Beyond Zork
Developer(s)	Infocom
Publisher(s)	Infocom
Engine	Z-code version 5
Release date(s)	1987
Genre(s)	Interactive fiction
Mode(s)	Single player
Platform(s)	Apple II, Apple IIGS, Atari ST, IBM PC, Commodore 128
Media	1 3½" floppy disk

Beyond Zork (full title: Beyond Zork: The Coconut of Quendor) was an interactive fiction computer game written by Brian Moriarty and released by Infocom in 1987. It was one of the last games in Infocom's Zork series; or, rather, one of the last Zork games that many Infocom fans consider "official" (titles such as Return to Zork, Zork: Nemesis and Zork Grand Inquisitor were created after Activision had dissolved Infocom as a company and kept the "brand name"). It signified a notable departure from the standard format of Infocom's earlier games which relied purely on text and puzzle-solving: among other features, Beyond Zork incorporated a crude on-screen map, the use of character statistics and levels, and RPG combat elements. Zork, an early work of interactive fiction, running on a modern interpreter Interactive fiction, often abbreviated IF, describes software containing simulated environments in which players use text commands to control characters. ... A computer game is a game composed of a computer-controlled virtual universe that players interact with in order to achieve a defined goal or set of goals. ... Brian Moriarty (born 1956) is an American who authored three of the original Infocom interactive fiction titles, Wishbringer (1985), Trinity (1986) and Beyond Zork: The Coconut of Quendor (1987). ... Zork universe Zork games Zork Anthology Zork trilogy Zork I   Zork II   Zork III Beyond Zork   Zork Zero   Planetfall Enchanter trilogy Enchanter   Sorcerer   Spellbreaker Other games Wishbringer   Return to Zork Zork: Nemesis   Zork Grand Inquisitor Zork: The Undiscovered Underground Topics in Zork Encyclopedia Frobozzica Characters   Kings   Creatures Timeline   Magic   Calendar... 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Zork universe Zork games Zork Anthology Zork trilogy Zork I   Zork II   Zork III Beyond Zork   Zork Zero   Planetfall Enchanter trilogy Enchanter   Sorcerer   Spellbreaker Other games Wishbringer   Return to Zork Zork: Nemesis   Zork Grand Inquisitor Zork: The Undiscovered Underground Topics in Zork Encyclopedia Frobozzica Characters   Kings   Creatures Timeline   Magic   Calendar... For CD-ROMversion: 42MB hard disk space; 2X CD-ROM drive. ... Zork: Nemesis is a 1996 graphical adventure game developed by Activision. ... Zork universe Zork games Zork trilogy Zork I Zork II Zork III Enchanter trilogy Enchanter Sorcerer Spellbreaker Wishbringer Beyond Zork Zork Zero Return to Zork Zork: Nemesis Zork Grand Inquisitor Encyclopedia Encyclopedia Frobozzica Miscellaneous Timeline   Calendar   Magic Double Fanucci Companies Infocom   Activision Zork Grand Inquisitor is a graphical adventure game... Activision, Inc. ... A role-playing game (RPG) is a type of game in which players assume the roles of characters and collaboratively create narratives. ...

Plot

The player explores the Southlands of Quendor somewhat aimlessly at first. Soon, however, a task is bestowed by The Implementors, a group of godlike creatures jokingly based on Infocom's game designers. The Coconut of Quendor, an incredibly powerful artifact that embodies the whole of Magic, has fallen into the claws of an incredibly foul beast: an Ur-grue. Rumored to be the spirits of fallen Implementors, Ur-Grues can surround themselves in a sphere of darkness that only sunlight can pierce. The player must recover the Coconut from this monster's grasp or face the unthinkable consequences. Zork universe Zork games Zork trilogy Zork I Zork II Zork III Enchanter trilogy Enchanter Sorcerer Spellbreaker Wishbringer Beyond Zork Zork Zero Return to Zork Zork: Nemesis Zork Grand Inquisitor Encyclopedia Encyclopedia Frobozzica Miscellaneous Timeline   Calendar   Magic Double Fanucci Companies Infocom   Activision Quendor is the name of the large fictional... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Grue. ...

Feelies

Almost since the company's beginning, Infocom's games included "extras" (called feelies) in the packages, often serving a dual purpose of entertainment and copy protection. Beyond Zork is no exception. The game package contained: Feelies is the name Infocom gave extra content they included with the boxed versions of their interactive fiction computer games. ... Copy prevention, also known as copy protection, is any technical measure designed to prevent duplication of information. ...

• A large fold-out map of the "Southland of Quendor"
• A small book titled The Lore and Legends of Quendor, a field guide of sorts to the flora and fauna of the area (several entries contained information necessary to defeat or incapacitate creatures in the game)

Zork universe Zork games Zork trilogy Zork I Zork II Zork III Enchanter trilogy Enchanter Sorcerer Spellbreaker Wishbringer Beyond Zork Zork Zero Return to Zork Zork: Nemesis Zork Grand Inquisitor Encyclopedia Encyclopedia Frobozzica Miscellaneous Timeline   Calendar   Magic Double Fanucci Companies Infocom   Activision Quendor is the name of the large fictional...

Notes

Beyond Zork bears many similarities to a simplified role playing game or Multi-User Dungeon, particularly in the implementations of character statistics and levels. The "attributes" that affected the character were endurance, strength, dexterity, intelligence, compassion, luck, and armor class. These attributes could be manually allocated by the player at the beginning of the game or randomly set by the computer. Additionally, there were several "pre-set" characters that could be used. The values of these attributes affected combat and other aspects of the game; the values could be changed by gaining experience levels, eating or drinking certain things, or wearing or using certain objects. (Humorously, repeated typing of profanities would lower the player's intelligence.) This article is about traditional role-playing games. ... This article is about a type of online computer game. ... Profanity is a word choice or usage which many consider to be offensive. ...

The game's most obvious cosmetic enhancement is the addition of an onscreen map, which shows the room the player is in relation to the surrounding rooms. In addition, game navigation could be accomplished via mouse clicks on the map. Some other features of Beyond Zork previously unseen in Infocom's games include semi-randomized combat and area maps in which the same set "rooms" appeared in game-dependent random configurations.

This was possibly Infocom's largest game in terms of map size. Many locations, creatures and events encountered in other Zork games were referenced in Beyond Zork.

A short section of the game involves the magical land of Froon, "the setting for a series of beloved children's books by L. Frank Fzort, and later became a successful movie musical starring Judy Garlic." This is a not-very-subtle tribute to (or parody of) L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Lyman Frank Baum (May 15, 1856 – May 6, 1919) was an American author, and the creator with illustrator W. W. Denslow of one of the most popular books ever written in American childrens literature, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. ... The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a childrens book from the year 1900, written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W.W. Denslow. ...

Beyond Zork was one of 20 Infocom games bundled in the 1991 compilation The Lost Treasures of Infocom published by Activision. The Lost Treasures of Infocom is a collection of 20 games from the text adventure pioneer Infocom released in 1991. ...

External links

• MobyGames' entry on Beyond Zork
• Beyond Zork overview and information
• Scans of the Beyond Zork package, documentation and feelies
• Infocom-if.org's entry on Beyond Zork
• The Infocom Bugs List entry on Beyond Zork