Renga in Blue   Interactive fiction and the All the Adventures project

(You can read my Starcross posts in order with this link.)

As I am sure is obvious to my long-time readers, I am a huge fan of puzzles, and would have been just as happy doing an All the Puzzle Games project instead of an All the Adventures project*. However, there is something exhilarating and unique that adventure games provide when they are done well. Rather than just thinking about one obstacle, I’m thinking about the combination of current plot, past lore, and environment in combination with the obstacles. Thinking about the story can help solve puzzles, and solving puzzles can help reveal the story; this interchange gives me a sort of immersion I can’t get from any other experience.

One thing that distinguishes this game from Zorks in Space (as Lebling termed it) is that the environment is designed in way that there is a logical superstructure (the cylinder) that everything fits into. Zork could go anywhere at any time, but here, the feeling is not so much exploring as uncovering, since all the missing pieces are hidden in one (admittedly large) object. When thinking about what to do next, I’ve been invoking my intuition about the structure and its history, rather than just deciding I need to map out East now.

The ultra-rare Dysan printing for DOS. These were originally intended to sell their new 3 1/4 disk format (they look like regular 5 1/4 floppies, just smaller) but it never took off. The “hard shell” 3 1/2 inch size ended up become the true next generation in disks. From the Museum of Computer Adventure Games.

While making my post last time I theorized two actions mid-stream that might help solve puzzles; I got hits both times! (My rate at such guesses in not normally that great.) First off, I thought (while listing off my objects) if the “tape library” from the Starcross itself would interest the spider.

>play library
The player picks a recently referenced selection: “Fantasia,” complete with holo-projection, begins.

>play library
The player picks a recently referenced selection: A lecture on the history of Brazil in the 2030’s begins.

>play library
The player picks a recently referenced selection: This is Pynchon’s “Gravity’s Rainbow.”

>play library
The player picks a recently referenced selection: The classic computer mystery “Deadline” is displayed.

The spider had already expressed excitement about “A whole new culture to learn” so I handed it over, and my sincere apologies to the spider if they hit bad RNG finding the shards of the teacup in Deadline.

>give library
(to the giant spider)
The spider examines the tape player and discovers the controls. A random song begins playing. Agitated, he fiddles with the controls again, and a lecture begins. He becomes even more agitated. “What a wonderful gift, human! This will alleviate my boredom for a while. Your culture is young, but you have amassed enough of interest to keep me sane for a few more years. I thank you.” He fishes in a pouch and comes up with something. “Perhaps you may find some use for this; I long ago grew bored with such baubles.” He tosses a yellow crystal rod at your feet.

This rod will become very important shortly.

My other guess was that I could interrupt the weasels hunting the unicorn by using the “backfire blast” of the ray gun.

Grassland
A grassy plain circles this band of the cylinder, the vegetation merging into dense forest as you look aft, and stopping abruptly at bare metal as you look forward. The plain arches above you, giving an aerial view of the other side and the entry through which you came. The forest obscures the aft end of the cylinder. A herd of creatures not unlike unicorns crops grass nearby.
There is activity nearby: Weasel-like aliens in a hunting party enter the grassland.

>shoot aliens
You have disturbed the hunters, who are annoyed, and the unicorns, who are now more wary. The hunt is spoiled.

A giant blast of silvery rays issues from the barrel, but it doesn’t go very far. In fact, there is a secondary explosion about a foot from the barrel, scattering dust motes in the air. There is almost no recoil: instead the gun vibrated almost painfully. This felt like a misfire.
The aliens are impressed and terrified.

I have yet to see a positive result from the hunt’s interruption. It does mean you get a different reaction from the weasel village:

They resemble human-sized weasels. Their bodies are thin, flexible, and covered with several colors of hair. There are all sizes and ages, and the stronger ones are armed with spears, knives, and other nasty hardware.
They stare at you with mingled awe and belligerence.
The smaller ones are hustled away, leaving only the better-armed members of the tribe.

Before, the weasels gesture in a way to “indicate friendship”. However, you can still have the scene like normal where you trade your space suit for a brown rod (and the alien leaves behind his own space suit).

