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Xref: bloom-picayune.mit.edu comp.sys.ibm.pc.games:26758 rec.games.misc:39281 news.answers:4622 Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!enterpoop.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!micro-heart-of-gold.mit.edu!xn.ll.mit.edu!ames!data.nas.nasa.gov!taligent!apple!warren From: warren@Apple.COM (Chris Warren) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games,rec.games.misc,news.answers Subject: ADMIN: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games - Frequently Asked Questions - Read before posting Summary: This file should be read by anyone who wishes to post to the comp.sys.ibm.pc.games news group. It contains the following: 1 a list of frequently asked questions about games for the IBM PC and compatabiles, 2 Glossary of terms used by comp.sys.ibm.pc.games 3 Compilation of the most common bugs in games 4 Compilation of the most common hint requests Keywords: questions,hints,faq,info Message-ID: <75627@apple.apple.COM> Date: 15 Dec 92 22:42:35 GMT Reply-To: warren@apple.com Followup-To: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games Organization: Apple Computer Inc., Cupertino, CA Lines: 1128 Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.Edu Archive-name: pc-games-FAQ Last-Modified: 1992/10/15 Posting Frequency: Once a week NOTE cross-posting -------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------- comp.sys.ibm.pc.games ------------------------- ----------------------------- FAQ in 4 Parts ----------------------------- --------------------------- Rev date 10/15/92 ---------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Contents: Note: if you want to skip to a later part of this document search for the string "Part <n>" where n is 1 to 4. On UNIX, using rn or more type "/Part <n>" (example "/Part 4:" to go to the section on Game Spoilers) Part 1: General Questions The folowing questions are covered in part 1. You can search for the coresponding number with your editor if you want to skip to that question On UNIX, using rn or more type /<number>: (example "/4:") 1: What is comp.sys.ibm.pc.games? 2: What should I be aware of when posting to comp.sys.ibm.pc.games? 3: What are all these other game groups? 4: What is a Spoiler? 5: How should I post a spoiler? 6: How do I FTP? 7: Where can I download public domain games. 8: Where can I get hints/solutions to games? 9: Where can I get cracks and or cheats for various games? 10: Which sound board should I buy? 11: Where to get the Sound Site Newsletter? 12: Where can I get music players/music files/music editors/songs/etc. for my pc's music card? 13: What is the difference between the Sound Blaster and the Sound Blaster Pro? 14: My 386/33 and Sound Blaster seem incompatible. I get garbled music when playing Ultima6/SSI games/etc. What's wrong? 15: Where can I get Infocom games? Can somebody mail me a copy (since they're out of business anyway (Is that legal?) What happened to them anyway? 16: Where can I Buy/Get support for games? 17: How do I get a particular game to best run under OS/2? Part 2: Glossary Did you ever wonder about the meaning of IMHO, CoAB, LSL5, or any of the other acronyms that fly fast and furious in this group, look here for info. Part 3: FAQ -- Game Bugs Compilation of the most common bugs in games. They are arranged by game and are by no means comprehensive but they should help people who get stuck in areas of poor game design or just plain difficulty. Part 4: FAQ -- Game Spoilers Compilation of the most common spoiler problems. They are arranged by game and are by no means comprehensive but they should help people who get stuck in areas of poor game design or just plain difficulty. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Administrivia/Soapbox: Hello, here is your friendly neighborhood FAQ [person, sacrafical lamb, lemming, ??? :] Welcome to the new group! There are still a few questions I need answers for. Please email me additions, corrections, or whatever and I will incorporate them in the next version. This FAQ will be posted every week or so. For the time being, this will crossposted to rec.games.misc for purposes of smoothing the transition to the new group. Cheers Chris Warren (editor without cause) ------------------------ Part 1: General Questions ----------------------- 1: What is comp.sys.ibm.pc.games? A: This group arose out of rec.games.misc. For some time, that group had been dominated by discussions of MSDOS games. This has proved confusing to new people, and tended to starve out non MSDOS, non computer oriented traffic. The charter of this group is to provide a forum for the discussion of games for the IBM PC or compatible machines. This is not just limited to MS-DOS, but extends to OS/2, Windows and anything else which can run on an IBM PC compatible. For example (not comprehensive): o Discussion of upcoming games o Discussion of software companies o Discussion of current and past games o Requests for help o Hints and spoilers o Personal sales and trading of games. Not for commercial sales or piracy. Any risk assumed is your own. o Discussion of locations of new demos and ftp sites Certain games have their own newsgroup. These include the games: Corewar,Empire, Hack, Moria, and