Boldly going where angels fear to tread! Let's play Planetfall!

Planetfall was Infocom's eighth game and second science-fiction game, released on July 8, 1983. It's not as serious than Infocom's first sci-fi game, Starcross, but that by no means makes it a bad game. In fact, it's considered to be one of Infocom's best. Although the feelies aren't as necessary in some of my past LPs, here's a link to them. But enough talking. Let's get down to business.

PLANETFALL
Infocom interactive fiction - a science fiction story
Copyright (c) 1983 by Infocom, Inc. All rights reserved.
PLANETFALL is a trademark of Infocom, Inc.
Release 37 / Serial number 851003

Another routine day of drudgery aboard the Stellar Patrol Ship Feinstein. This morning's assignment for a certain lowly Ensign Seventh Class: scrubbing the filthy metal deck at the port end of Level Nine. With your Patrol-issue self-contained multi-purpose all-weather scrub brush you shine the floor with a diligence born of the knowledge that at any moment dreaded Ensign First Class Blather, the bane of your shipboard existence, could appear.

Deck Nine
This is a featureless corridor similar to every other corridor on the ship. It curves away to starboard, and a gangway leads up. To port is the entrance to one of the ship's primary escape pods. The pod bulkhead is closed.

The Feinstein part is pretty linear, so there won't be much interactivity. Sorry about that.

Anyway, let's see what we've got.

>i
You are carrying:
A Patrol-issue self-contained multi-purpose scrub brush
A Patrol uniform (being worn)
The Patrol uniform contains:
An ID card
A chronometer (being worn)

The alien ambassador from the planet Blow'k-bibben-Gordo ambles toward you from down the corridor. He is munching on something resembling an enormous stalk of celery, and he leaves a trail of green slime on the deck. He stops nearby, and you wince as a pool of slime begins forming beneath him on your newly-polished deck. The ambassador wheezes loudly and hands you a brochure outlining his planet's major exports.

Might as well check that out.

>read brochure
"The leading export of Blow'k-bibben-Gordo is the adventure game

*** PLANETFALL ***

written by S. Eric Meretzky.
Buy one today. Better yet, buy a thousand."

The ambassador offers you a bit of celery.

Talk about a shameless plug. Anyway, if the ambassador is offering me some celery, who am I to say no?

>eat celery
Oops. Looks like Blow'k-Bibben-Gordoan metabolism is not compatible with our own. You die of all sorts of convulsions.

**** You have died ****

Your score would be 0 (out of 80 points). It is Day 1 of your adventure. Current Galactic Standard Time (adjusted to your local day-cycle) is 4590.
This score gives you the rank of Beginner.

Oh, well. According to the Treaty of Gishen IV, signed in 8747 GY, all adventure game players must be given another chance after dying. In the interests of interstellar peace...

Would you like to restart the game from the beginning, restore a saved game position, or end this session of the game? (Type RESTART, RESTORE, or QUIT.)


Well, that was certainly a dick move. After restarting...

>z
Time passes...

The alien ambassador from the planet Blow'k-bibben-Gordo ambles toward you from down the corridor. He is munching on something resembling an enormous stalk of celery, and he leaves a trail of green slime on the deck. He stops nearby, and you wince as a pool of slime begins forming beneath him on your newly-polished deck. The ambassador wheezes loudly and hands you a brochure outlining his planet's major exports.

>z
Time passes...

The ambassador introduces himself as Br'gun-te'elkner-ipg'nun.

>z
Time passes...

The ambassador inquires whether you are interested in a game of Bocci.

>z
Time passes...

The ambassador asks where Admiral Smithers can be found.

>z
Time passes...

The ambassador grunts a polite farewell, and disappears up the gangway, leaving a trail of dripping slime.

Well, might as well try to clean up that slime.

>scrub deck
The floor is a bit shinier now.

And now, to wait.

>z
Time passes...

>z
Time passes...

>z
Time passes...

A massive explosion rocks the ship. Echoes from the explosion resound deafeningly down the halls. The door to port slides open.

At least something is happening now. Be careful what you wish for, I guess.

>port
Escape Pod
This is one of the Feinstein's primary escape pods, for use in extreme emergencies. A mass of safety webbing, large enough to hold several dozen people, fills half the pod. The controls are entirely automated. The bulkhead leading out is open.

The ship shakes again. You hear, from close by, the sounds of emergency bulkheads closing.


And now, to wait.

>z
Time passes...

The pod door clangs shut as heavy explosions continue to buffet the Feinstein.

>z
Time passes...

