Any Good Zcode Recommendations?

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Archived from groups: rec.games.int-fiction (More info?)

I just ordered "First Light" from Malinche. While I wait for it to arrive,
I'd like to play some good fantasy IF.

I've been sniffing around the IF archive and downloaded lots of Zcode games,
but have mostly been disappointed. I guess I'm trying to recreate the Zork
experience, but don't want to put up with the pale jokes of sexually
frustrated frat boys.

I'm looking for a really solid dungeon crawler with good descriptions and a
general sense that the game is authored by someone with both programming and
narrative chops. Even if it's not strictly a dungeon crawler, I'd like to
hear about it, as I'm having a hard time getting this sort of sense from
the reviews on the IF site.

Thanks!


--Bill
 
Archived from groups: rec.games.int-fiction (More info?)

Well, if you search Baf's Guide for Z-code, Fantasy>Cave Crawl, 4-star
games, you get nine games that seem to be what you're looking for.
Enlightenment looks like a good one; while I haven't played it, the
description says that it's "Zorkian". Unfortunately, my search for
5-star, Z-code, cave crawl games didn't turn up any matches.
 
Archived from groups: rec.games.int-fiction (More info?)

William L. Houts wrote:
> I'm looking for a really solid dungeon crawler with good descriptions
and a
> general sense that the game is authored by someone with both
programming and
> narrative chops. Even if it's not strictly a dungeon crawler, I'd
like to
> hear about it, as I'm having a hard time getting this sort of sense
from
> the reviews on the IF site.

A couple of games come to mind:

Hunter, in Darkness
http://baf.wurb.com/if/game/483

Wumpus 2000
http://www.dangermuff.com/n_wumpus2k.html

These games are extremely different from each other, but they both
present a modern take on the cave/dungeon crawl. Hunter, in Darkness
especially seems to fit what you're looking for; it has great
descriptions and lots of sensory details.

Greg
 
Archived from groups: rec.games.int-fiction (More info?)

William L. Houts wrote:
>
> I'm looking for a really solid dungeon crawler with good descriptions
> and a general sense that the game is authored by someone with both
> programming and narrative chops. Even if it's not strictly a dungeon
> crawler, I'd like to hear about it, as I'm having a hard time getting
> this sort of sense from the reviews on the IF site.

Not having played Zork to completion, you'll have to take my recommendations
with a grain of salt. But there are games that fit pretty well into your
description.

I would highly recommend:

Risorgimento Represso
(lots of description, traditional puzzle-solving, excellently programmed)

Also recommended:

The Dreamhold
(some clever puzzles, good writing & programming, different levels of
difficulty)

Savoir Faire
(pretty damn tricky but it's hard to beat for depth of implementation)


(Enlightenment, which another poster mentioned, is a one-room game and not
very long. Most comp games tend to be completeable in a short amount of
time, which may not be what you're interested in.)

I am also highly interested in what you think of First Light. I've played
the Demo but was so turned off I couldn't imagine what the rest of the game
would be like. Your opinion of it would be welcome on the newsgroup, I'm
sure.

--
Jess
 
Archived from groups: rec.games.int-fiction (More info?)

William L. Houts wrote:
> I just ordered "First Light" from Malinche. While I wait for it to
arrive,
> I'd like to play some good fantasy IF.
>
> I've been sniffing around the IF archive and downloaded lots of Zcode
games,
> but have mostly been disappointed. I guess I'm trying to recreate
the Zork
> experience, but don't want to put up with the pale jokes of sexually
> frustrated frat boys.
>
> I'm looking for a really solid dungeon crawler with good descriptions
and a
> general sense that the game is authored by someone with both
programming and
> narrative chops. Even if it's not strictly a dungeon crawler, I'd
like to
> hear about it, as I'm having a hard time getting this sort of sense
from
> the reviews on the IF site.
>
> Thanks!
> --Bill

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, of course, some games which are
widely considered good such as Photopia and Slouching Towards Bedlam
are probably not what you are looking for. You can try searching at
http://www.ifratings.com though you'll have to weed out the TADS and
Hugo entries if you are dead set on z-code. If you aren't I would
certainly recomend such TADS authors as Magnus Olsson and Michael J.
Roberts who I think write excellent games in a style you'd appreciate.

As for z-code I'll mention The Meteor, The Stone And A Long Glass Of
Sherbet; Heroes; and Savoir Faire

Hope this helps,
Cirk R. Bejnar
 
Archived from groups: rec.games.int-fiction (More info?)

On Fri, 11 Feb 2005 15:36:01 GMT, William L. Houts scrawled:

> I'm looking for a really solid dungeon crawler with good descriptions
> and a general sense that the game is authored by someone with both
> programming and narrative chops. Even if it's not strictly a dungeon
> crawler, I'd like to hear about it, as I'm having a hard time getting
> this sort of sense from the reviews on the IF site.
>
> Thanks!