Rogue. See question three for more details. Questions pertaining to one of those games should be posted to that group, and possibly here if it is of general enough interest. Also certain games that come out on the PC tend to migrate to other platforms, so this group can serve as a resource for people with questions about those games as well. 2: What should I be aware of when posting to this comp.sys.ibm.pc.games? When you post an article there a few things you can do to make life easier for others. a) Subject Headers: Note the following is voluntary. It is being suggested because it will make everyone's life easier if people use it. However if you don't use it, the net.police are not going to haul you away (or flame you away:) On the other hand, please use it and people will thank you forever, or at least until their local newsfeed runs expire. Use an all caps prefix followed by a colon to indicate the type of message. This allows others to quicky find your article if it pertains to a particular topic. Here is a list of common prefixs. [feel free to suggest others or changes] HELP: Message asking for help in a game. Replies to these messages can often contain SPOILERS. SPOILER: A message which gives something away about a game and doesn't fall under HELP: BUG: Message about a bug in a game, how to get arround a particular bug, how to get patches to fix bugs, etc. TECHHELP: Message asking for help in getting a game to run on your machine. UPCOMING: Message talking about an upcomming game REVIEW: Message reviewing a particular game 4SALE: Posting for personal sales or trading of games or game wanted. Not for commercial sales or piracy. Any risk assumed is your own. WANTED: A message posted by someone who is looking for something. ADMIN: Administrative and group info type stuff. The FAQ falls under this category MISC: Misceleneous topic FLAME: Message whose primary purpose is to vent one's spleen. If you don't use a heading, then at least please use an indication of the game that you are talking about in the subject line. For example for Civilization use a header like CIV: so people who don't care about Civilization can ignore the message. Also try to use the same header that other people use. In any event, subject line should be indicative of the contents of the message. Please don't post something with a vague title like "Question" or "Info wanted" b) Understand about SPOILERS. See question 4. c) While it is OK to talk about removing copy protection for legitimate owners of games. It is NOT cool to talk about how to pirate software, or to post requests for pirated copies of software. There sometimes can be a fine line between these two so care should be taken with respect to these areas. It is all too easy to start a flame war... (he runs for cover) 3: What are all these other game groups? A: bit.listserv.games-l -- This newsgroup is mostly for MS-DOS games, but since many people on bitnet have access to only bit.listserv.games-l you'll see all kinds of posts from Amiga questions to Nintendo questions. comp.sys.amiga.games -- Amiga specific games comp.sys.mac.games -- Macintosh specific games rec.arts.int-fiction -- Covers interactive fiction (generalized term that includes adventure games) from the standpoint of developing int-fiction as a new literary genre. For implementors of int-fiction more than players. rec.games.corewar -- Group for Core War, CRobots and other games that involve programming. rec.games.design -- General game design issues. Currently focuses on non computer based roleplaying games. Could be of interest to designers of CRPGs (Computer Role Playing Games) rec.games.frp -- Covers mostly non computer RPGs rec.games.mud -- Multi-User Dungeon rec.games.mud.lp Cool multiplayer Zork type games that you can hook onto over the internet. You text adventure type should check this, if you like the idea of playing in a zork game with other people where you can help build the universe! rec.games.pbm -- Discussion of play-by-mail games. rec.games.pinball -- Discussion of pinball, both for players of coin-op pinball games and pinball collectors. rec.games.programmer -- Discussion of the implementation and programming of computer games of all types. rec.games.rpg -- Unofficial newsgroup that is a visceral clone of rec.game.frp and a source of major irritation [read flamewars] for all involved. be a net.person.good and use rec.games.frp :) [follow up this topic on alt.flame] rec.games.vectrex -- Discussion of the discontinued Vectrex vector graphics home game system. rec.games.video -- Discussion of dedicated home video game systems (i.e. Nintendo, Genesis) and the dedicated video game market in general. Computer games are occasionally discussed, especially those for older computers (i.e. Commodore 64, Atari 8-bit, Apple II). rec.games.video.arcade -- A group for discussion of arcade games (in arcades). They discuss old classics as well as current games. rec.games.netrek, -- discussion about realtime, multiplayer alt.games.xtrek space combat games Netrek and Xtrek. [ PLEASE add to this list and/or the above descriptions ] 4: What is a Spoiler? A: Anything that gives away information about a game, which could hurt a player's enjoyment of a game. It comes from "Spoil the Surprise." In this context it usually refers to the solution to a puzzle, or a description of the ending animation sequence for a game. Most people get really *pissed* if you post a spoiler with out a SPOILER WARNING. Example of a Spoiler [made up by Bryon Daly] This comes from *no* game (yet:) Hey guys: In Kazoos Of Doom, I just used the +3 Accordion Of Boredom to kill the guard and solve the riddle. Now I'm stuck on how to get down to the next level... 