| Planetfall | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Developer(s) | Infocom |
| Publisher(s) | Infocom |
| Designer(s) | Steve Meretzky |
| Engine | ZIL |
| Platform(s) | Amiga, Apple II, Atari 8-bit, Atari ST, Commodore 64, MS-DOS, TRS-80, TI-99/4A, Macintosh |
| Release date | Release 20: July 8, 1983 Release 26: October 14, 1983 Release 29: January 18, 1984 Release 37: October 3, 1985 Solid Gold: May 31, 1988 |
| Genre(s) | Interactive fiction |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Media | 3½" or 5¼" disk |
| System requirements | No special requirements |
| Input methods | Keyboard |
Planetfall is a science fiction interactive fiction computer game written by Steve Meretzky, and the eighth title published by Infocom in 1983. A video game developer is a software developer (a business or an individual that creates Video games A developer may specialize in a certain video Infocom was a Software company, based in Cambridge Massachusetts, that produced numerous works of Interactive fiction. A "game designer" is a person who designs Video games or one who designs traditional games such as Board games Video Games Designer A video game designer Steven Eric Meretzky (born May 1, 1957) is an American computer game designer with dozens of titles to his credit A game engine is a software system designed for the creation and development of computer and video games The Z-machine is a Virtual machine that was developed by Joel Berez and Marc Blank in 1979 and used by Infocom for its text adventure games In Computing, a platform describes some sort of Hardware architecture or Software framework (including Application frameworks, that allows The Amiga is a family of Personal computers originally developed by Amiga Corporation. The Atari 8-bit family is a series of 8-bit Home computers manufactured from 1979 to 1992 The Atari ST is a home / Personal computer that was commercially available from 1985 to the early 1990s MS-DOS (short for M icro' s' oft D isk O perating S ystem is an Operating system commercialized by Microsoft. TRS-80 was Tandy Corporation 's desktop Microcomputer model line sold through Tandy's Radio Shack stores in the late 1970s and early The Texas Instruments TI-99/4A was an early Home computer, released in June 1981 originally at a price of USD $525 Macintosh, commonly nicknamed Mac is a Brand name which covers several lines of Personal computers designed developed and marketed by Apple Inc Events 939 - The Major Occultation or Ghaybat el-Kubra of Muhammad al-Mahdi 1099 - First Crusade: 15000 Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar) Events 1066 - Norman Conquest: Battle of Hastings - In England on Senlac Hill seven miles from Hastings, the forces Events 350 - Generallus Magnentius deposes Roman Emperor Constans and proclaims himself Emperor Year 1984 ( MCMLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar) Events 42 BC - First Battle of Philippi: Triumvirs Mark Antony and Octavian fight an indecisive battle with Caesar's Year 1985 ( MCMLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar) Events 1279 BC - Rameses II (The Great (19th dynasty becomes pharaoh of Ancient Egypt. Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar) See also [[Game classification]] Video games are categorized into Genres based on their Gameplay interaction In video gaming, single-player refers to the variant of a particular game where input from only one player is expected throughout the course of the gaming session Digital media (as opposed to analog media) usually refers to Electronic media that work on digital Codes. A floppy disk is an increasingly Obsolete data storage medium that is composed of a disk of thin flexible ("floppy" Magnetic storage medium encased A floppy disk is an increasingly Obsolete data storage medium that is composed of a disk of thin flexible ("floppy" Magnetic storage medium encased In Computing, a keyboard is an Input device partially modelled after the typewriter keyboard which uses an arrangement of buttons or keys A personal computer Game (also known as a computer game or simply PC game) is a Video game played on a Personal computer, rather Steven Eric Meretzky (born May 1, 1957) is an American computer game designer with dozens of titles to his credit Infocom was a Software company, based in Cambridge Massachusetts, that produced numerous works of Interactive fiction. Like most Infocom games, thanks to the portable Z-machine, it was released for several platforms simultaneously. See also Software portability In Computer science, porting is the process of adapting software so that an executable program can be created The Z-machine is a Virtual machine that was developed by Joel Berez and Marc Blank in 1979 and used by Infocom for its text adventure games The original release included versions for the PC (both as a booter and for DOS) and Apple II. IBM PC compatible computers are those generally similar to the original IBM PC, XT, and AT. A PC booter, or booter, is a type of Software for Home computer era (early 1980s to early 1990s Personal computers that was loaded and executed DOS, short for "Disk Operating System" is a shorthand term for several closely related Operating systems that dominated the IBM PC compatible market The Atari ST and Commodore 64 versions were released in 1985. The Atari ST is a home / Personal computer that was commercially available from 1985 to the early 1990s A version for CP/M was also released. CP/M (Control Program for Microcomputers is an Operating system originally created for Intel 8080 / 85 based Microcomputers by Gary Kildall Although Planetfall was Meretzky's first title, it proved one of his most popular works and a best-seller for Infocom; it was one of five top-selling titles to be re-released in Solid Gold versions including in-game hints. Planetfall utilizes the Z-machine originally developed for the Zork franchise and was added as a bonus to the "Zork Anthology". The Z-machine is a Virtual machine that was developed by Joel Berez and Marc Blank in 1979 and used by Infocom for its text adventure games Zork was one of the first Interactive fiction Computer games and an early descendant of Colossal Cave Adventure. A review in Computer Gaming World considered the game a good place to start for those new to interactive fiction. Computer Gaming World ( CGW) was founded in 1981 by Russell Sipe as a bimonthly publication [1]
The word planetfall is a portmanteau of planet and landfall, and occasionally used in science fiction to that effect. A planet, as defined by the International Astronomical Union (IAU is a celestial body Orbiting a Star or stellar remnant that is
Contents |
Taglines
- Stellar Patrol: It's not just a job; it's an adventure!
