The Zork Library Forum

The Zork series was the 1st computer games I ever played. I happened to find the Zork Anthology at  a 2nd Saturday sale. It has Zork 1-3, Beyond Zork and Zork 0. I think I played 1 and 2 back in the 80s. Feeling nastalgic, I have decided to go through them all again.

I don't recall having the maps when I first bought this game in the 80s. I might be wrong but, I remember painstakingly drawing maps as I went.

My questions is if it generally considered cheating or does it make the game far too easy to use these provided maps. I just want to play the series the way it was meant to be played.

Comments?

Hello and welcome.

I discovered Infocom with the Activision 'collections' releases and they came with all the maps so I used 'em. I really didn't think them to be spoilers or cheats. They were still quite a challenge with the maps.

Well, if your like me and have no sense of direction when it comes to text only, then id say just use the maps otherwise you'll spend a large amount of time drawing them ANYWAYS. The maps for the games can be found on the main site where the game info resides.

That's what I figured and I am like you and have have no text sense of direction  :o. I figured it wouldn't make it much easier.  I'm curious to see what comes back to me after 20+ years. The only thing I remember clearly is being stuck for some time in the mirror room.

Thanks for your replies. Well it's off to Zork 1.....

ACK!!!  CHEATING, OF COURSE!!!!!

But then - you have already played the games, and drawn the maps - so there is probably no point in doing that all over again for a replay.  But I think that everyone who plays should have the joy and the frustration of creating their own maps at least once.  I remember being totally surprised at how different my maps were and the printed ones that came to me many, many years later.

I was missing one set of invisiclues - bought one off ebay recently, and the dork sent me another map - no invisiclues.  Chalking that one up to experience.  Argh.  Still looking for the elusive zorkmid - hoping to come across one some day for less than the $100 going price these days.

zorket

I would say that there is a very good reason to draw your own maps.  Especially if you don't have a good sense of direction.  The reason is this:

In text games, you don't 'see' yourself moving forward, turning left, etc.  But as you draw the map, moving that little line on the paper, drawing the boxes and where each of the exits are will greatly help to give you a genuine `feel' as to where you are and where you've been.  

Of course, using a pre-made map will let you see where you are and where everything else is, but your brain doesn't process it the same (IMHO).  I liken it to being in the car when someone else is driving verses when I'm driving myself.  I have little sense of where I am when someone else drives, but have a good feel for it when driving myself.  Drawing the map is like driving the pencil.

Also, the pre-rendered maps reveal other information before you are supposed to know it.  I suggest you draw your own map, and resort to the pre-rendered map when you are stuck.