Your greatest challenge lies ahead- and downwards: Let's Play Zork!

Wolf · #91 01-23-2009, 11:46 AM

The answer is obvious. Pick up your sword, kill the thief and loot the body. The bastard probably has your AJR-shaped egg.

Brickroad · #92 01-23-2009, 11:47 AM

Yeah, really. You can kill a troll but not some damned cutpurse? Pick up that glowy sword of yours and send it thief-ward.

Loki · #93 01-23-2009, 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OctoPrime

Maybe you can bribe the tricky scoundral away. WHat do you have that is tempting to a thief?

Of course!

Give him your air pump!

Lord knows I haven't found a use for it.

Quote:

>give pump to thief
The thief places the hand-held air pump in his bag and thanks you politely.
The thief stabs nonchalantly with his stiletto and misses.

Dude, what the fuck!? I just gave you a damn air pump! Chill out!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wolf

The answer is obvious. Pick up your sword, kill the thief and loot the body. The bastard probably has your AJR-shaped egg.

I guess I don't have any other choice.

Quote:

>Take sword
Taken.

>kill thief with sword
The quickness of your thrust knocks the thief back, stunned.
The thief slowly regains his feet.

Shoot. I was hoping for a quick victory.

Quote:

>kill thief with sword
A good slash, but it misses the thief by a mile.
Shifting in the midst of a thrust, the thief knocks you unconscious with the haft of his stiletto.
The thief, a pragmatist, dispatches you as a threat to his livelihood.
It appears that that last blow was too much for you. I'm afraid you are dead.

**** You have died ****

Hrm. At least it was a quick something. RESTORE.

Quote:

>kill thief with sword
Your sword misses the thief by an inch.
The thief comes in from the side, feints, and inserts the blade into your ribs.
It appears that that last blow was too much for you. I'm afraid you are dead.

**** You have died ****

Yikes! This scrawny fellow is some tough beans! RESTORE.

Quote:

>kill thief with sword
You are still recovering from that last blow, so your attack is ineffective.
The thief draws blood, raking his stiletto across your arm.

Ow! My arm! You've crossed the line, Lupin. You're going DOWN.

Quote:

>kill thief with sword
A good stroke, but it's too slow; the thief dodges.
The thief bows formally, raises his stiletto, and with a wry grin, ends the battle and your life.
It appears that that last blow was too much for you. I'm afraid you are dead.

**** You have died ****

... RESTORE. Maybe my problem is bringing a sword to a knife fight. My nasty dagger is presumably still in the mines. There is that rusty danger by the skeleton. I retreat out of the Treasure room and retrieve it.

Quote:

>take rusty knife
As you touch the rusty knife, your sword gives a single pulse of blinding blue light.
Taken.

My sword is warning me that this thing is dangerous. Must be the tetanus. Now, let's go give that thief a taste of rust. I march back to the Treasure Room.

Quote:

Treasure Room
There is a suspicious-looking individual, holding a large bag, leaning against one wall. He is armed with a deadly stiletto.
There is a silver chalice, intricately engraved, here.
Your sword has begun to glow very brightly.
The thief rams the haft of his blade into your stomach, leaving you out of breath.

OOF! That bastard didn't even give me a chance to get ready. This guy is just asking for a knife up the nose.

Quote:

>kill thief with knife
As the knife approaches its victim, your mind is submerged by an overmastering will. Slowly, your hand turns, until the rusty blade is an inch from your neck. The knife seems to sing as it savagely slits your throat.

**** You have died ****

I... uh... Hmm... RESTORE.

Any ideas, fellows?

Thinaran · #94 01-23-2009, 12:21 PM

Try to kill him with the wrench, the screwdriver, or the Troll Axe. Or maybe try conversing with him?

Loki · #95 01-23-2009, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thinaran

Or maybe try conversing with him?

Quote:

>talk to thief
The thief is a strong, silent type.
The thief pauses for a moment, perhaps thinking that you should re-read the manual.

Sky Render · #96 01-23-2009, 12:29 PM

You could always give him the cursed knife. Who knows? Maybe he'll be an idiot and try to use it against you instead of his trusty stiletto.