5: How should I post a spoiler? A: At minimum you should include the word SPOILER in your subject line and a line in your message that indicates that a Spoiler follows. One way to do this is as follows: [SPOILER ALERT] ^L (control-L) 24 carriage returns <text of spoiler> [END SPOILER ALERT] Spoilers should definitely include a form-feed character (control-L) to avoid 'giving away' the secrets. Use of multiple CR's to support readers in window oriented environments like the Mac is recommended in addition to the control-L. Some people argue with justification that newsreaders that don't support control-L as a pause are broken, and some people argue that control-L doesn't make sense in a window environment, but spoilers should definitely have a ^L included to follow usenet conventions - and support workstation readers who may have large screens. Details of inserting a cntl-L / form-feed depend very much on one's system and/or editor - the following advice may not work for everyone or even a majority of people. On some UNIX systems (maybe others), you have to type the "escape" key to enter a control. The escape key is _not_ the esc. You type ^V then ^L, and the ^L will be entered into the text. Otherwise, just a ^L will clear the screen. 6: How do I FTP? A: First of all Those without FTP access should send e-mail to mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu with "send usenet/news.answers/finding-sources" in the body to find out how to do FTP by e-mail. [Thanks to John Gordon and Stephen M. Smith for most of what follows] [We are assuming that you are on a UNIX machine. If you are using something else, you are on your own. Sorry :( ] Directions 1) From your system prompt, type "ftp <host-name>", where <host-name> is the name of the host machine that you are trying to get to. Example: "ftp cica.cica.indiana.edu". Note: In some cases you may not be able to use the name, you will have to use the IP address number. This number is 4 numbers separated by dots, i.e. "135.56.9.2". If you have to do it this way, you would type "ftp 135.56.9.2". Presumably you can obtain the IP number from the same place you got the host-name. Or use the /usr/etc/nslookup command to find the IP number from a machine name. 2) When you connect to the host, you will have to enter a login and probably a password. Most sites support what is called "Anonymous FTP", this means that you enter "anonymous" as your login and then enter your real login as you password, i.e. "joe@comp.node.whatever". Some sites accept "ftp" as an anonymous login rather than "anonymous". I have heard that sysadmins rarely check what you entered for your password, but it is courteous to be truthful. NOTE: Most sites don't want you using anonymous FTP during prime-time, which is usually 7am-6pm *local* time. Note: Local time can often be hard to determine just from a site's name. You can use the command "telnet <site> daytime" or, failing that, "telnet <site> 13", will give the system time at <site>. 3) After you have successfully logged on, you can use "cd" and "ls", among other commands, to get where you want in the directory tree. 4) Once you are in the correct directory and know what files you want, you can use "get" to copy single files, i.e. "get file1.c", or "mget" to copy multiple files, i.e. "mget *.zip". NOTE: If the files you are copying are not plain-text files, i.e. compressed files, binary data files, etc. you will want to set the transfer mode to binary. You can do this by entering "type binary". "binary" or "tenex" may also work. 5) If you get stuck, you can type "help" or "?" and get a list of FTP commands that you can use. "man ftp" from your system prompt will also be helpful. 6) If any of the files you copied have a .Z, .shar, and/or .tar extensions, you will have to play around with the files a bit before you can use them. Check out the man pages for the commands "uncompress" (for .Z files), "shar" (for .shar files), and "tar" (for .tar files). 7) Software obtained this way will probably not have viruses, but you never know. Be careful out there. Note: I say that "it will probably not have viruses" because there is simply more "clean" software out there than there is "dirty" software, not because FTP is somehow inherently safer. Note: [thanks flee@guardian.cs.psu.edu] About ftping, what "binary" means is that the remote system is compatible with your system, and ftp will send an exact image of the file (Type I stands for Image). If, for example, both systems are Unix systems, then you can always use binary mode, even for retrieving text files. Binary mode will be a little faster, because the systems will not have to convert back and forth between local ascii and network ascii. Type tenex (L 8) is used to talk to DEC-10s and DEC-20s and other machines with 9-bit bytes. Machines with 8-bit bytes (which is