Beyond Zork

Scorpia

WARNING! This article contains spoilers. Avert your eyes!

Tension vibrates through the air as though it was an almost physical force. The Guildmaster of Enchanters approaches the end of his quest and that ending will also bring about the ending of all magic. It is fore-ordained that magic must make way for science, but there is yet hope. If one stalwart soul can be found, one who can brave unimaginable dangers and obtain the fabled Coconut of Quendor, then all magical knowledge will not be lost. Some part of it can be saved for a future time: a time beyond magic ... beyond science ... beyond Zork

A Tough Coconut to Crack

As you can probably tell from the above, the events in Beyond Zork are concurrent with those in Spellbreaker. While the Guildmaster heads for his final showdown that will remove magic from the world, you are engaged in a desperate attempt to find the Coconut of Quendor, within which the remnants of magical lore can be preserved for an as-yet-undreamed-of posterity. It will be a very hard task.

The first order of business is to read the manual, because there are a lot of new features in this game, not the least of which is creating an individual character, much along the lines of a typical computer RPG, such as an Ultima or a Phantasie.

Characters come with six attributes: Strength, Endurance, Dexterity, Intelligence, Compassion, and Luck. All are initially set to a value of 1, and you have 60 points to distribute among them, however you like. If you prefer, however, you can choose one of the pre-created characters already on disk or have one randomly generated for you.

These are only starting values, though, because your attributes can go up (or, in some cases, down), depending on your actions during play and the results of using certain magical items. For instance, your endurance increases each time you reach a new level of experience; your compassion rises if you help certain creatures during the game; and your strength can be increased by magical potions, etc.

How these attributes interact with the game situations is never revealed to you; you can't really tell, for instance, whether the monster missed you because you had good dexterity or good luck. And even that could be changing from moment to moment.

Since Intelligence is the easiest attribute to increase and likely to be the first one to go up, you can start with a fairly low score here. Try not to set it too low, however, or you won't be able to read the magic scrolls, a considerable drawback. You can also start off with a low score in Compassion; this won't be needed until the endgame portion is reached, by which time you will have built it up to something respectable.

Endurance is by far the most important attribute. It governs how much punishment you can take before dying. Some of those monsters out there can hit (or otherwise damage you) pretty hard. Fortunately, you can always back out of an encounter, go to a safe place, and rest until your Endurance is back to normal. This is automatic; you don't need anything special with which to heal yourself, although there are items in the game that can speed up the process.

They Did The Monster Bash

One thing to keep in mind as you play Beyond Zork is that the monsters are not merely monsters. Many of them are, in a way, miniature puzzles to solve or obstacles to be overcome by methods other than sheer brute force of fighting. True, the monsters are all of the "mindless" variety. They simply fight on, no matter how gravely injured, until defeated. Defeated, by the way, does not mean death. When overcome, they usually crawl off somewhere, never to be seen again, and this can be frustrating.

That is why reading the little booklet that comes with the game, "The Lore and Legends of Quendor", is crucial to success. It isn't just window dressing; it contains a lot of valuable information about monsters and other things you will come across in the game. Keep it with you and consult it often, especially when confronted by a monster (not all monsters are in the booklet, however, and not all creatures in the booklet are monsters). Often, careful reading will reveal to you a way of eliminating the monster without having to go the hack-and-slash routine.

When running from monsters (a frequent occurrence), keep in mind that each patrols only a certain area, and will go no further. For example, the cruel puppet stays in the forest and won't go after you once you're out of it. Also, you'll soon notice that monsters tend to show up only in the random areas of the world and that each location has its own monster or monsters, which will be found there and nowhere else. There are no wandering monsters, as such, in the game.

Of course, there will be times when only a bonk from a club or a magic blast will do the job. You will have to determine those times for yourself as you become more experienced with the game and its denizens. Overall, if you are not familiar with RPG-style games, your best bet is to create a fairly balanced character, and start with that.

However, Beyond Zork does not really follow the classic patterns of CRPG's, so if you do have experience with them, don't let preconceived ideas lead you astray. Armor is a case in point. I went through much of the game with no armor whatsoever, having found, through experimentation, that in most cases, it didn't help all that much. Certain armor can help in certain places, but in general, you can get by without it.

