinlionheart.com/

Allen Garvin

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.int-fiction,comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.adventure (More info?)

Others have given this info, but I'll summarize into a simple list.

Publication Order:

1. Zork I
2. Zork II
3. Zork III
4. Enchanter
5. Sorceror
6. Spellbreaker
7. Wishbringer
8. Beyond Zork
9. Zork Zero
10. Return to Zork
11. Zork Nemesis
12. Zork: The Undiscovered Underground
13. Zork Grand Inquisitor

9 is the last Infocom game.


Chronological:

Zork Zero
Zork Trilogy-Enchanter (roughly simultaneous)
Sorceror
Spellbreaker
Beyond Zork
Zork: The Undiscovered Underground
Zork: Grand Inquisitor

Wishbringer, Return to Zork, and Zork Nemesis are harder to place
definitively in the chronology. The web sites others have provided can
show you what others have speculated. I don't consider RTZ canon,
personally.

Dave Doty


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[Guest]

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David Doty <davedoty@hotmail.com> wrote in news:Xns94E8D010530A5dsdoty@
38.119.71.33:

> Others have given this info, but I'll summarize into a simple list.

I forgot to add that I find the series most satisfying when played in
publication order, rather than chronological.

Dave Doty


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[Guest]

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David Doty <davedoty@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:<Xns94E8D3B69206Fdsdoty@38.119.71.33>...
> David Doty <davedoty@hotmail.com> wrote in news:Xns94E8D010530A5dsdoty@
> 38.119.71.33:
>
> > Others have given this info, but I'll summarize into a simple list.
>
> I forgot to add that I find the series most satisfying when played in
> publication order, rather than chronological.
>

Why?

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.int-fiction,comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.adventure (More info?)

In article <d16ebafc.0405140150.3e376487@posting.google.com> mystery_hunter@volcanomail.com (The Big Creep) writes:
>David Doty <davedoty@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:<Xns94E8D3B69206Fdsdoty@38.119.71.33>...
>> David Doty <davedoty@hotmail.com> wrote in news:Xns94E8D010530A5dsdoty@
>> 38.119.71.33:

>> > Others have given this info, but I'll summarize into a simple list.

>> I forgot to add that I find the series most satisfying when played in
>> publication order, rather than chronological.

>Why?

That wasn't me, but my offhand guess is because that's how the games were
designed. They were meant to be played in release order, not time line
chronological order.

--
. . . . -- James Marshall (ORI) * ,
,. -- )-- , , . -- )-- , marshall@astro.umd.edu
' ' http://www.astro.umd.edu/~marshall '''
"Astronomy is a dyslexic's nightmare." , *

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.int-fiction,comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.adventure (More info?)

In rec.games.int-fiction, The Big Creep <mystery_hunter@volcanomail.com> wrote:
> David Doty <davedoty@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:<Xns94E8D3B69206Fdsdoty@38.119.71.33>...
> > David Doty <davedoty@hotmail.com> wrote in news:Xns94E8D010530A5dsdoty@
> > 38.119.71.33:
> >
> > > Others have given this info, but I'll summarize into a simple list.
> >
> > I forgot to add that I find the series most satisfying when played in
> > publication order, rather than chronological.
>
> Why?

When an author (or group of authors) creates a game (or book, movie,
whatever) they are thinking back to the works they've already written.
If the work is a sequel, they can reflect earlier events from
previous works; if the work is a prequel, they can foreshadow future
events from previous works.

But it's harder to reflect or foreshadow events that haven't been
written yet. Of course you *can*, because you're planning the overall
arc of the series. But the details haven't been written yet; so the
fit is broad and general. It never has that pinpoint everything-comes-
together accuracy.

It is also true that the author *expects* you to have played (read,
seen) the previously-published works. If you haven't, you'll miss
those references. (Until you get to the other work. But then you're
getting the reference ass-backwards. It probably won't work as well,
dramatically.)

In nearly every case, I find, the series works best if you take it in
the order it was created.

--Z

"And Aholibamah bare Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah: these were the borogoves..."
*
* Make your vote count. Get your vote counted.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.int-fiction,comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.adventure (More info?)

mystery_hunter@volcanomail.com (The Big Creep) wrote in
news:d16ebafc.0405140150.3e376487@posting.google.com:

> Why?

Others have already said what I would have said, and Andrew Plotkin in
particular said it better, so I'll just echo that these posts were exactly
what I had in mind.

*Regardless* of what reading order C.S. Lewis tried to impose on us for the
Narnia books.

Dave Doty


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[Guest]

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Andrew Plotkin <erkyrath@eblong.com> wrote in message news:<c7rslh$3cj$1@reader2.panix.com>...
>
> (Starcross, Planetfall, and Stationfall are even more tenuously
> connected to the Zork universe.)

