HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: mollems@wkuvx1.bitnet (Molley the Mage)
Newsgroups: rec.games.int-fiction
Subject: Re: Draft of the FAQ
Date: 13 Oct 92 12:03:58 CDT
Organization: Great Cthulhu 1992 Campaign HQ

The draft of the FAQ was indeed a literary masterpiece... I agree with
several other posters that Floyd's absence is notable, however...

In the list of games for LTOI 2, _Shogun_ was included.  This is not
correct.  The following games are not in either of the collections:

_Shogun_
_Arthur : The Quest For Excalibur_
_Journey_
_Quarterstaff_ (a pseudo-RPG bought from another co. and reworked)
_Mines of Titan_ (I don't believe this was really Infocom's work)

There might be another graphic adventure, but I can't remember it
right now.

Also, in the "missing props" section for TLTOI 1, you should note that
one piece of information crucial to Ballyhoo was omitted: the
advertisment for the classical radio station WPDL which is needed to
finish the game.

Other than that, nice work!

-- Sean
---
M. Sean Molley, CS Department, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY
RealSpace - (502) 745-4027 | Why settle for the lesser evil?  Cthulhu in '92!
Newsgroups: rec.games.int-fiction
From: forbes@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (Scott Forbes)
Subject: Re: Info-flop and new thread (mild spoilers)
Organization: Usenet Sports Programming Network
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1992 03:25:25 GMT


My vote for "favorite puzzle" goes to _Enchanter's_ Unseen Terror problem.
Something about the concept, and the description -- brr.

Of course if we're taking a survey, how about:

  *  Favorite endgame			(_Planetfall_, in my case)

  *  Favorite (non-player) character	(Belboz, _Enchanter_ series)

  *  Favorite death			(_Sorcerer_, Chamber of Living Death)

  *  Favorite resurrection		(_Enchanter_)

								   =====
								 =---=====
--								=-----=====
Scott Forbes		AT&T Network Wireless Systems		==---======
Naperville, IL		forbes@icbm.att.com			 =========
								   =====
Newsgroups: rec.games.int-fiction
From: mechalas@gn.ecn.purdue.edu (John P. Mechalas)
Subject: Re: Draft of the FAQ
Organization: Purdue University Engineering Computer Network
Date: Sat, 17 Oct 92 02:54:47 GMT

In article <xeno.719283918@pv34ad.vincent.iastate.edu> xeno@iastate.edu (Gary L Snethen) writes:
>In <zP6-0l_@engin.umich.edu> positron@engin.umich.edu (Jonathan Scott Haas) writes:
>>
>>When inserted as the first character of a line, it
>>will cause most newsreaders to pause and wait for
>>a key.
>>
>>It's a better solution than inserting dozens of
>>blank lines, which is what many people still do.
>
>Thanks for the suggestion... now tell us how it's done with emacs.

You have to type the QUOTE_CHARACTER first, then the control character you
want quoted.  In vi, the quote character is usually ^V.  In emacs, I 
believe it is ^Q...so the correct sequence for you would be ^Q^L....

-- 
John Mechalas                                          "I'm not an actor, but
mechalas@gn.ecn.purdue.edu                                 I play one on TV."
Aero Engineering, Purdue University                     #include disclaimer.h
From: toma@sail.LABS.TEK.COM (Tom Almy)
Newsgroups: rec.games.int-fiction
Subject: Re: Best and worst problems (was: Re: Info-flop and new thread (mild spoilers))
Date: 9 Oct 92 14:59:11 GMT
Reply-To: toma@sail.labs.tek.com
Organization: Tektronix, Inc., Beaverton,  OR.

By *far* the worst was not in an Infocom game, but the original Adventure --
the "extra point". When everyone at work was going nuts with that game
(back in the late 70's) we finally got the solution by having someone
at Stanford send the source listing.

Also low on the list is the Bank of Zork, which I still don't understand.

The best, most enjoyable puzzle -- the Babble fish (HHGTTG).