nearly everyone else) need to specify the "L 8" type to send binary files to and from those machines. Of the ftp sites you list, I think WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL is the only host that needs type tenex. Example FTP session with Anotations > ftp wuarchive.wustl.edu Connected to wuarchive.wustl.edu. 220 wuarchive.wustl.edu FTP server (Version 6.11 Fri Aug 16 07:53:21 CDT 1991) Name (wuarchive.wustl.edu:myname): anonymous [enter "anonymous" or "ftp" for sign-on name] 331 Guest login ok, send e-mail address as password. Password: ["guest" usually works, otherwise put in your real email address for the password] 230-Welcome, archive user! This is an experimental FTP server. If you 230-have any unusual problems, please report them via e-mail to 230-root@wuarchive.wustl.edu. If you do have problems, please try using a 230-dash (-) as the first character of your password -- this will turn off 230-the continuation messages that may be confusing your ftp client. 230 Guest login ok, access restrictions apply. ftp> cd /pub/MSDOS_UPLOADS/demos [change to the appropriate directory with the "cd" command, and make sure your directory dividers are "/" not "\"] 250 CWD command successful. ftp> ls ["list" the contents of the directory; for a full description use "dir" or "ls -l"] 200 PORT command successful. 150 Opening ASCII mode data connection for file list. hover.zip lemmings.zip vectdemo.zip swotl.unp.txt.Z 226 Transfer complete. 56 bytes received in 0.03 seconds (1.8 Kbytes/s) ftp> binary [for any file OTHER than a text file, change to binary transfer by entering "binary"; some sites use the word(s) "tenex" or "type L 8" instead of "binary"; to change back to make a text (ASCII) transfer enter the word "ascii"] 200 Type set to I. ftp> get hover.zip [enter "get (filename)" to transfer the file to your site from the remote site] 200 PORT command successful. 150 Opening BINARY mode data connection for hover.zip (424060 bytes). 226 Transfer complete. local: hover.zip remote: hover.zip 424060 bytes received in 38 seconds (11 Kbytes/s) ftp> quit [enter "quit" or "bye" to leave the ftp session] 221 Goodbye. > [you are returned to your system prompt] 7: Where can I download public domain games. A: here are someplaces. [please post more] risc.ua.edu 130.160.4.7 pub/games/pc PC games[?] sumex-aim.stanford.edu 36.44.0.6 ??? Mac Software mac.archive.umich.edu 141.211.164.153 ??? Mac Software msdos.archive.umich.edu 141.211.164.153 ??? Dos Software Note: Last two are the same machine. Can be accessed by archive.umich.edu ftp.ulowell.edu 129.63.32.1 msdos/Games Apogee games, some demos, misc stuff nic.funet.fi 128.214.6.100 Major Europeen site for games grape.ecs.clarkson.edu 128.153.28.12 everywhere MSDOS games Note: The stuff at this archive is rather jumbled up, and games can be found in many directories Here is a place to get demos for games: wuarchive.wustl.edu /pub/MSDOS_UPLOADS/demos. ftp.ulowell.edu 129.63.32.1 /pub /msdos/Games/Demo Here are some random ftp sites that may have games aisun1.ai.uga.edu language processing, msdos iraun1.ira.uka.de ham-radio, msdos, internet mdaali.cancer.utexas.edu software, msdos, mac msdos.archive.umich.edu 03/01/91 anonymous/odin@pilot.njin.net novell.macc.wisc.edu msdos) procyon.cis.ksu.edu unix-pc, pd modula2, msdos, quiche.cs.mcgill.ca 132.206.51.1 sites, msdos, bible, Hubble rusmv1.rus.uni-stuttgart.de msdos, unix, mathematics schizo.samsung.com networking sw, msdos, gifs, sirius.ucs.adelaide.edu.au modula 3, msdos, aus.aarnet vaxb.acs.unt.edu msdos, amiga, midi, network wuarchive.wustl.edu 128.252.135.4 comp.sources.x, msdos, cc.sfu.ca 128.189.32.250 msdos, mac csc2.anu.edu.au 130.56.4.25 sun-fixes, RFCs, NCSA, msdos, doc.cso.uiuc.edu 128.174.33.105 msdos (pcsig), mac f.ms.uky.edu 128.163.128.6 mac, msdos, unix-pc garbo.uwasa.fi 128.214.12.37 msdos, win3, ts-progs, unix, grape.ecs.clarkson.edu 128.153.28.129 Opus BBS, msdos, graphics, iesd.auc.dk 130.225.48.4 amiga, mac, msdos, myth mars.ee.msstate.edu 130.18.64.3 msdos, amiga, mac, atari, meap.uta.edu 129.107.2.20 msdos engineering/science sw msdos.archive.umich.edu 141.211.165.34 msdos, mac mtsg.ubc.ca 137.82.27.1 msdos, unix, amiga, os2 orc.olivetti.com 129.189.192.20 msdos fax netinfo rfc peace.waikato.ac.nz 130.217.64.62 anu-news gnu msdos mac ncsa plains.nodak.edu 134.129.111.64 apple, msdos, mac, amiga, shasta.scl.cwru.edu 129.22.32.7 smail/pc, msdos, gif, packet sparky2.esd.mun.ca 134.153.11.101 NewPet and QuikPlot msdos sumex.edu ??? Mac Software um.cc.umich.edu 35.1.1.43 msdos, mac, apple, atari vega.hut.fi 130.233.200.42 msdos, mac, Kermit, fusion vmtecmex.cem.itesm.mx 132.254.1.4 amiga, msdos, gif vuwcom.vuw.ac.nz 130.195.2.10 kermit, mac, msdos, vms wsmr-simtel20.army.mil 192.88.110.20 msdos, unix, cpm, mac (tenex) NOTE: A simply massive ftplist can be downloaded from the Document Site: typhoon.Berkeley.EDU(128.32.184.254) in pub/Library This place has a lot of other documents also. 8: Where can I get hints/solutions to games? A: See Part 3 of the FAQ for Frequently Asked Hints/Bugs or use ftp, see below. Here are ftp sites [please post more] risc.ua.edu 130.160.4.7 -- pub/games/solutions This is in the US, and it largely duplicates nic.funet.fi nic.funet.fi 128.214.6.100 -- pub/misc/games.solutions