Wolf · #97 01-23-2009, 12:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sky Render

You could always give him the cursed knife. Who knows? Maybe he'll be an idiot and try to use it against you instead of his trusty stiletto.

I second the motion.

Loki · #98 01-23-2009, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sky Render

You could always give him the cursed knife. Who knows? Maybe he'll be an idiot and try to use it against you instead of his trusty stiletto.

Quote:

>give knife to thief
The thief places the rusty knife in his bag and thanks you politely.
The thief slowly approaches, strikes like a snake, and leaves you wounded.

There goes the knife...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thinaran

Try to kill him with the wrench, the screwdriver, or the Troll Axe.

Quote:

>kill thief with wrench
Trying to attack the thief with a wrench is suicidal.

So?

Quote:

>kill thief with screwdriver
Trying to attack the thief with a screwdriver is suicidal.

Zork, you let me stab myself with the knife. Stop being so hypercritical.

The axe is bigger and slower than the sword. Maybe if I distract the thief first...

Quote:

>give torch to thief
The thief is taken aback by your unexpected generosity, but accepts the torch and stops to admire its beauty.

>kill thief with axe
The thief is struck on the arm; blood begins to trickle down.
The thief knocks you out.
The thief amuses himself by searching your pockets.
Finishing you off, the thief inserts his blade into your heart.
It appears that that last blow was too much for you. I'm afraid you are dead.

**** You have died ****

Maybe I need to level up more before I can take out this guy. RESTORE.

Octopus Prime · #99 01-23-2009, 01:47 PM

A skinny guy with a knife is more dangerous then a troll or a man-eating cyclops? Seriously?

Punch the Thief. Knock his block off!

Wolf · #**100** 01-23-2009, 01:50 PM

Distracting him seemed to give you an edge. Try giving him something genuinely valuable, though. Go to the display case and grab one of your treasures, then come back and give it too him. Then knock his ass out when he goes all "Ooh, shiny!" at it. Then stab him.

Stab him right in the face.

Octopus Prime · #**101** 01-23-2009, 01:57 PM

And THEN Punch him.

Right in the biscuits!

Wolf · #**102** 01-23-2009, 01:58 PM

Let's compromise: Stab him in the biscuits.

Ruik · #**103** 01-23-2009, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wolf

Distracting him seemed to give you an edge. Try giving him something genuinely valuable, though. Go to the display case and grab one of your treasures, then come back and give it too him. Then knock his ass out when he goes all "Ooh, shiny!" at it. Then stab him.

Stab him right in the face.

The torch is one of the valuable treasures though. We just haven't put it in the display case yet because it's also useful.

DANoWAR · #**104** 01-23-2009, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OctoPrime

A skinny guy with a knife is more dangerous then a troll or a man-eating cyclops? Seriously?

Punch the Thief. Knock his block off!

Well, the troll and cyclops were strong but maybe dumb.

This guy is in a whole other class, he's intelligent, nimble, fast and can use his weapon.

Also, Loki, what version of Zork are you playing? I don't remember some of your room descriptions from my previous playthrough.

Well, maybe I'm just getting old and amnesiac.

Loki · #**105** 01-23-2009, 02:30 PM

Unfortunately, Zork doesn't recognize "punch." All attacks must be done with a weapon.

One aspect of the game is that the score also represents experience. So a higher score makes the fight with the thief easier. Of course, it's harder to get a high score with the thief roaming about. The nasty knife also makes the battle easier but it's stuck in the mine. Distracting the thief with treasures helps, but only a little bit. What I finally had to do was get all the treasures I had into the case (including the torch) to get my score as high as possible. Even then it took quite a few tries before...

Quote:

>kill thief with sword
It's curtains for the thief as your sword removes his head.
Almost as soon as the thief breathes his last breath, a cloud of sinister black fog envelops him, and when the fog lifts, the carcass has disappeared.
As the thief dies, the power of his magic decreases, and his treasures reappear:
A stiletto
A crystal trident
A jewel-encrusted egg, with a golden clockwork canary
A painting
The chalice is now safe to take.
Your sword is no longer glowing.