Have you tried any of the ifcomp games? The top three usually tend to be
rather good - though unfortunately, I haven't had much time to play any of
this year's entries.

--
http://www.rexx.co.uk

To email me, visit the site.
 
Archived from groups: rec.games.int-fiction (More info?)

On Fri, 11 Feb 2005 15:39:55 GMT, Rexx Magnus scrawled:

> Have you tried any of the ifcomp games? The top three usually tend to be
> rather good - though unfortunately, I haven't had much time to play any
> of this year's entries.

Sorry, being '05 now, it should have read last year's.

--
http://www.rexx.co.uk

To email me, visit the site.
 
Archived from groups: rec.games.int-fiction (More info?)

cadaeib314@yahoo.ca wrote:

>Well, if you search Baf's Guide for Z-code, Fantasy>Cave Crawl, 4-star
>games, you get nine games that seem to be what you're looking for.
>Enlightenment looks like a good one; while I haven't played it, the
>description says that it's "Zorkian". Unfortunately, my search for
>5-star, Z-code, cave crawl games didn't turn up any matches.

The "Baf's Guide" website can be found at
http://www.wurb.com/if/

And there are other sites with reviews and game recommendations that I
think you will also find interesting. A great site with links
('Reviews and Links' on the right-hand sidebar) to some of these
sites, and to many more "IF"-related webpages is Parsifal:
http://www.firthworks.com/roger/parsifal/index.html


-- SteveG
(remove wrong word from my address if sending email)
 
Archived from groups: rec.games.int-fiction (More info?)

Spiritwrak [sic] is actually set in the underground empire - a clerical
version of Enchanter-type games if you like. It's pretty good for it's
time, though it has some annoyances. 4 stars on Baf.
 
Archived from groups: rec.games.int-fiction (More info?)

William L. Houts wrote:
> I just ordered "First Light" from Malinche. While I wait for it to
arrive,
> I'd like to play some good fantasy IF.
>
> I've been sniffing around the IF archive and downloaded lots of Zcode
games,
> but have mostly been disappointed. I guess I'm trying to recreate
the Zork
> experience, but don't want to put up with the pale jokes of sexually
> frustrated frat boys.
>
> I'm looking for a really solid dungeon crawler with good descriptions
and a
> general sense that the game is authored by someone with both
programming and
> narrative chops. Even if it's not strictly a dungeon crawler, I'd
like to
> hear about it, as I'm having a hard time getting this sort of sense
from
> the reviews on the IF site.
>
> Thanks!
>
>
> --Bill

I've been having a lot of fun playing "Jigsaw". Its not a dungeon
crawler, but it is similar to some of the later Infocom adventures in
its size, puzzle structure, quality, and occasional whimsy.

One dungeon crawl I enjoyed was Metamorphosis. The writing style and
plot is a bit higher-brow than most of Infocom, but then maybe that
isn't such a bad thing.

Dave
 
Archived from groups: rec.games.int-fiction (More info?)

I'd recommend Isle of the Cult - it's very Zork-flavored. I believe
you can find it at the IF Archive.
 
Archived from groups: rec.games.int-fiction (More info?)

> William L. Houts wrote:
> > I just ordered "First Light" from Malinche. While I wait for it to
> arrive,
> > I'd like to play some good fantasy IF.
> >
> > I've been sniffing around the IF archive and downloaded lots of Zcode
> games,
> > but have mostly been disappointed. I guess I'm trying to recreate
> the Zork
> > experience, but don't want to put up with the pale jokes of sexually
> > frustrated frat boys.
> >

I was thinking today about two underappreciated games that sort of feel
Zork-like. One, Tryst of Fate, is not really a dungeon crawl, only a
fantasy/Western, but has the Infocom feel -- single-use objects, all puzzle
and no story, leaps of intuition required. The other, Augmented 4th, is
very Zorky, fantasy and underground and funny as hell and all that.

It seems to me Tryst got some attention on the newsgroup when it came out --
lots of hint requests -- but only 3 people have given it ratings on the
IF-Ratings site, so I guess it's not an enduring classic.

Anyway, it occurred to me that you might like one or both of them. So might
other people trying to kill time while waiting for the Spring Thing... :)

--
Daphne
 
Archived from groups: rec.games.int-fiction (More info?)

In article <1108566799.285799.235260@c13g2000cwb.googlegroups.com>,
<dgenglish@hotmail.com> wrote:
>One dungeon crawl I enjoyed was Metamorphosis. The writing style and
>plot is a bit higher-brow than most of Infocom, but then maybe that
>isn't such a bad thing.

Wow.

I never thought of Metamorphoses as a "dungeon crawl."

But, yeah, I see how you could play it as one. That's pretty cool.

My take on it is that it's a lot like Dreamhold, only different. I'm
sure that's helpful. Dreamhold seems somehow dungeon-crawlier though.

Adam
 
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