This is in Finland, and it largely duplicates risc.ua.edu NOTE: when ftp'ing to nic.funet.fi you MUST enter your email address as the password in order to be able to access the appropriate subdirectories! Mark Jacobson provided the following additional sites using an archie search. No IP numbers were provided... faui43.informatik.uni-erlangen.de /mounts/cyber/cyber/pc/games/solutions hilbert.math.ksu.edu /pub/pc/games/hints sun0.urz.uni-heidelberg.de /pub/game_solutions There are no walkthroughs on the Internet for the following games. [Thanks to Carl Hommel for this info] Ultima 4 Bards Tale II Eye of the Beholder (postscript maps available from someplace in Oz) Might & Magic I, III (hint books cost $12) The SSI "Gold Box" games (hint books cost $15) Pool of Radiance Curse of the Azure Bonds Secret of the Silver Blades Pool of Darkness Wizardry I - V An EotB walkthrough is the *most* frequently asked walkthrough question. Earn eternal fame by being the first to write/upload one! the following solutions had been uploaded to risc.ua.edu... directory /pub/games/solutions sol.elvira - Elvira sol.elvira2 - Elvira II sol.eob2 - Eye of the Beholder II sol.geisha - Geisha (not done by me) sol.iceman - Codename : ICEMAN sol.kol - Knights of Legend sol.lostinla - Les Manley II - Lost in L.A. sol.martianmemorandam - Martian Memorandum sol.mm3 - Might & Magic III sol.monkey - Secret of Monkey Island sol.monkey2 - Secret of Monkey Island II sol.uukrul - The Dark Heart of Uukrul sol.willy - The Adventures of Willy Beamish sol.wizardry6 - Bane of the Cosmic Forge (not done by me) sol.zyca - Legend of the Zyca 9: Where can I get cracks and or cheats for games? A: I appologize if the following gets a bit preachy but I think it is important to be clear about this newsgroup's attitude towards cracks and piracy given the wide distribution that this list gets. First of all, the administrators of this site [and your editor] see that these cracks are for the *legal* owners of software only. Don't use them for piracy. The readership of this newsgroup includes people who work in the software industry [myself included] and in particular people who work for the game companies providing us with the games we love to play. Sometimes they get a bit over zealous in trying to protect their livelyhood and we are forced to resort to cracks [and I get as pissed off as anybody about intrusive copy protection schemes). Being pissed off about copy protection however, does NOT make it right to steal their software. It should be noted that the distribution of cracks, patches, and cheats are legal as long as they do not contain ANY code from a copy righted program. It is however illegal to give out a cracked copy of a program to your friends (enemies or anyone for that matter). Some people believe that applying a patch may violate the "shrink wrap" license that comes with some software. It has been mentioned on this newsgroup that these "shrink wrap" licenses do not constitute a legal contract and have never been held up in court. This author will neither confirm or deny this. [I have always wanted to say that:)] The site: The games cracks area has been moved to ftp.uwp.edu:/pub/msdos/romulus There is also a mirror of ulowell there /pub/msdos/games 10: Which sound board should I buy? A: Read the sound site newsletter, which will tell you everything you ever wanted to know about sound* (* but were afraid to ask:) 11: Where to get the Sound Site Newsletter? A: The Sound Site Newsletter is posted monthly or bimonthly to comp.sys.ibm.pc.games, comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc, and comp.sys.mac.misc under the subject heading "Sound Newsletter #?". If possible, obtain a copy from one of those newsgroups. The editor for the newsletter is David Komatsu; he may be reached at one of the following three email addresses: sound@ccb.ucsf.edu, davek@uhunix.uhcc.hawaii.edu, and komatsu@aludra.usc.edu. For back issues of the Sound Site Newsletter, obtain the latest copy and follow the directions given in it. 12: Where can I get music players/music files/music editors/songs/etc. for my pc's music card? A: Read the Sound Site Newsletter. 13: What is the difference between the Sound Blaster and the Sound Blaster Pro? A: [??? will this be in the Sound Site Newsletter?] 14: My 386/33 and Sound Blaster seem incompatible. I get garbled music when playing Ultima6/SSI games/etc. What's wrong? A: On some fast machines there are timing problems with certain game's software. Try turning off the cache or lowering the CPU speed. 15: Where can I get Infocom games? Can somebody mail me a copy (since they're out of business anyway (Is that legal?) What happened to them anyway? A: [Thanks to Dave Lebling (Infocom co-founder) for the definitive info on this] The Lost Treasures of Infocom is now available at Software ETC, Electronic Boutiques and other fine stores everywhere. $59.95 list, EB price is $54.95. 20 Infocom games included - all the Zork series, HHGTTG, etc. Whatta deal - less than $3.00 a game! Lost Treasures 2 is now out and contains 11 more games. It's been seen at Electronics Boutique for $38. 