A-phew... That... that was hard. But worth it! Here are all the treasures that had disappeared mysteriously. And it looks like the thief was skillful enough to open the egg!

Quote:

>look at egg
There is a golden clockwork canary nestled in the egg. It has ruby eyes and a silver beak. Through a crystal window below its left wing you can see intricate machinery inside. It appears to have wound down.

Quote:

>wind canary
The canary chirps blithely, if somewhat tinnily, for a short time.

Take the treasures nabs me some points:
Canary - 6
Trident - 4
Chalice - 10

And taking them back to the living room and storing them gets me some more:
Egg - 5
Canary - 4
Trident - 11
Chalice - 5

And now that I have a clear path I can drop everything but the torch and nab the painting. Getting it gives me 4 points and storing it 6 points.

That solves the mysterious disappearing items problem and the inventory problem. Now I can turn my eye on some of the other puzzles of the empire.

Puzzles:
A normal rainbow.
Two ugly reflections.
A rejection to hell.
A REALLY REALLY LOUD ROOM.
A pile of plastic.
A mysterious temple.
A fast bat.
A gassy room.
A trapped coffin

Inventory:
A screwdriver
A wrench
A Matchbook
A brass bell
Two Candles
A Black Book
A torch (providing light)
A brown sack
The brown sack contains:
A lunch
A clove of garlic
A sword
An air pump
A troll's axe
A stiletto

Treasures:
A scepter decorated with a rainbow of gems
A chest full of jewels
A bag chock full of golden coins
A beautiful painting
A jewel encrusted bear-shaped egg
A wind-up canary
A silver chalice
A crystal trident

Score:Your score is 194 (total of 350 points). This gives you the rank of Junior Adventurer.

Deaths: 9 (Grue fang, self-stabbed, troll axed, exploded-up, cyclops eaten, stiletto sliced x3, rusty knife'd.)

Quote:

Originally Posted by danowar

Also, Loki, what version of Zork are you playing?

Revision 88 / Serial number 840726

Ruik · #**106** 01-23-2009, 08:18 PM

Wait, you were able to take the painting just like that? I thought it was a puzzle that involved taking it out of its frame and rolling it up. Then again, it's been years and years since I've played the game. Also, I never knew your score made you a better fighter.

Master-J · #**107** 01-24-2009, 01:07 PM

Return to the Gas Room and peruse, sans any flaming objects. The bracelet was probably shiny (and shiny is good).

Loki · #**108** 01-24-2009, 02:28 PM

I would but there's a bat in the way.

Thinaran · #**109** 01-24-2009, 06:07 PM

Try ringing the bell in front of the bat.

Sky Render · #**110** 01-24-2009, 06:23 PM

It's a vampire bat, right? I bet the garlic will help somehow.

Master-J · #**111** 01-24-2009, 09:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sky Render

It's a vampire bat, right? I bet the garlic will help somehow.

Hmm... I now suggest that you rub the garlic all over yourself and search the mine shaft for the giant bat.

Octopus Prime · #**112** 01-25-2009, 03:15 PM

Wait, wait, I think I'm getting the hang of how this game works. The bat only wants to make you think it's a vampire so we'll use Garlic on it. So we've got to use the opposite of Garlic on it!

And what is the opposite of Garlic? That's right, a bejeweled Canary.

USE CANARY on BAT!

Master-J · #**113** 01-25-2009, 11:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OctoPrime

USE CANARY on BAT!

Interesting. Might as well cover all the bases: you should USE GARLIC on CANARY, then listen to OctoPrime (though the bat probably wants you to think that it wants you to think its a vampire).

liquidben · #**114** 01-28-2009, 04:35 PM

Woo, late coming to it, but this thread is good so far. Look at that proud birdy!

Anyway, I think we need to relax, lighten up, and be merry and gay. Let's take our rainbow scepter to the rainbow room and be the Rainbow King! (Beat that, Lone Wolf)

Loki · #**115** 02-01-2009, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thinaran

Try ringing the bell in front of the bat.