One of the niftiest features in the game is the ability to define function keys (some might call them macros), to avoid the tedium of typing and retyping repetitive commands, such as ASK OLD WOMAN ABOUT, ATTACK MONSTER WITH CLUB (or axe, or sword), PARRY MONSTER, etc. Ten such function keys are available, and you can set them up any way you like.

The Random Problem Generator

However, there are some features of the game that will cause people to tear their hair out. Mapping, for one. Yes, there is a nice little partial map on the screen for you to see, in the upper right corner, and that is good. What is not so good is the fact that parts of the landscape are random.

Yep, I said random. These areas always have the same rooms, but they will be connected in different ways. Let's take a simple example, the cellar of the pub. You go down there, map out the rooms (not many), overcome the monsters (we hope), and then find you can't get out. So you restore to an earlier position, find something that will help you escape, and go in again.

You soon discover that your previous map of the cellar is useless; the rooms are now rearranged into a different pattern, and will have to be remapped. This can sometimes have unpleasant consequences, such as when running from a monster, only to find yourself in a dead end you weren't expecting. The only way to keep such areas stable is to go through them and then save the game. That will fix the pattern of rooms and connections for a particular location (the cellar, or the jungle, or wherever).

Randomness also extends to the magical items. Aside from scrolls, there is a stick, a wand, a staff, a stave, a cane, and a rod, as well as several potions. The properties of all these change, within certain limits. You never know what you have the first time you pick something up, and if you restore to an earlier position (or start a new game) that item will very likely not have the same property.

I discovered this the hard way in the cellar. Having found a mysterious rod, I pointed it at myself (no other targets being available) and it teleported me out of the cellar. How nice! I thought. Since I wasn't finished down there, I restored the game, did what had to be done, got the rod again, and pointed it at me. Unfortunately, this time it turned out to be a rod of Annihilation. Oops.

Since potions and most scrolls can only be used once and most rods, etc. only twice, the wise thing is to have them identified before you do anything else with them. Fortunately, this is easily accomplished by running to the Magick Shop and asking the old woman in charge about the item. Hence, the wisdom of setting up a function key for ASK OLD WOMAN ABOUT comes into play. There are a lot of things to ask about. Even better, there is no charge for identification!

At the start, therefore, the best thing to do is nip around the area, one step ahead of the monsters where necessary, picking up as much as you can, and then drop into the Magick shop to find out what you've garnered so far. However, don't be in a hurry to use it all.

There is a reason for using magic carefully and sparingly. One of the most frustrating experiences you will have in the game is not only deciding how to solve a particular puzzle (or even if you have what you need), but whether or not the method you have used (there may be several solutions) will prevent you from solving another problem further along in the game. The Staff (or rod, or wand, or whatever) of Annihilation is one example. It is very handy and blasts almost any monster out of your way. You can only use it twice, though. If you invoke its powers early in the game, a later point may find you up against a critter that is just too strong for you or too hard to kill with brute force. Then, you're stuck. So, you must strive to keep a balance among magic, muscle, and trickery at all times Don't be surprised if you find yourself doing a lot of restoring.

Trade Deficits and Display Windows

The shops (besides Magick, there is one for Armor and one for Weapons) have items for sale, and these can be bought with zorkmids or traded for with various valuable objects that you find on your travels. Note, however, that you will only get half-price for anything you trade. For instance, if you buy the axe, it costs 40 zorkmids. If you later sell it back, you will get only 20 zorkmids for it, but it would cost 40 if you wanted to buy it again. Plan your trades and purchases with care.

The new screen layout, once you get used to it, is quite nice. On the Apple //e, there are two inverse "windows", one long one across the top of the screen displaying your attributes, armor class, and current location, and a larger second one below the first that displays the room description. In the upper right hand corner is the partial map of the area, showing your present location and which ways you can go. The map updates with every move.

On the 16 bit machines, the layout is even fancier, and you can use the mouse to move from place to place by clicking on the map. However, if you prefer, you can turn off the special screen displays and have everything in all-text, just like any other Infocom. Nevertheless, I recommend using the special display (wish this was in other games, too).

