Sample Transcript from Zork Zero, typed in by Volker Blasius Comments in {} are mine, sentences in [] are in the original. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This transcript is not from "Zork Zero", but will give you a good feeling for how Infocom's interactive fiction works. It contains some simple puzzles and their solutions. The player's commands appear in capital letters after each prompt (>). The map represents the terrain in the sample transcript as you might have drawn it. {Map of 6 rooms that can be reconstructed from the transcript} >WALK WEST Edge of Chasm You are standing at the precipice of a gaping chasm, which is spanned by a tramway. The tramway hangs from the cavern roof above the chasm. Tunnels lead north, northeast, and east. On the south wall is an unlabelled black button. You can see a tram car and a jar here. It seems that the jar is full of tomato sauce. >EXAMINE THE TRAM CAR There's no one in the tram car. >TAKE ALL tram car: You've got to be kidding! jar: Taken. >PUSH THE BLACK BUTTON A smiling Gungeon Imp appears."Hear ye the Riddle of the Chasm! Answer incorrectly, and the Chasm shall collect your bones! Here goes... "A boy was hurt and brought, unconcious {sic}, to a hospital. The doctor on duty, Doctor Manson, said 'Oh, my! This is my son!' and proceeded to treat the boy. "Later, the boy awoke and Nurse Lanolin bustled to his side. It was her first day at the hospital, and she was trying hard to do everything right. She glanced at his medical chart, which included a message from Doctor Manson to 'take good care of my son!' Nurse Lanolin told the boy, 'Your father, Doctor Manson, treated you himself!' The boy looked puzzled. 'Doctor Manson isn't my father!' "Assuming that neither the boy nor the doctor is lying, who is Doctor Manson?" >ANSWER "HIS MOTHER" The Dungeon Imp looks disappointed. "Correct. The chasm isn't going to be happy, that's for sure. Maybe we can fool it with some hellhound bones..." Mumbling to itself, the Imp vanishes, and a passage opens to the south! >SOUTH Meat Closet This is a chilly room for the storage of meat and meat by-products. The only exit is north. A pepperoni is hanging here. >NORTH Edge of Chasm >NORTH Ogre's Room This is a large and ugly room, most of which is taken up by a large and ugly ogre. The ogre sits next to a tunnel to the north. Other passages lead east and south. >INVENTORY You are carrying a rusty lamp (providing light), an elvish sword, a guidebook and a jar. It seems that the jar is full of tomato sauce. You are wearing a magic shawl. >EXAMINE THE GUIDEBOOK This is a field guide to the wonders and dangers of the underground province of Gruntburg. >READ ABOUT OGRES IN THE GUIDEBOOK "Ogres are strong, ill-tempered, and stubborn. They range in size up to 25 feet tall, have hair over most of their bodies, and adore pepperoni pizza." >NORTH The ogre stops you with a flick of his little finger. "I'm hungry. And nobody passes by me when I'm hungry. Nobody." >EAST Kitchen This is a tiny kitchen equipped with a small brick oven. Waves of heat come from the oven. There are doors to the west and southwest. Tacked up on the wall is a faded recipe. Sitting on the counter is some dough. >READ THE RECIPE "Momma Ogre's Pepperoni Pizza Recipe - put 4 gloops of tomato sauce on dough - generously sprinkle with cheese - slice pepperoni over the cheese - bake in pre-heated oven for 3 minutes" >EXAMINE THE TOMATO SAUCE The jar is closed and filled with scrumptious-looking sauce. It bears a label. >READ THE LABEL "Frobu (tr) Tomato Sauce - 8 gloops" >OPEN THE JAR Opened. >PUT THE SAUCE ON THE DOUGH You pour the entire jar of tomato sauce over the dough, totally smothering it and making a considerable mess. >UNDO [Undone.] >POUR FOUR GLOOPS OF TOMATO SAUCE ONTO THE DOUGH You pour four gloops of the sauce onto