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From: jra1@ur-tut.UUCP (The Super Abuser)
Newsgroups: rec.games.misc,comp.sys.apple
Subject: Re: zork decoding
Message-ID: <434@ur-tut.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 6-Nov-87 13:20:25 EST
Article-I.D.: ur-tut.434
Posted: Fri Nov  6 13:20:25 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 8-Nov-87 16:27:35 EST
References: <2804@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu> <7639@reed.UUCP>
Reply-To: jra1@tut.cc.rochester.edu.UUCP (The Super Abuser)
Organization: Univ. of Rochester Computing Center
Lines: 13
Keywords: zork,infocom
Xref: mnetor rec.games.misc:1100 comp.sys.apple:3207


I get the impression that the basic coding technique is that
all the words that are used in Zork's descriptions are stored in some mildly
compressed format on the disk (probably "3-2" packing of characters), and the
text descriptions are arrays of pointers to the words on disk.

Of course, I've never tested this theory but it seems reasonable.


Hope this helps.

--- Jem Radlow, former rogueaholic
"God. Life without rogue is like... life without rogue."