Can you elaborate? I've played all and had no idea that those three
were even in any way linked to the Zork universe...in what way were
they linked? (Not doubting you, just aghast at my own ignorance

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.int-fiction,comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.adventure (More info?)

sockpanda@yahoo.com (Nord_and_Bert) wrote in
news:a9ffe7a9.0405162035.653cf26d@posting.google.com:

> Can you elaborate? I've played all and had no idea that those three
> were even in any way linked to the Zork universe...in what way were
> they linked? (Not doubting you, just aghast at my own ignorance

I'm sure he means the references to grues (also, in Starcross, rat-ants.)

Dave Doty


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[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.int-fiction,comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.adventure (More info?)

In rec.games.int-fiction, Nord_and_Bert <sockpanda@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Andrew Plotkin <erkyrath@eblong.com> wrote in message news:<c7rslh$3cj$1@reader2.panix.com>...
> >
> > (Starcross, Planetfall, and Stationfall are even more tenuously
> > connected to the Zork universe.)
>
> Can you elaborate? I've played all and had no idea that those three
> were even in any way linked to the Zork universe...in what way were
> they linked? (Not doubting you, just aghast at my own ignorance

There were grues in the "zoo" area in Starcross.

There is no direct link in Planetfall (that I recall) -- but Floyd
knows the story of Starcross, indicating that it's a historic event.

--Z

"And Aholibamah bare Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah: these were the borogoves..."
*
* Make your vote count. Get your vote counted.

 

[Nathan]

Archived from groups: rec.games.int-fiction,comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.adventure (More info?)

Andrew Plotkin <erkyrath@eblong.com> wrote in message news:<c8amnq$p9m$1@reader2.panix.com>...
> In rec.games.int-fiction, Nord_and_Bert <sockpanda@yahoo.com> wrote:
> > Andrew Plotkin <erkyrath@eblong.com> wrote in message news:<c7rslh$3cj$1@reader2.panix.com>...
> > >
> > > (Starcross, Planetfall, and Stationfall are even more tenuously
> > > connected to the Zork universe.)
> >
> > Can you elaborate? I've played all and had no idea that those three
> > were even in any way linked to the Zork universe...in what way were
> > they linked? (Not doubting you, just aghast at my own ignorance
>
> There were grues in the "zoo" area in Starcross.
>
> There is no direct link in Planetfall (that I recall) -- but Floyd
> knows the story of Starcross, indicating that it's a historic event.

The descriptions of the mutants are suggestive of a link, as well.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.int-fiction,comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.adventure (More info?)

Andrew Plotkin <erkyrath@eblong.com> wrote:

> In rec.games.int-fiction, Nord_and_Bert <sockpanda@yahoo.com> wrote:
> > Andrew Plotkin <erkyrath@eblong.com> wrote in message news:<c7rslh$3cj$1@reader2.panix.com>...
> > >
> > > (Starcross, Planetfall, and Stationfall are even more tenuously
> > > connected to the Zork universe.)
> >
> > Can you elaborate? I've played all and had no idea that those three
> > were even in any way linked to the Zork universe...in what way were
> > they linked? (Not doubting you, just aghast at my own ignorance
>
> There were grues in the "zoo" area in Starcross.
>
> There is no direct link in Planetfall (that I recall) -- but Floyd
> knows the story of Starcross, indicating that it's a historic event.

In the material that comes with the Zork Anthology bonus version of
Planetfall, there are references to a space port called Accardi-3,
Double Fanucci, and Bozbar - albeit as a month name. I don't know how
much of this was in the original package.

Richard

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.int-fiction,comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.adventure (More info?)

On Mon, 17 May 2004 15:46:03 +0000 (UTC), Andrew Plotkin <erkyrath@eblong.com> wrote:
> In rec.games.int-fiction, Nord_and_Bert <sockpanda@yahoo.com> wrote:
>> Andrew Plotkin <erkyrath@eblong.com> wrote in message news:<c7rslh$3cj$1@reader2.panix.com>...
>> >
>> > (Starcross, Planetfall, and Stationfall are even more tenuously
>> > connected to the Zork universe.)
>>
>> Can you elaborate? I've played all and had no idea that those three
>> were even in any way linked to the Zork universe...in what way were
>> they linked? (Not doubting you, just aghast at my own ignorance
>
> There were grues in the "zoo" area in Starcross.
>
> There is no direct link in Planetfall (that I recall) -- but Floyd
> knows the story of Starcross, indicating that it's a historic event.

I think one of the creatures in the bio-lab had similarities to a grue.

--
------------------------
Mark Jeffrey Tilford
tilford@ugcs.caltech.edu

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.int-fiction,comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.adventure (More info?)

