Newsgroups: rec.games.int-fiction
Path: gmd.de!Germany.EU.net!mcsun!uunet!caen!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!eff!news.kei.com!news.oc.com!wizard.etsu.edu!earendil
From: earendil@wizard.etsu.edu (Allen Garvin)
Subject: Re: Infocom rating request
Message-ID: <1993Apr23.161249.9154@ra.oc.com>
Sender: usenet@ra.oc.com
Organization: East Texas State University, Commerce, Texas
References: <1r7d6d$haf@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu> <C5x0A6.F4q@rice.edu> <1r92ad$lk7@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu>
Date: Fri, 23 Apr 1993 16:12:49 GMT
Lines: 24


>I admit I cheated, but what's so hard in Zork III?  I can't think of any specific 
>puzzle that's all THAT bad.


Zork III was the first infocom game I solved on my own without hints (that
was around '83). I later learned I solved it through a bug: to cross the lake
I put the lamp inside of the chest. When I finished the game, I only had
6 out of 7 points and it was years later before I discovered the table in
the scenic vista puzzle, which gave the point I was missing. The version of
Zork III I have now does not allow putting the lamp in the chest.

I can't remember any puzzle that was particularly hard, though what to do
with the old man was not immediately obvious. The museum maze was the best
maze I've ever seen in an adventure game. I, as many other zorkers, spent
time afterwards seeking the optimum solution for it. And then, the statue
puzzle near then end had two solutions...

I remember it being a fine conclusion. It was more serious than the other
two, which had bits of humor tossed about.

     -Allen


