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From: rassilon@mit-eddie.UUCP
Newsgroups: rec.games.misc,comp.sys.apple
Subject: Re: zork decoding
Message-ID: <7364@eddie.MIT.EDU>
Date: Fri, 6-Nov-87 17:28:52 EST
Article-I.D.: eddie.7364
Posted: Fri Nov  6 17:28:52 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 8-Nov-87 17:32:27 EST
References: <2804@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu> <7639@reed.UUCP> <434@ur-tut.UUCP> <436@ur-tut.UUCP>
Reply-To: rassilon@eddie.MIT.EDU (Brian Preble)
Organization: MIT, EE/CS Computer Facilities, Cambridge, MA
Lines: 22
Keywords: zork,infocom
Xref: utgpu rec.games.misc:926 comp.sys.apple:2933

In article <434@ur-tut.UUCP> jra1@tut.cc.rochester.edu.UUCP (The Super Abuser) writes:
> 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. 

I don't know how Infocom stores anything but I can help.  There is a program
called ZorkTools which will allow you to play your game as normal but, at any
point, you may do such things as looking at all the text descriptions, get a
list of valid verbs and nouns, make a copy suitable for installing on a hard
disk, etc.  The program runs on IBM PC's and compatibles and I will, if there
is enough interest, post it here.

					Shar and Enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: I have never tried the aforementioned program as I don't have
any Infocom games for PC's.

-- 
Rassilon (Brian Preble)
UUCP: ...{ihnp4 | decvax!genrad}!mit-eddie!rassilon
Internet: rassilon@eddie.mit.edu