the dough, spreading it evenly across the surface. >PUT CHEESE ON DOUGH [You can't see any cheese right here.] >SOUTHWEST Edge of Chasm You can see a tram car here. >GET IN THE TRAM You are now in the tram car. There are some simple controls that you should probably examine. >LOOK AT THE CONFROLS [I don't know the word "confrols."] >OOPS CONTROLS The controls consist of a large red lever which can be pushed to the east or west. >PUSH LEVER WEST The tram moves along its track in a graceful arc, reaching the middle of the chasm. >WAIT Time passes... The tram car descends, reaching the far side of the chasm. Far Edge of Chasm, in the tram car The western side of the chasm is almost identical to the eastern side, making you wonder why anyone went through the trouble of building the tramway. At the very edge of the precipice is a flat-topped rock with some writing engraved on it. Sitting on the flat-topped rock is a magic wand. >TAKE THE WAND You can't reach the wand from the tram car. >GET OUT OF THE CAR You get out of the tram car. >PICK UP THE WAND You take the wand from the flat-topped rock. >READ THE ENGRAVED WRITING "Behold the Wand of Widgeefuss." >READ ABOUT WIDGEEFUSS IN THE GUIDEBOOK "The Wand of Widgeefuss was lost in ancient times. Its powers have probably been exaggerated over the centuries. Some have even claimed that it could turn flat-topped rocks into cheese." >POINT THE WAND AT THE FLAT-TOPPED ROCK A bolt of magic strikes the flat-topped rock, leaving a pile of cheese in its place. >LOOK Far Edge of Chasm The western side of the chasm is almost identical to the eastern side, making you wonder why anyone went through the trouble of building the tramway. You can see a pile of cheese here. >TAKE THE CHEESE. GET IN. PUSH LEVER WEST Taken. You are now in the tram car. Nothing happens. >PUSH LEVER EAST The tram car moves along its track in a graceful arc, reaching the middle of the chasm. >GET OUT OF THE TRAM CAR You step into thin air, plunging down into the rock-filled chasm. **** You have died. **** Do you wish to RESTART, RESTORE, UNDO or QUIT? >UNDO [Undone.] >WAIT The tram car descends, returning you to the eastern side of the chasm. Edge of Chasm, in the tram car >GET OUT OF CAR You get out of the tram car. >SOUTH Meat Closet A pepperoni is hanging here. >TAKE [the pepperoni] Taken. The rusty lamp appears to be getting dimmer. >INVENTORY You are carrying a rusty lamp (providing light), an elvish sword, a guidebook, a jar, a pile of cheese and a pepperoni. It seems that the jar is half-full of tomato sauce. You are wearing a magic shawl. >NORTH.NORTHEAST.PUT THE CHEESE ON THE PIZZA Edge of Chasm Kitchen Sitting on the counter is some dough. Sitting on the dough is four gloops of tomato sauce. You sprinkle the cheese across the dough. >PUT THE PEPPERONI ON THE PIZZA Using your sword as a knife, you slice the pepperoni into pieces and scatter them across the surface. >TAKE THE PIZZA Taken. >WEST Ogre's Room >GIVE THE PIZZA TO THE OGRE The ogre looks disgusted. "This pizza's uncooked!" He looks hungrily at you, as though considering you as a pizza alternative, but restrains himself with apparent difficulty. >EATS.OPEN OVEN.PUT THE PIZZA IN THE OVEN.CLOSE OVEN Kitchen Opened. The pizza is now in the oven. Closed. >WAIT Time passes... >OPEN THE OVEN Opening the oven reveals a bubbling pepperoni pizza. >TAKE PIZZA Ouch! You pick up the pizza, but burn your fingers in the process. >EAST Ogre's Room The ogre smells the pizza and begins slobbering. >GIVE THE PIZZA TO THE OGRE He swallows the pizza in a single gulp and begins dozing. >NORTH Lobby You are on the ground floor of the building which houses the National Ogre Institute, a public relations and governmental lobbying group. A stair leads up, and there are exits to the south and east. You can see a tube of burn cream here.