Overall, Beyond Zork is a curious hybrid. It is mostly tough Infocom adventure with a patina of role-playing elements. While the elements are important to completing the quest, I never had the feeling that I was, in fact, playing an RPG-type game, in spite of the monsters I bashed, blasted, tricked, or otherwise maneuvered out of my way. They were, like everything else, simply obstacles to be overcome, one way or another; it was just that some methods were atypical for a standard Infocom.

What this means is, if you're worried about the RPG aspects in the game, you needn't be; for all the bells and whistles, it's still an Infocom adventure, although with a somewhat different flavor and point of view.

Bottom line: This new approach is tough and frustrating, but this makes it a good one for experienced players.

New Zork, New Zork

(Warning: This urbane section of the review gives both general and specific hints. Enter at your own risk!)

Since the game is so random in nature and many of the puzzles have more than one solution (for example, there are at least five ways of getting off Zeno's Bridge), giving specific hints for many of the situations wouldn't be of much help.

As noted before, you should try to collect as many magical items as possible at the start of the game. In most cases, they will be lying right out in the open for you to pick up, so it's pretty easy to amass a fair number of goodies. Of course, with monsters on your tail while you're doing this, expect to take a bit of damage now and then, so take the item and keep on moving.

The best thing of all to find is the Scroll of Recall. This, so far as I was able to determine, can be used over and over again without losing its power. It is extremely handy for getting you out of dead ends and other unpleasant places. Of course, you never know where it will turn up, so you may not come across it for a long time.

You will also need a weapon, so visit the wharf for a freebie. While the game calls it a shillelagh, you can refer to it by the much easier "club." It works just as well either way. Later, when you've accumulated a few treasure items, you can purchase a battleaxe or a sword.

Once you've collected some goodies, you can begin working on the game in earnest. You might want to save first, and experiment with the various magical objects (after they've been identified, of course), to get an idea of what they actually do, and what their limits are. Some items, for instance, work only on living things, while other items can affect almost anything, living or not. Better to know that now, than to get an unpleasant surprise in the heat of battle.

Two areas that should be investigated early on are the pub cellar and the lighthouse. Until you've completed those, much of the game will be closed off to you. Make sure you go over the lighthouse thoroughly in your explorations. There is more here than may, at first, be apparent. Keep the booklet handy.

The jungle (or rather, the jewel in the idol in the jungle) is a more-or-less stand-alone puzzle. This one can be done at almost any time, provided you first get rid of the crocodile and bloodworm and have the necessary object or two. The sapphire is the single most valuable treasure in the game and will allow you to buy an equally-valuable item you will need later on.

You may have some trouble (perhaps a lot of trouble) with the monkey grinder in Accardi-By-The-Sea. He is far too nimble for you to ever land a blow on him and he is also pretty quick at dodging or reflecting magical attacks. That doesn't seem to leave much, but there is a way. Read the booklet.

When wandering through the dismal Fields of Frotzen, keep a careful eye on the giant corbies. Fortunately, they don't attack, but they will prevent you from reaching a particular spot, unless you know how to keep them away. Observe the scarecrows with care, and remember you only get one chance to visit the land of Froon.

Up in the mountains, you will find a small village menaced by the annual migrations of the dreaded Christmas Tree Monsters. Swishing their tinsel, blinking their lights, singing "Dwaarnyn The Dark-Nosed Ur-Grue", they are kept at bay by a single glyph inscribed in snow. They are also blocking the westward path, and you'll have to find a way past them. A caterpillar would certainly help, although you won't find any in the immediate vicinity. You'll have to do a little work to get one, too. Meditate on the nature of caterpillars.

Of all the puzzles in Beyond Zork, the single most difficult one is the arch in the Ruins and it is probably best left for later. Activating the arch is no problem. A simple examination of it will show you what you need. After that, it gets nasty, and solving the problem of the helmet will require some very intense thought in your part. All I'll say is that when you get stuck, consider something (perhaps more than one) that hasn't seemed to have been of any particular use yet in the game.

There are lesser puzzles in the game, including penetrating the lair of the Ur-Grue, although after everything else, this one is really fairly easy (with the right thing, of course), but the solution is a pretty one, simple though it may be.

© 1987 by Scorpia, all rights reserved.

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