-- 
Tom Almy
toma@sail.labs.tek.com
Standard Disclaimers Apply
Newsgroups: rec.games.int-fiction
From: nina@Turing.ORG (Nina Karp)
Subject: Re: Draft of the FAQ
Organization: The Turing Project, Charlottesville Virginia.
Date: Mon, 12 Oct 1992 06:23:57 GMT

Simply smashing FAQ.  I was riveted to the screen (and you can't imagine how
messy that was.)


It had magic, adventure, excitement... everything but Floyd!

<contemplating whether it's worth it to get LTOI 1+2 for the 4 games she's
missed>,


Nina.

I beg your pardon?
From: mollems@wkuvx1.bitnet (Molley the Mage)
Newsgroups: rec.games.int-fiction
Subject: <None>
Date: 12 Oct 92 12:30:28 CDT
Organization: Great Cthulhu 1992 Campaign HQ
Summary: Comments on a continuing thread
Reply-To: MOLLEMS@WKUVX1.BITNET
Followup-To: rec.games.int-fiction

In article <uerics.718678672@mcl>, uerics@mcl.ucsb.edu (Eric D. Shepherd) writes:
> I agree that the Babel fish puzzle was one of the all-time classic,
> quality, way-cool puzzles.  Infocom had several games which had "meet
> yourself" or "go back in time so that something you've already done can
> actually happen" kinds of puzzles, and those were all a lot of fun to do.

I agree totally.  It's good to see all the discussion my thread has
engendered.  It seems that the Babel fish puzzle is a clear winner in
the "neatest puzzle" category.  Not surprising, since Douglas Adams is
often a clear winner in the "neatest author" category...

> The all-time nastiest, most difficult puzzle I've found so far in probably
> the two-stacks-of-cubes puzzle in Spellbreaker.  That one was a royal
> pain.

Ironically, it was also the only puzzle in the game which was not
original in the strictest sense of the word.  The puzzle is merely a
variation of the classic coin-weighing puzzle where the lord of a
kingdom has n gold coins, one of which is counterfeit, and must
determine which one with only k weighings on a simple balance.  A nice
twist on the puzzle, though.

> The dumbest puzzle in an Infocom game that I can think of would definitely
> be Zork I's Echo Room. :)

If you're referring to the solution where you must speak a certain
word (word deleted to prevent spoilage) then I agree, that was dumb. 
There was, however, another solution to the puzzle which did not
involve speaking that certain word, and which was (IMO) rather neat.
(solution also deleted to prevent spoilage... I'll post or Email it if
anyone wants it)

I noticed an earlier posting which mentioned favorite NPC
(non-player-character) in an IF game.  This person's favorite was
Floyd, the lovable robot from Planetfall/Stationfall.  Another person
nominated Belboz, your "mentor" in the _Enchanter_ series.  I would
have to vote for the little mailbox in _Wishbringer_.  The game was
easy, and he/it wasn't much of a character, I know, but the first time I
read that I collapsed into laughter.  If he/it's not recurring enough to
count, then Floyd gets my vote too.  He was a classic IF character.

> - Eric S.
> 
> --
> Eric Shepherd  |  Internet: uerics@mcl.mcl.ucsb.edu  |  AOL: Sheppy
> -------- ACM Member ----- Apple II Alliance Charter Member --------
> "Apple II Forever!"   is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc.
> 						 Isn't that ironic?

- Sean Molley 
---
M. Sean Molley, CS Department, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY
RealSpace - (502) 745-4027 | Why settle for the lesser evil?  Cthulhu in '92!
Newsgroups: rec.games.int-fiction
From: adam@owlnet.rice.edu (Adam Justin Thornton)
Subject: Re: InfoTaskForce Infocom Interpreter hack
Organization: Milo's Meadow
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 1992 04:40:14 GMT

*After* applying the posted patches, I still need to put in the file.c hack
posted.  And then it dies on -v and -o, even though I get a clean compile 
using gcc under SunOS 4.1.2.  I haven't tried any v. > 3 games yet, either.
Is this a known problem?