- Risk your life - on Stellar Patrol!
- STELLAR PATROL: SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT FORCE - But even your expert technical training won't save you now.
Plot
The game starts with the user assuming the role of a lowly Ensign Seventh Class on the S. P. S. Feinstein, a starship of the Stellar Patrol. A starship is a theoretical Spacecraft designed for traveling between the stars, as opposed to a vehicle designed for Orbital spaceflight or Interplanetary Overbearing superior Ensign First Class Blather assigns the player to mop decks, not exactly the glorious adventures promised by the recruiters on Gallium. But a sudden series of explosions aboard the ship sends the player scrambling for an escape pod, which eventually crash-lands on a nearby planet. There are signs of civilization, but curiously no traces of the beings that once lived there. Eventually encountering a helpful but childlike robot named Floyd, the player must unravel the mysteries of the single deserted structure on the planet, Resida, and find a way to get back home. A robot is a mechanical or Virtual Artificial agent In practice it is usually an electro-mechanical system which by its appearance or movements As the fate of the planet's former inhabitants becomes clearer, a time limit also imposes itself.
The adventurer doesn't remain on S. P. S. Feinstein for long. Talking to the alien ambassador and performing the required task of scrubbing the floor don't accomplish much. Wandering to other parts of the ship merits demerits from Blather and an ultimately fatal run-in with the Brig unless the player returns to work. Soon, an explosion occurs and an escape pod door opens. The pod safety netting breaks the player's fall and an escape kit is produced, which proves critical to survival. With great exertion, the adventurer swims out of the pod and climbs up to a mysterious deserted base.
Zork games
Enchanter trilogy
Other games
Wishbringer • Return to Zork
Zork: Nemesis • Zork Grand Inquisitor
Zork: The Undiscovered Underground
Companies
Miscellaneous
By putting together various clues, slowly the player realizes that the nearly-uninhabited island is in fact one of the last remaining landmasses on a planet on the verge of destruction. Zork was one of the first Interactive fiction Computer games and an early descendant of Colossal Cave Adventure. Zork I The Great Underground Empire is an Interactive fiction Computer game written by Marc Blank, Dave Lebling, Bruce Daniels Zork II The Wizard of Frobozz is an Interactive fiction Computer game published by Infocom in 1981. Zork III The Dungeon Master is an Interactive fiction Computer game written by Marc Blank, Dave Lebling, Bruce Daniels Beyond Zork (full title Beyond Zork The Coconut of Quendor) was an Interactive fiction Computer game written by Brian Moriarty and Zork Zero The Revenge of Megaboz is an Interactive fiction Computer game, written by Steve Meretzky and published by Infocom in Spellbreaker is an Interactive fiction Computer game written by Dave Lebling and released by Infocom in 1985, the third Wishbringer The Magick Stone of Dreams is an Interactive fiction Computer game written by Brian Moriarty and published by Infocom Return to Zork is a 1993 Adventure game in the Zork series for the PC and Apple Macintosh. Zork The Undiscovered Underground (or ZUU for short is an Interactive fiction Computer game written by former Infocom Implementors Infocom was a Software company, based in Cambridge Massachusetts, that produced numerous works of Interactive fiction. Activision Inc is an American Video game developer and publisher. FrobozzCo International is a fictional monopolous conglomerate from the Infocom text adventure Zork universe The Z-machine is a Virtual machine that was developed by Joel Berez and Marc Blank in 1979 and used by Infocom for its text adventure games AFGNCAAP (pronounced Afghan-cap or Afghan-cop is a satirically politically correct Initialism for " Ageless Faceless Gender-Neutral Culturally-Ambiguous The Zork books were a series of four books written by S Eric Meretzky, which took place in the Fictional universe of Zork. A deadly plague for which no cure existed threatened to kill off all inhabitants of the world. The inhabitants initiated a planetwide project to place everyone under suspended animation while automated systems of robots and computers worked towards finding a cure. Once the cure was found, the inhabitants could be revived.
