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The Datafile PD-CD 3
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PDCD_3.iso
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curses5
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!Zip
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1994-06-04
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*******************************************
* *
* !Zip -- An Infocom Z-Code interpreter *
* *
*******************************************
!Zip is a program that runs Infocom adventures in a window on the desktop.
It consists of two parts: my front-end, which does all the RISC OS work (i.e.
the window and the TextScreen routines), and the actual interpreter, which
was written by Mark Howell and has front-ends for many machines.
Anyone with my port of the InfoTaskForce's interpreter (called !Infocom
or !AUInfocom, depending on which version you have) will see that it is
very similar to this program. Once I got Mark Howell's code, I found
it was so much easier to read and code around, as well as being considerably
more bug-free, that I immediately changed over to using it, keeping
basically the same front-end code.
I want to improve this port to have drag and drop restore as well as the
auto-save as box like !AUInfocom, but this time having the code nicely
integrated into the "Zip" source (unlike the nasties I had to do to get the
ITF source to use RISC OS filing techniques). Apart from that the only other
things I want to add are the realtime support for Border Zone (a fairly
easy task) and outline font support to pretty the display up for people with
hi-res monitors.
Double-clicking on the !Zip directory does nothing. Instead, once !Zip is
seen, clicking on an adventure file will make it play.
There are five different file types for Infocom-format games:
061 to 065.
These are for the five different "versions" of the format. The first byte
of any game is 1 to 5 depending on which the version is. (There are also
a few version 6 games, with graphics, which this interpreter does not run.)
"Curses" and "Adventure" are version-5 games, file-typed 065.
Activision publishes the collected games of Infocom in two relatively
cheap volumes. The IBM PC versions can be used for the Archimedes,
and contain:
"The Lost Treasures of Infocom"
Zork I, II, III, Zork Zero (*), Beyond Zork,
Enchanter, Sorceror, Spellbreaker,
Infidel, Suspect, Ballyhoo, The Lurking Horror,
Deadline, Witness, Moonmist,
The Hitch-hiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Starcross,
Starcross, Planetfall, Stationfall, Suspended.
"The Lost Treasures of Infocom II"
Border Zone, A Mind Forever Voyaging,
Plundered Hearts, Bureaucracy, Cutthroats,
Hollywood Hijinx, Seastalker, Sherlock, Wishbringer,
Nord and Bert Couldn't Make Head or Tail of It,
Trinity.
((*) A version 6 game.)
Each game (except (*)) occupies a single "story" file. Move it from
the PC disc to an Archimedes disc, and filetype it 061 to 065 as
appropriate. (All of volume I should be typed 063 except
"Beyond Zork" (065). Volume II should be 065, 064, 063, 064, 063,
063, 063, 065, 063, 064, 064 respectively.) The files can be
renamed to any filename you like.
The games are then ready to play.
You may want to change the size of the window which !Zip plays games
in, to suit your monitor. Inside the !Zip directory are three obey
files "Big", "Small" and "80x24": clicking on one of these sets !Zip
to these window sizes. (Or you can modify the templates yourself: Icon
#1 is the only one that counts - resize that and the program will
automatically adjust its text area to suit.)
Edouard Poor, September 6th, 1993.
(Slightly extended by Graham Nelson, June 4th, 1994.)
--
(Send all snail mail/money orders/cheques/cash to)
Edouard Poor
15 Stanley Pt Rd
Devonport
Auckland
New Zealand
(Email/uu-files may be addressed to)
epoo1@cs.aukuni.ac.nz
edouard@nacjack.gen.nz [not checked very often]
(voice line)
+64 9 4450330
Included in the August 1994 edition of Acorn User magazine.