Adam
-- 
"Man is conceived in sin and born in corruption and he passeth from the
 stink of the didie to the stench of the shroud.  There is _always_
 something." -- Robert Penn Warren | Vote Cthulhu in '92! | adam@rice.edu
If Rice shared my opinions I wouldn't have this disclaimer | 64,928
Newsgroups: rec.games.int-fiction
From: positron@engin.umich.edu (Jonathan Scott Haas)
Subject: Re: Draft of the FAQ
Date: Sun, 11 Oct 92 21:20:37 EDT
Organization: University of Michigan Engineering, Ann Arbor

An excellent FAQ. However, I have a suggestion.

In the section about spoilers, you should include
information about a certain control character.

That character is ^L, or control-L.

When inserted as the first character of a line, it
will cause most newsreaders to pause and wait for
a key.

It's a better solution than inserting dozens of
blank lines, which is what many people still do.

-- 
__/\__  Jonathan S. Haas         | Jake liked his women the way he liked
\    /  University of Michigan   | his kiwi fruit: sweet yet tart, firm-
/_  _\  positron@engin.umich.edu | fleshed yet yielding to the touch, and
  \/    Marrou/Lord in '92!      | covered with short brown fuzzy hair.
Newsgroups: rec.games.int-fiction
From: adam@owlnet.rice.edu (Adam Justin Thornton)
Subject: Re: Info-flop and new thread (mild spoilers)
Organization: Milo's Meadow
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1992 05:06:22 GMT

In article <1992Oct7.111433.3007@wkuvx1.bitnet> mollems@wkuvx1.bitnet writes:
>(I bet that subject line got your attention quick, didn't it?) :-)

>What is your all-time single favorite puzzle or problem in an IF game? 
>(by "problem" I define a single quandary or tightly defined section of
>a game - for example, the "12 cubes" puzzle in _Spellbreaker_ or the
>coal mine area in Zork I both qualify, but the whole endgame of
>_Trinity_ is too broad for what I'm talking about -- though I loved
>it).

The construction maze/chess game in Zork Zero was _intense_.  So was the 
Bank of Zork (yes, I KNOW what's going on in there.  It's a simple state
machine), the bank puzzle in Bureaucracy, the meeting yourself in _Sorceror_,
and the teleport discs in Starcross.

Adam
-- 
"Man is conceived in sin and born in corruption and he passeth from the
 stink of the didie to the stench of the shroud.  There is _always_
 something." -- Robert Penn Warren | Vote Cthulhu in '92! | adam@rice.edu
If Rice shared my opinions I wouldn't have this disclaimer | 64,928
Newsgroups: rec.games.int-fiction
From: horne@physics.su.OZ.AU (Geoff Horne)
Subject: Re: Info-flop and new thread (mild spoilers)
Organization: School of Physics, University of Sydney, Australia
Date: Tue, 13 Oct 1992 03:44:27 GMT

In article <librik.718662434@cory.Berkeley.EDU> librik@cory.Berkeley.EDU (David Librik) writes:
>David.White@bbs.oit.unc.edu (David White) writes:
>
>
>>Here's my votes for LEAST favorite things:
>> 
>>Puzzles in general: _Planetfall_ - Ok, it had some pretty neat puzzles, but
>
>Lots of red herrings can make a game a complete pain, though -- it's never
>clear what the heck you're supposed to be doing next, when there seem to
>be lots of different problems lying around.  Often it's claimed that this

I'd like to add _starcross_ and _SpellBreaker_ and all the other games written
by that guy - the puzzles are ok, but the descriptions of the objects, make it
almost impossible to work out what to do - Starcross particularly annoyed me
if yove played it you'll see what I mean.



--


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Geoff Horne               |      Egotism is the anesthetic that
  horne@suphys.physics.su.oz.au   |       dulls the pain of stupidity
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Organization: Penn State University
Date: Sun, 11 Oct 1992 15:36:00 EDT
From: <MRM122@psuvm.psu.edu>
Newsgroups: rec.games.int-fiction
Subject: Re: Need help on A Mind Forever Voyaging