38/11 = $3.45 per game! The remaining Interactive Fiction Plus games are here (Trinity, Mind Forever Voyaging), but no Leather Goddesses I, and no more of the graphic Infocom games (Arthur, Shogun, Quarterstaff, Journey). In addition to The Lost Treasures, Activision recently released a sequel to Leather Goddesses of Phobos, written by Steve Meretzky. It's a hypercard-esque interface, not a text adventure. This was release under the Infocom label. Also under the Infocom label is a line of other non-text games (Battletech, etc). Check out the stuff from Legend Entertainment. It's the closest thing to the old Infocom stuff around now. (Titles include Spellcasting 101 and 201, Timequest, and Frederik Pohl's Gateway). Infocom never went out of business. It went deeply into debt to develop a database product (named Cornerstone) that was a commercial flop. It went shopping for a merger and found Activision, which later changed its name to Mediagenic. What did happen is that in May of 1989 Mediagenic closed down the "real" Infocom in Cambridge, MA, and laid (almost) everyone off. All the releases up through Zork Zero, Shogun, Journey, and Arthur were developed in Cambridge. [Nathan Torkington writes] Infocom were bought by Mediagenic, and are now simply a label under which games are released. The most recent Infocom releases are graphical adventures. UK readers will be happy to learn that the games are available from Virgin Mastertronic (a budget software house in the US). I'll include a copy of my personal FAQ on how to get the games from Mastertronic. [Dave Lebling writes] Mediagenic licensed the UK rights to the games to Virgin Mastertronic about two years ago. Mediagenic went nearly bankrupt, was taken over by outside investors, and taken through a so-called "pre-packaged Chapter 11 bankruptcy" in January, 1992. As part of that process, they changed their name back to Activision, moved from Silicon Valley down to LA, and recently merged with a company owned by the investors (called The Disc Company). [Nathan Torkington writes] Douglas Adams' "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" adventure game is being reissued by Virgin Mastertronic. Their advertisement in the Aug/Dept 1991 "XS NRG" magazine (hey, it's not mine! - I wouldn't buy something with that tacky a title) shows the covers to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Zork I PlanetFall Wishbringer Leather Goddesses of Phobos Zork II Zork III Enchanter Sorcerer Deadline and the text reads: Ten good reasons to use your imagination Classic infocom interactive fiction is back -- at an irresistible price. Available on PC, Amiga & ST : #9.99 (# == British pound) INFOCOM from Mastertronic For further information please contact: Customer Services Virgin Mastertronic Ltd 16 Portland Road London W11 2LA Tel: 071 - 727 8070 I hope this helps. Remember that if you write to them asking how to order the game, it would be a good idea to let them know how much you enjoy interactive fiction (text adventures). That way they may (re?)release more .. 16: Where can I buy/get support for games? A: "Where to get..." Electronic Boutique has a toll-free order line. (800) 800-0032. [AmEx/MasterCard/VISA, personal check, Money Order]. CompuAdd has a toll-free order line. (800) 627-1967. [Discover/MasterCard/VISA, certified check, Money Order]. Egghead has toll-free order line. (800) 347 5400. [I assume major credit cards. Check? Money Order?] [can someone who is outside the US send me info on getting games] [internationally] "Game Maker Support" A number of game companies have BBS systems that their customers can call to leave technical support questions, get updated game versions, find out product information, etc. The ones I've signed on to in the last month are: Accolade (408) 296-8800 Microprose (301) 785-1841 Origin (512) 328-8402 Sierra (209) 683-4463 (*) (*) Hints for most of their games available online! Other useful BBS numbers: DAK (are we talking deals???) (818) 715-7153 Logitech (mice, etc) (415) 795-0408 Thanks sgil@netcom.netcom.com (Steve Gilbert) for this info 17: How do I get game X to best run under OS/2 2.0? A: [thanks to Stephen M Smith for this info] FTP to ftp-os2.nmsu.edu (128.123.35.151) and download the file named games10.txt (the '10' is the version number and will change of course). It will be located in one of the /pub/os2 sub- directories; try /pub/os2/2.0/info first. This info file has general tips that give optimum DOS settings for best game performance and a specific games section that lists games in alphabetical order and provides hints for running each game under OS/2. If you do not have FTP access, check the gaming groups or comp.os.os2.apps to see if a copy has been posted there, or send an email note to smsmith@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu and request a copy. -------------------------- Part 2: Glossary ------------------------------- Note: Any time I use series in a description, it means that the word is usually followed by a number (sometimes a roman numeral) i.e. KQ5 or KQ V is King's Quest 5, the fifth installment of Kings Quest. Adlib Adlib -- A brand of Sound Card AD&D Advanced Dungeons & Dragons -- See rec.games.frp AG Adlib Gold -- Fancer version of Adlib that competes better with Sound Blaster AOTP Aces of the Pacific -- Military aerial combat game BotCF Bane of the Cosmic Forge (Wizardry VI) -- Part of the Wizardy