By the time the player arrives, it is clear that the project is on the edge of success, but the planet itself is on the verge of destruction. The planetary orbit has decayed, leading to massive global warming and an enormous rise in the oceanic levels. Meteorites bombard the planet with ferocious intensity. And the project to find a cure for the plague is itself threatened by the failure of the main computer and repair systems.
Early on in the game, the player finds what at first appears to be the only remaining inhabitant of the island: Floyd, a childish yet endearing robot. He is both a constant source of comic relief (e. g. "Oh, boy! Are we going to try something dangerous?" when a player saves the game in his presence), and also critical in advancing the plotline. Once Floyd realizes that the aptly-named ProjCon repair robot Achilles is non-functional, and that the Project is close to completion, he performs the ultimate sacrifice and gives his life to retrieve the vital Miniaturization Card from the Biolab. As Floyd lies dying, the player sings the "Ballad of the Starcrossed Miner" to him (itself an allusion to the earlier Infocom game Starcross). " The Ballad of the Starcrossed Miner " is a Poem from the Infocom Interactive fiction game Planetfall. The death of Floyd is often cited as the most emotionally poignant moment in interactive fiction.
The adventurer then uses the Miniaturization Booth to access malfunctioning Relay Station #384 and repairs the main computer by removing an offending speck of dust with a laser. After defeating a giant microbe, the adventurer is informed that the primary Miniaturization Booth is malfunctioning and is rerouted to the Auxiliary Booth. Unfortunately, this puts a room full of mutants between the player and the endgame.
With a biomask and the help of the Laboratory's poison gas system, the player makes it through the Biolab but emerges with the mutants on his tail. However, the adventurer makes it to the Cryo-Elevator which is hidden behind a mural. The elevator takes the adventurer to a secret room where the survivors of the infection were cryogenically frozen, just as the entire facility staff is reanimated by the antidote discovered by the ProjCon Computer. The adventurer is proclaimed a hero, Floyd is repaired, and Blather is demoted. A demotion is a reduction in rank or Position in an organizational Hierarchy system
This can't all be accomplished in just one day. The adventurer must sleep in a Dormitory each night and eat when nature calls. Taking more than a few days causes the adventurer to succumb to the infection which apparently has ravaged the facility unless the antidote is obtained at the underground site. But even taking the antidote only buys a little time as the planet's water level is rising. To achieve the optimum ending, the adventurer also must repair the three Planetary systems: the Communications System, the Planetary Defense System, and the Course Control System.
Notes
- Planetfall was designated in Infocom's rating system as a "Standard" difficulty game.
- If a player saves the game in Floyd’s presence, he will say, "Oh, boy! Are we gonna try something dangerous now?" [2]
- Whereas in traditional Zork games the battery power of the lantern is the limiting factor, Planetfall replaced this element with the somewhat more realistic requirement that the player sleep and eat regularly. Zork was one of the first Interactive fiction Computer games and an early descendant of Colossal Cave Adventure. The requirement that the adventurer complete the puzzles while returning to the dormitory each night makes the game more difficult, in a way, than the infinite-day format of Zork. Inaccessible dark areas were added to taunt fans of the original Zork games. The only moveable light source, the famous lantern, is in the Radiation Lab, and thus the adventurer dies before even having a chance to see if it works.