Hints to the first person's problem:
    There is a mode which you haven't used yet- one that allows you some effect
 over the real world.  In Part III, it is crucial.  Another factor is that Reco
rd feature doesn't ONLY work in Simulation mode.  That should help.
Hints to the second person's problems:
    You get access to further in the future by running simulations.  You have t
o spend a good amount of time in 2061 to get to 2071, and more in 2071 to get t
o 2081.  Also, you must record alot in 2071 to show Perelman- you will probably
fill the buffer 2 or 3 times in that year alone to get enough.  Many bad things
happen spontaneously- keep record on alot in that year.  You get some GREAT stu
ff in your apartment that year... get it all.  Hope
     Hope this helps!!!              Marsh
Newsgroups: rec.games.int-fiction
From: philip@labtam.labtam.oz.au (Philip Stephens)
Subject: Re: Info-flop and new thread (mild spoilers)
Organization: Labtam Australia Pty. Ltd., Melbourne, Australia
Date: Wed, 14 Oct 1992 00:10:31 GMT

James Jennings writes:

>As an additional question for this thread: What puzzles took a unusually long
>time/required outside help/made you feel stupid when you found the
>answer?

  For me it was waking up in darkness after escaping the destruction of the
earth in _Hitch-hikers Guide_.  At first I thought I had taken a wrong turn and
wasted a lot of time trying to escape the earth another way, then I sat in that
darkness typing Z over and over until the game gave me the following hint:

  *** SPOILER AHEAD ***

	"Something stinks in here, and it's not just your puzzle solving
	 ability".

  Needless to say, I was feeling very foolish and very embarrassed after
reading that :-)

-- 
| Philip Stephens, Systems Programmer. | %%%%  %     Labtam Australia Pty Ltd |
| Address:  43 Malcolm Road, Braeside, |   % % % %     "Applied Ingenuity"    |
|           Victoria, 3195, AUSTRALIA. |  %  % %  %  We make the fastest RISC |
| Internet: philip@labtam.labtam.oz.au | %%%%% %%%%% X terminals in the world |
From: dmb@case.ai.mit.edu (David Baggett)
Newsgroups: rec.games.int-fiction
Subject: Re: TADS and ANSI?
Date: 15 Oct 92 22:26:57 GMT
Organization: MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory

In article <librik.719129521@cory.Berkeley.EDU> librik@cory.Berkeley.EDU (David Librik) writes:
>I believe that on the PC version of TADS, Mike's display code writes directly
>to the screen buffer for speed.  I've always wanted him to at least add a
>command-line flag that would use BIOS instead ... and perhaps another that
>uses ANSI control codes.

Actually, there's another serious problem with his writing directly to
the screen: it doesn't work with text readers used by the visually
impaired.  Because of this Mike has changed it to use Bios text.
There's no speed difference.  This change should let it work on the
Japanese NEC machines you describe. 

We'll be re-releasing UU1 and UU2 under 2.0 once 2.0 is stable to
give those who require text readers a chance to play them.

>--- I agree with your comment about discouraging color usage -- what happens
>when you run your TADS game on a Macintosh, most of which are monochrome?
>Funny control sequences in the text?

Actually there is one existing compatibility problem which you have to
watch out for: the Mac version of TADS doesn't mind "extended"
characters in its input, which means that you can put little cent
signs, properly angled quote marks, etc. in your source.  These don't
translate well to the PC (needles to say).

Dave Baggett
--
dmb@ai.mit.edu           MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory                  
ADVENTIONS: interactive fiction (text adventures) for the 90's!
dmb@ai.mit.edu *** Compu$erve: 76440,2671 *** GEnie: ADVENTIONS
Newsgroups: rec.games.int-fiction
From: David.White@bbs.oit.unc.edu (David White)
Subject: Re: Info-flop and new thread (mild spoilers)
Organization: Extended Bulletin Board Service
Date: Mon, 12 Oct 1992 14:36:44 GMT

>I understand what you mean, but here's a dissenting opinion.  Oftentimes
>what you think of as "unnecessary puzzles" aren't puzzles at all.  Good
>games have lots of "red herrings".  Some puzzles are solvable though don't
>
>Lots of red herrings can make a game a complete pain, though -- it's never
>clear what the heck you're supposed to be doing next, when there seem to
>be lots of different problems lying around.  Often it's claimed that this
>lets you "work on" your choice of puzzles, but as usually only one of the
>puzzles is really solvable, you aren't "working", you're just typing things
>that have no effect and not getting anywhere.