series by Sir Tech BT Bards Tale -- A fantasy roleplaying series from Electronic Arts BTW By The Way -- Expression used by net.people CGA Color Graphics Adapter -- Old style graphics adapter from IBM. This was used for ancient games [I think it was 320x200 with 4 colors] CIV Civilization -- "Conquer the world" simulation game CoAB Curse of the Azure Bonds -- Computer based AD&D game from SSI EGA Extended Graphics Adapter -- Previous generation of graphics adapter, used for most of older games. (includes a 320x200 16 color mode, which was the old standard for games) EOB,EoB Eye Of the Beholder -- mouse based AD&D game from SSI FAQ Frequently Asked ?s -- Self-explanatory FTP File Transfer Protocol -- Tool used to transfer files between two machines (usually UNIX machines) IMHO In My Humble (or Honest) Opinion -- Expression used by net.people IMNSHO In My Not So Humble/Honest Opinion -- Expression used by net.people LSL Leisure Suit Larry -- Siera Online adventure game series LTOI Lost Treasures of Infocom -- Collection of the classic text adventures by Infocom (see Q14 for more info about Infocom) M&M Might and Magic -- A fantasy roleplaying series by New World Computing KQ King's Quest -- Siera Online adventure game series PBM Play By Mail -- Game (often RPG) that is played by mail PBEM,PBeM Play by Email -- Game (often PRG) that is played by EMail PC Personal Computer -- Usually implies "IBM-PC compatible" POD,PoD Pools of Darkness -- Computer based AD&D game from SSI POR,PoR Pool of Radiance -- Computer based AD&D game from SSI RTM Read The Manual -- Phrases used by people who don't have RTFM Read The F_CKIN Manual the time/patience/desire to help those who have a question. This editor personally dislikes this because it sends the message Read the Manual Stupid. Some things are not always clear to others and they have as much a right to ask their questions as we have to ask ours. SB Sound Blaster -- A brand of Sound Card SQ Space Quest -- Siera Online adventure game series SSI Strategic Simulations Inc -- A game company that makes the AD&D computer games, among others. SSB Secret of the Silver Blades -- Computer based AD&D game from SSI SWOTL Secret Weapons of the Luftwafe -- World War 2 aerial combat game. U Ultima -- A fantasy roleplaying series by Origin UW Ultima Underworld -- "Virtual reality"ish dungeon exploring game by Origin. VGA Video Graphics Array -- Current graphics adpater "du jour" of the game companies. It is required for newer games that use 256 colors at 320x200 SVGA Super VGA -- higher resolution 256 color modes that come on 3rd party graphics cards (includes 640x480,800x600,and 1024x768) see comp.sys.ibm.cp.hardware for more info WOLF3D Castle Wolfenstien 3d -- "Virtual reality"ish shoot the NAZIs game. (shareware) WC Wing Commander -- Popular space flight simulator series from Origin Wiz Wizardy -- A fantasy roleplaying series by Sir Tech [Please post additions and corrections] ---------------------------- Part 3: Game Bugs ---------------------------- This section cover some common game bug situations. It contains no Spoilers other than where a bug in the game prevents the player from finding out the info. Might and Magic III Sierra Games (General) Leisure Suit Larry 5 Monkey Island Ultima 6 Spellcasting 101 Eye of the Beholder Wing Commander 1 Wing Commander I,II cheat Might and Magic III Q: Why does brother Zeta never talk to me, even though I have visted brother Delta, who told me to go see him. A: This is a bug in the game. Zeta is supposed to tell you that you can find the shell on day 99. Also Zeta is the last of the brothers. Q: What is the magic number that lord might wants in the Arachnoid Caverent? A: [I don't remember the #. Someone please post] There is a bug in the game, that makes it [nearly] impossible to compute the number based on the clues, and besides, it's tedious. If you wait til later (nothing really depends on this quest), you will come across the answer elsewhere. Sierra Games (General) Q: I have several games from Sierra (and the associated company Dynamix), e.g. King's Quest V, Stellar 7, etc. When I install these programs with sound set to sound blaster (I have a version 2.0 sound blaster--not pro) my system hangs. If I set them to adlib board then they seem to work fine but I guess I am potentially missing out on any digitised sound effects. I had the same problem with Martian Memorandum but its manual gave instructions on how to change the interrupt from 3 (used on older sound blaster boards) to 7 (used on newer boards -- and what mine uses as reported by TEST-SBC). This change fixed things up perfectly. [What can I do?] A: I had the same problem with both Martian Memorandum and the Sierra games. I solved the problem with Martian Merorandum the same way as you. As for the Sierra games, when I talked to their tech support they indicated that there was no difference between Addlib mode and SB mode (I'm not sure about Dynamix however.) So I don't think you're missing much. [Andrew Klossner writes] This is true for some games, untrue for others. In Space Quest IV, there is a tangible difference between the sounds produced in Adlib mode and Soundblaster mode. Jet engine hisses and lightning bolts sent chills up my spine in SB mode but sounded like