You feel the pod begin to slide down its ejection tube as explosions shake the mother ship.

>z
Time passes...

Through the viewport of the pod you see the Feinstein dwindle as you head away. Bursts of light dot its hull. Suddenly, a huge explosion blows the Feinstein into tiny pieces, sending the escape pod tumbling away!

You are thrown against the bulkhead, head first. It seems that getting in the safety webbing would have been a good idea.

**** You have died ****

Right. Let's try that again...this time, without dying. :P
After restarting and going back to the point where the ship was kerploding...

>port
Escape Pod
This is one of the Feinstein's primary escape pods, for use in extreme emergencies. A mass of safety webbing, large enough to hold several dozen people, fills half the pod. The controls are entirely automated. The bulkhead leading out is open.

The ship shakes again. You hear, from close by, the sounds of emergency bulkheads closing.

>enter webbing
You are now safely cushioned within the web.

The pod door clangs shut as heavy explosions continue to buffet the Feinstein.

And now to play the waiting game.

>z
Time passes...

You feel the pod begin to slide down its ejection tube as explosions shake the mother ship.

>z
Time passes...

Through the viewport of the pod you see the Feinstein dwindle as you head away. Bursts of light dot its hull. Suddenly, a huge explosion blows the Feinstein into tiny pieces, sending the escape pod tumbling away!

As the escape pod tumbles away from the former location of the Feinstein, its gyroscopes whine. The pod slowly stops tumbling. Lights on the control panel blink furiously as the autopilot searches for a reasonable destination.

>z
Time passes...

The auxiliary rockets fire briefly, and a nearby planet swings into view through the port. It appears to be almost entirely ocean, with just a few visible islands and an unusually small polar ice cap. A moment later, the system's sun swings into view, and the viewport polarizes into a featureless black rectangle.

>z
Time passes...

The main thrusters fire a long, gentle burst. A monotonic voice issues from the control panel. "Approaching planet...human-habitable."

>z
Time passes...

>z
Time passes...

>z
Time passes...

>z
Time passes...

The pod is buffeted as it enters the planet's atmosphere.

>z
Time passes...

You feel the temperature begin to rise, and the pod's climate control system roars as it labors to compensate.

>z
Time passes...

The viewport suddenly becomes transparent again, giving you a view of endless ocean below. The lights on the control panel flash madly as the pod's computer searches for a suitable landing site. The thrusters fire long and hard, slowing the pod's descent.

>z
Time passes...

The pod is now approaching the closer of a pair of islands. It appears to be surrounded by sheer cliffs rising from the water, and is topped by a wide plateau. The plateau seems to be covered by a sprawling complex of buildings.

>z
Time passes...

The pod lands with a thud. Through the viewport you can see a rocky cleft and some water below. The pod rocks gently back and forth as if it was precariously balanced. A previously unseen panel slides open, revealing some emergency provisions, including a survival kit and a towel.

All right! That should be useful for a space explorer stranded on a remote planet...oh, and there's a survival kit, too.

>stand
As you stand, the pod shifts slightly and you feel it falling. A moment later, the fall stops with a shock, and you see water rising past the viewport.

>get all
towel: Taken.
survival kit: Taken.
safety web: The safety web seems to be more intended for getting into than grabbing onto.

Well, we've got some supplies...but the pod is sinking. We'd better get out!

>open door
The bulkhead opens and cold ocean water rushes in!

>up
Underwater
You are momentarily disoriented as you enter the turbulent waters. Currents buffet you against the sharp rocks of an underwater cliff. A dim light filters down from above.

>up
Crag
You have reached a cleft in the cliff wall where the island rises from the water. The edge of the cleft displays recently exposed rock where it collapsed under the weight of the escape pod. About two meters below, turbulent waters swirl against sharp rocks. A small structure clings to the face of the cliff about eight meters above you. Even an out-of-shape Ensign Seventh Class could probably climb up to it.

And so we've escaped a doomed spaceship, only to barely avoid drowing after a crash landing on a strange planet. Next time, we explore this new world.

Inventory:
A brochure
A Patrol-issue self-contained multi-purpose scrub brush
A Patrol uniform (being worn)
The Patrol uniform contains:
An ID card
A chronometer (being worn)

Score:
Your score would be 6 (out of 80 points). It is Day 1 of your adventure. Current Galactic Standard Time (adjusted to your local day-cycle) is 5512.
This score gives you the rank of Beginner.

Deaths: 2 (allergy to space celery, acceleration trauma)

Also, sorry if this update isn't very good...the intro is, as I said, very linear, and I think I might be a bit rusty after my hiatus. Things should get better with the next update.