>point at brown rod
The chief hesitates, understanding you all too well, then reluctantly removes the rod from its string and hands it to you.
Dodging several youngsters, the chief enters a hovel.

From the cover of the Zork User Group hint guide.

After this, the weasels are back to the “friendship” gesture, so maybe this was all just a small touch of plot? Either way, the unicorns are skittish and don’t let anyone close. Maybe the ramification of this all shows up later.

Having used the ray gun first for the backfire, I wanted to try out the second use where it works. This is the one place in the game where I remember what happened from many years ago. I don’t know why this puzzle in particular stuck, but it requires going back to the top of the tree and the “Bubble Drive”.

You are floating near and clinging to a large crystalline bubble covering the aft end of the axis of rotation of the artifact. There is no weight here. Small knobs resembling handholds cover the bubble; you could use them to climb back down. Far away at the fore end of the axis you can see another bubble very similar to this one.

>jump
You push against the surface of the bubble, and because there is no weight here, you shoot into the air and away along the axis!

Floating in Air
You are floating at the axis of rotation of the cylinder, near the drive bubble. There are enormous trees “below.” There is no gravity here.

>shoot ray
A blast of orange flame issues from the gun, and the recoil propels you at an impressive speed through the air. Eventually, air resistance slows you down, but you are still in the weightless area near the center of the cylinder.

Floating in Air
You are floating at the axis of rotation of the cylinder. There is grassland “below.” There is no gravity here.

>shoot ray
“Click.”

Hmm, I don’t remember that happening. Maybe air resistance will be cut later.

I next wanted to fiddle more with the repair room. That had some “rays” showing next to a yellow slot, and three red slots with different dot diagrams. While I can’t confirm my answer yet, I think the dots are meant to be atomic numbers, meaning the three slots represent specific gases:

Carbon 1, Hydrogen 4 or CH⁴ = methane

Oxygen 2 or O² = dioxygen

Nitrogen 1, Hydrogen 3 or NH³ = ammonia

This corresponds with a solid-liquid-gas symbol on the machine and hence is also connected to the solid-liquid-gas indicator on the computer. That light was (when I saw it) flickering dimly. Later it is flickering more rapidly, and there are messages about it being hard to breathe. Clearly then, the solid-liquid-gas picture is describing the artifact’s life support system. I absolutely would love to test out the options (let’s breath ammonia, everyone!) but I don’t have a red rod to go with the red slots yet — that was stuck at the nest with the rat-ants. I’ll give my theory about how to nab the red rod later.

Speaking of color coding, I do have a yellow rod to go with the yellow slot. Let’s go!

>put yellow rod in yellow slot
The yellow rod disappears into the slot.

I admit I was confused by the lack of noise, but if you head back to the DARK hall, it is now lit by emergency light.

Please note the middle ring: it has a dock in three halls (yellow, blue, red). The fourth green hall (which if the computer is to be believed, still has a working airlock) has its corresponding place covered by the village center. I do wonder if we’re supposed to dig down there later somehow, but it’s interesting to see the weasels building a society right on top of where the entered the artifact.

Not everyone was content with staying, as you’ll see when we go in the yellow airlock. But let’s visit the laboratory first:

Laboratory
This is a glaringly lit room filled with strange devices, most completely incomprehensible. For example, a huge projector of some sort points menacingly at a silvery globe floating in midair in the center of the room. The silvery globe is the size of a basketball. Beneath the projector is a dial with four positions.
A thin red disk the size of a manhole cover hangs on the wall.
A thin blue disk the size of a manhole cover hangs on the wall.

I don’t know what the disks are for. The dial has four settings.

>turn dial to 1
The globe flickers out for an instant and then reappears, shrunken. The silvery globe is the size of an orange. Imbedded in the silver globe is a blue crystal rod.

>turn dial to 2
The globe flickers out for an instant and then reappears, expanded. The silvery globe is the size of a basketball.

>turn dial to 3
The globe flickers out for an instant and then reappears, expanded. The silvery globe is the size of a beachball.

>turn dial to 4
The globe flickers out for an instant and then reappears, expanded. The silvery globe is the size of four feet and seems embedded in the floor.