Mmmmmm...well, MAYBE.  BUT, the thing that annoyed me about Planetfall was
the fact that (having played several Infocom games before), I thought that
such-and-such a puzzle COULDN'T be solved until I had solved this other
puzzle.  So I spent DAYS trying to get into the helicopter, getting the
lamp from the radioactive room, etc.  And when I found out that I hadn't
had to have wasted my time there, I was annoyed!  Like I said, I can't
think of any other Infocom game that had so many false leads and
non-puzzles as Planetfall - in every game, almost EVERYTHING has a use
eventually, and I know that I'll need to go to such-and-such a room or use
such-and-such an item eventually.  And the things in Planetfall were
BEGGING to be used - the lamp would have lighted up the dark storage room
or the reactor room, etc.  ARRRGGGHH!
 
Well, enough of that.  I STILL liked Planetfall (and Stationfall, where
Infocom wised up and didn't include (many, if any) non-puzzles. :)
 
=-=-= David =-=-= (dswhite@unc.bitnet)



--
   The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the University of
     North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Campus Office for Information
        Technology, or the Experimental Bulletin Board Service.
           internet:  bbs.oit.unc.edu or 152.2.22.80
Newsgroups: rec.games.int-fiction
From: librik@cory.Berkeley.EDU (David Librik)
Subject: Re: Info-flop and new thread (mild spoilers)
Organization: University of California, at Berkeley
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1992 20:27:14 GMT

David.White@bbs.oit.unc.edu (David White) writes:


>Here's my votes for LEAST favorite things:
> 
>Puzzles in general: _Planetfall_ - Ok, it had some pretty neat puzzles, but
>		 	unless I missed something BIG, there were TONS
>			of unnecessary puzzles (helicopter, nuclear
>			reactor, etc.)  This, to my knowledge, was the only
>			Infocom game that did that.

I understand what you mean, but here's a dissenting opinion.  Oftentimes
what you think of as "unnecessary puzzles" aren't puzzles at all.  Good
games have lots of "red herrings".  Some puzzles are solvable though don't
add anything to the game.  Some only LOOK like puzzles, and are actually
not part of the game at all.  (Try to find your way out of the Forest
in the Original Adventure some time.)

Lots of red herrings can make a game a complete pain, though -- it's never
clear what the heck you're supposed to be doing next, when there seem to
be lots of different problems lying around.  Often it's claimed that this
lets you "work on" your choice of puzzles, but as usually only one of the
puzzles is really solvable, you aren't "working", you're just typing things
that have no effect and not getting anywhere.

- David Librik
librik@cory.Berkeley.edu
From: tao@ginger.princeton.edu (Terry Tao)
Newsgroups: rec.games.int-fiction
Subject: Re: Help on Hitchhiker's! (SPOILER)
Date: 14 Oct 92 20:05:22 GMT
Organization: Princeton University
Originator: news@nimaster

^L

You should have shut the dog up way, way, back.  I'm sorry, but you'll have
to start from scratch, find the dog, and somehow shut its gob before it gets
indigestion from the ship.  I'll leave that as a puzzle for you.

There is one item in your inventory that is very useful for holding things that
you really *must* have, because this item has the perverse property that you
*can't* lose it.  Figure it out.

(it has another great bonus too.. it has infinite capacity, I think).

Those two puzzles are two of the hardest in HHGTTG.  Enjoy.

Terry
From: thornley@milli.cs.umn.edu (David H. Thornley)
Newsgroups: rec.games.int-fiction
Subject: MINOR SPOILER Re: Need help on A Mind Forever Voyaging
Date: 10 Oct 92 05:00:45 GMT
Organization: University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, CSci dept.

In article <9OCT199204340811@summa.tamu.edu> storm@summa.tamu.edu (Let it Rain) writes:
>I've reached the point in AMFV where Prof. Perelman has returned from
>Washington with the news that your findings about the Plan were rejected.
>
>At this point, I think I'm missing something because he leaves and says
>that he's going to keep in touch.  But, I don't hear anything from him
>until many turns later when I get a message saying something about the
>maintenance core.  As soon as I get there - before I can do anything -
>the Senator destroys my "brain" and the game ends.
>
>During this time, I did figure out how to take out the saboteurs by 
>shutting off the ventilation.  But, this doesn't seem to help.
>
>Any hints or comments would be appreciated.
>




























What are you doing after you have explored to 50 years in the future?

