Frequently Asked Questions

1. Where can I download <insert Infocom title here>?
2. My dog ate my documentation and now I can't play <insert Infocom title here>!
3. The Lost Treasures installer tells me that I have the wrong version of DOS and won't let me install.
4. How do I get rid of all those garbage characters I see on my screen whenever I run any of the games?
5. I can save my game using the SAVE command but how do I get my game back again?
6. How can I tell what I'm carrying?
7. How do I print a game in progress?
8. How do I make the game give me the room descriptions every time I enter?
9. Where can I buy game X?
10. What about the Battletech and other non-IF Infocom games? I don't seem them mentioned here.
11. I heard that you could get Zork I free off the internet. Where can I download it?
12. I want to place an entry in the guestbook but I have to wait for the entire thing to load! Your internet connection is so slow that I have to wait weeks for it to load completely. Can something be done about this?
13. I think INFOCOM is great. I grew up with those classic games. I'm an aspiring game developer and I was wondering if you have any job openings?

1. Where can I download <insert Infocom title here>?

   Activision Studios owns and maintains full copyright on all Infocom games. With the exception of the first three Zork adventures no Infocom game can be legally "downloaded for free". I never respond to email about downloading Infocom games.

2. My dog ate my documentation and now I can't play <insert Infocom title here>!

   Simply due to the sheer number of requests I get for this sort of thing (a few of which I'm sure are legitimate) I've adopted the policy of not responding to email about lost documentation. If you're stumped and you really don't have the documentation try reading (carefully!) the relevant walkthrough.

3. The Lost Treasures installer tells me that I have the wrong version of DOS and won't let me install.

   Use the DOS SETVER command to fool the installer into thinking you have the right version.

4. How do I get rid of all those garbage characters I seeon my screen whenever I run any of the games?

   You need to load a version of the ANSI.SYS driver that comes with DOS or the game itself. If you're using Windows 95 then you must use the version that comes with Windows 95 (in \WINDOWS\COMMAND\ANSI.SYS).

5. I can save my game using the SAVE command but how do I get my game back again?

   Use the RESTORE command.

6. How can I tell what I'm carrying?

   Use the INVENTORY command (or "I" for short).

7. How do I print a game in progress?

   Use the SCRIPT command.

8. How do I make the game give me the room descriptions every time I enter?

   By default the game is in BRIEF mode. This means that you'll get a room description only when you first enter it. If you use the VERBOSE command you'll get the description every time. In SUPERBRIEF mode you don't get any room descriptions ever unless you specifically to a LOOK.

9. Where can I buy game X?

   It is very difficult to purchase any of the classic Infocom games individually. The best bets of any of the compilations released by Activision. These include The Masterpieces of Infocom, The Infocom Collections (still available in places), and The Lost Treasures of Infocom (getting harder to find).

   If you really, really want the original packaging or you're looking for one of the non-IF games (see next FAQ) then you'll have to resort to hunting in used book and software stores or posting want ads in usenet news groups (like rec.games.int-fiction).

10. What about the Battletech and other non-IF Infocom games? I don't seem them mentioned here.

    That's right. This page is dedicated to Infocom's Interactive Fiction (text adventure) games and not the games released by Activision under the Infocom name. These games include: BattleTech: The Crescent Hawk's Inception, BattleTech 2: The Crescent Hawk's Revenge, The Mines of Titan, Circuit's Edge, Tombs & Treasure, Simon the Sorcerer I and II, Leather Goddesses of Phobos II, Return to Zork, Zork Nemesis, Zork Grand Inquisitor, Planetfall: The Search for Floyd, and Cornerstone (I don't get too many questions about the last one though).

11. I heard that you could get Zork I free off the internet. Where can I download it?

    As part of the promotion of Zork Nemesis Activision was giving away free copies of Zork I (PC download or Mac download). As part of the promotion for Zork Grand Inquisitor Activision is giving away copies of Zork II (download) and Zork III (download). They are also giving away a new Zork text adventure called Zork: The Undiscovered Underground (download with Win95 interpreter or without interpreter).

12. I want to place an entry in the guestbook but I have to wait for the entire thing to load! Your internet connection is so slow that I have to wait weeks for it to load completely. Can something be done about this?

    Yes the connection is quite slow (another lesson in "you get what you pay for" connectivity). I could rewrite the guestbook so that the form is at the top so you wouldn't have to wait for the whole thing to load and I really am planning on doing this. It just happens that this is way, way down on my list.

    If you really want to add something to the guestbook but you can't wait for it to download you can email me the entry and I'll add it for you.

13. I think INFOCOM is great. I grew up with those classic games. I'm an aspiring game developer and I was wondering if you have any job openings?

    The Infocom page is not a corporate homepage. It is a hobby page run by an old fan who just happens to have too much time on this hands. Infocom as a company ceased to exist when it was purchased by Activision Studios.