Andrew Plotkin wrote:
> Nord_and_Bert <sockpanda@yahoo.com> wrote:
> > Andrew Plotkin wrote:
> > > (Starcross, Planetfall, and Stationfall are even more tenuously
> > > connected to the Zork universe.)
> >
> > Can you elaborate? I've played all and had no idea that those three
> > were even in any way linked to the Zork universe...in what way were
> > they linked? (Not doubting you, just aghast at my own ignorance
>
> There were grues in the "zoo" area in Starcross.
>
> There is no direct link in Planetfall (that I recall) -- but Floyd
> knows the story of Starcross, indicating that it's a historic event.


Oh, I thought you just meant grues were mentioned in all three
games. I played Planetfall recently, and don't recall if it made
reference to them in the dark areas, but Stationfall (which I am
playing right now) definitely says "You hope there aren't any
grues on this station." when you go into rooms without light.


--
J. Robinson Wheeler Games - http://raddial.com/if/
JRW Digital Media Movie - http://thekroneexperiment.com
jrw@jrwdigitalmedia.com Comic - http://adamcadre.ac/comics.html

 

[graeme]

Archived from groups: rec.games.int-fiction (More info?)

>*Regardless* of what reading order C.S. Lewis tried to impose on us for the
>Narnia books.
>
>Dave Doty
>

Lewis put them out in the order they were created. It was his estate that
later re-ordered them.

 

[graeme]

Archived from groups: rec.games.int-fiction (More info?)

>In the material that comes with the Zork Anthology bonus version of
>Planetfall, there are references to a space port called Accardi-3,
>Double Fanucci, and Bozbar - albeit as a month name. I don't know how
>much of this was in the original package.
>
>Richard


It was all there. And Double Fanucci and Grues are both in the game proper.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.int-fiction (More info?)

graemecree@aol.compost (Graeme) wrote in
news:20040613140609.15285.00000505@mb-m26.aol.com:

> Lewis put them out in the order they were created. It was his estate
> that later re-ordered them.

I'm pretty sure that in a letter he wrote to a reader, he recommended
reading them in timeline order.

Dave Doty




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[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.int-fiction (More info?)

In article <Xns9508CA910198Fdsdoty@38.119.71.33>,
David Doty <davedoty@hotmail.com> wrote:
>graemecree@aol.compost (Graeme) wrote in
>news:20040613140609.15285.00000505@mb-m26.aol.com:
>
>> Lewis put them out in the order they were created. It was his estate
>> that later re-ordered them.
>
>I'm pretty sure that in a letter he wrote to a reader, he recommended
>reading them in timeline order.

You might want to google for this - it has been discussed *very*
extensively on rec.arts.sf.written, among other newsgroups.

--
Magnus Olsson (mol@df.lth.se)
PGP Public Key available at http://www.df.lth.se/~mol

 

[at]

Archived from groups: rec.games.int-fiction,comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.adventure (More info?)

David Doty wrote:

> Others have given this info, but I'll summarize into a simple list.
>
> Publication Order:
>
> 1. Zork I
> 2. Zork II
> 3. Zork III
> 4. Enchanter
> 5. Sorceror
> 6. Spellbreaker
> 7. Wishbringer
> 8. Beyond Zork
> 9. Zork Zero
> 10. Return to Zork
> 11. Zork Nemesis
> 12. Zork: The Undiscovered Underground
> 13. Zork Grand Inquisitor
>
> 9 is the last Infocom game.
>
>
> Chronological:
>
> Zork Zero
> Zork Trilogy-Enchanter (roughly simultaneous)
> Sorceror
> Spellbreaker
> Beyond Zork
> Zork: The Undiscovered Underground
> Zork: Grand Inquisitor
>
> Wishbringer, Return to Zork, and Zork Nemesis are harder to place
> definitively in the chronology. The web sites others have provided can
> show you what others have speculated. I don't consider RTZ canon,
> personally.
>
> Dave Doty

6+ weeks later ....

I just acquired the 3 Activision releases, and the timeline packaged
with ZGI puts the Zork Nemesis story contemporary with the original Zork
trio (the Nemesis quest is solved in 949 GUE, just one year after the
Zork I quest). I don't know the RTZ plot well enough to see any clear
indicators on this timeline.

I literally just tried these games this week, and so far ZGI "feels"
like Zork and the Enchanter series, and the other two definitely do not.
Nemesis has plenty of atmosphere, but it's not the kind of atmosphere
Infocom ever created. I haven't gotten very far in any of these games
yet, though. Early ZGI puzzles seems a bit easier than the others
games. (i.e. I have managed to solve them all so far :->), but I'm
currently stumped in RTZ/ZN.

Asa

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.int-fiction,comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.adventure (More info?)

> David Doty wrote:
>
....
>
> I literally just tried these games this week, and so far ZGI "feels"
> like Zork and the Enchanter series, and the other two definitely do not.

I strongly disagree with this statement with regard to RTZ.