The rod is “solidly held” by the globe. My assumption is some sort of globe size manipulation is combined with ??? to get the blue crystal globe to pop out and add to our collection.

Now for that airlock:

Yellow Airlock
This is the main airlock of the yellow docking port. The inner door leading up to the interior is open, and the outer door leading down to the surface is closed.
The room is lit by an emergency lighting system.
Discarded here is a metal basket with a small pocket.

The basket is empty. I don’t know what it’s for.

>close inner
The yellow inner door closes.

>open outer
The door appears to be jammed. There may be debris outside blocking it. Perhaps if you pushed again.

Remember, the computer said the yellow airlock was having issues (flickering) but not completely broken (lit).

>open outer
The outer door opens and air rushes out of the airlock.

>out
Yellow Dock
This dock area is severely scorched and damaged where other docks have rope housings. There was apparently a major explosion here, or possibly a chemically fueled rocket attempted to leave without taking proper precautions. There is a hook beside the airlock.
Entangled in debris at the edge of the dock, to port, is what might be a body. It is out of reach from here.

I’d been wondering why the safety line hook has been available, even if it wasn’t useful. Here it is useful. Attach yourself, and you’ll be able to approach the rocket:

>go port
You crawl across dock area, your magnetic boots overcoming the effect of centripetal force. The metal area they can cling to ends before you reach the edge of the dock, but thanks to your safety line you make it successfully to the tangle of debris.

Among Debris
You are among the blackened and twisted metal left by a huge explosion. The tentacle housings have been destroyed. To starboard is the airlock dome.
Entangled in the wreckage is the scorched body of a creature resembling a large reptile, almost a miniature allosaurus, clad in the remains of a space suit.
Clutched in the reptile’s claw is a pink rod.

The pink rod is the only result, but I still found filling in this piece of lore to be satisfying.

I incidentally find it very disconcerting that I’ve “used up” the yellow rod yet I’m collecting other ones. Usually when a game has a collect-a-thon all the items are needed, and they’re all applied in the same place. Just as a reminder, I currently have a black rod (from the airlock at the start) a gold rod (from getting the computer working) a brown rod (from trading), and a pink rod (from visiting the unfortunate lizard at the rocket). The yellow rod was used up, I haven’t found a silver rod, and the red rod still needs to be reclaimed from the rat-ants before it gets used.

Speaking of that red rod:

From the inside front cover of the Zork User Group hint guide. I haven’t been able to look at any more pictures (spoilers and all that) so I don’t know what’s in there other than the two I’ve shown off.

>e
Nesting Cage
The force projectors here aren’t working, but the cage is nonetheless inhabited by many creatures who resemble crosses between a rat and an ant. They are multi-legged with chitinous shells and pincers around their mouths, but they have long ratlike tails and sparse tufts of hair. Some of them are armed with tiny spears and walk precariously on their hind legs. In one corner is a very large mud and stick nest. The nest is constructed of all sorts of odds and ends, including a red rod. The rod is embedded in the mud near one of the entrances of the nest.

>get rod
As you reach for the red rod, a rat-ant pokes its head out of the nest and snaps at you with its needle-sharp mandibles. You draw back just in time.
You notice that the air has become quite thin.

Yes, I get it, it’s urgent, the air is thin. (The spacesuit works, but given how much work has been put into the puzzle I’m guessing it’s only temporarily, plus, something bad probably happens if all the weasels die.) My guess for rod retrieval is the mouse robot. I haven’t been able to pick up the mouse or coax it towards the cage, though.

For an “open dilemma” update:

1.) how do you “capture” or direct the mouse?
2.) how do you get the red rod at the zoo? (does it use the mouse?)
3.) what is the holo-projector for?
4.) what do the things at the laboratory do?
5.) how can we fix the ray gun so we fly farther? or is there some other method of continuing?
6.) how do we get past the damaged wall?
7.) what do we do once we’ve stopped the hunt?
8.) where do we get the silver rod?

*Speaking of puzzle games, the famous Deadly Rooms of Death has a new hold (aka “levelset”) coming out, and it took 10 years to write. Allegedly, it is bigger than every previously released hold combined (!!). The thread is here and The Descent of King Hesper drops on the 14th of September.