Monitor Perelman's office.

You can see some nasty stuff going on.

You can even record it.

And, having done that, you can broadcast it when you get your network feed.

The end.


DHT
Newsgroups: rec.games.int-fiction
From: twpierce@unix.amherst.edu (Tim Pierce)
Subject: Re: Please use SPOILERS when you post!
Organization: Amherst College, Amherst MA
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1992 16:07:58 GMT

In article <37286@uflorida.cis.ufl.edu> let@reef.cis.ufl.edu (Luis E. Torres) writes:

>Just to ask people to please remember there are people on the list who
>HAVEN'T played all of the original Infocom games. These people wouldn't
>like reading spoilers by mistake.

Like me.  That's why I simply junk any article whose subject line
regards a game I haven't finished.

-- 
____ Tim Pierce                / "You are just naive and repressed because
\  / twpierce@unix.amherst.edu /  penis envy is here and it's now and it's
 \/ (BITnet: TWPIERCE@AMHERST) /  all around you." -- Neal C. Wickham
Newsgroups: rec.games.int-fiction
From: jmkaraka@eos.ncsu.edu (JOHN MARTIN KARAKASH)
Subject: Re: Draft of the FAQ
Originator: jmkaraka@c00120-100lez.eos.ncsu.edu
Reply-To: jmkaraka@eos.ncsu.edu (JOHN MARTIN KARAKASH)
Organization: North Carolina State University, Project Eos
Date: Tue, 13 Oct 1992 22:25:25 GMT


	All FAQ about programs should list what computers it is available for.
A good example is the LTOI FAQ.  I happen to know it's out for IBM and the
Amiga, but if someone asked whether the ST had it...

	-john-
From: huang2@husc10.harvard.edu (Howard Huang)
Newsgroups: rec.games.int-fiction
Subject: Re: zzmgck & 'zork' as vocabulary
Date: 7 Oct 92 16:32:20 GMT
Article-I.D.: husc10.HUANG2.92Oct7093220
Organization: Harvard Arts and Sciences Computer Services, Cambridge, MA
In-reply-to: jamesc@cs.concordia.ca's message of 7 Oct 92 03:30:58 GMT

jamesc@cs.concordia.ca (SCHIDLOWSKY james c.) writes:

   I've noticed in Zork I & II, you could use the word 'zork' instead of
   'matches'.  So, if you had matches on you, you could say "light zork",
   and a match would be lit!  Now why is that?!

I seem to remember that in a few of the games, typing "zork" would
give you the response, "Gesundheit!"
--
+--------------------+-----------------------------------------------------+
|  Howard C. Huang   |  Network Technology Systems, The MITRE Corporation  |
|  hhuang@mitre.org  |  202 Burlington Road MS K-306, Bedford, MA 01730    |
+--------------------+-----------------------------------------------------+
From: let@reef.cis.ufl.edu (Luis E. Torres)
Newsgroups: rec.games.int-fiction
Subject: Please use SPOILERS when you post!
Date: 8 Oct 92 13:12:47 GMT
Organization: Univ. of Florida CIS Dept.

Just to ask people to please remember there are people on the list who
HAVEN'T played all of the original Infocom games. These people wouldn't
like reading spoilers by mistake. So please, when you ask questions about a
game, or when you talk about "The best puzzle in IF", remember this.

Thanks.

Luis
let@cis.ufl.edu

Newsgroups: rec.games.int-fiction
From: htc@dcl-nxt01 (htc)
Subject: Help on Fish (SPOILERS...to people finished w/ game)
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1992 13:43:20 GMT

Hello,

I really need some help on FISH! by Magnetic Scrolls.
I have 475 points out 501, and I have both the stream regulator and
the stream accelerator.  Yet I can not turn on the device ( or fix
it or anything else) and stop the Seven Deadly Fins.

I know I'm really close to the end.  Maybe a hint or something would
be really nice...

Thanks
Hyung
Newsgroups: rec.games.int-fiction