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From: buzzard@world.std.com (Sean T Barrett)
Subject: Re: zork IV = Enchanter (proof)
Message-ID: <G7HE5D.5s7@world.std.com>
Date: Sat, 20 Jan 2001 21:53:36 GMT
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Carl Muckenhoupt <carl@wurb.com> wrote:
>On Sat, 20 Jan 2001 12:35:52 -0700, Adam Myrow <myrow@eskimo.com>
>>Well, I just checked, and the original version of Zork III also has the
>>Enchanter scene in it if you touch the table while the indicator shows
>>IV.  Makes me wonder just when the story of Enchanter was started and how
>>long it took to write?  Oh well, we'll probably never know.
>
>It could well be that the temple in Enchanter was written to match the
>scene in Zork III, rather than vice versa.

Not merely could well be, but was. I'm positive I've read an
interview or something at some point where they described how
they had written the scene in Zork III with the intention of
writing something they'd never do. (Note that in Enchanter they
not only include the scene but it's a necessary component of
*winning*, IIRC.) And that then when they were doing Enchanter
they decided to include it.

I think in general they considered it another game in the Zork
universe, but clearly it wasn't a literal sequel to Zork (you
play a different character who is consistent across the entire
trilogy), so trying to prove that it *was* such a sequel seems
much like trying to prove that Paul McCartney died midway through
the Beatles' successful run and was replaced by an incredibly
talented singer/songwriter/bass player. They may have planted
"clues" but they were just joking around.

Turn me on, adventurer.

SeanB