- The concept of a NPC sidekick (Floyd) was also new for Infocom games. A non-player character, often shortened to NPC, is a character that is controlled by the Gamemaster in Role-playing games or one that is not SideKick was an early Personal Information Manager (PIM Software application by Borland launched in 1983 under Philippe Kahn Floyd would follow the player from location to location and interaction with him was required in order to complete the game. [2]
- Reaction to Floyd's in-game death was hailed at the time as a telling sign of the emotional power of Infocom's games. Many players, it was widely reported, wept openly at the scene of Floyd's "death". Apparently, it was previously unthinkable that "a simple game" could move people to such a degree. [2]
- The success of this game inspired a sequel called Stationfall. Stationfall is an Interactive fiction Computer game written by Steve Meretzky and released by Infocom in 1987. The 1987 sequel once again incorporated a revived Floyd, but in a slightly less prominent role. Stationfall was much more grim in tone than Planetfall, and did not sell as well as the more light-hearted original. [2]
- Both Planetfall and Stationfall were novelized by Arthur Byron Cover. Arthur Byron Cover (born January 14 1950 in Grundy, Virginia) is a Science fiction author
- There are some striking similarities between the concepts of Planetfall (1983) and Space Quest (1986): The protagonist is a space janitor; his ship is destroyed/disabled and he must escape; he crash lands on an alien world and must find a way to escape; and the tone of the game is more humorous than serious. Space Quest is a series of six Science fiction Computer games that follow the adventures of a hapless Janitor named Roger Wilco as he campaigns
- In the mid-1990s, Activision (which purchased Infocom), had planned on making a graphical sequel called Planetfall: The Search for Floyd[2][3] or Planetfall 2: Floyd's Next Thing[4], but it was canceled. It promised a "refined storyline by Star Trek: Next Generation" screenwriters.
Red herrings
Planetfall was Infocom's first game to make extensive use of red herrings. In Literature, a red herring is a narrative element intended to distract the reader from a more important event in the plot usually a Twist ending. Unlike previous titles, it contains a number of useless items, inaccessible locations, and other false clues.
The locked door in the Rec Area can be opened with the combination found in the lab uniform. This area can also be accessed by the teleportation booths. However, the item in this room is not critical to completing the game. Many players speculated that the room contained a paddleball set, but this item does not exist outside of the victory scene, when the adventurer is presented with such a set.
In violation of established conventions of interactive fiction, it is unnecessary—and, in fact, impossible—to bring a light source to light up the dark areas of the map. The game dangles a lamp in the player's face, but it is absolutely impossible to retrieve the lamp and explore the darkened areas; the character dies first from a lethal dose of radiation. Only modifying the game file can allow the player to get the lamp safely. This reveals that all dark locations include such messages as, "You should not be here. ", and, "You have just found a major bug. "
Feelies
Beginning with 1982's Deadline, Infocom included extra novelty items with their packaged games called feelies. Infocom used the term feelie to refer to the extra content included with the boxed versions of their Interactive fiction Computer games Feelies differed Included with Planetfall was:
- A Stellar Patrol "Special Assignment Task Force" ID card (about the size and shape of a credit card)
- 3 interstellar postcards
- A Stellar Patrol recruiting manual, "Today's Stellar Patrol: Boldly Going Where Angels Fear to Tread"
- A short diary kept by the player's character (in the Solid Gold release, an in-game object included in the player's starting inventory rather than the packaging)
The level of main character backstory contained in the feelies is a noted departure from the AFGNCAAP endemic to the other games in the Zork genre. A credit card is part of a system of Payments named after the small Plastic card issued to users of the system A postcard or post card is a rectangular piece of thick Paper or thin cardboard intended for writing and mailing without an Envelope and AFGNCAAP (pronounced Afghan-cap or Afghan-cop is a satirically politically correct Initialism for " Ageless Faceless Gender-Neutral Culturally-Ambiguous Zork was one of the first Interactive fiction Computer games and an early descendant of Colossal Cave Adventure.
References
- ^ McPherson, James (April 1984), “Micro-Reviews: Planetfall”, Computer Gaming World: 43-44
- ^ a b c d e Maher, Jimmy, "Let's Tell a Story Together: (A History of Interactive Fiction)", v. 1.02, Chapter 5
- ^ Screenshots from Planetfall: The Search for Floyd from the INFOCOM Homepage (unofficial fansite)
- ^ Page with a mock-up of the cover for Planetfall 2 from the Ye Olde Infocomme Shoppe
External links
- Planetfall at MobyGames has screenshots of Planetfall on a variety of systems and credits for the game. Computer Gaming World ( CGW) was founded in 1981 by Russell Sipe as a bimonthly publication MobyGames is a Website devoted to cataloging computer and video games, both past and present
- Planetfall at Infocom-if. org
- Planetfall at the Infocom Gallery has photos and scans of the entire contents of the game package (manual, feelies, etc. )
- Planetfall at the unofficial Infocom Homepage
- Planetfall at The Infocom Bugs List documents bugs found in various releases of Planetfall
- Planetfall at Lemon Amiga
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