Last time, we made planetfall after escaping from the doomed ship Feinstein. Now, to see just what kind of place this is. There's only one way to go, so let's go...

>u
Balcony
This is an octagonal room, half carved into and half built out from the cliff wall. Through the shattered windows which ring the outer wall you can see ocean to the horizon. A weathered metal plaque with barely readable lettering rests below the windows. The language seems to be a corrupt form of Galalingua. A steep stairway, roughly cut into the face of the cliff, leads upward. A rocky crag can be seen about eight meters below.


Well, if there's writing, might as well read it.

>read plaque

SEENIK VISTA
Xis stuneeng vuu uf xee Kalamontee Valee kuvurz oovur fortee skwaar miilz uf xat faamus tuurist spot. Xee larj bildeeng at xee bend in xee Gulmaan Rivur iz xee formur pravincul kapitul bildeeng.

Apparently, Galalingua is actually just a weird phonetic version of English. Translated, it would be something like,
SCENIC VISTA
This stunning view of the Kalamontee Valley covers over forty square miles
of that famous tourist spot. The large building at the bend in the Gulmaan
River is the former provincial capital building.

Anyway, no way to go but further up, so let's keep going that way.

>u
Winding Stair
The middle of a long, steep stairway carved into the face of a cliff.

>u
Courtyard
You are in the courtyard of an ancient stone edifice, vaguely reminiscent of the castles you saw during your leave on Ramos Two. It has decayed to the point where it can probably be termed a ruin. Openings lead north and west, and a stairway downward is visible to the south.

Finally, a decision point! Where to go from here, north or west?

Unexplored paths:
North from Courtyard.
West from Courtyard.

Maps
a=Courtyard
b=Winding Stair/Balcony/Crag

Inventory:
A survival kit
A towel
A brochure
A Patrol-issue self-contained multi-purpose scrub brush
A Patrol uniform (being worn)
The Patrol uniform contains:
An ID card
A chronometer (being worn)

Somehow, in my old save files I didn't get the towel and survival kit, so I restarted and played back through to this point, hence the slight oddity in the time given below.

Score:
Your score would be 6 (out of 80 points). It is Day 1 of your adventure. Current Galactic Standard Time (adjusted to your local day-cycle) is 5818.
This score gives you the rank of Beginner.

Deaths: 2 (allergy to space celery, acceleration trauma)

North!

Have you played this before Kahran?

I'm trying to remember if this is the game with the goo dispenser? and the timed puzzle that deals with it?

if so, I hate this game.

And if we don't find anything there, West!

Oh man, I love this game.

I think I've memorized everything to do, so I'll try not to give too many helpful suggestions. If you really want to move on at some point, I can get us going.

This was the first game ever to convince people that video games could give you feelings.

And that, and the reason for it, is about all I know about the game.

Go west, young man.

To answer your questions, in order:

1. Yes, but not for quite some time.
2. I'm not sure. You'll have to let me know if you recognize it if and when you see it.

Anyway, there's a slight consensus telling me to go north, so let's go that way.

>n
Plain Hall
This is a featureless hall leading north and south. Although the hallway is old and dusty, the construction is of a much more modern style than the castle to the south. A similar hall branches off to the northeast.

I'd say that this counts as "something," but let's check out the west path per Mogri's request.

>s
Courtyard

>w
West Wing
This was once the west wing of the castle, but the walls are now mostly rubble, allowing a view of the cliff and ocean below. Rubble blocks all exits save one, eastward to the courtyard.

Nothing here, so tomorrow we'll explore the northern wing. But which way, north or northeast?

Unexplored paths:
North from Courtyard.
West from Courtyard.

Maps
a=Courtyard
b=Winding Stair/Balcony/Crag
c=Plain Hall
d=West Wing (you are here)

Inventory:
A survival kit
A towel
A brochure
A Patrol-issue self-contained multi-purpose scrub brush
A Patrol uniform (being worn)
The Patrol uniform contains:
An ID card
A chronometer (being worn)

Score:
Your score would be 6 (out of 80 points). It is Day 1 of your adventure. Current Galactic Standard Time (adjusted to your local day-cycle) is 5878.
This score gives you the rank of Beginner.

Deaths: 2 (allergy to space celery, acceleration trauma)

N, then NE.

Space janitor stranded on an alien planet? I think I've played this one before....

That other one is more humorous

I have played this one, but I don't think I fully beat it. I remember it having several screw you moments similar to the two we've experienced so far.