muffled instruments in Adlib mode. And that memorable fragment of digitized sound before the final encounter is Soundblaster-only. Leisure Suit Larry 5 Q: What happened to Leisure Suit Larry 4? A: According to a newsletter(or game mag) I read somewhere, after completing LSL3, the author swore he would never do a part 4. So as a man of the highest moral caliber *grin*, he kept his word and did part 5 instead. Another answer is: it appears in the game Space Quest IV, so they had to roll the release number when they built LSL 5. Monkey Island Q: I can't get this game to run with Soundblaster (in Adlib mode) on my fast (33MHZ 486) machine. A: try running in 8MHZ mode. There is a bug that makes their Adlib driver fail on the fast machine. Ultima 6 Q: I'm trying to install Ultima 6 for the Soundblaster. How do I do it? A: Choose Adlib and use all its default values. It will work fine. Q: What if I did the above and the music still doesn't sound right? A: Then you are in the same situation as the editor was. He called Origin and they told him to get the CMS chipset. He did this and played the game in CMS mode. Spellcasting 101 Q: I have Spellcasting 101, for my IBM but I have a SoundBlaster Pro sound card. The packaging with S101 says that the game only uses the adlib sound card but only when you have run SOUND.COM. A: When you installed S101, it put the file SB_SOUND.COM in your S101 directory. This is the program to run before starting S101. [thanks to Sam Fineberg for this info] Thanks to Andrew Robinson I found sound.com included in an ad-lib demo called dpdemo. This is available on nic.funet.fi among other places in the directory /pub/msdos/sound/adlib. The file is called dpdemo.lzh. Included in this archive is the original ad-lib sound.com driver. This worked perfectly with my SoundBlaster. Please take note of case as most of these machines are case sensitive. I found that for this file to work, the Soundblaster board has to be set to the default address (0220H). Eye of the Beholder Q: Where can I obtain maps for the different levels? A: They are available as .gif files at wuarchive.wustl.edu in /pub/MSDOS_UPLOADS. The file names are level-01.gif through level-12.gif. brolga.cc.uq.oz.au (130.102.128.5), in directory /pub/eob. This site is in Australia. The EOB maps were removed from wuarchive.wustl.edu. But someone just (12/18/91) posted the following note in bit.listserv.games-l: --------------------------------------------------------------------- I've just uploaded the maps for Eye of the Beholder 1 to the ftp site wuarchive.wustl.edu in the directory MSDOS_UPLOADS under the filename eobmaps.zip. (path \pub\MSDOS_UPLOADS) The twelve maps have been PKzipped into one file. Just do a binary ftp get on the file eobmaps.zip. When PKunzipped, it will explode into the twelve separate maps. If you have any trouble with this file and blame it on the original at the ftp site, please let me know so I can check and see if I did something wrong. Wing Commander 1 Q: Where can I get the wc.exe with the joystick fix? A: It was at wuarchive.wustl.edu in /pub/MSDOS_UPLOADS. It was called wc1joyfx.zip. [can someone tell me where it is now?] Wing Commander I,II Q: What is the alt-del cheat in Wing Commander I [thanks Bill Poitras] A: The alt-del cheat is part of a mode that origin put in the Wing Commander games. you start the game wc Origin sm2 Origin wc2 Origin And when you hit Alt-Del, the targetted ship explodes. Lock is not neccessary. If you hit Alt-Ins, then all the enemy fighters blow up, but not capital ships. If you start the executable up with -k Origin, then your ship is invicible!!! ---------------------------- Part 4: Game Spoilers ---------------------------- [SPOILER ALERT] This section contains common spoiler/bug/cheat questions for certain games. Games covered are: Might and Magic III Lemmings [We may want to break this off into a separate FAQ -- SPOILERS] [SPOILER ALERT] This section is for commonly asked questions about particular games, that haven't or will never make it to the hint/solutions area. Feel free to post or email me updates and addtions to this list. Also let me know when walkthroughs become available so I can delete them from here. We should try keep these to 2-4 questions per game. Might and Magic III Q: What goes up and down but never moves? A: STAIRS Q: What turns everything around but does not move? A: MIRROR Lemmings Q: How do I get a lemming to turn round? A: [thanks Adrian Hurt] Make the lemming dig vertically, until the top of his head is level with the floor from which he started digging. Then make him build. The pit which he has just dug should be small enough that he can get out of it without being a climber, but large enough that he doesn't keep building over the side - the ladder will hit the side, then he will stop building and turn round. Q: How do I complete Tricky Level 23? A: [thanks Adrian Hurt] Use both bashers to get through the big barrier in the middle - two bashers work faster than one. Once some lemmings are in the pit on the right of the barrier, make one a climber. Just before this lemming gets to the exit, turn him round as described above. Then make him a miner, so he digs a diagonal tunnel into the pit, up which the other lemmings can go to the exit. [Others?]