The problem is that the bat swoops down at me as soon as I enter the room. I don't have enough time to do anything before it whisks me away.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sky Render

It's a vampire bat, right? I bet the garlic will help somehow.

That's not a bad idea. I fish the garlic out of the sack and return to the Squeaky Room.

Quote:

>n
Bat Room
You are in a small room which has doors only to the east and south.
In the corner of the room on the ceiling is a large vampire bat who is obviously deranged and holding his nose.
There is an exquisite jade figurine here.
Your sword has begun to glow very brightly.

>give garlic to bat
The bat refuses it politely.

What a nice fellow. He's too polite to take the garlic so I just leave it on the floor. Nabbing the Jade figurine nets me five points.

Quote:

>e
Shaft Room
This is a large room, in the middle of which is a small shaft descending through the floor into darkness below. To the west and the north are exits from this room. Constructed over the top of the shaft is a metal framework to which a heavy iron chain is attached.
At the end of the chain is a basket.
Your sword is glowing with a faint blue glow.

I can lower and raise the basket but it doesn't seem to accomplish anything. Moving on.

Quote:

>n
Smelly Room
This is a small non-descript room. However, from the direction of a small descending staircase a foul odor can be detected. To the south is a narrow tunnel.
Your sword is no longer glowing.

I recognize that smell. It's gas. I bet 100 zorkmids that the room past here is the place I got blown up in before. I drop my torch and turn on the lantern before moving on.

Quote:

>d
Gas Room
This is a small room which smells strongly of coal gas. There is a short climb up some stairs and a narrow tunnel leading east.
There is a sapphire-encrusted bracelet here.

This is defiantly the place. Now that I'm not wielding an open flame I can take the bracelet for a cool five points. East takes me into the mine proper. It's like the maze but not so complicated.

Quote:

>e
Coal Mine
This is a non-descript part of a coal mine.

>ne
Coal Mine
This is a non-descript part of a coal mine.

>se
Coal Mine
This is a non-descript part of a coal mine.
There is a nasty knife here.

There's my knife again. This place seems as good as any so I leave it here.

Quote:

>sw
Coal Mine
This is a non-descript part of a coal mine.

>d
Ladder Top
This is a very small room. In the corner is a rickety wooden ladder, leading downward. It might be safe to descend. There is also a staircase leading upward.

>d
Ladder Bottom
This is a rather wide room. On one side is the bottom of a narrow wooden ladder. To the west and the south are passages leaving the room.

You'll have to excuse me for not drawing the ladder. If you want to know what it looked like imagine a ladder. There you go.

Quote:

>s
Dead End
You have come to a dead end in the mine.
There is a small pile of coal here.

Might as well. I take the coal, head back to the ladder, and go west.

Quote:

>w
Timber Room
This is a long and narrow passage, which is cluttered with broken timbers. A wide passage comes from the east and turns at the west end of the room into a very narrow passageway. From the west comes a strong draft.
There is a broken timber here.

If I drop my crap I might be able to fit through that passage. I drop everything but my lantern.

Quote:

>w
You cannot fit through this passage with that load.

Okay... I drop the lantern too. I hope that there's some light on the other side.

Quote:

>w
You have moved into a dark place.
It is pitch black. You are likely to be eaten by a grue.

Guess not... I head back east. I have to find a way of getting some light to the other side of the passage. I head back to the Living room and store the figurine and bracelet for five more points each.

Quote:

Originally Posted by liquidben

Anyway, I think we need to relax, lighten up, and be merry and gay. Let's take our rainbow scepter to the rainbow room and be the Rainbow King! (Beat that, Lone Wolf)

Ohhh! *giggle* I just love this suggestion. I take the scepter and hoof my way back down the canyon, make my to the rainbow, and raise the scepter proclaiming myself the king of fairies and unicorns.

Quote:

>raise scepter
Suddenly, the rainbow appears to become solid and, I venture, walkable (I think the giveaway was the stairs and bannister).
A shimmering pot of gold appears at the end of the rainbow.