I've received a vote to go north, then northeast, so let's do that.

>n
Rec Area
This is a recreational facility of some sort. Games and tapes are scattered about the room. Hallways head off to the east and south, and to the north is a door which is closed and locked. A dial on the door is currently set to 0.

I'm sure that that dial will be important later, but let's check out the area northeast of the plain hall.

>ne
Rec Corridor
This is a wide, east-west hallway. Portals lead north and south, and another corridor branches southwest.


Well, that certainly revealed a lot of passages. But which way to go from here?

Unexplored paths:
North from Rec Corridor.
South from Rec Corridor.
East from Rec Corridor.

Maps
a=Courtyard
b=Winding Stair/Balcony/Crag
c=Plain Hall
d=West Wing
e=Rec Area [locked door with dial]
f=Rec Corridor (you are here)

Inventory:
A survival kit
A towel
A brochure
A Patrol-issue self-contained multi-purpose scrub brush
A Patrol uniform (being worn)
The Patrol uniform contains:
An ID card
A chronometer (being worn)

Score:
Your score would be 6 (out of 80 points). It is Day 1 of your adventure. Current Galactic Standard Time (adjusted to your local day-cycle) is 5983.
This score gives you the rank of Beginner.

Deaths: 2 (allergy to space celery, acceleration trauma)

North from F

We must determine everything that is northy and northier, and only then may we strike out otherwise.

North from F sounds good to me, and since we're already there...

>n
Dorm B
This is a very long room lined with multi-tiered bunks. Flimsy partitions between the tiers may have provided a modicum of privacy. These spartan living quarters could have once housed many hundreds, but it seems quite deserted now. There are openings at the north and south ends of the room.

It appears that the only way to go from here is further north, or we could explore the area south of the Rec Corridor. So, which way to go?


Unexplored paths:
North from Dorm B.
South from Rec Corridor.
East from Rec Corridor.

Maps
a=Courtyard
b=Winding Stair/Balcony/Crag
c=Plain Hall
d=West Wing
e=Rec Area [locked door with dial]
f=Rec Corridor
g=Dorm B (you are here)

Inventory:
A survival kit
A towel
A brochure
A Patrol-issue self-contained multi-purpose scrub brush
A Patrol uniform (being worn)
The Patrol uniform contains:
An ID card
A chronometer (being worn)

Score:
Your score would be 6 (out of 80 points). It is Day 1 of your adventure. Current Galactic Standard Time (adjusted to your local day-cycle) is 6003.
This score gives you the rank of Beginner.

Deaths: 2 (allergy to space celery, acceleration trauma)

You put the new room above 'e' instead of 'f' on the map.

Let's go north from F, then south from F as far as we can go.

Sorry. I forgot to close the "Code" tag, but it's fixed now. Real update coming tomorrow!

Ditto this.

Edit: No fuck that, Gerad knows how to do this game too well.

...wel actually he said he'd not make it borked so actually, yes, I agree with Gerad. FINAL ANSWER!

I like this idea, and truth be told, I was getting tired of exploring only one room at a time. Let's go!

>n
SanFac B
This must be the sanitary facility for the adjacent dormitory. The fixtures are dry and dusty, the room dead and deserted. You marvel at how little the millenia and cultural gulfs have changed toilet bowl design. The only exit is south.


Well, it's nice to see an adventure game that actually features a bathroom - or "SanFac," as this game calls them. But there's nothing to do here, so let's head south.

>s
Dorm A
This is a very long room lined with multi-tiered bunks. Flimsy partitions between the tiers may have provided a modicum of privacy. These spartan living quarters could have once housed many hundreds, but it seems quite deserted now. There are openings at the north and south ends of the room.

>s
SanFac A
This must be the sanitary facility for the adjacent dormitory. The fixtures are dry and dusty, the room dead and deserted. You marvel at how little the millenia and cultural gulfs have changed toilet bowl design. The only exit is north.


Nothing new here, unfortunately. It looks like next time we'll be exploring east of the Rec Corridor, but is there anything else you want me to do before then?

Maps
a=Courtyard
b=Winding Stair/Balcony/Crag
c=Plain Hall
d=West Wing
e=Rec Area [locked door with dial]
f=Rec Corridor
g=Dorm B
h=SanFac B
i=Dorm A
j=SanFac A (you are here)

Inventory:
A survival kit
A towel
A brochure
A Patrol-issue self-contained multi-purpose scrub brush
A Patrol uniform (being worn)
The Patrol uniform contains:
An ID card
A chronometer (being worn)

Score:
Your score would be 6 (out of 80 points). It is Day 1 of your adventure. Current Galactic Standard Time (adjusted to your local day-cycle) is 6103.
This score gives you the rank of Beginner.

