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From: erkyrath@netcom.com (Andrew Plotkin)
Subject: Re: Zork Nemesis: deserving of the name?
Message-ID: <erkyrathE2MrII.481@netcom.com>
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Date: Wed, 18 Dec 1996 22:23:05 GMT
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Paul S Winalski (winalski@zko.dec.com) wrote:
> Andrew Plotkin wrote:
> > 
> > It has nothing to do with Zork. There are a lot of Zork references, which
> > have nothing to do with the background *or* the story, so you're best off
> > ignoring them.

> Well, actually both Return to Zork and Zork:Nemesis do fit into
> the Zork mythological background, after a fashion.  Both are
> set in the scientific era, after the end of the age of
> enchanters.  Return to Zork occurs well after that event,
> and the connection to the Zork mythology is pretty lame.  They
> did a bit of a better job with Zork:Nemesis, which is set
> right in the time of turmoil when the power of the enchanters
> is breaking.  The story line of Zork:Nemesis in fact deals
> directly with alchemy, considered heresy by the Council of
> Enchanters.  Z:N is both a better-designed game than RTZ and
> also better integrated into the overall Zork mythology.

Nope, I don't buy it. (About mythology.) The mythology of alchemy is
entirely new; it doesn't fit in with anything in the Infocom games; nor
does it feel like it *evolved* from that scenario. It's entirely new laws
of physics here. They *say* that the Enchanters considered alchemy 
heresy, but that's a cheat -- they'd have to either find support for that 
dynamic in the old games, or put in something in the new game which 
*showed* how the old system was failing. But there was no trace of the 
old world. ZN is entirely self-contained.

The terrain doesn't make me think it's in the same world. The social
structures don't either.  There just isn't any connection. 

Compare "Frobozz Magic Support" and "Spiritwrak" and "...Sherbet", all of 
which do a far better job (in different ways) of fitting into the Zork 
universe. And note that "Sherbet" takes place centuries later, with only 
the faintest traces of ancient Quendor visible -- but they're there. 
"Spiritwrak" also plays with the idea of evolution of the scenes seen in 
the old games. The central magical structure of "FMS" is entirely new, 
but it's in the Infocom spirit. So I'm not advocating stagnation here.

And (I repeat for the record) I thought "ZN" was a very well-designed 
game, and its mythology was terrific. It just should have been called 
"Nemesis".

--Z



-- 

"And Aholibamah bare Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah: these were the
borogoves..."