A-ha! I knew there had to be some gold somewhere! Hoisting it scores ten points.

Quote:

>e
On the Rainbow
You are on top of a rainbow (I bet you never thought you would walk on a rainbow), with a magnificent view of the Falls. The rainbow travels east-west here.

I wonder what would happen if I raised the scepter again...

Quote:

>raise scepter
The structural integrity of the rainbow is severely compromised, leaving you hanging in mid-air, supported only by water vapor. Bye.

**** You have died ****

...only the obvious. RESTORE.

Quote:

>e
Aragain Falls
You are at the top of Aragain Falls, an enormous waterfall with a drop of about 450 feet. The only path here is on the north end.
A solid rainbow spans the falls.

On the other side of the canyon I can finally enter that cave I saw oh-so long ago.

Quote:

>n
Shore
You are on the east shore of the river. The water here seems somewhat treacherous. A path travels from north to south here, the south end quickly turning around a sharp corner.

Back in the Underground I find myself on the other side of the river. I can just make out the damn to the north.

Quote:

>n
Sandy Beach
You are on a large sandy beach on the east shore of the river, which is flowing quickly by. A path runs beside the river to the south here, and a passage is partially buried in sand to the northeast.
There is a shovel here.

Taking the shovel scores zero points. Hmph.

Quote:

>ne
Sandy Cave
This is a sand-filled cave whose exit is to the southwest.

Nothing here. Alright. I head back to the Living room and store the pot of gold for ten points.

Puzzles:
Two ugly reflections.
A rejection to hell.
A REALLY REALLY LOUD ROOM.
A pile of plastic.
A mysterious temple.
A trapped coffin.
A tight passage.
An empty, sandy cave.

Inventory:
A screwdriver
A wrench
A Matchbook
A brass bell
Two Candles
A Black Book
A torch (providing light)
A brown sack
The brown sack contains:
A lunch
A clove of garlic
A sword
An air pump
A troll's axe
A stiletto
A shovel
A piece of coal

Treasures:
A scepter decorated with a rainbow of gems
A chest full of jewels
A bag chock full of golden coins
A beautiful painting
A jewel encrusted bear-shaped egg
A wind-up canary
A silver chalice
A crystal trident
A jade figurine
A sapphire bracelet
A pot filled to the brim with gold

Score: Your score is 228 (total of 350 points). This gives you the rank of Adventurer. Full fledged!

Deaths: 10 (Grue fang, self-stabbed, troll axed, exploded-up, cyclops eaten, stiletto sliced x3, rusty knife'd, fell through a rainbow)

A map of all the places I've been can be seen here.

Octopus Prime · #**116** 02-01-2009, 07:36 PM

You have a shovel, and you have some sand.

If only there was some way to remove the sand from one area of the floor cave so you could see if there was anything buried in it, perhaps by using the shovel.

Oh but such things are but the dismissed ravings of madmen.

Merus · #**117** 02-02-2009, 04:40 AM

I think you should kill your first wife by stabbing them in the face with the shovel, then shovelling sand in their mouth.

Wait, wrong adventure game.

Red Hedgehog · #**118** 02-02-2009, 09:00 PM

Did we ever try smashing the mirror that were providing the reflections? This isn't Shadowgate, so I doubt we would be sucked out into the vacuum of space.

Also, I just reread the description of the folded pile of plastic. It has an attached valve. It's clearly a raft so let's pump it up with our bicycle pump and go rafting!

I also think we probably have enough information to figure out the way to banish the guards to hell, but can't quite get it. This is further than I've ever gotten in Zork.

Sky Render · #**119** 02-02-2009, 09:57 PM

Concerning the ritual, I think a candle would be just a bit more appropriate than a torch. I mean, they do generally use those in religious rites instead of already-lit and ever-burning torches. I'm just sayin'.

Brickroad · #**120** 02-05-2009, 01:46 PM

Speaking of candles, they're smaller and less cumbersome than torches or lanterns, so I bet you could light one and then get through that tight passage.