Deaths: 2 (allergy to space celery, acceleration trauma)

Nssews

E:you edited I edit you edited :]

Since there's only one way to go, let's head east of the Rec Corridor.

>e
Mess Corridor
This is a wide, east-west hallway with a large portal to the south. A small door to the north is closed and hooked with a simple steel padlock which is also closed.


Should I continue east or head south?

Unexplored paths:
East of Mess Corridor.
South of Mess Corridor.

Maps
a=Courtyard
b=Winding Stair/Balcony/Crag
c=Plain Hall
d=West Wing
e=Rec Area [locked door with dial]
f=Rec Corridor
g=Dorm B
h=SanFac B
i=Dorm A
j=SanFac A
k=Mess Corridor (you are here)

Inventory:
A survival kit
A towel
A brochure
A Patrol-issue self-contained multi-purpose scrub brush
A Patrol uniform (being worn)
The Patrol uniform contains:
An ID card
A chronometer (being worn)

Score:
Your score would be 6 (out of 80 points). It is Day 1 of your adventure. Current Galactic Standard Time (adjusted to your local day-cycle) is 6163.
This score gives you the rank of Beginner.

Deaths: 2 (allergy to space celery, acceleration trauma)

Head south.

North has abandoned us. South as much as possible!

Sounds good to me, so let's check out the south!

>s
Mess Hall
This is a large hall lined with tables and benches. An opening to the north leads back to the corridor. A door to the south is closed. Next to the door is a small slot.
Although the room is quite barren, an octagonally-shaped canteen is sitting on one of the benches.


A canteen might just come in handy, so let's take it.

>take canteen
Taken.


And although I have a feeling I know what that slot next to the door means, I'll try this anyway.

>open door
A light flashes "Pleez yuuz kitcin akses kard."


Or, in 21st-century Earth-speak, "Please use kitchen access card." Looks like next time, we'll be checking out what lies east of the mess corridor.


Maps
a=Courtyard
b=Winding Stair/Balcony/Crag
c=Plain Hall
d=West Wing
e=Rec Area [locked door with dial]
f=Rec Corridor
g=Dorm B
h=SanFac B
i=Dorm A
j=SanFac A
k=Mess Corridor
l=Mess Hall (you are here)

Inventory:
An octagonal canteen
A survival kit
A towel
A brochure
A Patrol-issue self-contained multi-purpose scrub brush
A Patrol uniform (being worn)

• An ID card

A chronometer (being worn)

Score:
Your score would be 6 (out of 80 points). It is Day 1 of your adventure. Current Galactic Standard Time (adjusted to your local day-cycle) is 6197.
This score gives you the rank of Beginner.

Deaths: 2 (allergy to space celery, acceleration trauma)

But first! Shake the canteen. Is there anything inside?

And if there is, drink it.

because if Hollywood has taught us anything, it is that you should always immediately drink whatever is inside of an abandoned canteen.

Seconding this. Fuck Hollywood. I bet we get mutant powers!

There's only one path to explore, but everyone wants me to shake the canteen, so let's do it!

>shake canteen
The canteen sounds empty.


Well, darn. But it still might come in handy, so let's keep it, and see what lies to the east of the Mess Corridor.

>n
Mess Corridor

>e
Dorm Corridor
This is a wide, east-west hallway with openings to the north and south. To the east, the corridor stretches off into the distance. That section of the hallway is lined with a motorized walkway (no longer running) that was probably intended to transport people or cargo down that tremendously long hall.


Which way to go from here - north, south, or east?

Maps
a=Courtyard
b=Winding Stair/Balcony/Crag
c=Plain Hall
d=West Wing
e=Rec Area [locked door with dial]
f=Rec Corridor
g=Dorm B
h=SanFac B
i=Dorm A
j=SanFac A
k=Mess Corridor
l=Mess Hall
m=Dorm Corridor (you are here)

Inventory:
An octagonal canteen
A survival kit
A towel
A brochure
A Patrol-issue self-contained multi-purpose scrub brush
A Patrol uniform (being worn)

• An ID card

A chronometer (being worn)

Score:
Your score would be 6 (out of 80 points). It is Day 1 of your adventure. Current Galactic Standard Time (adjusted to your local day-cycle) is 6244.
This score gives you the rank of Beginner.

Deaths: 2 (allergy to space celery, acceleration trauma)